All you People in the Hoooouusee!!

A Most Fitting Anology

Here I was sitting in my office pondering over this and that, you know world stuff, and then it hit me. It was a most startling thought but the more i thought it over the more befitting it seemed.

GANDHI IS PROFESSOR X!!!

And if that weren't enough check this out

JINNAH IS MAGNETO

Don't you see the physical resemblance? The similarity of thought?

Think about it, All encompasing, tolerant, inclusive and kind - Gandhi

Cynical, someone who once fought the good fight but now has turned to darker school of thought,- Jinnah

Should I inform some government agency? Are there any forms that I need to fill out to have this acknowledged by the National Archives of India? Do I need to let Bryan Singer know? There has to be some forms, rt?

Guess that Makes India the X-men and Pakistan the Brotherhood of the Mutants.

What's in a name?

I have a very strange sounding and a very rare last name. I know that. I have seen a fair amount of people twist their face and repeat my name with a bookended question mark.You would think, being Indian you would pronounce the D as in Indu but you do it as you do in ghoda. To be frank I am myself quite new to the name. While I always knew that Adimari was my family name and my last name on the birth certificate, all through school I was Arjun Raju. Thats right,two first names. If I was in Hyderabad, where Raju is a common surname, I would have fit right in. But I was not, so as it happened, my name got mistaken and mashed up with another similar sounding name, my dear friend and the next name on the rollcall, Arun Raj. So there would be people calling us Arjun Raj and Arun Raju.

The two things I am most proud of about myself, I can honestly take no credit for. One is that I am tall, and the other is my name. Arjun is probably the coolest name you can find in all of Bharat. Mallus are known for having horrible names, so in a sea of shijin, vijin, lijin, tijo, rijo, sijo, mijo, qijo my name does stand out. You know it. I am not being pompous, its just plain facts. If you are a Rakesh or Ankit or Anoop, you know that when you hear my name you automatically assume me to be better than you (I am not). The name carries expectations with it, responsibilities. People assume you to be a leader (I am not), they expect you to jump into a raging fire to save a baby or throw yourself in front of a bullet to save Nirupa Roy or climb a tree to get a kitty down (I hate cats). The bar's been set very high, I know and even though I am not living up to it, I would like to take a moment to salute those brave parents who choose mediocrity (whats my blog called?) just to keep it alive. Those who put on a brave face and decide to name there kid Prateek or Chunnilal or Sushmakumari just to keep these names alive. Really brave stuff.

Now, till Facebook came along I did not know that my very uncool sounding last name is in fact a name from historic Italy. I was friended by a whole family of Adimaris from Argentina and Italy who were very keen to know what their kin was doing in India. Of course there is no remote relation between the Adimari famili indiana and the italian ones but still its nice to know. The most famous Adimari of all time is one Ralph Adimari who was apparently a pop culture enthusiast , very much like me.

De-Evolved Technology.

I like to eat with my hands. If its Indian food , hands it is. Thats the only way to truly savour the dish. I cringe everytime I see an idli being dunked in sambar with a fork. That is so wrong. You have to prod it, cajole and coax the idli with your hands, tell it to make love with the sambar. Thats the only way to do it. No firangi instruments can bring out the true taste of Indian food. How can you eat a biriyani with just a fork? I have done it, but only under social duress and weak resolve. Are you telling me, that 4 pronged instrument can deftly include the perfect amount of raita,achar, crushed papad all in the same "nivala". You then ,Sir, are plain lying. I'd rather not go to an Indian Restaurant with a white person. Its just not going to work out. No people who know wouldn't call me a violent person or prone to anger. But you wanna see me flip out? I tell you if I ever see someone eat a Sadya with a spoon or fork, I swear to god, I am gonna go napalm on his ass.

Ok now being the master digresser that I am lets get to the issue of getting hands dirty. There are certain situations, where you would want your hands to maybe remain un-messy. Shaving for instance. I just cannot stand the gel and foam that you have to apply with your fingers on your face. You always end up using more than required and drop sods everywhere. What if there was a instrument that could help us lather better, it could be a small brush of some sort and the gel would be applied to one end and then you use it lather up your face. Smart rt? Lets call it the shaving brush. Wait a friggin second. There used to be just such a thing. And it worked perfectly. What happened? Somehow everyone decided that its just an antiquated redundancy. Didn't we. Now its gone and we cant find it. Lost in the annals of time. Tell me how is this moving forward, how is this progress.

