Sunday!

Sunday is the best day in the week. Whoever created the days of the week was a total moron. Clearly, he lacked a foresight that some people would like to have more of “Friday” and “Sunday”. My Sunday’s are the most lazy-assed of the days. I hate working on Sunday- be it assignments or studying for tests. Whatever needs to be done, it shouldn’t be done on Sunday.

My Sunday begins with my morning newspaper which often leads me to think of the Origin of Life and Universe. If some people are to be believed then, ‘God created this World in six days and on the seventh he rested’. It further adds to my argument for not working on Sunday. I usually disagree with those people most times, but I guess they would be happy to know that on this occasion my thoughts are in sync, even if partially- though for my own practical selfish purpose.

Now this train of thoughts- makes me wonder, ‘What did God do on Sunday?’ Play golf with the Devil on some neutral cloud turf? Go out and take a stroll on water? Go on a long fly-by (I believe God wouldn’t care for cars) or simply catch-up on some zzzz’s?

Life in the Promised Land.

To come to think of it- am not sure about the existence of internet and other tech stuff, no malls- which means no bowling, or pooling. No movies, pizza. Beer would be a definite no. You can’t use money to buy things (money is substituted by goodness points) - you have to be goody-goody, which means no sarcasm either. Rise up early, go to bed early. Do all the chores, and you still have to be in line to get your licence to the  promised  “wings and the golden halo”. So till you get those wings- it means you can’t fly, assuming that apparition came later down the line of transport hierarchy. Plus, since you are an angel- you can’t click your fingers to grant yourself those wishes you always had. Why? Because it would a gross misuse of your power, and you lose out on your goodness points.

And after all this hard work- you wonder why you worked hard all your miserable life to be here, to be even more miserable.

So much so for a thought on a lazy Sunday.

Yeah, this is why I want to retire in Cuba or Hawaii.

 

PS: I have no idea about what I wrote above, and this is just 10 minutes past 12 midnight on a Sunday.  Yeah, Sunday is here!

Random Musings

 

My mind is actively churning thoughts and processing 24. So much so it gets irritating at times. I can’t just sleep when I want to- I have to be totally exhausted. There’s a train of random thoughts always. It becomes difficult to focus on just one thing at hand.

Randomly. My 3 favourite Dev Anand movie songs.



 

1)      Ye dil ha hota bechara

 

2)      Pal bhar ke liye

 

 

 

3)      Maana janaab ne pukara nahi

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Writers Tale: India- of whims and woes

Yann Martel, a writer of Canadian origin, best known for his Man-Booker prize award winning novel, “Life of Pi” was in news recently for apparently to what some might believe for insulting India. This isn’t the first time someone has criticised India, nor would it be the last. But what remains a constant is the sheer vanity with which we rise to an occasion such as this to protect the sacrilegious notion that some uneducated yet enlightened few propagate as mainstream religious sentiments or as in this case national pride.

Martel was first in news in 2002 when his book won the prize, and what did he say of India then?

I have always loved India. It's a wonderful, horrible place. India is all lives in one place, India is all emotions in one place, it's an extraordinary, dazzling place, it's all the wonder and horror of life. There are stories that can be told only in India…There are things that are possible in India that aren't possible anywhere else. It's horrible in the sense that the rule of law is so arbitrary. But the upside is that given the diversity, it's amazing how it still holds itself together. It's a country that dazzles me because it's all of life.

In news recently again as his book has been adapted into a film by the same name:

“You know you can't fall asleep in India both morally and existentially - for better or for worse. In some ways, India is a horrible place. It's corrupt, violent; there are inequities that are disturbing. At the same time, the place gave us Mahatma Gandhi. It's a place of idealism and corruption,”

India is the best and the worst of humanity. There's lot of extremism. Sometimes it gets a little exhausting,” said the 49-year-old, adding, “What India brought to me was that for first time I actually and seriously considered faith. What does it mean to believe in Vishnu and Allah and Buddha and Jesus? Religion in India for better or for worse is still a mainstream thing right? It's worst in the extremism of BJP and Shiv Sena and like that but then it's also positive. Because I was in India, it got me intrigued by religion and that also led me to write Life of Pi and also changed my life,”

I am a proud Indian. I am, and there’s no denying it. I am not ashamed of my country despite its obvious shortcomings, and it does hurt what Yarn Martell said. Not because his views are derogatory or disrespectful, but because they are true. It’s the bitter truth. And Martell deserves some credit that he really sugar coated it. He said all this in a way which wasn’t degrading. He’s an outsider, a foreigner, living in India for say 2 years, the time during which he wrote the book, obviously influenced him deeply to change his life. Whatever his views, they might be influenced by people around him who might be biased, but it’s still the truth.

