Just a thought...

If there is any truth to the common say "there is a person in this world who has been born just for you", does the term "world" here refer to one's country, state, community, religion as in one's own world or does it refer to the world as commonly understood by everyone encompassing the whole wide world and the people in it?

If it is the latter, then shouldn't one widen out their search? If not, and one gets hitched with someone, how can they assume that that person is their soul(sole)mate? Wouldn't it be possible that there is the real soul mate out there somewhere?

Someone once told me that there is no such thing as one true love, it is just the degree of love that you feel for someone.

You just have to be sure that this is what you want accompanied by your degree of love for that individual and then you accept that person as your soul mate and as someone born just for you!

Hmmm...

"Love is like the wild rose-briar; Friendship like the holly-tree. The holly is dark when the rose-briar blooms, but which will bloom most constantly?"
Emily Bronte (1818-1848)

*#**#??!!##*

I love my mobile! Actually, I'm crazy about it! It's a Sony Ericsson W910i and obviously the main feature is the walkman facility...

The sound quality is supposed to be really good and all...I never doubted it...

No place for second thoughts about it's sound quality especially in the wee hours of the morning when it seems to have mustered up all it's energy to screech out my (((ALARM))) with zest and the damn alarm music (btw, I chose that horrid song in the hopes that it would jerk me out of my slumber and numerous snoozes) isn't all that great either (imagine setting a soft instrumental as an alarm).

To top it all, you try to switch it off and a whole list of options pops up, by the time you manage to pry your eyes wide open to read them...you are fully awake!!!...and so begins yet another day with a grumpy, groggy me dragging myself to the shower!!!

They should probably add this aspect as well in their adverts...walkman and excellent alarm

...a classic example of what one is capable of when one is deprived of topics to write about!!!!...sheesh...where's this world going??!!

On second thought

At the end of my blog, I've added a gadget "Useless knowledge", though it doesn't really deserve that name, I think it's enough to pique one's curiousity.

One such fact was about handshakes. It seems, like in our day, even during the Middle ages, trust was a difficult thing and when one approaches another, he/she held out his/her hand in the palm-up position to indicate they come in peace and they are not going to attack the other person. This gesture slowly evolved to the handshake of today.

A very sobering thought!! To think we use handshakes as formal greeting these days, for wishing or congratulating people...we even teach our young ones to shake hands.

Some even teach their pet dogs to shake hands. In the ancient connotation, it's like teaching even these lesser mortals (who ironically are supposed to be very trusty and loyal) to distrust!!

Lead by the nose...drifting along one day

I’ve been pretty upset with myself lately.

I’ve realized that I’m totally unable to write! Don’t know if it’s a simple case of a writer’s block or perhaps I’m just not as passionate about writing as I’m about reading!! Or maybe the excitement of opening a blog has just died down and probably it’s lost it’s novelty. And I realize that I’m just doodling now hehehe…

I suppose atleast this simple doodling has temporarily satiated my blog’s hunger!!!

I’ve recently begun taking a lot of snaps though, I just keep clicking away! One such day was about a couple of days back, just drifting through my usual day…got back from work…decided to go out for a walk and visit some friends. Passed Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala and decided it’s time I made that long overdue visit to my pure-Malayalam-speaking friends there (I think my malayalam is passable, but wonder why I get blank stares!!!).

I’ve found myself visiting the clinic as a kind of retreat…never gave much thought to it, but the last time I was there, I realized that I felt like I was being transported to a whole different world, very traditional, relaxing and peaceful! Almost like being transported to “God’s own country (Parashurama-bhumi)” itself.

For those who don’t know much about them, “Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala is a charitable institution offering authentic Ayurvedic medicines and treatments to patients from all over India and abroad. It was founded in 1902 by Vaidyaratnam P.S. Warrier. The salubrious climate of Kottakkal at Malappuram district in Kerala,(South India) and the picturesque and ecologically rich landscape of its environs make it an ideal location for Ayurvedic treatment and convalescence”.

Well, now that you get a picture, you will be able to understand what I write here now.