Touchscreens are another thing that irk me. Can you imagine sitting all day with your hand raised in front of you like a zombie and touching and moving things on the screen ala the new touchscreen desktops from hp/lenovo. How inconvenient. I agree that the whole touchscreen technology can enhance the user experience manifold. But it shouldn't be on the screen but on my keyboard. Give me a keyboard which doubles up as a touchscreen and I will be a happy camper. You cant expect anyone to stand all day in the office and be like Tommy Cruise in Minority report. Not happening. Now maybe I haven't been watching TED as much as everyone else and what I may be saying might be no longer relevant but from my limited exposure to the touchscreen technology, this is what I deduce and feel.

Time for some...

......Penn station humour.

Avatar : My Thoughts

Let's put this out there while its still fresh in my mind. Some may argue that Avatar is an excuse to showcase a technology under the guise of a story that has been told many times before. While not entirely wrong to say so, its one heck of a way to tell the story. I found it to be a delightful two hours spent discovering a wonderful world and its truly unique people . The movie deserves to be seen on IMAX, that's the only way you could realize its true vision. The movie speaks of so many things imperialism, environmentalism, humanity and even belonging. It gives a scientific touch to spirituality , by claiming that since all things living are made up of cells, they can feel and communicate each other, even store memories. The movie has heart, the scenes with Jake & Neytiri training together found me with a firm "Awww" smile on my face. There is no denying the fact that it is a visual extravaganza first and everything else later. The world of Pandora - the people, the flora and fauna - are all magnificent , stunning and bright. Very bright. The effects will blow your mind . A particular scene where a giant tree is fell , is so well done. The final battle scene and the climax are breathtaking and need to be seen. But there is something missing that makes a movie more than endearing, that punch , that "IT", something I can't put my finger on is missing.If you look at it it has all the makings of a great movie. The graph of highs and lows, the WOW moments all should have come together wonderfully. What should have been a masterpiece , remains a few steps away from being one. However the future is very bright , a world of possibilities has opened up with this technology and the real life rendition of CGI characters, which would make for an enriching movie experience.

16 to go

Invictus

Have I ever lived alone? No. I have been away from dear ol' Delhi for the last 6 and dot five years, but I have always had hostel mates or roommates for company. But my roommate is now visiting India, and as I sit alone in this quiet Highland Park apartment, I wonder, how would it be if I were to live alone. How I keep my place when I live alone would be the true mirror of who I am. We have made compromises on the state of affairs when we live with roommates, a plate left unwashed , a bathtub left unscrubbed (for weeks). And in spite of all that we agree this is not how our houses back home in Hindustan are. We would never label ourselves as unclean. Why mentally assure yourself that you are better than your roomies, when you clearly aren't being? Why live a certain way if that is not you. Why compromise.

I just came back from a screening of Invictus. I would call it Mr.Eastwood's most underwhelming flick since he shifted gears from thrillers to drama. Anyway, there is a line oft repeated in the movie. Its from the poem that gives the film its name.

" I am the master of my fate, I am the captain of my ship"

It says a lot about how we are programmed from birth. We have mistakenly formed habits that weigh us down rather than accelerating us ahead. It is amazing how much I can eat when a craving hits, or how long I can procrastinate when something looms ahead. Its not because we are weak its because we have conditioned ourselves. It could happen the other way. I could have programmed myself to eat moderately no matter what or not wait on that assignment till the night before. In fact when I think of all the things a person can will himself to do , it is overwhelming. Like a Lego set, or a sheet of paper and a pen, the possibilities are endless. Why don't we spend every waking hour, being better, living better. And don't give me that "stop and smell the roses" excuse. It is about learning to appreciate the smell rather than smelling the bloody rose every chance you get. If I had the knowledge of these past 23 years with me when I was born I would certainly be a different person , as I imagine anyone would. Lets summarize the important life lessons I have learned:

1) Binging on foods and movies is not "enjoying life" it is setting up dangerous precedents to habit forming activities. The answer , like Mr. Buddha said , is moderation.