Ever since the comments surfaced, the country has been in a furore where talks have been to boycott the film or perhaps even ban it altogether. This, in a country where every religion teaches forbearance. The Bhagavad Gita is practically based on forbearance. So is Koran, and Bible. Something as sacred as Religion in India; does it actually take a dent in its armour, if some people chose to ridicule? If yes, is it really as strong as it was projected? And if not, is it really worth protecting then?

Most times people who are rioting don’t even know what they are there for. Talk to any seasoned Indian politician who loves his theatrics. And it’s the truth.

People are offended when an outsider calls India a corrupt nation. Don’t we ourselves do that every day? The current Congress government’s rule has been full of scandals, scams and controversies. I don’t side with BJP either. Given the power of opposition, had they been resolute they could have brought down the government. The scams which reached even the Indian Army, were not just gun powder, but nuclear fissible material. But no. They (BJP) failed even as an opposition.

Arvind Kejriwal, the new face of the Aam Aadmi- the Mango People, has constantly been branded as an agent of Congress when he defiles BJP, and vice versa when it’s Congress at the receiving end. I on the other hand believe he’s a Pakistani, ISI spy, and Anna Hazare the secret head of ISI, who has infiltrated India in disguise.

We can either keep denying it or fix it. Apple did it with their disastrous Maps. Why can’t we?

 

I know your little secret!

So, I continue my tales of travel in the Delhi Metro. People still kick each other, push over, and when the metro door opens, rush in. The funny thing is that no matter if someone is for the time being physically incapacitated or let us say has an injured foot or back, but when the the metro comes over, they all can sprint at a pace which would shame Usain Bolt.

Moving over the usual, something totally unusual happened. Allow me to tell you the glorious tale.

I was at the CST Interchange (Central Secretariat), when I was waiting for the metro. A girl somewhat around my age, stands right next to me ignoring the queue that was there. However, the first thing that I noticed was not her, but the book that she was reading- the soft porn which has taken over Europe. Guess?

Fifty Shades of Grey

Now I am not judging, and this comes from the guy who has read through all 4 books of Twilight. In my defence, the first book deserved a little credit, and then since I had read the first already, I had this need for a closure. There, I have admitted it.

But, I digress. Let me return to the girl. The crazy devil that I am, I just couldn’t let go. The metro comes and, she luckily gets a seat in the general compartment, I purposely take a position where I could observe her from discreetly- someplace not too far, not exactly close, but close enough for her to notice me should I decide to make an appearance out of thin air. I had approximately 22 mins to make my move.

Tik tock!

Like a silent assassin, I wait for my quarry to give me a glimpse of an opportunity that I was waiting for. Almost 20 min had passed, and my station was coming up next. And then…

She turned a very delicate shade of red. SHE BLUSHED! Voila!

And there I had it! Now, if you can. Imagine me smirking like a devil, ear to ear. Suddenly, as if aware of me, she looks at me straight in the eye. I wink with a knowing smile, which subtly says “I know your little secret”, which makes her blush even more and before she could react, I get off at my station without caring to look back.

It has been a long long time, almost a month since my last post here. I intended to write an Independence Day special, but sadly I couldn’t. Not because for the lack of time, but for the lack of inspiration and other reason being that I couldn’t recollect my thoughts around. I was puzzled as to what I really wanted to write. I mean we get this day once every year, and year after year we read the same things- the struggle for freedom, how Pandit Nehru gave his famous “Tryst with Destiny” speech on Red Fort, Mahatma Gandhi’s assassination, the story of partition of India. Some people would write about how despite the shortcomings they still love India. Maybe some NRI would feature. It’s a routine. I however, wanted none of that.

Travelling in Delhi Metro every day is an experience. If you’re not judgemental, can stay calm, and do not suffer from claustrophobia, you’ll actually enjoy the ride when you observe other people. Their posture, expressions, how they constantly fidget, or behave around others. It’s interesting to hear about what they are actually discussing, makes you aware as to what’s on their mind, thus giving an insight to a total stranger.

