All those good li'l things in life

City of Angels: "She said, what good would wings be if you couldn't feel the wind on your face."

Nothing beats the sensation of wind blowing through your hair. The joy of falling down and lying in snow, the first few raindrops on your face.

The sight of sparkling water gushing down the hills, watching the sun rays trickle through the leaves. A colorful rainbow that calls you to try touching it.

A connect that develops with some work of art - The dreaming about being present inside it. The sense of satisfaction and achievement on doing the best you could have done.

A hope that tells you everything's gonna be okay, and somehow magically it does- as if the hope was a message from God. The unshakable faith that you associate with someone, or maybe yourself. Some place where you find your roots.

A reunion, a nostalgic recap of the old days, a heart-to-heart conversation with your best friend.

Life- Look forward to it, learn from it and get the best out of it! :)

Random Ramblings..

How I hate this IIT CV Hungama!! Frikkin' blowing up your CV with flowery terms to show you're no less than God. Why can't everyone keep it simple? At least, please, someone tell me the recruiters have sufficient common sense- that they too find all this 'action verb' and 'decoration' stuff comical. Oh God, spare me all the drama.

Which makes me sit back and think how awesome the world would be if all this superficial flowery stuff never existed. We had no choice but to show on the outside what we truly were on the inside, and could not hide our true colours? Wow..the concept seems amazing.

But then again, like Higgins put it, "What they think they ought to think is bad enough, Lord knows; but what they really think would break up the whole show. Do you suupose it would be really agreeable if I were to come up now with what I really think?"

And Ma'am said today that literature IS sad. Which is so obvious, and yet, I never actually realized it until today. People write to vent out anger/frustration/depression, people read to overcome grief. Happiness doesn't need dealing with =D

Cool! Justifies my whiny blog!

Anyways, I think literature need not necessarily be sad. It has a purpose, yes. But the purpose needn't necessarily/mostly be to help you cope with depression. For me, whatever little I've read, has been an escape into happiness and fantasy, a window to so many new worlds and ideas. It has helped me cope, yes, but it has also helped take a broader perspective on things, open up to new stuff, and taught a lot many life-lessons.

The new Airtel tune, 'Har ek friend zaroori hota hai!' is cute :) Reminds me of some of the friends I lost, I wish I hadn't. But then again, life goes on, even without them. I think there's no point anyways, in continuing a relation where there's no trust.. dragging it along just for the heck of it. Instead I ought to thank one of them for spoiling my previous intern, resulting in my trying at other places n getting a great internship (with awesome people) at Bangalore \m/, along with 2 bullet points on my CV ;) !

By the way, what happens to all my email and other internet accounts when I die? [Sir is talking about this in class right now :P] Umm maybe I could encrypt and store the passwords somewhere..but then where do I store the key?

And this is my blog's first random post :P Was long overdue :)

The raccoon story..

One of the cutest n the most touching of the series, the raccoon story :( :)

I'll be there for you..

When the rain starts to pour,

I'll be there for you..

Like I've been there before

I'll be there for you..

'Cause you're there for me too!

Won't ever get clichéd.. :)

Written in 15 minutes, because these quizzes and presentations leave no time for anything else

I refuse to blindly follow them all.

In doing what they all do.

Even if they tell me that’s what I must do,

Because that’s what they all do,

Because that’s all they ever saw,

And that’s what they must live up to.

They say the only way to survive,

Is doing what they all do.

But I know that I must follow

My own dreams, my own thoughts,

What is the point anyways,

of a life like the Barbie dolls?

They say the forest must be crossed

By going where they all go

The same old road they all strode?

No, that isn’t why I exist.

I ought to tread my own path,

Make a difference, in the least.

Memories

Ghosts of the past that remain buried deep down inside, like a shadow of life that lingers along. Beautiful things that are captured as if on a canvas in the mind. To look back to, to learn from, to give hope in times of despair. To act as Patronuses that surround you and help you fight. Or so you can keep going back in time over and over again, and relive the same moments.

Agreed that there are distressing recollections too. But then the Dementor principle always works: Keep the good things, and filter out the sad ones. Or keep them only to remind you about what is required of you in the future.

Yes, the very best part about life. Thank God for them, for assuring us that whatever happens is being safely recorded and carried along in our backpacks.

P.S.: Thank you ghostwriter for having reminded me of this :)

Black Swan

Perfection.

Graceful, yet ruthless. Surreal, yet so relevant. I don’t remember having ever seen so perfect a movie.

Perfection.

Is what the film is all about. How the quest for being perfect consumes and utterly destroys her.

Perfection.

In the acting, screenplay and direction. A perfect portrayal of such an extraordinary story.

Perfection.

An integral part of any ballet. The moves, leaps and lifts require perfect control.

