Everyone has to love some words. They may be words they use a lot, or which mean something to them, etc. Some very common words that I love are:
-> Nice - I really think that the word "Nice" has got that feeling of actually being nice. It's different from good, or fine, or pleasant, etc., because I can actually speak it in whatever tone I want, and it would take the same meaning, no matter what.
-> Intellectual – The perfect word for that state of mind, of being clever and articulate and intelligent and smart and witty and sometimes, even snobbish about knowledge, but in a very nice manner.
-> Sexy – Pretty much conveys the meaning perfectly, doesn’t it?
-> Horrible – The sound of this word itself expresses that something is really bad or so gross that it makes us think of a word as intense as horrible.
-> Touch – Anytime I feel the need for a Touch, it really pops up in my head as the exact word to express my emotion.
-> Hello – Hello is not just a greeting. It’s a way of telling someone that you care, and that you love them. That what is going on in their world actually matters to you.
-> Amazing – As amazing as Amazing!!! The sound itself conveys the exact meaning, and infact precedes the meaning notion in my brain.
- Vinaykrishnan.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Loss of Faith
I am losing faith now in something that I have learnt and applauded and imbibed in my life. Communism. It's losing the stronghold it had in my mind over the last few years in belief, and over the last decade in thought process.
Upliftment of the masses, improvement in living conditions for the Proletariat, all these are now clichéd words, as I realise the actual tumult of the people who live in such a government. The agony of getting simple things done becoming so unimaginably difficult is proof in itself that they system is flawed at worst, and needs to be bespoke at best. Taking money and power from the upper economical strata of the society and distributing it to the people has only ultimately succeeded in making the people lazy and arrogant.
Not more than a couple of decades ago, Kerala was the main supplier of all vegetables to Tamil Nadu. Now, it is the opposite, with Kerala only sustaining due to the Tamil Nadu market. Fraudulently claiming that labour is the backbone of the Kerala Communist Society, (which it USED to be until recently), the Communist workers still go about parading themselves as the saviours of a land that, in reality, has all the saviours and protectors and redeemers in the general public itself.
Sorry Comrades, but we do not need YOU to protect us. In fact, we want protection FROM YOU.
Another simple example. I know a family who wanted to get their house items shifted from their rented apartment, to a flat of their own. They appointed a group of 3-4 people to get the job done. When moving the luggage on the truck, they were however stopped, and they had to pay some money to the Communist Party Labour Union because the workers in their stead were not Commie-registered. What kind of non-sense is this? I mean, first you say, that give power to the masses. Give work to the lay man. And then when we do, you go about charging us for it?! It’s either really stupid of you, or really stupid of you. Sure, you made a few quick bucks and the problem of booze for that night is solved. But is this really how you would bring progress in your life, or to the lives of the others around you? And is this really how the land would be redeemed? If it is, then it indeed is a land beyond redemption, scarred with not just the occasional, but the very frequent marks of violence, greed and foolishness.
What this system needs is a prosector, a prosecutor and a persecutor. And a lot of common sense.
Lal Salaam, they say. Sorry Saare, but I cannot offer my Salaams to you anymore.
- Vinaykrishnan.
Upliftment of the masses, improvement in living conditions for the Proletariat, all these are now clichéd words, as I realise the actual tumult of the people who live in such a government. The agony of getting simple things done becoming so unimaginably difficult is proof in itself that they system is flawed at worst, and needs to be bespoke at best. Taking money and power from the upper economical strata of the society and distributing it to the people has only ultimately succeeded in making the people lazy and arrogant.
Not more than a couple of decades ago, Kerala was the main supplier of all vegetables to Tamil Nadu. Now, it is the opposite, with Kerala only sustaining due to the Tamil Nadu market. Fraudulently claiming that labour is the backbone of the Kerala Communist Society, (which it USED to be until recently), the Communist workers still go about parading themselves as the saviours of a land that, in reality, has all the saviours and protectors and redeemers in the general public itself.
Sorry Comrades, but we do not need YOU to protect us. In fact, we want protection FROM YOU.
Another simple example. I know a family who wanted to get their house items shifted from their rented apartment, to a flat of their own. They appointed a group of 3-4 people to get the job done. When moving the luggage on the truck, they were however stopped, and they had to pay some money to the Communist Party Labour Union because the workers in their stead were not Commie-registered. What kind of non-sense is this? I mean, first you say, that give power to the masses. Give work to the lay man. And then when we do, you go about charging us for it?! It’s either really stupid of you, or really stupid of you. Sure, you made a few quick bucks and the problem of booze for that night is solved. But is this really how you would bring progress in your life, or to the lives of the others around you? And is this really how the land would be redeemed? If it is, then it indeed is a land beyond redemption, scarred with not just the occasional, but the very frequent marks of violence, greed and foolishness.
What this system needs is a prosector, a prosecutor and a persecutor. And a lot of common sense.
Lal Salaam, they say. Sorry Saare, but I cannot offer my Salaams to you anymore.
