Apr 06

Nomadic Musings!!

And so, here I am back on the turf that I had long seized playing on. The grasses have grown tall, weeds in between too, and am not so sure, if I can wield the bat as well as I used to! Chandan, had written earlier in one of this blogs (studying the nature of bloggers and their blogs) that a blog reflects the state of mind a blogger is in. Given the inactivity of my space for such a long time, I wonder what it can be classified as. Thankfully no one wrote me off as being wiped away!! What was even more heartening was that people wrote to me personally asking me the reason for my absence from the blogging world, and imploring me, threatening me, coaxing me nicely to get back to the writing mode.

Much like my blog, even I have not been having a feeling of having ever settled down. If my blog were to have feelings, I guess it’d wonder why there is no routine in its life! Regular posts, comments from the endearing readers, feedbacks, regular make-over!! Nothing at all!!! Likewise, I do not have a settled feeling yet! I still am a Nomad. I guess there is a part of me that enjoys this nomadic existence. One has to give credit to the freedom of existence that this life assures of. And believe me, I do treasure it! Work – professional and personal has kept me rather occupied. The excuse may seem as lame to you too, as it does to me, or even more! But believe me, the writer in me, had probably taken a sabbatical for a few months. During which period, I may even be accused of indulging in frivolous living, as I had taken to writing elsewhere, rather than in my personal blog-space!! (Ah! The nerve of me!!)

Writer’s block is a classic excuse for many out here for the continued absence. I would like to be counted amongst them too! It isn’t that I could not have keyed some words in…. but rather that I never felt like. It’s like coming back to meet a good ol’ friend of the yore, and there is an urge to share so many things with him, but one never does! One just waits for another time. I guess one way to overcome this is to just sit down, and start typing. That is what I am doing now, as I am on my way to Bangalore. Rustic landscapes, beautiful hills draped in green, large expanse of paddy fields with lakes and ponds interspersed. Who wouldn’t feel like sharing a few thoughts across? Those who care to listen will continue to read, and those who don’t, will shut the browser and move on. Life continues…..

Aug 18

Crawlers and Creepers!!

Well Well.. after a very very laaang time.. I am back into the blogging foray!! Missed u all chums.. dearies!! Trust me! I did!! So well.. here is something to start us all with… but before u embark…

Statutory Warnings:

1. No this has nothing to do with preeetttty preettty flowers or plants!
2. The first person am gonna hear “hee-hee-haw-hawing” shall find the vertical protrusions in the frontal lobe of their skull strategically displaced and dispersed in a vast area following random distribution. (Pauses solemnly allowing the idea to sink……. )