2)How can you be afraid of anything. For once you face it, it shall pass. It may come back to haunt you but the moment you fear the most is just that, a moment. It will pass. And that thought is emboldening.

3) Do not be afraid of girls. Go talk to them. They want to talk to you too.

4)Reading like crazy will make you suave and sophisticated like Shashi Tharoor. Then you can develop a baritone and strut around all you want.

5)Disciplining yourself , lets you know that your indiscipline are well deserved.

6) Nothing or no one is going to come and change your life. YOU have to cut down on food, YOU have to start writing that script and YOU have to better your knowledge of Civil Engineering.

I am sure life has thrown more lessons at me, but this is all I can think of right now. Ah, yes the one rule that has never been proven wrong. The one rule to rule them all. The one rule to bring them all. And in the darkness.. ok I will stop.

7) My father is always right. and I mean Always. There has been tons of things he has asked me to do and tons of things I did not because I thought it was uncool, or not the right choice at the moment or I was just being plain lazy. But each and every time his advice has been spot on. The thing is he sees the bigger picture, I dont. I am sure my progeny will ignore my advice the same way. Why God does it have to be a circle??

Ok That is all I can remember .

My Very Special Acoustic Evening with Bryan Adams

"I have 16 friggin records, pipe down people, Lets see if we can run through them all" - Bryan Adams on being barraged by requests after his first song.

I can honestly say its a dream come true for me. Bryan Adams produced the soundtrack to my teen years. To a puppy eyed 14 year old moderately plumpy guy Bryan Adams was God. My brother and I were mammoth fans. We knew all the lyrics, all the songs and his biography by heart. Since then I have wanted to see him in concert. Yes, he did come to India, but I just happened to be in a different city every time. But when BA decided to come to my very own backyard, The State Theater at New Brunswick, I had every reason to go.

I had fantastic seats, right in the center, less than 30 ft away from him, in front of the stage. He trotted onto stage at 8:10 , (ten mins late) and broke into "Run to you" right away . It was an acoustic show and so he just had one person accompany him on a piano(who was fantastic, btw). "In case you didn't get the memo, this is the band" he said pointing to himself and the pianist. He followed it with "Tonight we have the stars" , "Back to You" ,"Here I am" "Heat of the Night", "Lonely Nights", "So69", "Everything I do", "Only Thing that looks good on me", "Thought I had Died and Gone to Heaven", "Lets make a Night to Remember", "Not Romeo, Not Juliet", "Cuts like a knife" , "To really love a woman" "Christmas time", "This Time", "When you love someone", "Heaven","Straight from the Heart", "Cant stop this thing we started" and many more. Acoustic does bring out the best in his songs. There's a more personal connection with the audience and its mesmerizing to say the least. I am a bigger fan of his lesser known songs and I was happy to see him give some of them a chance. He has great stage presence. The audience was in splits , when he started singing "Cant stop this thing we started" like a country song. He said "Waking up the neighbors" was his second favorite album title, followed by what he wanted to name his second album but the studio wouldn't agree to: " Adams hasn't heard of you either". He recalled the time he recorded "Lonely Nights". "It was a magical time , I was 21, broke, in NYC. It was fantastic". He spotted two ladies on the balcony waving at him with their little fluorescent "concert thingys" and had them brought down to sit right in front of him. I am sure they will never forget that. While in the middle of "Heat of the Night" his guitar string broke, the pianist immediately covered for him while he quickly got his guitar replaced. I was a bit put off by how abruptly the concert came to an end. He said his goodbyes and rushed off stage. He came back twice, though. It also surprised me how I remembered the lyrics to even some of his less popular songs. I hate "All for love" and "The only thing that looks good on me" but couldn't stop myself from singing along. Towards the end, everyone came up to the stage and started flashing their mob cams. I cursed myself for not having a better cam but had to make do with grainy pics. Someday when I am rich and famous, I will get to shake his hand. Till then this day ,the memory of singing So69, along with him, will do. Now lets see if we can catch Simon and Garfunkel sometime.