- Vinaykrishnan.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Kazhchapaad
I'm confused. It's like I'm in the middle of the road. One side is lined with cacti and those small dolphin fountains, these alternatively arranged about 8 feet from each other. The other side is drearily bare of any vegetation or embellishment. And this road is leading to, and coming from, no where. So basically, it's like being on a road that I hate being on, and don't know about, both at the same time. Sounds crappy, right? Yeah. Imagine actually being there.
I thought that I would not have to deal with any more trifling situations. But I'm now right in the middle of one. It's weird. I mean, I know what I have to do. And I know what I should not do. I also know what I wish. But I'm just not sure whether all of this would ultimately culminate into a successful consequence. The all-and-ever-humbling end result. "Karm kar, phal ki aasha mat rakh." Bah... I wish I could ask this statement to kiss my ass.
I simply can wait now. I guess. I don't even know if I am making sense anymore. Or if it's the things around me that are so weird that even my making sense is utter non-sense. But in no case is the sense or non-sense around me, or about me, absolute. It is all relative. So I am not the only player in this game. There is another angle to this game. Another twist of the fates. Another roll of the dice. And that is where all of this gets so interesting.
I hope to someday explain all of this to you. And make you understand, that none of this, while entirely relevant now, is non-sense. But that it is all like a extremely difficult theorem, being narrated in reverse order, by a professor who is not speaking the same language as you.
Ende Kazhchapaad. Or should I say, My Perspective.
- Vinaykrishnan.
I thought that I would not have to deal with any more trifling situations. But I'm now right in the middle of one. It's weird. I mean, I know what I have to do. And I know what I should not do. I also know what I wish. But I'm just not sure whether all of this would ultimately culminate into a successful consequence. The all-and-ever-humbling end result. "Karm kar, phal ki aasha mat rakh." Bah... I wish I could ask this statement to kiss my ass.
I simply can wait now. I guess. I don't even know if I am making sense anymore. Or if it's the things around me that are so weird that even my making sense is utter non-sense. But in no case is the sense or non-sense around me, or about me, absolute. It is all relative. So I am not the only player in this game. There is another angle to this game. Another twist of the fates. Another roll of the dice. And that is where all of this gets so interesting.
I hope to someday explain all of this to you. And make you understand, that none of this, while entirely relevant now, is non-sense. But that it is all like a extremely difficult theorem, being narrated in reverse order, by a professor who is not speaking the same language as you.
Ende Kazhchapaad. Or should I say, My Perspective.
- Vinaykrishnan.
Sunday, November 7, 2010
The Mixed Bag Indian
People have always told me that I actually live by the adage "When in Rome, live as the Romans". I was a Gujju for most of my life, and that too of various places. I was a Mithapurian at first, then was tagged a Kathiyawadi, then an Anandi, and sometimes even somewhere in between.
I left Gujarat, went to Kerala. Was there for 4 months, my longest stretch there. Before that I only used to go there for vacations and the likes. I took to being a Commie, I used to lap up all the Malayalam news channels and movie songs. I remember I used to sit at the Indian Coffee house close to my IPSR class and used to hear through the Commie meetings that took place. I remember clearly those animatedly rising wisps of coffee behind which I subversively hid and noticed all the proceedings and discussions on dogmas and actions, which became one of the reasons behind the formation of my thought process regarding politics, religion, people and life. As G.B. Shaw put it, "Any man who is not a communist at the age of twenty is a fool. Any man who is still a communist at the age of thirty is an even bigger fool."
But then Chandigarh happened from no where. It just came as quick as a wink, and I found myself in the land of the Paghris, huge people, Bhangra, chicken and alcohol. (Forgive me for stereotyping, but these are predominantly visible).
And I fell in love with this place. It was the perfect place for everything. Organized, clean, orderly, safe and secure, convenient - everything you look for in a place. I found a great group of people who not only are today part of my best friends, but also my guides, philosophers, confidantes and partners-in-crime.
The thing that I think has amazed me most is the music here. Yes, yes, most of the songs are about 3 things - women, alcohol and guns/fights. But there indeed are some amazing songs which truly hold your heart in a fist and make you gasp at their absolute brilliance. Some songs that talk about relationships, some that talk about folktales of love and valor, some that talk about life and change. It's all there. Some that make you want to stand up and forget everything about life and its worries, and just sway to the tune and beats.
The following are some of the most amazingly wonderful songs I have heard here:
1. Mirza - Sung by Sukhshinder Shinda, there is a version done by Hari, which is absolutely fabulous. Tells the story of Mirza, Sahibaan's lover. And a tragic tale it is too.
http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_songs/347287
2. Maa - Malkit Singh has done an absolutely fabulous job. The lyrics do touch a few chords too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7vQztdLpMs (Don't think too much about the video though. Punjabi film-making needs to still come a long way).
3. Challa - Gurdas Maan. One of the best singers to ever grace the Punjabi music scene, this is the song that really touched me, especially when I learnt the meaning of the song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zhDKEUYv6Q&feature=related (And yes, that is Raj Babbar).
