Rise and Shine

Rain and Shine ..!!

Both the rain in the streets and incessant thoughts in my mind appear to never to cease. So many thoughts ran in past yet I procrastinated penning anyone of them. Even this blog was written in parts and snippets and now glued together. As nature unleashed its cold water projectiles to earth I smile at irony. Here its raining non stop and delhi is scorching at record heat. Whatever, iam kinda awe at majesty of world . Awe at life of human in general and my life and path in particular . My mind races from one end of feel-good moments to spectrum on the other end.

Simple vegetarian home made meal seems to warm heart more then multi course cuisine in fancy restaurants. I still get goose pimples when I face nature in its majestic splendor. Always awestruck at the divine artist who painted all those myriad colours on this planet. Cool wind brushing my hair, thirst quenching  water ,lonely mountains, simple sleep under shade of giant oaks , a good comic book, gentle drizzle , fresh air,  soothing full moon and countless stars (go out of city to witness this spectacle) , etc etc and so many simple moments and events that make our life more divine .

How can we ignore the human element? All those people whom you have walked along with you not long before etching deep into heart? My infinitely sweet baby bunny nephews whose simple adorable acts make my day making this life worth living, my banker pal Ashish without whom my life in vizag would ve been miserable ,horrible and definitely disabled,, big boss satya who taught me strategies both in chess and life, rushmi panda who is all magical and mental tease (meet her once, ur life wud neve be same) , VDs soothing simplicity n gentle smile (yet to see how much vileness is behind dat gentle smile n ravishing pink ) and many many more names that are hidden in crevices of my cranium

I don’t claim that any of these to be any special than you are. I don’t even claim that Iam like them or we are similar in thoughts and deeds n attitude and aptitude . There could be a massive personality chasm yet these are few who made me what iam today. For good or bad, they made my life all magical. Special and blissful. Fresh and Exotic!!!

All bliss? My mind refuses to stop , it goes on full throttle as it veers to darker shades  , I wonder how RAW officers work in enemy nations risking their lives 24/7? I happen to interact with soldiers from security establishment  sometime ago who had served at border. I was aghast at terrible conditions they live , far away from their families ,sometimes with zero connection  and in snowy forested mountainous areas for days and months. Some camps will be in areas where nature and terrain is harsher enemy then cross border enemy . Dealing with hostile population in JK and NE can shoot your cortisols to roof. All at the end of day no one gives them due credit they deserve.

I wondered how do tribal people survive in forests and mountains? how is water and sanitation is managed in mountains and I wonder how common people in JK,NE and naxal belt cope with almost daily violence and tension?

Well, iam not one to get into morals and sentiments. At times mind goes haywire. There are times iam all numb to societal morals and moments of love and affection. Guess this is how world is created. Sun and rain, black and white , stupids like me and genius like you and so on…

I happen to open my yahoo after ages and guess what I found? This stupid poem I might have written for some one whom I don’t even remember but smacks some moments of my extreme optimism

World says Skies and Sand never meet

At horizon, they do

World says Days and Nights are different

At twilight, each blends into other

World says, some are hard to catch

I say,hmm..havent you heard this?..Persistence beats Resistence??

Dive Deep Within…!!!

Dive Deep Within…!!!

“Joy is “A” of life not something that should be attained in the end”-Sadhguru in his book Joy 24/7

I really don’t know why I have chosen the title

 “Dive Deep Within”, but I did. Last time I blogged was ages ago, probably when dinosaurs and dragons stalked the earth and imagination alike. Professional commitments and personal laziness saw that I become redundant writer. Now i am back blogging my experiences!

Other day I was just relaxing with no particular thoughts in my balcony watching buildings in front of me. As cool wind played around, I could sense aroma in air but nothing caught my attention as my mind drifted from one thought to another aimlessly.

Then suddenly it happened. Everything in one millionth of second. I could see the buildings in front of me. But whats a big deal in it? I see those old lump of concrete everyday but today something changed the way I see. I could see that i am seeing. As if all my life I was blind and today eyes got the ability to see back. There was sudden spurt of extreme ecstasy all through me. I could feel my entire body in totality. Top to toe, all strands of hair , I could feel my entire body. My senses have heightened phenomenally. I could feel the breath pumping from depths of lungs to nostrils and the aroma it carries.

 But all this is secondary as I was exhilarated with very fact I could see things around me in different manner. Something changed. The quality of vision changed absolutely. Everything around appeared so lovely. Everything animate and inanimate…stones, dust,leaves,trees…air..my own hands..everything appeared so lovely. I fell in love with myself and existence around me,absolutely unconditionally.The climax that off euphoric feeling is that of my ability to locate the source of exhilaration. I was able to pinpoint the fountain of My Happiness.