But why did I just make this “Hanuman” leap from Independence Day to Delhi Metro? Because I had a sudden epiphany, that today India can somehow be described by Delhi Metro. It’s a symbol I feel which I can identify with.

For a country whose history actually pre dates the birth of Jesus, 200 years back from now, is like yesterday, where a certain sub-section of people were so alienated from society, that if a socially high ranking person happened to sight them, these people were actually flogged. A time, where education was only for the elite social class. People were actually taken as bonded labours, where they had no rights.

We have come a long way since then.

Now, the very sub-section which was looked upon (until yesterday), travels not only in the same train, but sits on the same seat with the “socially high class”. I personally believe that this is perhaps the single largest achievement that what was preached for a millennium in the name of religion, in a religiously fanatic nation such as ours, could make peace with it in mere 60 years.

However, enough of this parading. I didn’t intend to write this blog entry about how proud I am.

Travelling in metro. Allow me to return to that, if you will.

Scene-1

Metro stops at a station, everyone waiting at the station forms a crowd in front of the door to get in as soon they open. Everyone inside the metro anticipates the crowd’s intentions outside, and braces themselves to face the enemy. Where am I? I am feeling proud, as I manage to scavenge a seat for myself. The two teams meet, you hear a lot of swearing, abuse to one another’s sister, mother. Some “fuck you” in Hindi, sometimes Marathi and a lot of Punjabi. The women are groped, pregnant ladies are kicked, and everyone is pushed.

An elderly comes in leaning on a stick, looks around and sees a young guy smartly dressed with a leather bag, earphones plugged in, sitting on a seat reserved especially for the senior citizens. Before, I could actually get up and offer my seat, another elderly who was sitting on one of the reserved seats (there are two on every bench), beckons the one we are interested in. I pause myself. He asks the young person to get up. The person ignores. Another young man, with some notion of conscience, threatens to call the Delhi Metro police. The person still ignores, but takes of his earphones. Nothing would make him get up. Finally, I got up and offered the elderly my seat and walked away to another compartment.

Scene-2

I got to read this about on internet. Please read and share.

An excerpt.

Yesterday on the 1st of September, at around 7:30 in the evening I was coming back from college I took a detour from my usual route and boarded the Blue line of the Delhi Metro from Rajiv Chowk. Being used to this chaos everyday, I was warned by my companion that we should board the ‘Ladies’ compartment and not the ‘General’ compartment. The sensible arguments I gave were, firstly that it is a ‘general’ compartment and not demarcated for men, so no harm boarding it. Secondly, that they are humans and not ‘animals’. I lost the argument in the next few minutes.

I had to get off after four or so stations, so it didn’t seem like the decision was going to cost me heavily. Being surrounded by 50 to 60 heavily sweating men was a nightmare enough to take for one evening, but it had hardly begun. Throughout those 10 minutes that I was present there every part of my body was scanned in an inch by inch detail which made me feel like my sex was a curse with which I was born. The ordeal had started.
My
station arrived, I shoved my way with great difficulty to make it to the door
before it could close and during this struggle my top was pulled by a man to
expose my breast for a good 15 seconds while at the same time somebody grabbed
my behind. I was paralysed in shock. Nevertheless, I started pushing again and
finally reached the door and stepped onto the platform. I screamed my lungs out
at those 5 to 6 men who were standing at the door. I hurled abuses at them
which ideally no sensible Indian girl should utter even in thoughts, let alone
whisper.

For the full article please follow the link “http://urbangypsy1.blogspot.in/2012/09/i-was-molested.html”

All this led me to thinking as to what went wrong and where. Why all of a sudden have we as India’s young generation, the future, have lost all sense of respect and tradition. The very values that we rooted for are now traded for the trash bag that the West discarded. Whereas the West now looks towards us delving into our past, which once made us proud.

All of a sudden, I see that nothing matters to anyone anymore. The life has lost all meaning in the race to horde cash, and for what? So that they can drive bigger cars, eat in fancier restaurants, buy even more ridiculously expensive things and flaunt them around?

The guy who didn’t give up his seat. He wasn’t an idiot. He was smart enough to get a job in some MNC in Nehru Place, rich enough to have a luxury of an I-pod. And yet, an insensitive prick.

The guys who pulled the top of the girl in metro, what did they get? A few seconds of view of the glorious female anatomy, and some kicks while the leered at her and she hurled abuses at them?

Why?

Are we really free?

Why does Samsung SUCK?