Let me tell you, I usually hate going to clinics and hospitals, the smell of the disinfectant, nurses in their pristine white and not-so-white uniforms, glucose drips, just makes me sick. And ever since, I came across the term “nosocomial” infections, the fact that you could actually contract diseases and infections at hospitals hit home.

But this place was different, the smell of the medicines wasn’t really unpleasant, there is a very cozy, buoyant atmosphere about the whole place. The medicines they prescribe have long, amusing and unpronounceable (lol) names and I suppose the sophisticated nature of those names themselves provide the patients half their cure in the weird way that our brains work and our weird reasoning. They have bizarre concoctions and potions, one that I came across recently was something that involved black, lizard-egg-sized (yuck) pills previously soaked in water, mixed with egg white and ground to a paste (photo: paste in the white bowl) and used as an external application (thankfully!!) for reducing inflammation.

They use a mixture of roots, herbs, powders of herbs, rose petals, turmeric, oils made from various types of vegetation for treating ailments. Seems like they didn’t leave any vegetation (:-p) unturned in order to find a use!! So, you can imagine the odor this place emanates…hmmmmmm…seemingly salubrious and rich…kind of makes me feel nostalgic, don’t know nostalgic of what…but nostalgic all the same…I find myself going there just for this experience…an oasis of rich, inducing and aromatic odors in a desert of dry, suffocating fumes of the city!!! Feel like being taken back in time to some exotic, bygone era with people clad in traditional outfits, going through rituals, potions being concocted over fires, with the smell of frankincense hanging in the air, in some remote location in the middle of a jungle...

SNAP!! You can wake up now!! hehehe...

The sense of smell is a strange thing, it can evoke memories in a jiffy, the smell of a familiar perfume can remind us of a loved one, the aroma of freshly baked cakes brings to my mind’s eye a picture of my mom in the kitchen with gloves peering into the oven...

It’s said that of all the senses, the sense of smell is the strongest and most important but is also easily overlooked. In fact lots of people have lost their sense of smell for one reason or another, and yet relatively few of them complain about it to their doctor. It can induce a strong sense of nostalgia. Hmmmm…that being the case…dogs might be nostalgic every minute of their lives!!! Hehehe…

Hey, I can cook!!!

When I was a kid, I remember being absolutely fascinated with cooking and the whole thing about concocting something over a fire...but, now, I wouldn't exactly say I'm facinated...funny how quickly one can lose interest when that something which was once fascinating is now expected of you on a daily basis!!!

I've always thought that I can manage pretty well when it comes to cooking, a fact which my family believed in to a greater extent than even me!! But, taking into account certain recent anecdotes, I'd say, my father in particular must have begun having his doubts!!

When we were kids, mom used to go on trips to India occasionally, and at these times, dad used to take care of the cooking department. One such occasion recently came up, when mom left on an extended visit to India. This time though, seeing that I'm much older and capable (??) of taking over "the putting-food-on-the-table (in the literal sense)" aspect, she left with much confidence.

We had a special occasion coming up, for which my dad asked me to prepare this particular bread, unleavened, perfectly round and crisp. Crispy enough to be able to break it and hear the crack. Those were the specifications! Over the years, mom used to prepare it. So, this time, I felt absolutely honoured to actually contribute to this time-honoured tradition of ours and with great aplomb, set to the task. It was basically chappati mixture but without salt and not much oil.

Well, guess what!!! The results were very pleasing and my father was elated with the perfectly round, white and crispy bread. He, infact, made sure everyone knew that it was I who had prepared it (on hindsight, what he didn't realise was that, that was the only way I knew how to prepare it!!). And as you can imagine...I was absolutely pleased with myself and was grinning from ear to ear!! My father even went out on a limb to say that even my mom hadn't prepared it so well in all these years!!

The next day, I made some curry and thought, "hey, there's some dough left from yesterday's preparation, so why not use that to make some chappatis!!" and I thought that all I had to do was add a little more oil and everything would be fine...

...ahem...well, apply Murphy's law here, things didn't turn out exactly as planned...let's fast forward a bit here. The chappatis were bad...they were too rubbery, hard and dry...my father, the sweet person that he is, never complained even once. He managed to painstakingly (I learned later as I tried the chappatis myself, coz' you see, in a very traditional way, I insisted my dad eat first and then I would have my dinner after he's done) and slowly go through his 4 chappatis (Oh God!!) all the while smiling and ever so sweet.