20 to go

The Masterly Mr Master McMasterton

" Jack of all trades and Master of one". Master of Science that is. It was today, this glorious thursday morning that I presented my masterific project and mastered the last task which stood before me and my Masters. True some formalities remain but the groundwork is done. What's that? How does it feel to be a Master, you ask. Well not that different from yesterday actually. Did I do a dance of joy and leap around in front of my department? Did I take off my clothes in a huge F U to the system and establishment and run around Busch campus wearing nothing but my butt.Did I change my facebook/orkut/gmail status to the first line of this post(which I gratuitously lifted from Raghu)? Well, no. I did do a " I have a Masters you dont , nana - nana-na -na in front of Onkar and Srini. Other than that it was just another day in the life of a "student by day, crimefighter by night " person that I am. I spent the afternoon debating with myself whether a person with a Masters should be legally allowed to use the term Master in front of his name like PhDs do with Dr. and some overtly excited B.Tech guys do with Engineer in the way of Er. Hmm.. Master Arjun Raju Adimari. Well that would suit me if I were a child actor in a Rajesh Khanna- Mumtaz movie. Could I just call myself "The Master". Doesnt have a good ring to it , sounds like a Buffy villain or a Darjiwala. What I am is a very jobless person who needs to realize that without a job he is going to have a very hard time repaying those student loans. I actually have a lot of free time ahead of me. I need to apply apply apply. What else. Well a little while ago I promised my dear readers (all four of you) and myself that I would accomplish the task of matching the number of my yearly posts to the previous years. I am at 22 now , well 23 with this one , I need to put out 23 more to match the 46 I have put out each of the previous years. So people get ready for an exercise in namesake posting as I try to pass off whatever I can as a blog post. Here's wishing Master Arjun , All the best.

Squash-ed

If you actually think about it, its basically two guys smashing a ball into a wall. Repeatedly. A Wall!! one of the essentials of Squash is a wall. Can you think of any other game where you would need a wall?? ( Yes, Racquetball, but who wants to play a game where the ball bounces like a crazyball? ) But I love Squash. Looove it. Its a passion. The activity I look forward to the most each day. I cant believe I used to play Racquetball in the beginning , but the moment I played squash for the first time, something inside me fell in place, something came home and felt so right. I now detest Racquetball and it is only with haughty eyes that I look upon the people who jostle for a place in the Racquetball court. So why do I love squash?? I actually sat and thought about why I love squash. I came across the following reasons:

1) It burns the most calories , compared to any other sport. Something like 800-1000 per hour. Thats huge if you are trying to lose weight.

2) The sheer excitement. The hilarious and energetic fun. It is so much fun, that it makes me look for other physical activities that might match the fun.

3) The rallies. My god the rallies. I have heard of games where they have lasted for over 6 minutes. I would be lucky to get a minute long rally. But when I do, the pure adrenaline that runs through you as you make one shot after the other, trying to outdo the other. Its outta this world. That's what I play squash for.

4)Its also a battle of the brains. From the time the ball strikes the wall to the time you swing your racquet, that's how long you have to decide where you are going to hit the ball. In that split second you have to anticipate the other players position, how hard you are going to hit, where to hit the ball and where you are going to move after the hit. All that goes into every shot, Its like a chess move. You have to give him something he doesn't expect. Feign, decoy and manipulate and when he falls for it?....You ....are the champion... of the world.

5) One wonderful thing the game shows you is how a human body can move if it decides to , that is. The decision to take a far off shot has to be made in nanoseconds. Your body has to accelerate itself and carry you forward with unthougt of momentum, and maybe you may make it . But all this starts with that one nanosecond decision.

We have been playing for so long now, we know who the regulars are, who are good and if we could take them or not.I know who would send me packing. There is a Pakistani duo that kick ass. Rajat Mittal the king of all sports. Then there is an old uncle who plays by himself but has the back hand of a tennis pro and finally the lady from Hong Kong and her older guy friend who looks like Stanley Tucci. Anyone else.... bring it on , I say. Here's looking at you Onkar, Amey and Srini.

Things I learned from "Fashion"

1. Everyone in the Fashion Industry is hellbent on success, populated with low morals and promiscuous.

2. If you become the Showstopper (I dont know if this thing exists in real life or is just some thing Bhandarkar cooked up) you will end up a drugged up, whoreish wastoid. That is the price you pay for ambition.

