Meeting of Minds (or not)

Having worked in a Corporate setup for over 18 months, the one thing I have seen in abundance are meetings! They meet so that they can decide what to meet for!!
So, today when I read the following post, I couldn't suppress a smile. It's so true and seems straight from the heart of someone who's been made a victim of such calls of no-action time and again.
Read on, pure pleasure guaranteed.
http://sethgodin.typepad.com/seths_blog/2009/03/getting-serious-about-your-meeting-problem.html

Take Two!

The title of the post is a reflection of several thoughts, a follow up on a friends post, a late night chat about second chances in life and some such banter!! So the flow of the post might not be necessarily restrained. At this point, I don't even know what it is going to be about. Let's see.

Life isn't always fair. We always wish for a retake, some way that we could go back and make it better. "I wish..." The omnipresent need for a "Take Two".
So, here it is.

Over the last few days, much has gripped our attention and the national media. Much has slipped away and much that we have let slip. Intentionally. In my previous post, I said that the nation is suffering from a cricket-elections fever. It's only got worse over the last few days. But what I find strangely amusing is how as a society we have a knack of closing doors (literally and metaphorically) at just the right time (or not so..). So, the IPL is happening is South Africa and while the stake holders slug it out, we are only concerned with our morning cuppa and a reassurance that we will get the staple 1600 and 2000 hrs telecast for around 50 days staring April 18. Second life actually. Not too bad, huh!!

And then we have the Laloos (with the funniest version of I-am-not-concerned-what-you-think-of-me English) and the Mulayams (of the many criminal cases) and the Paswans (mmm...not too sure what he is about though except a failed ex Railway Minister) coming together and forming an alliance or as they say, a 'front within a front'!! Really?? I don't get it. Wonder if you do. But this long ceased to be the hot favorite in gossip circles in the political capital of the country and we are back to "Singh is King" talks. So let's move on. We can wait till after the polls to see whether they stick with the UPA. What's for lunch by the way??

And the there is the world of make believe, of new aspirations and broken dreams. Bollywood (someone please help with a new name). This week Neil Nitin Mukesh is back as a wildlife photographer in Aa Dekhen Zaraa after making a rather promising debut in Johnny Gaddar as a conman. In this movie, too, his role is not very different. He graduates from being just a photographer to something like a conman with his 'magical futuristic' camera. It is really about how the camera changes his life by predicting the future not so subtly. And then it all goes wrong. Life gives him a second chance but then takes it away. It is, after all, the master's call! Don't know how the movie will fare but maybe it's worth the wait. Damn!! I need coffee!

And then there is the "poet politician" with the loose tongue and an inactive mind. He apparently went to London School of Economics. Inactive mind still. He seems hypnotised either by the legacy he has not been able to fathom and his supposed derived yet non existent burden of expectations or by the political line of the party he endorses which he doesn't really believe in but has no other choice but to moot. In either case, he went overboard. And I am sure he realises it. Else, he wouldn't go about denying the speech as his. He is still taking baby steps in the bad bad world (he is all of 29 after all) and am sure has seen that he can't get away with murder (or even the talk of it) on the political front. His own party, whose blue eyed poster boy he was till a few days back and a perfect answer to the other Gandhi scion, has as much as distanced itself from his comments and in principle from him. The poor little lamb seems lost without knowing the way out. "They told me, it's a jungle out there but I chose not to believe them." I just hope that the perceived butcher is not the one whose beheading we watch as a spectacle.

It actually gets better. According to our man, he was only trying to "safeguard the interests of and instill confidence in the community which feels it is under seige in its own country" and then in the following statement goes on to say that "There is no question of saying anything against any community. India is the home to all faiths and beliefs and I respect this,"...ahem!! Little contradictory, don't you think. Is this a country of Hindus or is this a country where Hindus live just like Muslims and the Sikhs and the Jains and the Buddhists. Whose interests is he trying to safeguard. The Sikhs who were relentlessly killed in 1984 because of some 'environmental' issues or the Muslims who have lived in this country in doubt since 1947 or the Christians who were raped and their places of worship destroyed? Or just the Hindus who have apparently faced wrath time and again!! It just reinforces my belief that he went out in a state of daze and blurted some nonsense which he is now regretting!! (Atleast I hope he is..)