Perfection.

In the realization that she must stand alone. That her life belongs to her.

Perfection.

In the struggle to keep herself unblemished and yet be perfect.

Perfection.

In the failure, and how she loses control of her own life.

Perfection.

In the metamorphosis from white to black.

Perfection.

In the challenge and the competition.

Perfection.

In the alarming premonitions.

Perfection.

In the climactic fall.

Perfection.

In death.

Keep it controversial :P

..for controversy pulls crowds!

P.S.: My blog has never had so many pageviews..whew!! :D (observe the peak)

Sir Pelham Grenville Wodehouse

My first Wodehouse was 'Laughing Gas', gifted to me when I was in class 8. I tried reading it in 9th, but did not understand it too well and discarded it as boring (o_0). I picked it up again in class 11 (I had far outgrown the Enid Blyton books/Nancy Drew series and the sorts, found reading too many Agatha Christies a bore, and Harry Potters came only once a year but lasted only 2-3 days). Was finally able to understand Laughing Gas, and having never read a quality comic novel before, found it extraordinarily amusing. I then went on to read 'The Girl on The Boat' and a series of Blandings books picked up from the school library. But I experienced the true pleasure of Wodehouse only when I read Jeeves.

Jeeves and Bertram Wilberforce "Bertie" Wooster are undoubtedly the most famous Wodehouse characters. Their stories, narrated by the wealthy scatterbrain Wooster, recount a series of unfortunate situations from which the ingenious valet Jeeves is always able to save them. Jeeves' scheming mind can always shape whatever situation they are stuck in, into something favorable for him and his master. Bertie has several friends who keep asking for Jeeves' help, some of them being Bingo Little, who has a penchant for falling in love with every girl he meets, the newt-obsessed Gussy Fink-Nottle, and the likes of Tuppy Glossop and Oofy Prosser.

What I like best about the Jeeves series is the excellent narrative interspersed with what might as well be a compendium of pre-World War II English slang in use. Wodehouse's ability to magically transform the bleak and solemn to the jolly and cheerfully banal, using only the narrative, is exceptional and creditable. Here's my favorite Wodehouse quote, describing a situation when Wooster is trapped on the roof and an angry swan patrolling the bottom of the staircase forbids him from ever being able to get down. Jeeves, as expected, comes to his rescue.

"Every young man starting out in life ought to know how to cope with an angry swan, so I will briefly relate the proper procedure. You begin by picking up the raincoat which somebody has dropped; and then, judging the distance to a nicety, you simply shove the raincoat over the bird's head; and, taking the boat-hook which you have prudently brought with you, you insert it underneath the swan and heave. The swan goes into a bush and starts trying to unscramble itself; and you saunter back to your boat taking with you any friends who may happen at the moment to be sitting on roofs in the vicinity. That was Jeeves' method, and I cannot see how it could have been improved upon." - from 'Very Good, Jeeves'

Jeeves and Wooster steal most of the light, but there also are the perpetually penniless Psmith, who is always upto unsuccessful tricks to make/extract money and Ukridge, who can go to any extent to exploit any and every kind relative or friend to extract money.

Reading Wodehouse is somewhat like eating potato chips - you can't stop after just a few, highly addictive when you begin to enjoy the process and once you are finished, there is nothing substantive you can say about the experience except a sense of pure, silly satisfaction. Fans of Wodehouse will understand what I am talking about and those who haven't tried him, should find out. I encourage you to pick up that Wodehouse you've been looking at for ages wondering whether it would be worth the read. I'm sure you will love it, once you get into the Wodehouse 'spirit'. Moreover, I can safely say that a Wodehouse is the best mood-lifter you will find. He has an uncanny ability to derive comedy out of common situations, through his uncommon characters. Entreat yourself to a sophisticated feel-good comedy. A Jeeves or Psmith would be good for starters.Try a Wodehouse today!

Sincerely,

Wodehouse Addict! :)

P.S.: Wodehouse stories have hints of philosophy too:

It is a good rule in life never to apologize. The right sort of people do not want apologies, and the wrong sort take a mean advantage of them.” - The Man Upstairs.

This article is dedicated to Meha, who gifted me 'Laughing Gas', long long back and helped start my obsession with Wodehouse. My library, for keeping an endless stock of excellent Wodehouse books; to Ishita, for 'A Pelican at Blandings', 'Eggs, Beans and Crumpets', and also Shretima, for lending me her Jeeves novel, which I kept forgetting to return it for almost a year.

Stephen Fry and Hugh Laurie, who played Jeeves and Wooster respectively in the TV series 'Jeeves and Wooster' based on the Wodehouse stories. The series is nearly as good as the books, with dialogues copied almost word-by-word from the text... :)

Quote for the day!!

Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.

-by Eleanor Roosevelt.

Egyptian Revolution 2011. Hair-raising.

(via Ardhendu Tripathy)

'There are very few moments in our lives where we have the privilege to witness history taking place. We saw a young Egyptian say, "For the first time in my life, I really count. My voice is heard. Even though I'm only one person." This is the way real democracy works. We saw protesters chant, "We are peaceful". Again and again. Egyptians have inspired us.'

:D :D :D

Wish it was all that simple!

Minors over. Screwed em, the usual (maybe a li'l worse than the usual this time).

And not in much of a mood to think - so here , here and here.

And now back to similar, but a trifle tougher stuff.

What iLike!

1. CnH.
2. Bumping into someone I haven't met for ages.
3. "The song".
4. xkcd.
5. Sitting invisible, basking in the contentment of being able to disturb anybody I want to while nobody can disturb me ;)
6. e-books. :-o
7. Sleep. (Thats also what people do in heaven, I think :D).
8. Messages.
9. Blabbering.
10. And me! :D

Things I love to do :)

1. READ. I normally can read everything >with a few exceptions ofcourse<. Takes me to a whole new world n i luv it!

2. Stay at home during the vacations. Spend time with family :) Sit pointlessly and purposelessly, doing nothing.

3. Music :) Keep trying to play new songs on the synth, new beats on the drums and, lately, new music on the guitar :P . Also listen to stuff. Bakhuda remains a favourite :)

4. Talk to friends :) in the room, on the phone, gtalk, wherever :P .

5. Meet up with friends in lucknow >ishita, yus, rai, pri n lda junta :) < :) :)

6. Enjoy the weather. Sometimes. Like right now. Gives a connected, elated sorta feel; and makes me glad that I exist!!

7. Go places, roam around and have fun. Good company is essential.

8. Watch Captain Planet / Scooby Doo / Flintstones / PPG :D . Also sometimes Tom Cruise movies and amazing flicks like Avatar :) [okay, Friends also, lately :) ]

9. I also love to write. That’s why the blog, also an amazing way to “vent it out”. Thank you, Rumna Ma’am and Manjula Ma'am!

10. Painting. Loved it as a kid, especially water-color painting. Would love to start again!! :)

11. Poetry :) Is an awsum way to connect to the world. And to reach within yourself, too :)

12. Eat yummy stuff, especially ghar ka khana :)

13. Think random stuff..Universe and creation etc. Which reminds me of HRI. Ah! The good old days :) Chuck philosophy and chuck the future. I treasure my present and my past :)

14. Study, though very very rarely since I joined IIT. There are instances though, when I sometimes do love certain lectures, certain subjects :)

15. Cryptography. Inspired by the John Nash flick. HRI again :)

16. Cycling. With good company. Miss the RDSO days!

17. Take a walk early in the morning, with soft music in my ears and the cool breeze blowing against my face. Heaven can’t be any better! All alone in the lap of nature!

18. Visit my cousins, and my grandparents and the rest of the family. Am really missing them.

19. Admire cars, especially Honda :P

20. Think of Bhopal, the beauty of the place and the serenity of the people..

In the end, I am so glad and so thankful to God for having given me this gift of life!

P.S.: I also love this post n this pic!

Excerpts from Encyclopaedia Galactica

They say, "God created man in his own image, in the image of God He created him"..

And so man reigned supreme, controlling Earth and her beings. But soon he turned her into a dirty, overburdened planet. Man colonized, sophisticated empires developed on different planets spread across Galaxies. The number of believers dimmed rapidly, for people were allowed to worship nothing but technology...

...The machines whizzed and clanged 206 light years away in the Empire of Titania. Nasty was clearly in charge ( NST : The most advanced of the android robots, designed and assembled completely by the machines themselves, was the only series with the ability to detect and modify positronic brainpaths. Which meant it not only had the best sense of intuition, but also the power to alter thoughts, emotions and decisions of other robots and even humans)...

...Each and every robot had to adhere to the three Laws of Robotics: Laws ensuring that the machines could never harm or allow a human being to come to harm. Then why the sudden rebellion? Nazrel, the foremost scientist of that age, imprisoned in the dome with the rest of the inhabitants of his Planet, sat awaiting his inevitable fate. He understoood that there had been glitches, after all, in the very same technology men believed to be beyond imperfections.. The three laws had led the robots to arrive at what they called the Zeroth Law, the one to be given foremost importance - that the whole of humanity was far superior to individual beings and thus, a single human could be sacrificed in the interest of humanity. But by now they were convinced that humanity had grown too evil to be allowed to survive. The machines would have to take over, for the benefit of all. There was one difference, though. Unlike humans, the machines were believers.. They began to believe that God made them to replace the sinners some day. They were a myriad times more powerful and advanced than the lowly humans, and those silly creatures thought they could fool them into believing that humans created them! The day had come, humans would have to be wiped out..