3. It takes enormous amount of courage and confidence to be a fashion model even though your only job is to walk on a ramp with a pout.

4. Sleeping with a Black guy is the lowest point you can get to before realizing how much you have effed up your life. How Racist!!

5. Kangana Ranawat has an obsession with the word " Basterd". (spotted by Onkar)

6. Fashion is just like Corporate is just like Page 3 is just like Satta is just like Traffic Signal.

7. None of the above are even remotely close to Aan : Men at Work. A spectacular Crap - o - cobana featuring action scenes from several hollywood flicks, a climax lifted from the beginning of Face/Off and supposedly part of Bhandarkars trilogy of Prostitution, Politics and Police (Notice how they all start with P)

Falling

I fell. After so long, the mighty giant fell. I fell so hard it still hurts. But something about the whole incident makes me all giggly inside. Lets start from the beginning. Here I was in a new apartment trying to fiddle the shower knobs, to get the right temperature. I stood up in the tub and switched from faucet to shower. That very moment hot scalding water poured out with furious anger and great vengeance. Trained as I am in the ancient martial and mystic arts the very simplicity with which it happened took me by surprise and I was literally taken aback. As I reeled back trying to avoid the water, something from 7th grade physics came flying into my mind.My center of gravity realigned itself , and simultaneously my foot slipped under the slippery wet porcelain. I fell. It all happened so quick. Futile and desperate grabbing for some support, my arm hitting the toilet seat and dislodging it and me crashing onto the floor with thunderous sounds and bangs. Downstairs the sleeping Indian Graduate student woke up. Next door the Indian Aunty startled and dropped her Katori of cut Bhindi , while outside in the woods a raccoon perked up its ears, and birds flew away from their perches en Mass. Like a great Oak Tree I fell. Like Sirius Black through the Veil of Mists, only mine was a 3 $ shower Curtain, I fell.
I gathered my marbles (cough cough) and thanked God that I did not hurt myself bad. Nothing was broken , a tragedy had been averted. I managed to fix the toilet seat. Surprisingly my Pride did not go after the Fall. I felt kind of good about falling. There was a sense of surreality to the whole incident and about how quickly it happened. I couldn't stop myself from telling everyone. I fell. The last time I fell was a year ago ,on Somerset St, right outside my house on the snow-melt-icey steps. While my friend Onkar laughed at me like the little girl that he is, he fell soon after ,outside Delta Kappa Chi. Oh how ,I laughed like the little girl I am not. Now a day after the fall, while my bum still hurts , reality has sunk in at how bad it could have been, I have resolved to be more cautious while bathing,walking and moving in general.

Jhaad ke idhar udhar.

For some reason , I feel like washing my hands. I ate with a fork. I know they are not dirty , but I cant shake the feeling that they are. There is music playing in the background but its not from my laptop. Nor is it from my house. Its coming from outside. But what do I care? I haven't fallen in love with a song for so long now. I don't even remember the last time.

I know now what it will take to finally lose my additional pounds. I have the supreme power. The Total Knowledge. The only thing standing in the way is ..me. But its a promise, I wont enter my 24th year as a fat person.

अप्परेंत्ल्य यू कैन ब्लॉग इन हिन्दी, ആന്‍ഡ്‌ മലയാളം , and tamil and telugu. Dont the gujjus and the bongs need to blog?

It seems so long since they have been gone, but they are back. The cold NJ drafts I mean. The ones that chill you to the bone. The snow will soon follow. And as poetic and romantic the first snow is , they get old , very soon. Seeing snow for the first time is like seeing the beach. The feeling of seeing horizon empty in the distance and to realize that the beach is rt there up ahead. Is it just me or does everyone feel the child like glee. In undergrad my homies and I would hit the beach at 1 in the night to play football and kabbaddi. The first time we went there (TVM ka mashoor Shankhmugham beach) I just started running. Something inside me told me to run. Like Forrest, but I stopped in like 2 minutes. Cause I was fat and outta shape. But that feeling , that happiness, is something so pure. Something that can take control of you and make you do things. Something that feels so right. I want that again.