I was so happy to see him enjoying his dinner that I offered to make more chappatis for him to take to work the next day, to which he politely refused mumbling something about not wanting to trouble me or something which I missed in my state of blissful oblivion!!

Anyways, the next day, my excellent cooking and it's effect boomeranged back at me!! I decided to take the very same chappatis to work for lunch and had to painstakingly toil through crispy, hard chappatis, at the end of which I had developed sores in my mouth (no exaggeration) from the over-crispy chappatis!! And to top it all off, had the cheek to invite my colleagues to share my lunch, so had to bear along with their teasing as well!!

If there is any truth to the saying "the way to a man's heart is through his stomach", my prospects of finding a guy seem pretty bleak!! :(

Men

Eversince I woke up this morning, I've been itching to write this post!!
There is this song that I'd once recorded from the FM, hence didn't know who the artist was or the name of the song, but I always liked listening to it and it never failed to bring a smile on my face. The song and the lyrics tickle me so much, that I just have to share this with others, so here goes:

The name of the song is "Men", sung by "The Forester Sisters" part of the album "Talkin' 'Bout Men" released in 1991

Men

They buy you dinner, open your door
Other than that, what are they good for?
Men! I’m talkin’ ‘bout men
They all want a girl just like the girl
That married dear old dad they make me so mad

Chorus: Men! I’m talkin’ ‘bout men
Well, you can’t beat ‘em up ‘cause they’re bigger than you
You can’t live with ‘em and you just can’t shoot ‘em
Men! I’m talkin’ ‘bout men

They love their toys they make their noise
They’re nothing but a bunch of overgrown boys
Men! I’m talking ‘bout men
If you give ‘em what they want, they never fall in love
Don’t give ‘em nothin’ they can’t get enough

Chorus

In the beginning they always aim to please
They serve a purpose they fill a need
They ensure survival of the species
They take you for a ride, run out of gas
Most of the time they’re a pain in the a-a yeah, yeah

Chorus

Silver tongue devils
Well, they’re lying through their teeth
Saying anything
Just to sweep you off your feet
Ooh yeah, men! Talkin’ ‘bout men
Mere mortal man

Well, doesn't that sum it all up? I needn't say anything more!

For the women who need a good laugh!! and men who can handle it!!

Nothing has triggered this post of mine!!! Trust me :-p

Before Sunrise

As usual, I was wide awake at midnight and decided to see if they have something interesting on TV (which unfortunately has only 4 channels in an understandable language), was surfing through channels and settled on one.....and chanced upon one of the most beautiful movies I have ever seen......"Before Sunrise" starring Ethan Hawke (Jesse) and Julie Delpy (Celine). Romance...but very practical, possible that it might be totally unheard of....now I don't want to make this seem like a movie review...but I was so struck by the movie that I thought I just have to share this...

In general, in a movie, when a guy and girl meet, no matter how incompatible they may seem at first, the audience take it for granted that by the end, they would be head over heels in love and you just go ahead and watch the movie to see the process or else purely for ROI. Though that element was always present in this one, the rapport between Jesse and Celine is so lacking in artifice that the viewer is left feeling like he/she is anticipating something.

Jesse and Celine meet on a train travelling through Europe. Jesse's destination is Vienna where a flight back to America awaits him the next morning and Celine is headed towards Paris. They have a lively conversation over a meal and when the train reaches Vienna, Jesse persuades Celine to keep him company wandering around Vienna until the time comes for him to depart.

We have this set, preconceived notion that this is how a romance should be like, or this is what the conversation should be like, but here, "we are privvy to the sort of unimportant dialogue that most romance movies shy away from". This movie has so many poignant little scenes that the whole effect or end result is very intoxicating. As the saying goes "the whole is more than a sum of its parts". Topics ranging from love, life, reincarnation, religion to philosophy, etc are broached upon in a subtle manner and are then left hanging in the air for the viewer to ponder over almost like the delicate odour of a perfume in the air after it's user has long gone!!

