Song

For someone who appreciates words I find only noise around. And hence I always miss the soulful songs that many new movies offer.

Raahon ko badal daalein
Aahon mein asar toh hai
Banti hai bigadti hai
Taqdeer magar toh hai
Saagar mein kahin apni
Koi ek leher toh hai

A beautiful antara from a lovely qawalli - Daata Di Diwani  in Youngistaan ;) Listen to the song here.

The best FSM ;)

For the beginners - A finite-state machine (FSM) is an abstract machine that can be in one of a finite number of states. The machine is in only one state at a time

A conversation between my friend Neha and her 4 year old kiddo Riddhi.
Neha: Riddhu, lets sit down and cut your nails.
Riddhi: Why?
Neha: Because big nails are bad for health. Dirt accumulate in them and then while you eat they get inside you stomach and cause you pain. At times you have to go to the doctor too who may give you an injection.
Riddhi: But what if I keep them clean. I will wash them every 30 minutes so that they are clean.
Neha: Well, you cant always do that. Its easier to just keep them short.
Riddhi: Ummm....Ok mamma!

A relieved Neha cuts her nails and comes back smiling to me at her logical victory. But I guess the victory smile was a little too early. Riddhi soon called her back -
Riddhi: Mamma!
Neha: Yes baby?
Riddhi: Why don't you cut your nails too if its easier and healthier to keep them short?

I rolled down the floor laughing. Color drained from the poor Mamma's face as she envisioned her exclusive manicure completely ruined.

Moral of the story: Get you arguments premise checked before you utter them to the best FSM in the world - Kids!!!

Quote

"When life robs you, sometimes you have to rob it back"

~The book thief

Do your best and leave the rest ;)

I had been on this junction a thousand times but it was only today that I observed him. I guess because the snarl at my end was nastier.

He worked hard - shouting, yelling at people to make way, almost abusing the errant hawkers to move aside. One could not miss the urgency in his voice. He wanted the spot clean and the traffic cleared. Just when he was about to succeed, in walked three cows - guess that makes it an Indian Road post ;). And cows do not pay heed to requests or abuses. They have their own rules and their own leisurely pace. He stood wondering what to do!  And then I saw him doing the unimaginable! He picked up a small bunch of leafy vegetable and bribed the cows to get out of the way into a different path. And lo! They obeyed. He got back to his position and continued to man the traffic. Yet again thanklessly!

For a mind that has been uncontrollably tensed it was a beautiful lesson. Accolades or no; acknowledgements or no; reciprocation or no; our only duty is to do the task to the best of our ability. An act well done should give you peace rather than the outcome.

Out of place ......and hence beautiful

Usually the Volvo buses in Bengaluru are crammed with the same type of people and with similar play things. Busy professionals checking emails on their smart phones or laptops, some unnecessarily going thru' files and folders as if the laptop is more interesting to stare at than people in flesh and blood. If nothing, they have their earphones on. The scene is the same every single day, irrespective of the time of the day. In the evening, it’s just haggard faces but the laptops, smart phones and earphones stay the same nevertheless. One major reason is the bus fares for these air conditioned Volvo buses really burn a hole in the pocket. So I guess it has become a trademark of the bustling professional who is ready to shell out exorbitantly for even an iota of more comfort.

Today was no different but when a candy floss man decided to take a seat amongst the honored professionals, it was a sight to watch. Many squirmed wondering where he would put his candy floss packets. Obviously none bothered to glance at their own baggage. But then you don't even utter candy floss and laptop in the same sentence let alone compare them ;) Many were obviously wondering if he could afford that ride, well I thought about it too, but I guess we all can get whimsical and choose to do what we like. So I quickly adjusted to the thought. Soon the man was forgotten and people resumed their tasks but all thru' my journey I kept looking at him. His pink candy floss looked so adorable in the sea of blacks, grays and whites. And of course not to forget the man himself who was completely at ease being out of place. How many of us dare to be that?

Friends!

Had been long since I called up Neha so thought Friendship's day was a good day to just reconnect.
Me: Hello Neha
Neha: Haan bol
Me: Happy Friendships day
Neha: Silence
Me: Hello, I said happy friendships day
Neha: Silence
Me: Silence
Neha: You ok? Did someone mix vodka in your coffee?
Me: Aye nalayak....
Neha: yes, NOW you sound normal...