It was emerging from within me. Its as simple as that. Source of happiness is from within.!!

All our lives we keep chasing happiness externally when the fountainhead of inexhaustible happiness is very much within. It was sudden realization how external objects merely magnify and reflect happiness present inside.

I read in zillion books that happiness is found within but its all intellectual understandings. But now I had that profound experience from deep within..it might lasted less than a second but this split second experience is worth tons of bookish knowledge.

Now I have tasted what n how it is,I really wonder how can I lengthen this state longer rather then a second. I really wonder how I can draw joy 24/7 from within consistently than make joy rare visitor in life??

Well, question has arisen…time for answer to arise..!! Time to Dive Deep Within!!!

Adieu 2013

I brazenly flicked the title from my finest glittering pal 'Code name Panda'.
I want to say so much but these days my mind is over scheduled. Hyper busy these days buddies!!

Today I woke up in a great exhilarating mood. Weather was awesome.  Cold windy n foggy!! I happen to have small pocket of free time which I plan to squeeze as much of life I can from it!!.

So this fine wine like panda pal was speaking about school reunion which made me yawn and laugh at this reunion funda ( I always laugh at/ with her endlessly) I spent my10 continuous years in the same school, yet i never looked back. Same story repeated with college n previous employments. Nostalgia was never my strong point. Once the phase gets over, my mind goes on auto-erase mode. No attachments. No emotional hang overs.! I don't even remember any of my school friends or teachers or moments,. All friends, Names,Faces -foggy at times or erased completely at best.

My Will Decides...!!!!

That Time and phases are over so are my memories! My gift!! My curse!!. No complaints.!! No regrets.!!

TIME!!!! Something that as no beginning nor end! Do we know when this concept of time began?? Time is Yesterday-Today-Tomorrow. I cannot experience Yesterday and can only imagine Tomorrow. All iam left is with is Today. Not even Today, it's just this Moment. This Moment is all that exits and this Moment is Eternity!!

Sometimes I would get suffocated for lack of time in my life,  at times iam grateful that iam alive to make most of the allotted time.

Alive. Life! Being alive is such a lovely state. Our existence on this planet is so restricted . One life,one day,one moment at one time. No replays. No retakes.

Dream adventure awaits for me in comming years to come. 2014, I need to make most of life before my existence gets erased from this planet. At times, dream adventure can become nightmare!!Anything can happen anytime. This is the beauty of life. Unpredictable and Uncertain!!

I need to make most of life. For all who desire most of life, whose motto is "Yeh dil mange more"!! It's time to live life More intensely. More boldly. More dangerously!

Let little poison of risk - uncertainty n danger run through our blood stream. This 2014, let us live intensely - so intense that we dissolve totally in this Moment!!

So long my friends n to special panda -HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Its friends like you who make my life ever Happy, ever New every year.  Year after year....!!!

Bibliophile Banter

"Walking the stacks in a library, dragging your fingers across the spines — it’s hard not to feel the presence of sleeping spirits."

— Robin Sloan (Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore)

My friend was telling me other day over coffee, some songs have more emotional linkages than we can think of. They remind of people and past.  Well., music and movies were never my strong point. I hardly watch or pay attention to any song. I cant even sing even a single song for that matter. 

But I understand what he meant as I feel the same when I look at massive collection of my books. I don’t remember how I caught this habit of reading books but ever since I remember, iam reading books of all kinds expect school books. Every single day of my life, I read little or more of some book. I might have missed roti,kapada, makaan, but not a day passes without reading written word.

 My parents never were supportive of my obsession but at same time they never restricted it as well.

Last time I counted my collection , it was approximately 3000 books which was around 5-6 years ago. Everyday I think, I should stop this habit of mine and stop reading and buying books. Within a day of such resolution I break my word. Even before I can complete one book, dozen new books will be lined up for future. whenever I get in bad mood, I go shopping….for books ( shopping therapy always works for me). first thing i would do on going to a new city is to take membership of local library..inmidst of tons of books , serenity comes natural (if u r in hyd, this feeling of peace is very distinct in RKmath library, indirapark road. try it buddies..its amazing calmness one shud not miss)

One of my sweet pal asked me recently  “Do you re-read your books”??
Simple statement but profound philosophical question. Well, that’s my dream. I wish I can settle somewhere, on a rainy day ..over a hot  and spicy samosas, I read all my books over again. That’s my desire which so far unfulfilled. Maybe I have to wait for retirement.

I always wondered if these books shaped the way iam or coz the way I was I picked up these kind of books? 

Every book of mine will tell me tales that I had forgot. I am not keen on my life and memories. I seldom keep photos or souvenirs. But these books trap the environment of particular period. I have books of all kinds except Adult (I dnt know why..Penthouses n porn literature never appealed me). I own comics in thousands. Stolen books. Purchased books. Second hand books. GF given books. Forcibly gifted books. Old books. Ancient books.Spiritual books.Espionage books etc etc. I have all. 