“Value for money”, a sentiment which resonates strongly with my beliefs, that when you buy some product or service, it must be worth it. The recent events and my tussle with Samsung India, has led me to believe otherwise. Whenever I set out to buy any electronics, I always read not just the specification and the data sheet, but the consumer manual, and the manufacturer’s terms & conditions as well.

So what happened?

I or more precisely, my Father bought a Samsung Primos S5610. It was barely 2 days, when the phone developed a snag, due to which the screen blacked out. Since, the Samsung consumer policy- dictates product replacement within a window of 4 days only, we went to the service centre immediately.

Point of interest: Most manufacturers offer replacement policy of 30 days, 15 days or at the very least 7 days. But Samsung beats them all with its 4 day policy.

So, I return to the service centre, and after waiting for half an hour, we get to the service engineer- the ultra smartass dude who seemed to have invented the telephone. And then he drops the bombshell, the phone can’t be serviced, as warranty is void. Why? Because, the defect was apparently due to liquid damage.

Point of interest: Samsung declares warranty void on its mobile phones if there’s any water damage, which though a little harsh, is actually fair, considering people actually flush their mobiles and then take it back to get it serviced. Urgh!

He then proceeds to show us where the damage was done, pointing to a small corner of the phone motherboard where it was blacked out. Not only this, he also points out that liquid had entered through the small crevice where the camera key was situated. See a picture of the mobile below:

Point of interest: The motherboard had blacked out at the area which was almost opposite to the camera key. Water could actually not even reach that part, as the damaged area was too constricted.

Nothing would convince the jackass that it was a manufacturing defect. And so he proceeded to his next scam, where he tells me that it would take 3000 INR to repair a mobile which cost me 5000 in first place itself. Not only that, the repair will have no warranty of any sort, and if the mobile undergoes any damage during the repair itself, the service centre will have no liability.

I quietly collected my mobile, after I had declined his offer and made up my mind to go to another service centre. And I was in for a surprise; the world is full of bozos, who really are drunk on stupidity. My little experiment had the same result again, and boy, they are consistent! I do actually give them that credit.

Returning home totally exhausted, I looked up the Samsung mobile website again, this time the “Contact Us” web page. I find  “Contact the CEO”, though it was totally pointless and I had little hope of being heard, I anyway wrote them an email detailing the events.

I got a return call from his office next day itself, but there is no end to stupidity. These guys had contacted the service centre, and tried to explain me that the warranty is void. And all this, when I had actually complained not just about the mobile, but the incompetency of the service engineer itself, but they conveniently skipped that part.

Almost 10 emails, and an equal number of telephone calls, and a dozen threats of lawsuits. The guy caved. But he would still not replace my mobile, and only agreed to full repair and warranty intact. And though this was a violation of their own terms,  I compromised and settled, as I had had enough of the phone calls.

I went to the service centre again, the same jackass greets me and repairs the mobile. Yet, this time he actually lets slip out, that Samsung’s 4 day replacement policy is a farce, and they never replace any mobile, unless it’s beyond repair.

A song that I loved and had forgotten, until I found it again yesterday on radio. It’s funny how life’s greatest pleasures can be found in the smallest of things.

 

Khul gaya aasmaan ka rasta dekho khul gaya
Mil gaya kho gaya tha jo sitara mil gaya

Roshan hui saari zameen
Jagmag hua saara jahaan
Oh udne ko tu aazad hai
bandhan koi ab hai kahan

Tu dhoop hain jham se bikhar
Tu hai nadee o bekhabar
Beh chal kahin ud chal kahin
Dil khush jahan teri toh manzil hai wahin



 



The Speaking Tree

Some days back, I happened to come across this article published through The Speaking Tree. Before you read further, I want you to think back- how back is not a parameter. An hour, a day, a week, month or decade- as much as you’ld like to contemplate upon. Think about what you did, and what you could have done. The regrets if any, the happy times, and the sad moments as well. Just think about it and read on!

1)     Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

 

2)     When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3)     Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4)     Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

5)     Pay off your credit cards every month.

6)     You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7)     Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8)     It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9)     Save for retirement starting with your first pay check.

10)   When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11)   Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12)   It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13)   Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14)   If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15)   Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16)   Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.

17)   You can get through anything if you stay put in today.

18)   A writer writes. If you want to be a writer, write.

19)  It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one  else.

20)   When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21)   Overprepare, and then go with the flow.

22)   Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

23)   The most important sex organ is the brain.

24)   No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

25)   Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"

26)   Always choose life.

