A Friend To Remember

Friends maketh a man... or so they say! My gang is one that will spoil you and corrupt you to such an extent that there will be no return! :D We are named "boobies" and we live up to the name. We are shameless, jobless bastards you would want to beat into pulp. We do not care what you think, or say about us. It is loud and clear: "WE ARE WHO WE ARE"! We are a gang of 11 monsters. Different backgrounds. Different personalities. But one same trait: WE ARE ALL INSANE.

All that said, we are also true to each other and some of the kindest you will find around. :) Now let me introduce you to all the members of my gang.

Madhav Nayak: Yea, that's me. Figured I might as well start with myself. My parents are my life. If nothing, I will go on till they are alive. I am the sort of guy who needs friends around to live. No matter how hard I try I just can't keep away from them. There have been times when I've had to make a decision to shut myself off from all other people. But, that's just not me. I can't imagine what life would be without friends. I go with all sorts of people. Well, almost all. To be completely honest, I'm the insecure type. I am gullible and soft. Very frank and will never understand emotionally complex stuff right away. I would die with no one to depend on around! From a very young age, I've played favorites. I've had three best friends. The first two shaped my childhood. For good or for bad i do not know, but they were there for me and I'm glad I had them. But who really made a difference is my one and only, brother from another mother, Akshay Sharma. The people that now surround me as my friends make me what I am. I am lazy. But I am also gifted with a fair amount of intelligence. I do not do justice to this gift though. I am a self made orator, with only one person to thank for the inspiration: my 4th grade English teacher Mrs.Chandana Bagchi. I am also a flirt. I prefer the company of girls to that of boys(who doesn't!?), except the 10 others in my gang. I am also very child like. I still love toys and get excited at the prospect of my birthday because I'm gonna get the toys I've wanted for a year :P I also watch a lot for cartoons: DBZ, Naruto, The Simpsons and The family guy being some of my favorites. That's about what I am.

Akshay Sharma: The same best friend I told you about earlier. He is the ideal case for all situations! (Except in the matter of girls!). Fast learner and quick witted, his company is never a drag! Like me, he too is very child like! :) Toys aren't such a bang-on for him, but he too loves cartoons! An intellectual that he is, he enjoys reading Sherlock Holmes novels. While many would say he is god fearing, I would say he is God loving. Modesty is his game. He never admits to any of his Bests, but is a master at highlighting all is Worsts! He is also a very humble man. The official Nerd of the gang! :) So much so that we call him "Guruji" out of respect. What I have learnt about this brother of mine is that he struggles to express his emotions properly. Many-a-time he doesn't disclose his pain to anyone. Not even to me. Always gives a shoulder to cry on, but never asks for one. I love him like he were my own. I can't think why anybody wouldn't. He is an ideal human being, a doting son and a friend anyone is lucky to have. His family, I am forever grateful to, especially his sister Aparna. This is for reasons I choose not to disclose here. Nonetheless, a thanksgiving is long overdue. He stood with me through thick and thin and taught me a thing or two about life. May god bless this wonderful guy!

Kritarth Srinivasan: Koi jeena seekhe toh is bandhe se seekhe! Koi marna seekhe toh bhi isi bandhe se seekhe! :D I met this happy-go-lucky son-of-a-bitch 6 years ago. His sense of humor knows no end. His jokes range from being some of the lamest to those that will have you laughing every time you remember them! He can turn the grimmest of occasions into a laughter riot. I have seen one maybe two times when he was serious, really serious. He makes light of all situations. This I feel is a gift and a curse. He is never afraid to try something new. Unfortunately he is a miserable academic. Intelligent but lazy. Yeah, kinda like spiderman at his worst! :D He comes from an army background. His dad's a retired wing commander. So he's been around the country a lot. Very impulsive and a wee bit short tempered too! His interests lie in many places. I don't think even God can tell where he'll land up. But one has many things to learn from him. He never lets anything get him down, especially his failures. The kind who can fight back when the want and need are both just about right. I had the honor of working with him as my deputy when I was made the speaker back in school. Even now I feel he was more of a cabinet member than I! He is a person who rules himself. Nobody can control this crazy monkey! :D He is also a very point blank, down to earth type of a person. Independent too. If he really makes the effort, I feel he can reach places many would promptly struggle to reach.