Why did God have to make cockroaches?! I cannot fathom of one sensible reason, as to what wonderful purpose they serve in this cosmos, that made the existence of these frankensteins absolutely necessary!! Well… I don’t wanna say am scared of ‘em (yeah! like that is really gonna sound so convincing! And I so much can hear my room mates sniggering to themselves.. didn’t they read the warning messages up there?!! Hmmphhff) But frankly the very thought of theirs is sufficient enough to make the hairs stand upright and send a chill down my spine. There is absolutely something very hideous about the structure of the cockroach. It could either be its long antenne groping around and feeling (I have a conviction that they actually are fear sensors), or those oooh-so-yucky looking eyes that can give Payal Rohatgi a run for her money (but still can’t beat He-man-shoo Malik’s acting prowess!! Yeah! I so much was waiting to say that!! Phew! Glad I got that out of my chest!). And those legs lined up with the prickly protrusions that have absolutely convinced me that the cockroaches are the godzillas of the pest world! Not to mention some of who have the exemplary powers of actually taking to flight, and send me on a marathon race all around the room, trying to dodge, screaming at the top of my voice much to the amusement of my absolutely enchanted room mates.
Under what extreme frustration did God conceive of this creature? Did he himself throw-up in disgust after that was completed? Questions galore! I still remember, that the only thing that’d get me shut my mouth and sit and study during my childhood was this darn creepy villain, whom my uncle would playfully catch and hover all around me (sweating profusely in all the wrong places!!!) till I’d take the book and get my **** down on the floor to read. *sigh There were times when he’d drop a dead one on me, and watch what was a fairly good impression of Michael Jackie-gone-loonie-with-masai-tribes-of-Africa dance, and even video shoot the entire scenario, which I bet he is planning to show my future kids (which is another reason I have decided to abstain from marriage! ).
To add shame to insult, even the education department of Karnataka is hands in glove with my uncle, and that explains why they’d want an absolutely non-violent guy like me (who immediately engages in a swift maneuvor of defence called “The Hare exit” whenever a cockroach were to enter my vicinity) to dissect an entire cockroach! On that fateful, much as I tried to escape (and am not gonna tell u all suckers what all I did! So there.. yaaaahhh), did eventually end up on the dissection table. The attendant brought a jar full of that-which-has-been-named-all-over-this-blogpost. And picked out one of it, and laid it infront of me. “Do not worry pa! This is dead..hehehehehe” I stared at it for a very long time, trying to find an inkling of life in the body structure, and after summoning nearly three thousand of the three crore Gods, I picked up the forceps to pick it up to pin it down on the board. And just as I touched it, one of the legs slightly quivered…… the next thing I know was of me, knife in hand, ala Rekha (hmmm.. can’t I think of another better example.. hmmm..uhhhh) in “Phool bane angaare” pounding on it madly, almost in a fit, till what lay before me couldn’t even remotely be related to an organism. The fact that my college friends still have stomach aches, when they think of it, is something that we shall very carefully draw curtains on.
To think that my stay in USA would have been devoid of their existence was a mirage. But one thing I was convinced of, is that anyday the Indian cockroaches(Blaberus giganteus) could give the American brethren a run of their money! I’ll tell you, these silly dumb periplanetus Americanas shall run helter and skelter if they’d see their Asian brethrens! They are so tiny, that am almost convinced that they don’t even wait to grow up, and all already generating their offsprings. Now these are the one entities I found absolutely unthreatening, and would get back at them with a vengeance unparalleled, a macho that I was! Before long, the phantom’s revenge was lying in wait for me! Right on the day I moved into the new rented house in Coimbatore, that night horror of horrors, not less than 30 cockroaches were holding a round sink tube conference sinisterly planning on evacuating us from their strong hold. Not to be undone, I, with a great courage and high valor summoned upon my room mates, handing each of them with brooms, boots and the good ol’ HIT! Safely posting myself on the kitchen pedestal, I just stopped short of doing a cheer group act, as they ran behind the members of the conference, exterminating them! Uhahahahahaha – Mogambo Khush hua!
Well, all said and done, I still have not been able to figure out just why they had to exist in my life!! So far, no girl has ever run into my arms, having been chased by a cockroach, and I repeat, that has nothing to do with me running much ahead of her! Equally confusing is the fact that a few of my Asian brethren somehow seem to fancy them to satisfy their appetite! I’d like to have a thorough examination of the mental status of the first person who viewed a cockroach, and exclaimed “Now there’s something that looks tasty to eat!” ugggghhhhhhh…. So let’s lay that option also to rest. But then, for a creature that is known to survive even a nuclear holocaust, all it takes is a stick broom, or a hawaii chappal to have its innards spilled out. But that is something that I have very sportively left for my roomies to do! As for me, its time I scoot….

Parting stunt:- When in America, refrain from using the word – Cockroaches, they are called only “roaches” over there, the reason, is something that we shall refrain from sharing with the mass for purely aesthetic reasons.