27)   Forgive everyone everything.

28)   What other people think of you is none of your business.

29)   Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

30)   However good or bad a situation is- it will change.

31)   Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

32)   Believe in miracles.

33)   God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

34)   Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

35)   Growing old beats the alternative - dying young.

36)   Your children get only one childhood. Make it memorable.

37)   Read the Bhagavad Gita. They cover every human emotion.

38)   Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

39)   If we all threw away our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

40)   Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

41)   Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

42)   All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

43)   Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

44)   The best is yet to come.

45)   No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

46)   Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

47)   If you don't ask, you don't get.

48)   Yield.

49)   Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.

Life is complicated, not because it is, because we make it so. Give life a chance, and it will make miracles come true for you. Believe in yourself, good things will happen. If it’s not good, it’s not the end. Everything comes along in its own good time.

Summer of 2012

The Summer of 2012- the best and the laziest summer ever. The best and the worst thing about holidays- you can’t’ have enough of them, and when you do have them; you despise them for the inconvenience of having nothing to do. The eternally restless soul that I have, torments me.
So I decided to shake things up a bit on my lazy-assed schedule.

Having giving up on getting up early ages ago, I resolved not only to do so, but go out on jogging- a herculean task for me given that am extremely lazy and detest any sort of workout; but then I had already decided. My first day - catching the early morning dew, the chirping of the birds, and the first breeze; and I knew I would do it again and perhaps made a self-promise to make a habit out of it- a first for me.

It has been almost a month slacking and I finally have done what my Mom has been after me- making my own breakfast. And it’s not just toast or Maggi! Over the past week- I have experimented crazy with sandwiches. Making them crazier and more outrageous by the day! And then cometh the drinks for the breakfast- which necessitates my mention of the awesome “Chocolate Shake” which I seem to have perfected!

The rest of the day is spent on reading and catching up on old news and stuff I had earlier put on hold. Long ago I had made up a Charles Dickens reading list, and then I had to do away with it due to time constraints, but am back with vengeance:

1)      A Tale of Two Cities

2)      Oliver Twist

3)      Great Expectations

4)      Bleak House*

5)      Pickwick Papers

Have already read through the first three, and making progress with The Bleak House.

As to other pursuits- I recently downloaded the “Vikram and Betaal” stories which were originally aired in 1988 with Arun Govil playing the fabled king Vikramaditya and Sajjan Singh as the Betaal. I had always wanted to watch the episodes in serial order, something I never did uptill now. And the series is amazing!

To those curious about multiplayer gaming, I achieved what I believed was impossible for me- a 25 killstreak on a 300+ ping server on Game Ranger playing Call of Duty:4 Modern Warfare I. I can be found online every night from 2200-0100 hours for a match. My Game Ranger account id: 2453639. Bring your shotgun and body armour!

I have been meaning to write a blog post, but for some reason have been procrastinating all this time. First things first, I have never been this relaxed since these past four years of my B.Tech. Not that because it’s finally over, but because it ended with a bang! Good news seldom hits me in the face, but this time it did, and it did on point blank range. My exams had ended on 8^th June, Friday, and I was already fretting about another entrance exam for IIIT-Delhi on the following Saturday, when the news hit me. I received the mail informing me that I was shortlisted for the PG programme at IIIT-D directly on basis of my GATE score, which meant no exam on Saturday. What followed was an excited whoop and a big celebration at home and with friends! Life does change in a matter of seconds.

Few things that I realised in these past four years;

·         Acceptance- Life isn’t always fair. But that is something which can’t be changed. You have to put through.

·         People- Give time to people, they usually aren’t worth it. But it does no harm knowing a bunch of them.

·         Patience- Sometimes doing nothing is the best thing to do. It helps when you build up the momentum later.

I have breezed through the past two weeks. Sleeping as if I have never slept before, watching upto three movies a day, and then some more sleeping. Visited my maternal Grandparents, something that I did after a really long time. Browsing through online catalogues of books. The days have been filled with joy.

To the Stars...

It has been forever since my last post. It was one hell of a time with exams left, right and centre and it still is with many more to go (and not just the degree exams but some which are far more important- for my post graduation).  I’ve been trying to find words which would resonate with what I am feeling at the present. In times like these, I find solace in my long walks- alone or with friends though there aren’t any where I live- I have been most unfortunate in this regard. Though that is a different story- but whenever I think about it maybe I can best picture with “the forever alone” troll meme - but never with tears. I long accepted this reality and made peace with it.