So much for trying to be nice to an old buddy. I guess being nice is next to being unnatural when it comes to friends ;)

Happy friendships day [Yeah.....a very belated one ;)]

OMG! Maria doesn't know God ;)

Maria Sharapova said she didn’t know Sachin Tendulkar and the world was never the same again. Fans clambered to slam the tennis star for the insult she had heaped upon their own personal God. The fourth estate duly reported each and every tweet as if to state their stand against a lady whose GK was really bad. How does it matter that the sport in question is not prominent in the country she stays or was born. But since we ourselves know our hockey, football, badminton, etc. stars so very well, we have the full right to chastise her  :P

Amongst all this melodrama, the man himself said no word.
Well, what's a God who needs protection and the God knows it too; hence the perfect, elegant silence as the world scrambles to make hay while the sun shines ;)

A nice song

Songs are brilliant. You may start liking one after a certain situation in life, one can be your favorite for your lifetime. Some convey your expectations in just about the right way. Some manage to pep you up when no one can manage to do so.

This one is an old Lata di number. Brilliant composition by Gulzaar ji and the music is  Hemant da. The meaning is so deep and everything about it is to my liking.

The mukhda is so apt -

Hamne Dekhi Hai Un Aankho Ki Mehekti Khushboo 
Haath Se Chhoo Ke Ise Rishton Ka Ilzaam Na Do 
Sirf Ehsaas Hai Ye, Rooh Se Mehsoos Karo 
Pyar Ko Pyar Hi Rehne Do, Koi Naam Na Do 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8L5pndfks4

Choosing to be happy

People never cease to surprise me. Every human who changes my perception about the world generally has one blog entry associated. It just reminds me that the world is what you make of it.

The normal route I take to office was closed because there was a religious procession. The car in front of me, a really impressive car ;), took a left to take an alternate route. I followed suit. The alternate route wasn't exactly a main road but more of an alley that passed through many houses. Out of the blue, a water tanker joined us in between and we were forced to follow it. He led us comfortably at his own sweet pace. If you live in Bangalore, you know that the water tankers form approximately 10% of the vehicle population here ;) and on inner domestic roads they are capable of causing snarls and high tempers.

Back to my anecdote, at one particular juncture the water-tanker got stuck in a nasty pothole. Obviously the car behind it had to stop and so did I. Suddenly people came running with buckets, opened the tanker's water-tap and started filling water. All this in a matter of seconds! The little Kannada that I manage, I could understand that they were requesting the driver to just let them fill a bucket each since they do not have water at all. Suddenly the car door in front opened and from the passenger seat exited a well-to-do, formally dressed gentleman. I expected a blasting and some lecture about road and civic sense but he went and stood with the folks and started smiling. In manageable Kananda he asked them to resolve the issue fast because he was running very late and if he wouldn't reach on time he would have to join them with the water bucket. The gathered set erupted at his joke.

We were stuck there for some time till the tanker driver moved his vehicle but all this while the car guy stood happily with the locals. As most of us were fretting about our lost time he chatted away to glory. It just felt nice and human for a change and I realized that happiness is generally our own making :)

Standing up....for oneself

Rachna had come down to spend the summer vacations with me. We were 11 year old girls looking forward to spend some great time together. On one particular evening we were busy playing when my uncle came to visit us out of the blue. Since my parents were not back from work he decided to wait for them. Rachna has always been a quick thinker and she said "Uncle must be tired and hungry. He has directly come to our house from his office. Let’s make some dosas for him". "Yes", I croaked, as I wondered how she could always think the right things at the right time. I was no good at making dosa and I soon realized that neither was she. Her dosas could be put up for a display of "geometrical-shapes-of-dosa-batter-on-pan". I never knew there were so many shapes. I was also worried of the reaction from my uncle. But she continued enthusiastically without any apprehensions whatsoever.  She offered it to my uncle who gave it one look and retorted "Is this the way you make dosa?”  I turned to look at her and I saw how disappointed she had become after all the enthusiasm. I was unhappy too because I knew the thoughts that went behind those out-of-shape dosas.

And to my surprise my uncle continued - "Can you make some more of these? I am really hungry". Before I could say anything my quick thinker cousin blurted out - "The batter is over so that’s all that we can do". I gaped at her as she pulled me away to another room leaving the elderly uncle flabbergasted. I realized she was fuming red.

When my mom came, my uncle obviously complained about my rude cousin and my mother gave her an earful about being polite to elders. She haughtily retorted "Even elders should learn to be appreciative of an eleven year old making dosa and not be snooty"

I almost clapped. My mom probably got a gist of her thought process and left it at that. And I forever remember my first lesson in being able to stand up for oneself.