And all talk of legacy is better in the closet. I really do think that he secretly wishes he could be where Rahul and Priyanka are today. Whether or not he is the rightful heir to the family name and political legacy or not is not a discussion we should even start right now. Rahul hasn't done much to prove himself and Varun just started on the wrong foot. And I am certain he thinks that he'd be better off with the Congress. But he has no choice but to live with the choices his mother made some time back since he can never really go back to 'the seat of secularism' atleast till she is around. I don't know if this is his second chance that he has blown away or will he still get another one. For his sake, I hope this is not and that he swings to the music of 'Take Two' in the years ahead! An early dinner would be great. Salad maybe!

So, in what has now become a daily fare so much so that it doesn't escape the clutches of mundane, I was slightly amused but more surprised at the fast veering conversation with my friend. He was deeply upset about some mention of "hero worship" one of our friends had made in the regard of the person (poet politician after all) above. He couldn't understand how someone who we have known for over 10 years could be so insensitive or simply speaking, alienated from sane thinking. And all my efforts of convincing him that this talk should hardly matter to him was obviously not paid heed to :). And just as I was talking to him, it occured to me that I had become so passive to what happens around me. Some years ago, I would have been a crusader of change after reading the absolutely irresponsible comments from Mr Gandhi but not any more. I have convinced myself that this is all talk and nothing beyond and that this talk doesn't meet the sensibilities of an educated yound man (Gandhi or not) who espouses to be an Indian. I have convinced myself that this is a gimmick to gain those elusive votes from the people who still believe that religion can get them three meals a day. I have given in to apathy and that is my doom. Or it could very soon be. And just then, I realised that this, maybe, is my second chance - my Take Two- and maybe I should wake up and smell the coffee. Maybe I shouldn't wait till my 'saviours" turn up against me. Maybe it's time I did something.

...but just then... a lemon cheese cake with whipped cream!
It's delicious.

Damn!!

Light at the end of the tunnel

She heard a faint voice. She looked around. In the dark that surrounded her, she couldn't see anything. She couldn't figure out what it was. But she was sure that something was there. Something that kept watch, noticed her every move and heard her every breath. Thinking of this, she shuddered. And then, she thought of the day she had seen him for the first time. The droopy eyes that longed to smile called out to her. She didn't know him but he seemed like someone she would like to know.
And then just like that, they became friends. She saw in him a reliable friend, someone who would listen to her endlessly. But inside she had this lurking fear that there was a side she hadn't seen. A side which with every passing day she grew desperate to see. A side which she needed to see. A side which scared her for a reason unknown to her.
And today, in the dark that surrounded her, it all came rushing back to her. All she could see was that side. With every passing moment.
And then she wondered why she hadn't seen it before.

The rising fever

..and while we are at it, the two main events coming up in the days ahead have gripped the nation (they have literally) even if the main reason is that the existence of one is spelling doom for the other (and when the other happens to be the IPL, what really do you expect)!!

Anyhow, with the elections poised for the month of April (Well into May) and the IPL (which now, as is common knowledge, will not be held in India but on the foreign shores of England or South Africa), prepare yourself for an insightful discussion on your next dinner (or drinks) out with friends, unless of course you are fine with being labelled as ignorant!! So, gone is the hype around Obama (and from what I read even the "US Americans" are getting enough of him..they are tired of the continuous lecturing apparently, am I surprised) and even the supposed recession or slow down seems like staple fare now. What is being served hot is the new version of the spicy IPL and the Great Indian tamasha (that is obviously an NDTV pick up) with a perfect garnishing of Indian politics.

Now, while I am not much of a patriot, I am sad that the IPL is not happening in India (not that I understand my silly point from the off drive, but still). I do have a lurking fear that the fizz just seems to have died out of the pot boiler. Let's just accept it, it will never be so much fun again. So no matter how much Mr Lalit Modi tries to fake a smile putting up a picture of all's well, we do know that the public thinks it's not. Well largely atleast. And just like that, we have the other Mr Modi shouting from his rooftop of how this is a national shame. Ahem. Now if my memory serves me right, that is not really an area the latter should pride himself in. After all, Godhra happened right under his nose (and anyone who knows me, knows that this has a fair degree of euphemism).

And what completely breaks my heart is that Mr Khan (who else) will most likely not travel to South Africa or England as much as he would have had to Delhi or Mohali or Chennai to cheer his team. Now, that is something I will dearly miss. Now from all of this, what we can't even pretend to ignore is the 'high possibility' of a political angle to this. Now is there one? I would be very surprised if there wasn't!!