But this post was not about my being alone. But how simple things which often go ignored sometimes bring more joy which nothing else can substituted for. The immense joy when you smile at an infant and he smiles back with nothing but sheer innocence, the early morning dew, the cool breeze in the late evening.

I distinctly recall from my childhood- when I was around 5 or perhaps 6 years old. My late Grandfather would wake me up at 5:30 AM in the morning and we would go in for an early walk. Those were the days when I had nothing on my mind- but eat, sleep and play. Nothing to worry, nothing which I would harp on for days and everything could be fixed. Times change, and people change too eventually.

The photographs below were taken in early March on a full moon night. My fascination for the night sky hasn’t diminished with age. I may no longer try to count the stars thinking that I completed one side and charting out the other side for tomorrow. But the calmness and serenity never ceases to amaze me. It’s almost a soothing balm.

The photo quality is poor as my Nokia E63 camera is quite primitive, but it still does make do jobs!

The little orb which shines next to the Moon is perhaps the planet Venus- the planet of love and the only planet which personifies a Woman in our otherwise male dominated Solar System.

Looking up at the night sky fills me with amazement and transports me even if momentarily to a world where there was nothing- before and after. The feeling has never in all these years differed from the state I just described. It has always been like this. In fact, having a personal collapsible telescope features on my wish list. Nothing is more amazing (and perhaps romantic) than star gazing!

"We were written in the stars, my love, all that separated us, was time, the time it took to read the map which was placed within our hearts, to find our way back to one another."



Yours- socially

I have never been comfortable around people. That does not mean I am inept at conversation or am a social recluse. I have simply never learnt the art of feigning interest or care towards other people’s affairs. My social circle or I should say the limited number of people I interact with borders on social need and on work basis. The rest who pile on- stand in the direct line of (f)ire.

The years in college have allowed me to spectate the “appearance of character”.  Hypocrisy does not surprise me, but the act of sustaining it does.

Caesar. Good friends, go in, and taste some wine with me;
And we, like friends, will straightway go together.

Brutus. [Aside] That every like is not the same, O Caesar,
The heart of Brutus yearns to think upon!

Blessed with a good memory; I can recall what people mentioned in passing at an earlier occasion- before they realise it themself. Which means sooner or later the charade ends. People are never what they always appear to be; as Caesar found at the cost of his life and what he considered- friendship. It wasn’t the sword that killed him, but betrayal- the unkindest cut of all. Everyone wants to come across as an epitome of sincerity and honesty. It’s though another matter, that their actions otherwise indicate a complete lack.

And back!

My previous post was all agony. Therein I was so lost- I forgot to mention the one significant thing that did happen after all. I had been reading The Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens and had finished already at the time of my previous post. The book was an experience in a new way. I had earlier read Dickens “David Copperfield”; and I was expecting some familiarity in style- distinctive to each writer. Those I did- the vivid imagery depicting love, poverty, apathy and anger. But what was new was a whole matured style of putting things around.

The story itself was not much, but it’s the manner which was intriguing. Looking forward to start a new book by the same author- Bleak House.

Something now on the other front but on the same topic: books!

I have never been much fan of fantasy as a genre. The fantasy part has never fascinated me. What does and more than piques my interest is the mannerisms and the customs. And I refer to the battles, the sword fights, spears, the horse chases, the bowmen and I could go on and on. The slow gentle pace with which the story unfolds and then accelerates on the battle field. The sole reason why I literally worship and would pick Lord of the Rings over the Harry Potter series.

So why these fantasy talks? Because I found a new entry to my list; and it didn’t even start with a book! But, the other way around which is quite unusual- as my custom is to read the book first and then switch over to the movies. I am referring to the Game of Thrones TV series which is based on George RR Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire books. The series is based on 7 books, out of which only 5 have been released. Season One is based on the first book and consists of ten episodes.

It’s literally a mind blowing series, the actors are well cast and each plays their part to perfection. There’s however a lot of nudity and sexual violence which is quite unnecessary for most parts of the series. But oh what the heck, I love this series! And what luck- Season Two is only 2 days away!

Speaking of TV series; I am a huge fan of The Big Bang Theory. The Director- Chuck Lorre publishes a Vanity Card at the end of each episode. The contents of this one today is worth a share:

Cheerio!

Ps: to those concerned, my allergy is now at bay- which means “The happy days are here again….”