Some of the topics and dialogues that really caught my attention are:

- Jesse at one point mocks love and the attraction one feels for a person by saying that humans have a tendency to put a "romantic projection" on everything we come across in life and upon close scrutiny, the bubble of romance breaks and our feet land firmly on the ground

- In a quiet moment at a church, where they discuss religion and beliefs, Jesse relates an experience where he accompanied a friend to the wedding of one who belongs to the Quaker Religion. There is absolute silence in the chapel, while the bride and groom sit staring into each other's eyes in the resonating silence waiting for God to talk to them, and finally, after about an hour or so of silence, they exchange vows and marry.

- Celine says she wants to be independent and not be someone who's life revolves around a man. But then, she recounts a conversation with a 52 yr old man who looks back at his life and realises that all he's been doing is working and working but sees no true meaning in it and no one to share his life with. Celine then says "Deep down inside all of us, we all want to love and be loved"

- Jesse "We are all each other's demons and angels"

...and a lot more...Celine is this independent, philosophical yet romantic girl who yearns for true love and Jesse is this cynical, practical, feet-firmly-planted-on-the-ground kind of guy who also, at the end of it all, yearns of, one day, becoming a good husband and father yet wonders if relationships are meant to last forever!!

...the unsaid things and feelings between them due to the obvious realisation that their relationship is practically impossible builds so much of this tension and anticipation between them that it's almost tangible... of which we are given just a glimpse!!

"Before Sunrise" is a definite must watch for those of you out there who care about such topics!! I suppose it has a sequel as well "Before Sunset"!!

Love could happen when one least expects it!!!! Happy watching!!

...

In the Bible, one would find many verses in the Greek Scriptures (also known as the New Testament) with nothing except for a dash or a blank space. These "dashes" or blank spaces are known as "ellipsis" (pl. ellipses).

Oxford defines "ellipsis" - omission of words needed to complete construction or sense; set of three dots etc. indicating such omission.

It is said that, these blank spaces or dashes were instances when Jesus was overwhelmed by emotions so much so that he was at a loss for words, hence it speaks better than words and helps in conveying the meaning intended!!! The power of imagination is such a great tool!!!

These days a lot of us use ellipses in the form of dots... (here I go again), in fact, I used a lot of them in my first blog and came about writing this blog trying to explain why I did that.....perhaps I was at a loss for words....or maybe I was just clearly confused!!! hmmm...

How far I've come since opening my blog!! I've managed three posts on the same day...and to think I was at a loss for topics to write on...

Realisations - some borrowed

So many special and cherished moments in our lives. When we look back on them, we realize that most of them were really short. And we wish that they had lasted longer but we don’t realize that their shortness is what probably made us cherish them and long for them so.

I have this habit of writing down or marking lines that I found to be really intriguing in books that i read. A few such lines are -

• "Could fulfillment be felt as deeply as loss?" - Kiran Desai in "Inheritance of loss"
• "A face long not seen finally fades" - Orhan Pamuk in "My name is Red"
• "The worlds that people build for themselves are an open book - people build what they never had, but always wanted" - Robert Crais in "The last detective"
• "Somewhere in my life I got the notion that if you tried to make a business out of the thing you loved, then that thing would become a job and the love would be ruined for ever" - Jeanne Ray in "Eat Cake"
• "Tears are more special than smile. For smile can be given to anyone, but tears are shed only for the one we love" - Anonymous

Enters the world of bloggers...

Everyone, I suppose, at different points in life suffer from bouts of procrastination.......but i think i top the list.....

After numerous visits to the cafe, reading blogs, coming as far as visiting a blog site only to return back saying "tomorrow i'll open one"......I've finally, gotten down to doing it......and here is my very first blog about blogging.....

Words, impressions, thoughts, ideas, experiences thrown into cyber space........a silent scream.......probably a place to vent emotions, feelings.......better than a shrink??!!! the luxury of anonymity.....wonder!!! why do people blog??!!! I have seen blogs that have absolutely no readers and hence, no comments.......the link is  displayed on your profile for friends and acquaintances to read.....but, then again....you don't need to blog to share your thoughts with them.....

well, coming back to this delayed start of mine.....I look forward to blogging again!!!!