May 08

To Serve With Love – Meera Bai

The Bhakti Movement that swept the entire nation has forever remained a memorable phase in Indian History – socially, spiritually, and politically. The phenomenal changes in the society that was initiated by these movements have left their marks embellished into the psyches of the people, through one method – Music.
While dasa pantha and sharanas were the key players in Karnataka, Alwars and Nayanars dominated Tamil Nadu, whereas in the North, it wasn’t so much the dominance of a sect, as it was individuals who took upon the whole responsibility of shouldering the spiritual revolution. The role of women in these movements was more or less over shadowed, or sidelined. However, inspite of several challenges, some women, made such marks for themselves as the supreme devotees of their lords, that the world had to stand up and acknowledge their stature. Meera Bai, belonged to this clan of devotees, who carved a niche for themselves by not only showcasing instances of epitomizing devotion, but also of social reforms.
The contribution of Meera Bai to the world of music is immense in that, her bhajans have spanned the years and continue to enthrall the aesthetic listeners and devotees alike. They are rich in emotions of love and devotion, that transports everyone to a domain far beyond the conception of the mundane mind.
The following is a wonderful song sent to me by Usha (immense thanks to her for also making this limp blog come back to life! It is such readers, who really give me the enthusiasm and drive to get back to writing. So thanks once again Usha).
P.S:- Once again for the benefit of those who cannot read Hindi, I am posting the lyrics in English, followed by the meaning. I am not very well aware of the language used in these Bhajans, so if there is any misappropriation in the deduced meaning, kindly do excuse me, and also do correct it.

maane chaakar raakho jee.. girdhaari laal chaakar raakho jee.

Oh! Lord the one who lifted the Mountains (Giridhaari) keep me as your servant.

chaakar rahasoon baag lagaasoon nit uth darsan paasoon
vrindaavan ki kunj-galin mein Govind leelaa gaasoon

I shall be your servant and tend to your gardens. I shall have the blessed opportunity of getting up every morning and seeing you. I shall dance and sing your various adventures in the blessed streets of vrindavan.

chaakaree mein darasan paaun sumiran paaun kharachi*
bhaav bhagati jaageeri paaun teenon baataa sarasi

I shall have your divine view every time while serving you, and think of you lovingly all day long. All through the day, through the 3 time spans of morning, afternoon and nightfall, the feelings of bhakti shall remain awakened in my being.

mor mukut peetaambar sohe gale vyjantimaala
vrindaavan mein dhenu charaave mohan muraliwaala

He is adorned with the crown lined with the feathers from the peacock, the golden hued dress around his waist, and his neck decorated with the garland of vyjayanthi flowers. Thus dressed, the most beautiful one with a flute in his hand, graces the cattle in the vrindavan.

Unche Unche mahal banaaun bich bich raakhoon baari
saanwariya ke darsan paaun pahar kusumbi saari

I shall construct huge palaces of vast expanses, and dressed in a red hued saree, I shall go to see my beloved (Lord Krishna).

jogi aaya jog karanku tap karane sanyaasi
hari bhajan ku saadhu aaye brindavan ke vaasi

An ascetic has come to perform his rites, and a yogi to meditate, saintly people have arrived to sing the praises of Lord Hari, and so have the residents of vrindavan.

meera ke prabhu gehar gambheera hrude raho jee dheera
aadhee raat prabhu darasan deenho jamunaji ke teera

O! Lord of Meera! So majestic and royal, reside in my heart forever thou who are of great intellect. (Do heed to my prayers) and bless me with your visit on the banks of the river Yamuna.

The entire song beautifully captures the emotions of Meera bai, who sees herself as only a servant for her Lord! The love she bore for Lord Krishna is evident in every word, and especially in the way she describes her wish to see her Lord adorned in a colored saree. Rarely do we find such supreme love for the divine spirit, which elevates the devotee to transcend all social borders, as it happened in the case of Meera Bai, or our own Akka Mahadevi from Karnataka.
Thanks again to Usha for sending me the lyrics… and hopefully I shall be able to get to write more often. That’s it for today.. signing off…. shall be back with more… Ciao 🙂

*thanks to @vagarwal for correcting the spelling mistake!