And lastly the elections. The much debated candidate lists are out. I am not too sure who is contesting from my area but whoever it is, it fails to excite me to cast my second vote (the first was during the last Assembly elections). And I really want to ask, what is it that they were thinking while they announced the candidature. Why in God's name can't we be involved in the election process from the stage of selecting the candidates!! It is so frustrating having to choose between one devil and another.

And the politics (what else) of it all is blinding. The allies being broken. New ones being made. And then broken again only to be remade. It's a crazy world out there. And in the midst of it all, I break into a cold sweat thinking that Mayawaiti could be my next Prime Minister. Oh God!!

This is not the world I lived for. Even if this is a dream, this is not what I dreamt of.

(On an aside, read this amazing piece of writing on Faraz' blog today..it's beautiful. And while I don't follow Urdu, it's been a language I have always wanted to learn and while I am nowhere close to it yet, writings like these do serve to strengthen my resolve :))

Dreams

The thing with beauty is that it often deceives
The thing with hunger is that it often leads
The thing with dreams is that they often come true
The beauty of the hunger to dream is that there is no beauty at all
Or is it?

Happy 25!!

Have been 25 for over 2 weeks now but just didn't get the time to write this much intended post anytime sooner..it was a very special day and deserved a special post!! So, here goes..

March 7, 2009 at 11:30 PM: Damn!! turning 25 in less than half hour. That familiar yet unknown sinking feeling..Damn!!!

March 8, 2009 at 0002 AM: Surprise!!! A singing clown with flowers and cake to wish me!! Aha..not so bad after all..

And so began the day. The day when I completed 25 years on this planet and stepped into a year where, if left to my parents, I will surely get married :)
Cut the cake (btw, the surprise was frm Mansukh the Mann) and with the blown out candles went to sleep after attending calls from the few 'best' friends (and for those who didn't call, you wait up..)
Next morning..rushed plans. Movie, lunch, dinner, shopping??? Finally went for a not-so-birthday movie..watched it with Mansukh and Blob after the yummiest Chocolate shake in the world (this post is intended to serve just one purpose, act as a record of the wonderful day I spent when I read it 10 years down the line so excuse the minutest details). And then followed it with an amazing amazing amazing lunch with two pf my favorite people (so Miss Mann, if you are reading this, don't burn your eyes out :))
Back home after a few social visits on the way. And then its down to the 'moolah'!! "Many happy returns of the day" in the truest sense.

And the gains from the day, well aplenty (some which can't be mentioned for public reading...hahaha)

But really a day well spent, and spent not working or sulking at home!! Turning 25 doesn't pinch anymore.
Hope the rest of the year is just as great!!

Thank You all for making the day (and all the others) so special.

And yes, thanks a lot for all the many birthday wishes in mail, facebook, orkut or any other media you used (Except for the two clowns who wrote me virtual msgs when a call could have been made..I hope you get the point guys :) !!)

Friends on Flickr

I am not a follower of flickr..primaril;y coz it showcases the one thing I want to be good at but am not..yum photography!! (ok not yum really but you do get the point)

But when you have age old friends putting up the pics of the world through their eyes, you are bound to give it a second look..as for me, i have given them a second, third and many more looks :) (what are friends for after all...)

So, here are the links to my favorites from the leagues of Anne Geddes and Christopher Burkett (hehe, i said i was a good friend..)

faraz @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/farazmeansgreat/page1/ - the food pics are really nice
adeep @ http://www.flickr.com/photos/adeepc/page1/

Good work guys, you have a fan!

Just like that..

Looking away does not show me a new land
It also takes away what I have and what can be mine!

hmmm...

Out of hibernation...

heard from a really old friend today (via mail and a strange Google Calendar invitation, what else!!) and was sooo happy.
Actually heard from two of them, Faraz and Sandy, and both being the people they are brought a big smile on my face for absolutely different reasons.
Now Sandy is on ship and somehere close to Australia (or so his mail states) and his mail was a follow up to an apology mail for missing out on my birthday!! And also about what gifts he should get me from phoren land!! hahaha...so u see, happy for two reasons..gifts and gifts from a friend of over 15 years...

Next up, Faraz Khalid (Faraz means High...that's his fav line seemingly). Saw his blog after months and loved the pics..and he made me smile coz it's Faraz!! He is just endearing in a very strange way. And apparently he discovered the 'real me' in these pages (confused look).. So, happy yet again for hearing from a friend of the same 15 years..on and off!! And seeing him back in action reminded me that I hadn't put up a post in over 3 weeks, so I followed him out of Hibernation :)

more in the following post, this one is just for two of my favorite people!!
Thanks guys :)