Anirudh Menon: The guy who got me into basketball. Mallu no.1 of the gang. He doesnt look it though! Speaks perfect hindi(KV material hai yaar!), looks like a northie walks like a northie, talks like northie! But he ain't no northie! :D This guy is the MOST independent person I have known. Like Krit, this guy rules himself. Always a reliable cash source! I remember this one time when we were doing our +2, we had stopped at this bakery outside college and everyone of us was broke. This guy makes us hold his bag and goes on a fishing expedition in it and comes up with 30 freakin' bucks in coins! We were all like wha' the...! :D From that day forth he is our official ATM! He is a fun loving guy you can always turn to for entertainment. If not directly, he'll make sure you have fun indirectly. :) He will not give up no matter what. If he wants something bad, he makes sure he gets- no matter what. He is one of those who will be your unconditional friend. Take, but I will not ask. That's been his attitude for as long as I've known him. Rough and tough is his middle name. He is up for any challenge you throw at him. He loves to stand out of the crowd, be the one who makes the difference and many times he does make a difference! If he needs to, he can inspire the entire country to do something!

Sushant Khot: The Pumba of our gang! :D He will never let you down. Faithful, dependable, encouraging, fun loving and I could go on. He is like this packet of happiness spreading happiness wherever he goes! :) He will mix with you and be your friend no matter where you are from, whether or not you speak his language, you will end up liking him, playing with him, eating with him and laughing with him. An amazing re-bounder and post up guy in basketball, I was actually surprised to find him playing cool basketball within a few days of starting. I was watching this dance show, and Hrithik Roshan described Shah Rukh Khan as the man who's heart is so big, it could envelope the whole world in it. At that moment, Sushant is the one guy who came to my mind. Like me, he is a speed demon; But he is a lot more insane. We were racing and I lost to him because he drove over the humps at 80kmph! Definitely the guy to turn to if you need help of any sort.

Siddharth Narayanan: The pro Baller of the gang. He can get around you, over you, under you, put you into orbit and you wont know it! Quick as the Flash, give him the ball and he'll make the opposition regret. Underestimates himself a lot. He's also very prone to injuries. Right now, he's nursing a broken wrist. If I describe Anirudh as our ATM, this one is our official Loan man. I don't mean he gives loans; he takes 'em. He's perverted as shit. I personally think he has a "fascination" with the feminine existance. *AHEM* (Not that we all don't). This one one guy I would have difficulty describing. He's great and all, but at the same time very reserved. Getting stuff out of him is like trying to pry out your tooth with a finger. Very funny at times. This guy is also a very naughty guy. He will pull every sort of prank on you and even get away with it. I just wish he would study a little harder.

Sujith Nath: This is Mallu no.2. I would describe him as the one among all of us who is really into life. He lives it in a way many would envy. He does what he wants and also what everyone else wants. Very co-operating guy. I guess you would expect these qualities from a guy who's gonna become a doctor. He's the only one in the gang who has chosen this profession. Before you get any ideas: Janwaron ka Doctor ban raha hai( yeah, no free treatment to the gang). He is a little man who can play dandy basketball. A little panicky with the ball in his hand, but when its in your hand, its your turn to panic! :D He is one of the most sensible guys I've met. Always ready to learn, whether or not its related to his field of study. When your explaining something to him, be it medicine or mechanical engineering, he'll listen to you with an attention that can be unsettling. He is also surprisingly well informed in many things. Having said all this, when you look at the Gang, and then at Sujith, you will find him a very simple man. One could learn a thing or two from him!

Ankith Amtange: The dropout of the gang. :D (Sorry bro, just sounds cool saying it! :P) But I've got to commend him. Few have the courage to do the right thing. Many people just fight their way through shit because they don't have the balls to jump out of it. But Ankith: hats off bro. I'm proud of ya. A self proclaimed nerd once upon a time, I've seen a drastic change in the guy in a very short period of time. Mind you: VERY SHORT. He's doing I-don't-know-what sitting at home when I'm working my ass off in college. My blood boils at the very thought of it. Funny thing is, so does his! He is so darn tired of wasting away at home that he went and joined FRENCH classes. Yeah, that darn tired. I'm in love with Ankith's English accent! We had a night out at Akshay's place, and at one point of time, we locked Ankith in the toilet. I still can't forget the way he said Sonofabitch that day! He introduced me to the world of flashing and Amon Amarth. They changed my life. I don't like it, but I think I'm getting addicted to Ankith's presence! :D

Zeeshan Ahmed: The junior most of the Gang. He is almost 2 years younger to all of us( I think). He's done most "stuff" before us too. Cool kid, plays real good Basketball. I like talkin' to this fella. Yes, he's your average cool guy, who seems to have an attitude you would kill him for, but that is not true. I've seen him get really awkward, and believe me he almost looked normal. :P Well, what i really like is this guy's taste in vehicles. They're very much like mine. He rides a very enviable P220, and I'm one of the lucky few who got to ride it when it was still in run-in period. I guess it was his way of showing me he cared. It was my birthday and I had someone very special to me with us. I was still riding my old kinetic back then. It felt very nice to ride a bike as cool as the P220. It just made my day! Thank you Brother! I just wish he would stop chain-smoking. It really worries me like shit to see him light up every time he's supposed to inhale. Apart from that, I have no problems: he even uses condoms.