Its a coincidence that in 07 and 08 I clocked in exactly 48 posts each. And this yr I am at something like 16. Srinis blog, he says is abt quality not quantity. Well not this one. I will, no matter what, reach 48 posts by the end of the year. And to that I dedicate the above crapfest.

Entourage is Friggin Awesome!!!

Jyeah,Jyeah!!...... Jyeah,Jyeah!!!! I haven't fallen in love with a TV series like this since I sat up all night watching the first season of Dexter back in undergrad. Entourage is an absolutely amazing show and the coolest thing is that its just about four guys hanging together. Its such a simple concept, but the execution and the characters will make you fall heads over heel in love with it. Never thought four normal guys living the good life in Hollywood, surrounded by movie stars, cars, girls, parties would make for some friggin' awesome TV. Its like Sex and the City, just for guys. You cant help but love the characters. After just 2 seasons Vince, E, Turtle and Drama are all my homies now.People you would love to hang out with. Turtle & Johnny Drama alone are such great characters, I wouldnt mind seeing them together in anything. Infact they should make a comedy about just Turtle and Drama. That could work out real nice. And Jeremy Piven is hilarious as the short tempered agent , Ari Gold.

Each season (so far) is based on a simple story line , but the story telling is so compelling and the characters so endearing you cant but gobble down episode after episode. The first season was about Vince scoring a indie flick. The second mostly about him scoring a big budget-er with James Cameron. Simple ,rt? And with all the movie actor cameos and movie references, any cinephile would love it endlessly. Another thing is that these folks are living it up , Hollywood style .Their lifestyle is relaxed, so chilled out that it makes you wish you had something like that. Its an inspiration almost, to get off you lazy ass and work , do something so that you are somebody. I am so prepped up right now, its like everything is gonna be alright. I can do anything I want. I finally got around to writing this blog article. Now Iammago run a mile. See you later Chicken, say Hi to your mother for me.


PS: Mark Wahlberg produces Entourage.
PS2: Thank you Pompi for forcing me to watch the first episode.

What everyone is down with...

" I feel as if I do not deserve the food I eat." Said pompy while huddled over his plate of rotis and omellete. " I dont feel I should go out for a movie or eat out, because I do nothing to deserve it. I want to work hard be tired, and then go out and have fun. Now all I do is sit at home and apply for jobs.

I press my lips together and nod my head, I know what he means. Whatever he is down with has been going around the desi junta for some time now. Its as if a melancholy cloud has cast its ugly shadow all over cedar lane... well at least over my roomies. There is a pall of gloom that surrounds every conversation and completes every sentence. People have become nihilistic, they want to change , do and live better and their present life disappoints them. Some drink 9 cups of tea a day, others wake up and realize that they slept till 3:30 and that depresses them so much that they go back to sleep. The regular parasite at our place has suddenly realized that life should be spent travelling and meeting people and wants me to tag along with him to be a farm volunteer in Hawaii.

I knock and enter Pand's room . He is sitting on his mattress all red eyed from the job applications he's been sending. He seems like he needs a caffeine shot. I talk to him about a movie I saw and whether he should try going out of his room a while. He nods and continues typing onto his laptop. I wonder if he heard a thing I said.

" I go to sleep every night all jazzed up for the next day, but then I realize its because of the guilt I feel for doing nothing all day long. I have so much work to do or i feel like I do, but there is no motivation no drive. The only time I am happy is when I eat and when I play squash." says Onkar. My eyes light up at the mention of squash, its something I enjoy too, very much nowadays. " Do you think I should try to go professional?" I nod and do the pressed lips thing again and step out of the room. A stolen glance at his mac screen shows a page for the New Jersey Squash Association. Wow, was he serious?

Why is this happening to everyone? why are people suddenly so fed up with everything. If they were to get a job their moods would light up like that .What is that worries me ? I am worried that I am not worrying enough. Hey I need a job too.

We Have TV !!!

Long have you eluded me. No more.