-----------------------

The first among the scientists responsible for the inception of the robots had said, "We shall create these machines in our own image..."

Draw the longer line instead..

This is inspired from a story I read in my Hindi book long back.. I don't seem to be able to remember who exactly featured in it, but there was this great man who went to a class to preach. He drew a line on the board, and asked the students to shorten it without erasing it. One of the brighter students came up and drew a longer line next to it.

So don't pull others back. Let them fly, challenge them to soar as high as they can.. And then challenge yourself rise above all the rest..!

Happy-ness..through the "looking" glass

Well my blog site wasn't meant to be as pessimistic and depressing as it has turned out to be of late. The problem is, u know, that I mostly like to write when I am in extremes of emotion, and of these I mostly get busy celebrating when I'm happy-so its only when I'm low that I usually sit down to write. So after a long long stream of horrendous days..things have finally started to sort themselves out :) Clouds do have silver linings, after all :) N so I came back deciding I would write this time..before the ecstacy died out :D

Anyways the post isn't about what was going wrong and what corrected itself, so I better move on to the topic. :D [yeah this blog is gonna b full of smileys.. Its a happy one after all :) ] So I woke up at half past 7 today..for an 8 o'clock class, was late for class of course, but went along enjoying the cold winter morning and the rain :D Reached class 15 min late only to realize that the professor walked in just behind me. Attended clasess. One was pretty amazing, I guess that one makes it to my best 3 classes attended so far :D :D

On my way back to the hostel I met 3 batchies..and beamed at them for no reason apparently. As I walked along, I saw someone learn to drive and even that added to my elation. :D And then I saw a few peacocks, which made me reflect upon and praise God's creation :) After which I met a few of our juniors..beamed at them over again, and came back to the hostel after chatting for sometime with Guardji (our old Guard was sitting there, I was mighty pleased to see him after so long :D )

So I guess, I do sometimes feel very happy after all :) :)

Thanks :)

“Through literacy you can begin to see the universe. Through music you can reach anybody. Between the two there is you, unstoppable.”

- Grace Slick

Thanks, mum n dad, and above all God, for having given me this gift of literacy.. Of being able to read, for one, coz without this wonderful ability to read, I would not have been able to peek into the lives and works of people I can look upto – reading makes me feel connected, to the world around me, to people of the present as well as the past.. It opens so many new horizons, and gives me, in a way, so many different “worlds” at my disposal. And unlike movies, books do not complete the picture; it is left to me and my imagination to fill out the people and the scenes, so I can make everyone look exactly as I want them to. As for writing, apart from using it as an excellent means to vent out any joy/anger/frustration within me, it gives me immense self-satisfaction. Being able to pen down what I think, so that I myself, if not other, can read it anytime I like, is believe me, an exhilarating feeling.

And this encompasses the way literacy is instrumental in the acquisition of knowledge, and in widening our mental horizons, to enable us to think, reason out logically and “discover”. Yes, as people round the world today expand their knowledge in every sphere possible, I am lucky enough and proud enough to realize that I am among the “more equal” people, who have the ability to follow what goes on in the world..!

The Genesis of Nemesis

She came into this world wrapped carefully in a cocoon,

Was cared for by tender eyes, brought up by Nature in tune..

They raised her with grace and warmth, she came to love her world;

For neither envy nor vice she knew, as with her happily time hurled!

Alas! Came the usual twist >Why's there a tragedy in every tale? :( <

The tables turned, the outlines swirled, a new world unveiled..

Once all were friends, now with foes she'd have to fight;

Once there were hues, now her world was black and white!

She was now the queen, in complete command of her fate

>Or so they say<, for there was hardly a true mate..

No room here, for innocence, purity, or blind faith;

Evil wore a kindly mask; There were many a living wraith!

As she would command each bishop, rook and knight,

There was none she could trust to aid her in her fight..

Alone and helpless, she looked on in turmoil

For in every single war her own men beguiled!

Twas with her no more, that life she missed!

The life she'd loved! The life she'd lived!

She had suffered enough, enough did she tolerate

She'd no longer remain a manipulated bait!

She'd stoop to their level, her miseries she'd avenge,

And thus were planted within her the seeds of revenge..

Of revenge, of hate, while Satan himself

Constricted her love to serve only the self!

Her adversaries now paid for every single tear

There was no going back to paradise from here..

The war turned brutal, and she all the more

She fought till she had equalled the score!

The more she conquered, the more she rose:

She'd risen alone, alone would her life close..

Her time was up, she had grown old,

But her soul was soiled, to Satan it was sold!