All kinds of comics, some dating back to 1940s, rare comics like bruce lee and amitabh bachans (yeah he was featured in comics as well).  When I read my old comics ( yeah, I do..but with little emotional attachment) , or see dates inscribed on it by me, my old signature from school age or sometimes previous owner name and address  who bought that particular comic at princely amount of 1/- or 2/-  at period when I was not even born or sometimes dates just coincide with my birth date. I always entertain fantasy that how would it be if I take back that comic to owner NOW?..how would he/she react seeing the book which he read as a kid is brought back to him/her? Wondrous moment indeed!! Its amusing how for some books i had to wait years (sometime even 10 yrs) to lay my hands on them but eventually i always get my book.

my all time favourite: Calwin and Hoobes

As I see genres in my collection, I reconstruct my psychology..At different times , different genres attracted me. Dominant being Spiritual and Spy stuff (still iam drawn towards these two topics like crazy), others were being Comedy cartoons, International politics and biographies. But absolutely no sex and profane stuff. The smell of crispy yellowed paper still reminds me of book reading on rainy days of my buried past( Reminds me Enid blyton books). Some past!!( I read somewhere “ best future lies in forgotten past”). 

I have book for every mood.Some morose mood?Classic Wuthering heights by Emile bronte. Ambitious? Emil Ludwig Napoloen. Happy ?( Stumbling infinity by micheal fishmen).Excited?( world famous spies). Nostalgic ?( enid blyton books) Valour?(Vikramaditya stories) Devotion?(Indian mythology), Sports?( Abhinav bhindra bio) love???(well i have no romance in my collection hee)etc etc

There Is a world class classic book in my collection. "Twenty leagues under the Sea" by jules verne .Original and unabridged. I remember distinctively how ,daily I used to go to flea market and request hawker to give that at reduced price (he quoted 30/- ). He never obliged. So I used to hide that book underneath other books lest someone might buy it . Next day same story would be repeated. I request. he rejects. i hide and he takes it out. After a week of tussle he finally gave in for my price. Thirty rupees back then was like Kings ransom for me. Amusing. 

hilarious yet deeply philosophical

When I shifted to our own house, my books occupied 12 cartons. Now its ironic that e-copies of all Tintins and asterix and entire collection of puzos fit in my cell phone. I actually use to walk miles n miles…scouring books in shops, streets , even with scrap dealers for comics( I found heap of Mandrake comics with scrap dealer). Walking miles in rain and sun made comic book special but now all books can be down loaded at click of mouse though nothing can give you the feel of paper in your hand.

Iam always amazed at impact of written word. Imagine world without writers and books? Someone said, to kill civilization, just burn off the books. Entire past would be erased. Now I can walk on cobbled streets of London through Sherlock holmes or feel the pain of world during World wars or get the thrill of espionage during cold wars between USA and USSR. Thanks to books. Jules verne wrote of futuristic inventions like submarine and electricity even before they were created. No wonder , America honoured him by naming its 1^st nuclear submarine as USS Nautilus. Jules verne-the man who invented future.  my imagination gets fired up when I read lines like “I the mind, body mere auxillary”( Sherlock holmes), Chess is life - Bobby Fischer, defeat is not in my dictionary, or the shell that can kill me has not been cast- napoleon Bonaparte (that single line changed the course of war). l will make an offer that he cant refuse (Godfather obviously, Al Pacino in film was just super awesome) Giving up is not my style (naruto)

Now when I see my collections, I get amused and wonder. What do I do with all these books? I think I should stop buying more. How many would I read? To what consequence? Where will be the End? Well I think, there is no end to this obsession ..but I still toy with idea of stop reading books or buying them. 

well flipkart fella message blinks on my phone : your books will reach by 7 pm. 

Hmm…hope that’s the last . but we both know the answer. Don’t we…??...

Hollywood-Bollywood

Hollywood-Bollywood

How many have seen “Tees maar khan” where Akshaye khanna will be raving “Oscar..oscar..” that’s really hilarious. Remember when Govinda once said when he missed some local award that he would be winning Oscar, well entire India is waiting. Why, our own AP Akka: lakshmi Manchu said her goal is nothing but Oscar , immediately entire Andhra Pradesh roared with laughter. Like in tees maar khan. Oscar? Bas kar!!

Well every Indian associated with entertainment industry once in his life time might have fantasized holding Oscar statuette. Even Amir khan who is known for his reluctance for Indian awards made a queue at Academy awards functions with expectation of Oscar for his Lagaan. Well,that was stump out like we all know.