4. Kiven mukhre ton nazaran hatawan - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Saab did this so beautifully. The music, lyrics and of course Nusrat Saab. Lethal combination truly. It's a long song, but the rise of the tempo with each stanza is so powerfully combined with the perfect mix of Nusrat Saab and the chorus. One cannot ever not like this song. It's so brilliant.
http://player.raag.fm/player/?browser=flash&pick[]=300138
5. Aaja ve Mahi - Hans Raj Hans. The song is so hauntingly beautiful. I actually felt as if I am calling out to my love to come to me for my eyes are waiting to fall on you since so long.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSMML5YuO9c&p=9992E095C9D7D0C2&playnext=1&index=88
That's all I can think of right now. There are many more. I'll come up with some more soon. Till then, Proud to be a Gujju/Mallu/Punju Indian. :-)
- Vinaykrishnan.
I left Gujarat, went to Kerala. Was there for 4 months, my longest stretch there. Before that I only used to go there for vacations and the likes. I took to being a Commie, I used to lap up all the Malayalam news channels and movie songs. I remember I used to sit at the Indian Coffee house close to my IPSR class and used to hear through the Commie meetings that took place. I remember clearly those animatedly rising wisps of coffee behind which I subversively hid and noticed all the proceedings and discussions on dogmas and actions, which became one of the reasons behind the formation of my thought process regarding politics, religion, people and life. As G.B. Shaw put it, "Any man who is not a communist at the age of twenty is a fool. Any man who is still a communist at the age of thirty is an even bigger fool."
But then Chandigarh happened from no where. It just came as quick as a wink, and I found myself in the land of the Paghris, huge people, Bhangra, chicken and alcohol. (Forgive me for stereotyping, but these are predominantly visible).
And I fell in love with this place. It was the perfect place for everything. Organized, clean, orderly, safe and secure, convenient - everything you look for in a place. I found a great group of people who not only are today part of my best friends, but also my guides, philosophers, confidantes and partners-in-crime.
The thing that I think has amazed me most is the music here. Yes, yes, most of the songs are about 3 things - women, alcohol and guns/fights. But there indeed are some amazing songs which truly hold your heart in a fist and make you gasp at their absolute brilliance. Some songs that talk about relationships, some that talk about folktales of love and valor, some that talk about life and change. It's all there. Some that make you want to stand up and forget everything about life and its worries, and just sway to the tune and beats.
The following are some of the most amazingly wonderful songs I have heard here:
1. Mirza - Sung by Sukhshinder Shinda, there is a version done by Hari, which is absolutely fabulous. Tells the story of Mirza, Sahibaan's lover. And a tragic tale it is too.
http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/artist_songs/347287
2. Maa - Malkit Singh has done an absolutely fabulous job. The lyrics do touch a few chords too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7vQztdLpMs (Don't think too much about the video though. Punjabi film-making needs to still come a long way).
3. Challa - Gurdas Maan. One of the best singers to ever grace the Punjabi music scene, this is the song that really touched me, especially when I learnt the meaning of the song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zhDKEUYv6Q&feature=related (And yes, that is Raj Babbar).
4. Kiven mukhre ton nazaran hatawan - Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan Saab did this so beautifully. The music, lyrics and of course Nusrat Saab. Lethal combination truly. It's a long song, but the rise of the tempo with each stanza is so powerfully combined with the perfect mix of Nusrat Saab and the chorus. One cannot ever not like this song. It's so brilliant.
http://player.raag.fm/player/?browser=flash&pick[]=300138
5. Aaja ve Mahi - Hans Raj Hans. The song is so hauntingly beautiful. I actually felt as if I am calling out to my love to come to me for my eyes are waiting to fall on you since so long.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSMML5YuO9c&p=9992E095C9D7D0C2&playnext=1&index=88
That's all I can think of right now. There are many more. I'll come up with some more soon. Till then, Proud to be a Gujju/Mallu/Punju Indian. :-)
- Vinaykrishnan.
Friday, November 5, 2010
Random Expressions (Again).
Every man goes through it, they say. Moments of such magnitude and eye-opening splendour, that everything else looks that bit less glamorous. I would hate to think that I might miss out on being nostalgic about those littler things that made my life have something to think about, but then in the grand scheme of things, it is these things that, in comparison to my current state of being, allow me to fully appreciate what life is all about. I remember being happy when I got myself a gift from my first salary. It was a lovely watch. A Mickey Mouse watch, infact. What with the white dial, and the hands of Mickey telling me the time. Not the plastic flap one, mind you. That I had when I was a kid. I think my parents got one each for my sister and me. This one was more refined. More childish, and yet more mature. Always, as Langdon (or should I say, Dan Brown), so eloquently put it, to remind me that there is a child in me, and that I always need to stay young at heart.
That's just one moment I remember fondly. There are a gazillion others. But now, with the torrent of emotions and feelings that I am drowning in, I really cannot say whether those will ever matter to me. I want them to. I want to hold onto them.
I guess I'll just have to wait to find out.
- Vinaykrishnan.
That's just one moment I remember fondly. There are a gazillion others. But now, with the torrent of emotions and feelings that I am drowning in, I really cannot say whether those will ever matter to me. I want them to. I want to hold onto them.
I guess I'll just have to wait to find out.
- Vinaykrishnan.
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