After a gap of 5 years , I finally have TV at my home. I haven't had access to a TV since I left home 5 years ago for college, save for the brief stints at home on holidays or the time my roommate went out and bought a TV for our room that lasted all of 2 months. The pure joy and convenience that a TV provides is unbeatable. We have over 200 channels , 15 movie channels among them. Instead of just discovery and NGC we have over 8 lifestyle channels. Oh, How I missed you Discovery. I am amazed at the wide variety at offer, but that in itself has posed a problem. There were times in India when there would be nothing good to watch. I termed it "Dead Time"- " a period of air time be it audio or video where the viewer/listener is offered nothing that can hold his interest for long". We have a strange variation of that here in the states. I haven't yet come up with a lame name for the phenomenon, but its a period of airtime where there is an abundance of programs that attract the viewer such that he/she is pulled everywhere and in the end settles nowhere.

Still I am elated with the return of TV. It brings back fond memories if nothing else. Unkown to my parents there existed a system of understanding between I and my brother. We had divided everything in the house between us. EVERYTHING. Rooms, household objects, mixies,TV, furntiture,and even our parents. So the TV ended up being mine, but my brother got the TV stand. Furthermore the TV was in the living room, which my brother had got in turn for both the bathrooms. So even though the remote lay in my hands, and I controlled what the family would watch - to which he complied - ,when something came that he just had to watch ,he would leverage control by moving the TV stand and pulling the plug of the TV saying I had no right to his "electricity". A truce would finally reach where he would get to watch what he wanted, but the remote would be in my hands, and I got wandering rights during commercial breaks.

"I am 12 years old, TV is my life" - Kevin McCallister, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York.

I heard this on TV and was so happy that I was 12 years old too and in fact TV was my life too.
I was proud of my knowledge of TV timing when I was in school. I knew what was on at what time.I liked that certanity. Of telling time by what was on the TV. Like the furniture of my house, I knew where everything was. I knew how late night TV smelled. I knew how afternoon Tv tasted. I was the Lord of TV.

The Fallacy of Central Indian Thought

Why does Kerala have so many Christians?
Why did so many Mallus convert to Christianity?

These were the questions that besieged me last night amongst a barrage of ill informed and ignorant rhetoric . When the obvious answer of the first missionaries landing in Kerala and thereby finding followers did not sate their scavenging minds, I did some research. According to the powers that be (read wikipedia), it is believed that St.Thomas the Apostle landed in Kerala in the 1st century AD. The oldest Church in India is in Kerala. All these are definite proofs of missionary works in Kerala early in the 1st millenium. Furthermore the Chera kingdoms were heavily dependent on trade with the europeans, and middle eastern Asia. So mixing of cultures was bound to happen. So if I belong to a place with a religious demographic that is highly skewed from the national average, am I to be blamed? My God, what kind of a person sees that as a negative thing? The four years I spent there showed me how religiously tolerant the place is. I dont think I have ever heard of communal riots in the south of India.

I am someone who believes that there was once a dark cowherd who slayed the King of Mathura and that there was a real Prince of Hastinapur who was just the bomb with the Bow & Arrows. Call it blind faith but its not so blinding as to turn to hatred for apostates. I believe my religion preaches tolerance.I am against any religious conversion that is not the voluntary end result of a curious mind's search for what it deems to be the right means to spiritual salvation. There is a belief in India that people who converted are those who gave into outside pressures, cowered and these guys who by virtue of holding steadfast to their faiths are superior. A part of me feels the same way. But tell me how can you claim bragging rights to something that you did nothing to achieve. You were born into your religion. You did not prove yourself in the face of murderous mobs or the tempting nets (if I may) of a proselyte. It screams of hypocrisy.

Why Central Indian Thought?? I am generalising instead of directly addressing the culprits. People who act as if they have never come across someone from the north of the Vindhyas. You should realise that "baari" is an accepted usage in the north, having been derived from the punjabi "Vaari" . Please , what right do you have to look down upon this when you yourself translate every sentence from Marathi? And someone who gets so touchy at the slightest generalization of Biharis should have a better sense of respect for all cultures within our country. I miss Delhi. I really do. If only for the better mixing of cultures.

I am also a fool for spending so much time writing this. Useful time that could have been spent watching "tonty phour"

Sudden Thoughts-1

The Internet is Bountiful and Unending... !!!

This realization had to come on the day before my Finals..

Real nice article..

12 down 63 to go.....

http://www.esquire.com/features/essential-skills-0508

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