 

tom cruise doing item song in Tropic thunder

Now we have Guju film “Good Road” nominated for Oscars. What is the chance of getting an Oscar. I bet 99.9999% grand miss. But miracles do occur once in a blue moon. If Prez Obama can get Nobel for Peace( now dats a big puzzle, why did he get it ?), Indian film or say Bollywood might get one Oscar..or bigger miracle,Govinda might get one . Indias quest for oscar seems to be more like its quest for Olympic medal. Entire Indias Olympic medal tally ever since the inception would be 1/10^th of Chinese medals in single sport in single Olympics..Hilarious!!

Now I wonder, do we deserve a Oscar, esp for lopsided films that we dish out?  A learned person can easily say how 95% of our bollywood films are “inspired” from Hollywood and even Korean films. Now imagine bollywood getting depressed when BLACK and Burfi  films of Rani mukerji and Ranbir were not included for Oscars, after all both were inspired by their Hollywood counterparts. To extent I read somewhere even our iconic film Sholay was inspired by some Phoren philim. Well I don’t know

Look at our actors. All stars . but not Actors. All histrionics. But no substance. We boast of Amitabh bachan, Amir khan, SRK, etc etc . I don’t question their capabilities. But still , they are more Stars than actors. Ok, My definition of actor is Story and character in the story. Now how best can a actor become the Character is all the Acting about. Close your eyes and hear to film, you can easily say who is the actor and what role is he playing and even story would be predictable. 

I was recently watching TROPIC THUNDER, till the very end I didn’t know there was a character in the film which was played by Tom Cruise. Only in end when the credits got rolled out, I began to see some features and acting style of tom cruise in the said character. Watch Di Caprio in films like, Body of Lies, Blood Diamond, Departed (btw this one is inspired by oriental film), Inception, Titanic (well Titanicship is the star in the film haaa). His acting style is dictated by story of film unlike in Bollywood its more Star who defines the film( can u imagine Rajinikanth, Balaya,Ranbir in negative shade giving Positive hero role to other? No way it would be like Mallika sherawat dressed in total saree from beginning to end of film. That’s Apocalypse buddies )

RGV says it would take 100 more years before Indian cinema touches Oscar standards. Well I am not so negative. Its just industry caters to populace tastes and refuses to break the tempo. That’s understandable. Still we have directors like Shankar, Mani shankar, Neelakanta ,RGV,you and me. Somehow we can see that Tamil film industry is centre of original creativity in entire India.

The best actor in my opinion probably is not Rajini or Ranbir or Amitabh or bunch of below 5 feet Khans. Its Vikram of Tamil industry. Anyone who has seen his film Aparichitudu , Shivaputrudu, Seshu etc will no doubt will vouch that he is Indias best actor. In Aparachitudu( Annian in tamil) where he plays 3 distinct and  drastically  separate characters in one fluid motion is just unbeatable.(watch that intense action on youtube buddies.its worth) As an ignorant undertaker in Shivaputrudu (Anbe Shivam in tamil) where he doesn’t utter a single word all through film yet makes a deep impact on viewers or Seshu the film copied by Salman in Tere Naam, all his roles were world class.

So next time, India wishes for an Oscar, it shoud see beyond Hindi and north Indian films and give a peek into south or especially Tamil Industry, that’s where the real creative work is being carried out.

Till then..Oscar???..Bas kar!!! Haaa

Vikram in Aparachitudu

Public Disclaimer: This author is just like any common man who is more an arm chair activist who hardly watches any films except for his fav star the SRK..he has watched most of his films (meaning only 3 or 4 ..swades, don,veerzaara and don’t ask him if he had seen Kabhi alvida na kehna. He goes rabid). No action. Only complaints. Once one hyper famous hindi film critic was fed up with quality of films and decided to take up Directing world class Indian cinema and ended up making most disastrous film of century. Empty vessels ….u can understand ..dont u ?

Canine Cuddles

Following 2 or 3 blogs will be of different format. I got nothing to write but plentiful to show.There is nothing to write as photos speak more better than I can speak..didnt someone say…Picture is worth thousand words? Between brevity and verbose I choose brevity…

In my opinion, Dog is epitome of true love. No expectation . No cunning . No royal egos of cat. Pure friendship and love. No wonder, Man’s best friend is Dog.

cute puppy

Even total stranger can be friend dog and expect double affection and loyalty from dogs. Isn’t it ?

“The better I get to know men, the more I find myself loving dogs.”
― Charles de Gaulle

Auroville, Pondicherry

Never under estimate the power of Indian sun at noon…me dressed as Assassin creed to ward off brutal onslaught of mid day heat

Holy Mount of Arunchala

Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace.”
― Milan Kundera

Lazy day at Auroville, Pondicherry

 

A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.”
― Josh Billings