Anmol Joshi: One of the Joshi brothers. He was the ugly duckling of our group. Initially we considered him a pain in the neck; Heck! We still do! :D He is the biggest pile of walking and talking trash you will find around. Anything that he says has to be cliche or trash. Sometimes he will say the most outrageous things and expect you to believe it. But I've that he has his way around chicks. If you ask me, he's like Reggie Mantle from the Archie comics, only, he's not as cool. :D Officially the "gay"-est member of the group. Also the most "un"-"gay" member. I can't explain the logic to you. It's just one of those things that you take for granted. But this guy, he has a very tender heart. He doesn't show it, he'll probably deny this, and rant loudly about what a total D***head I am for saying this, but its true. He's a softie who will be a very good friend when there's real need for it. Like I'm-about-to-die-you-bastard-save-me kind of need. But he'll be there all the same.

A friend defines your life and gives it meaning. I am truly thankful to my gang who make my days worth living for. One such great friend showed me what I was doing wrong and how to do it right. Today I remember him with a heavy heart. It has been exactly a year since he passed away, and we all still miss him. I still cant believe he is gone. Young as he was, it was a very unfair decision on God's part. I still remember him and what he gave us. He was Abhilash Joshi, a dear friend we mourn for today. He was coming home for the holidays. But he never got here. He formed the idea of our gang and gave it life. In his memory we call ourselves "Boobies". I hold the name dear and will always say it with a pride that comes from knowing you are part of something very very special. We called him Chief Boobie. And he was one hell of a friend.

You all have friends who love you and care for you. It could be your sister or brother, mother or father, next door neighbor, or the little kid across the street you can't stop looking at. It could be a classmate, a senior or a junior. Today, or whenever you read this, go back and show them love. Hang around a little longer, sip another cuppa coffee. Run another lap, say another swear word. Gossip a little longer. Feel alive, and feel their life. Remind yourself how important your friend is to you. Treasure him or her like their life is as much yours as it is their's. A friend will be there when all seems lost. They are worth living for. And to me, they are worth dying for. 

Venting It Out: My Agonizingly Short Holidays

I know a lot of you out there can connect with the title of this post. Which is why I hope you will appreciate my need to vent out my frustration! I had the shortest gap of holidays between my two semesters. I'm mighty pissed at my college folks for making it so.

I got a meager 7 day gap in my last semester. Now it turns out the college guys want me back Monday. All that happens is that my ass rots in the boring classes my teachers take back at college. It feels like they're venting out their frustration at us in class. I've had better classes online on topics much more boring than what they teach in college!

I'm a 3rd sem ECE student at a sad college called SVCE. Look it up on the net. Don't believe a word they say on the page. Its all a lie. for one the net connection in college is not as fast as they say it is. Seconds: we DO NOT have a "2 acre ground which provides all facilities for major sports"!

What we do have is: a lot of class rooms, with big green boards which are beginning to give me nightmares! I'm so tired of seeing the big and beautiful lawn in college which is out of bounds to all students. I'm tired of the big majestic gates that remain closed all the time- especially when I'm late to college. I'm tired of the spacious canteen which still hasn't enough space or good enough stuff to call food.

I'm tired of HATING our respected and very much qualified principal without even having spoken to him once. I'm tired of the idea that I've to spend the next three years sucking up to my HOD. Most of all.... I think  I'm tired of being the very brainy guy who is under-performing because he has become a lazy bum.

There was a time when I was really interested in the intricacies of life. I still appreciate the beauty of it(thankfully), but I've lost the eye for detail. I'm a man on a mission now. Time to beat myself into shape. Time to be that guy who was a, how you say: GO GETTER. I'm in a prison now. I also have the key within reach. But to be free, truly free, I'll have to step out of my comfort zone and reach for it. As Eric Hoffer rightly said:

"We feel free when we escape, even if it be but from the frying pan into the fire."

I'm about to jump into the fire, but hell I wasn't on the frying pan so I bet I'll get burned pretty bad. But it is a risk I'm willing to take. First step to breaking out of this self made prison. So this is your fellow blogger and human, going out with a positive attitude. I hope the next time I discuss this I'm the "GO GETTER" I've told you I wanna be. Wish me luck folks; I'll need every bit of it I can get! 

