Life, Somewhere else..

"Why did you volunteer for Rangashankara?" I wonder what do I say to that. It had nothing to do with any aspirations of trying to be an actor, writer or a director. No had no intention of hitting on any actress too. No I didn't. The simplest answer I generally give is, I was getting bored and needed to pass my time somehow. But thats certainly not all.

It was for the sheer fun of doing something I was not meant to do, I was not expected to do. About doing something I was not good at but wanted to be. It was about being part of something which was not another trash people ignored. It was about getting a feel of how a theater works. It was about seeing how a whole festival is pieced together from scratch and turned into this magnificent collage of performances from so many different parts of the world. It was about meeting people. People who are so passionate about theater that they don't bother about the fact that they having a hard time making end meet. They are hardly bothered about the fact that they don't have the time to go partying and getting sloshed. Sit with them and they can talk about their work for hours. That certainly never happens in our offices, do they?

The days I spent there, I did all all sorts of work there was to be done. It certainly was something I would like to do and cherish again at some other level. But the whole experience was also a bit about feeling good about myself.

Jimi's Mania..

After a long search, I finally got my hands on two decent posters in Landmark. One is a “Psychedelic” Jimmy Hendrix another Pink Floyd’s “The wall’s cover art”. Not exactly the one's I wanted. There was hardly anything to choose from. But better than other stuffs they had including a Jessica Alba from Sin City poster.







The guys said they get them from London. But with a price of 250 bucks I am not sure whether I should trust them or not. Anyways heck why do I care! I got what I wanted. The print is really good and they are large enough to hide the crack on the wall from my landlord. But still I am looking for a particular U2 poster. I wonder where they have kept it hidden.

(Pic courtesy: http://en.easyart.com/art-prints/Celebrity-Image/Jimi-Hendrix-(Psychedelic)-331449.html and http://www.arktimes.com/blogs/rockcandy/Image/pink_floyd_the_wall.jpg)

Dorin..

A brooding night,Dorin dreams,
of dying days and worlds unseen
A blue neon flickers as the devil grins,
with cigarettes and banter she flutters her wings.
A lady walks by where a wise man fell,
embracing Dorin with her absinthe's spell.

When the sky turns yellow,
the jester's music goes mellow.
He sings,Life's a juggler's joke
Either you cry or you don't.
But the brute never cries,
so he rises to toast.

As yellow turns brown, sneaks in
the beast who would not frown.
With roses in his eyes
he jumps to kill. Dorin screams.
Sitting on a dark throne
Morpheus gleams.

Indrobot_18082009.txt.log

People complain/ joke about the sparse number of posts I write about myself. The problem is I can’t write about stuffs which generally most people do. Everyone is bugged with his work, every one looks forward to Fridays and everyone loves The Hard Rock CafĂ©. The point is why anyone would want to read about some thing they themselves do and may be do more than me and hence my reluctance to talk about myself.

Anyways I certainly have some new stuffs happening in my life. I have been staying alone for the first time. Surprisingly, I have been managing decently. Ok it’s a little tough sometimes. Prioritizing things was a bit confusing in the beginning. I got myself a “new” second hand bike and an internet connection before getting a proper drinking water supply. But then surviving can always wait but the latest “Weeds” episode cant. Also about to start volunteering for Rangashankara for a theatre festival they are organizing. Let’s see what sort of experience I can get out of it but I guess what ever it is, it will be more fun than the 9 to 6 job. More update on it in later posts.

Clint's Torino...

Just finished seeing Gran Torino by Clint Eastwood and it was great. The story of a hardass Korean war veteran mentoring and protecting Hmong family next door has Clint's signture all over it. The movie and any of his movies will make you realize that when it comes to good movies the only things matter is a amazing story and a breath taking performance. Its amazingly subtle. Its hardly ever about any incident but always about relationships. Relationships you wont find everyday, everywhere but is more fulfilling and can altersomeone's whole life.

Through the movie one wonders why its called "Gran Turino" named after the 1972 car that Clint owns in the move and treats like a old war friend. But everything falls into place as he sings,

"Gentle now, the tender breeze blows.
Whispers through my Gran Torino.
Whistling another tired song.

Engine humms and bitter dreams grow.
Heart locked in a Gran Torino.
It beats a lonely rhythm all night long"


Just another day in Myanmar...

So the world’s favorite pro-democratic fighterAung San Suu Kyi” has been put in another 18 months of house arrest. It hardly surprised anyone who is familiar with the Junta’s long and murky record of suppressing the democratic leader’s activities. What is even less surprising is the usual condemnation of the judgment by countries asking for more sanctions, etc. It’s more of a ritual than an effective measure. But what’s surprising is the lack of any retaliation from the people of Myanmar itself. It seems that they are hardly bothered about it and most of the media hype is just a propaganda created by other nations. Or it might be possible that the Junta’s reputation of brutality got the better of them and they decided to stay back. In any case, they don’t have the will to fight and thus don’t deserve and won’t get the freedom they seem to be dreaming of. A people’s revolution can never be underestimated no matter how tough the ruler may be. But it has to be led by the people not by foreign governments. Right now Myanmar doesn’t seem to be in any mood for change.

Meanwhile I wonder who’s more interested in bringing democracy to the country, nations who are finding it hard to lose out on the trading opportunities or Myanmar’s people who have got used to the state they are being forced to live in.

Hardest Changes…

“The hardest changes are always for good”, so one said. But that’s the last thing we care for, do we? It hurts and it hurts bad! These changes always involve a new way of life with no guarantee of being better. They always start with no one smiling back at us when we look over our shoulder every now and then. And it gets even worse when part of us says “Hey I didn’t ask for any of this”. But then the “rule book” doesn’t say anything about spreading out a menu of paths we can choose from. We just got to play along.

Even after we get through the change and reach the “good” part of the first line, I am sure there will be tinge of doubt asking the question “Was the entire price paid was worth it at all?”

There I go again..

Was on my long way down,
In the stuffy & sweating elevator.
The door slid again gallingly,
And she beheld my eyes.

White shirt, denim skirt
And brown streaked tresses,
The charm of her fragrance
Could dent even a queen’s allure.

As she stood there staring
At the ever sliding numbers.
I looked for an alibi to talk
How I wished the lift had got stuck.

But our trip ended like any other
And she just walked away.
I wonder was that love. Damn!
There I go again……..

Can you read the line???

That’s what was asked to me the nth time by two different opticians in one week. I don’t remember ticking off any member of the Optician’s Union. Yet they seemed to be hell bent to make me miserable. I have been made to change my glasses TWICE in a week and yet the optician has failed to provide me with glasses with correct specification. Now, having headaches all day and seeing stars instead of pretty ladies pass by has become part of my usual day. A weekend visit to the optician earns me the assurance that “the glasses they have provided are fine”. That actually is a subtle way of them saying, “The damage is done. I can’t admit the mistake as I might get into trouble. No free replacement for you. Adjust Madi.”

Anyways, after two days somehow my eyes have learnt to decode the stars and ignore the headaches. But a word of advice, “Always get your eyes checked by a reputed guy and make sure that you are careful to leave nothing to be read between the lines.”

Circle the cat!!!

Recently, I got a link of this fun game from a friend. Try it out when bored (when you have to sit in your workstation with nothing to do.)