Mar 14

Regardant de retour

3 long months… I even missed the 2nd year Burrday celebrations of my blogspace! My reader community has been disappointed with me… and I don’t know if what I may say, will be construed as an excuse! But I am offering none! So what was so worthwhile that kept me away from blogging?!
Going by the past postings, if one were to feel that it was the job hunt, I would have to say, with all sincerity, “NO”! I knew I will get a job, a good one at that, but there was a lot more that I felt that needs to be done. And to give form to my ambition, my aunt landed in India. And that was how my work for the Comprehensive Stroke Management Center, started by my aunt in Bangalore, began. The responsibilities vested on me were multiferous, and educative. Not only was it an enriching experience, it was truly humbling. To serve mankind, and to connect to them at a spiritual level, realizing the oneness of the self with the universe, and through this, the true divinity vested inside us all – that is the essence of human life! And that is the path, that I have set out on.
And then again, the mundane affairs that still tie one down! A laptop that served faithfully for 3 years is finally in the ICU, requiring a critical IC transplant, that has to happen for it to survive. The Tech-docs say that even if the donor IC is available, the transplant itself is a very delicate procedure, and one can only hope for a success! “Hum poori koshish karenge, baaki sab Uparvaale ke haath mein hai”….. Cut!
Scene change… at the door steps of a temple… “tum ne meri DVDs mujhse cheen li… maine kuch nahin kaha… mere VCDs ko barbaad kar diye, main chup raha… uff na kiya.. sab kuch sehta raha… kabhie tum se kuch nahin maanga! Lekin aaj! AAAAJ! main chup nahin rahoonga! mujhe mera laptop lauta de.. bhagwan! mujhe mera laptop lauta de… ” bells ringing…. chambels sounding all over…
Voice from the sky: Bete… abhi tere laptop theek hone mein thodi der lagegi..tab tak.. tum desktop use karo!
Me: thank you bhagwan.. thank you….
********* EXIT SINGING ALA HIMMESH RESHAMMIAH**********
And that done… now for the grand finale…. I got a job in Cognizant Technology Solutions.. yippeee.. hurray… wowza…. and all that later… the flip side is.. I will be moving to Coimbatore! And that is going to happen on Friday. Somehow, my life seems to have more dynamism, than I estimated. And so.. here I am signing off for another few days… on my way to a new adventure.. a new journey… a new path to be set!

Dec 15

A passin’ thought….

Ghar se masjid hai bahut door
Chalo yun kar lein
Kisi rote hue bachhe ko hansaaya jaaye..

Lines taken from Jagjit Singh’s album – INSIGHT (Song “Apna Gam”) Written by Nida Fazli.

Dec 02

A Stranger At Home [Part -2]

I wonder what it is about staying away from home that really changes a person. Is it the sheer freedom that he gets to taste, or the responsibility that comes veiled along with it. Whatever it is, it was evident that I had changed. For the better or for the worse is yet to be determined. “I really don’t understand why you have to stay up for so long in the night and sleep all through the morning!!! It is not healthy for your body you know! You werent’ like this when you were here! How early you used to get up and collect the flowers, and do the pooja! Now you don’t even bow down properly in front of the God, or sing the prayers! What has become of you!!” the exasperated cries from my mother only bade me pull the covers all over me, and huddle up on the bed. I was able to get off the initial days on the pretext of jet-lags. But it was evident that the pretext wouldn’t last for long. It is hard to convince them of the efficacy of working at nights especially when during the day time they have the annoying TV turned on.
Well, in all sincerity it is not the TV that is so much annoying as the local programs that they watch. I was more accustomed to the occassional National Geographic, Discovery, and FRIENDS on the lighter side, not to mention the animations. They found them repulsive. I was only trying to draw a compromise between these polarities. The fall of night had offered me the shoulder to lean on and do my work in peace. Am I rationalizing? I wish I knew a sincere answer to this question.
The plans of relaxing and frolicking the initial 2 weeks of my return was dashed as soon as I landed. There were responses to my job applications and a series of interviews had been lined up. How I wished that I be left in peace for sometime! Needless to say, most of them were dashed on the rocks. “You know, I really don’t think you are putting in your sincere efforts on the job front” – It was now the turn of my father. “All you do is sit in the house and say that you are applying over through emails. We used to go out and look out for jobs. Why dont you visit the companies and drop your profiles everywhere?!! Am I supposed to tell you all this? I expected you to have learnt something after having gone to US for so many years! Seems like all you have learnt is junk! Your degree isn’t serving any purpose! It was a waste, what with you still remaining jobless!! Why don’t you atleast enquire about some courses that you can do here through which you could get a job! Huh?! All you do is sit in your room in front of your laptop and work away to glory, that I fail to see anywhere approaching!!” The seething emotions inside me took a long time to cool down. I wanted to shriek that it had hardly been a couple of weeks since I returned! I wanted a respite from all this. I decided I will get out of the house and go and drop the resumes at a few companies close by.