A War Within: Yin-Yang

Emotion makes life. If anything sets us apart from the world as much as it makes us one with it, it is Emotion. God has given us, along with many other things, the ability to express. Not that other beings do not possess this quality; no, it is not that what I'm saying. We have been given the power to make our Emotions very clear. An exquisite and brilliant trait that all of us have, yet let go to waste. It pains me how it is never experienced by many. But, I am not going to discuss that aspect because, as many high school text books might put it, "It is beyond the scope of this blog to discuss this topic in detail"!

Emotion gives us life. Obviously it should have the power to take life away from us. It is the simple principle of Yin and Yang. Balance. 

It is an ancient Chinese Philosophy/Theory; Their attempt to explain the universe. Yin and Yang is everywhere. Male-female. Light-shade. Good-evil. Steam-ice. An ever existing pair that can't be without the other. The classics state: "Yin creates Yang and Yang activates Yin". So there can never be an excess of one. If there is, they will self balance automatically. 

I wouldn't blame you if you asked "How is all that related to emotion?!". Simple. Think of those unbelievable situations when you want to laugh and cry at the same time. Think when you are angry and calm at the same time. Think of all those times when you've felt two completely opposite emotions well up inside of you and you don't know which one to let surface. That is Yin Yang. One trying to balance the other out. It is an ever repeating cycle. It is a War Within. 

It just makes life more beautiful. When I sit and think, it all makes sense. It might not make sense when you are just reading this, but if you put everything on hold for a moment, you too will see the beauty of it. And you will be left with a deep satisfaction that only comes from years of searching and realization. 

Our ancestors have left us all their learning so that we make take it forth. Alas! Lost are those teachings. Lost is all that experience. Little remains of the hard gathered knowledge. We are faced with the task of doing it all over again. We are definitely not doing a good job. We are too busy "keeping up" with each other to keep up with ourselves. 

We lock our emotions down and look to best the other's. Others do the same to themselves. No one man lives for himself. Learn to love yourself first. Learn to Unleash your emotions. Learn to use them, control them and build them. Spend a little time everyday nurturing them. Look where they fall short. Tomorrow when and if you are all alone, all you've got is your emotions. A man with no respect for these Life Givers isn't alive at all. He is truly alone. He wont even have himself. 

Next time you have this War Within, know that you are alive. Know that you have something very beautiful in your possession. Treat yourself to a buffet of emotions and go WILD! You have nothing to loose! Cheerio! :)

"I Am What You Say I Am"

NEVER say that. You will be giving yourself away... and there's nothing you can regret more than that. I let myself be ruled by that shitty statement in what were supposed to be the best years of my life. The statement is cool. It comes from Eminem himself. Although, considering what and who he is... all of us should know better than to live by it.

The teenage of a person's life are the most precious years. The potential to develop and grow in these years is enormous. I repeat: ENORMOUS. Few realize that, and those who do are lucky. Of those few even fewer realize it in time to make something of that enlightenment. The others either cry over all the spilt milk or regret over it, wishing every moment back.

I wasted 4 precious years of that age. Now, I'm almost out of it! Come this December, and I will have one teen year left in me. Yes, I do sound like an old man don't I? I only used to look and feel like one... now I even sound like one!

My story starts about 6 years ago. It was the first time I had heard the words "IIT". Indian Institute of Technology. I really didn't care much about. Little did I know what it would do to the consequent 4 years of my life. My father, an ardent newspaper reader, found an ad in the paper from "BASE" that was about a coaching for students starting from when they got into the 9th grade. I never wanted to get into it. I wanted to learn the guitar instead, go for basketball coaching instead. But, I let my parents decide what I am. I decided I was what they said I was. I played along. I lost the next two years of my life.

I should have been strong. Stuck to what I wanted. I could have backed out even then. But I didn't have a reason. Case: Nayak Sr. v/s Nayak Jr. Case arguments: Nayak Sr.: "How will guitar help you earn? How will basketball help you earn?". Nayak Jr.:"..........". Judge's decision: Nayak Jr. sentenced two years of hard IIT coaching at BASE Basavangudi.

That is what happened. I should've escaped but I didn't. I accepted that fate. Here I am, years later, wishing I had put a little more trust in myself. Here I am, wishing I had seen my parents more as benefactors than as an opposition trying to convict me in court! At this point I feeling like a living example of the Metallica song "Disposable Heroes". It goes "you will do, what I say, when I say... you will die, when I say, you must die....".

That is the predicament you will get into if you let the importance of these years slide. No matter who it is, don't forget... never let them tell you who you are. It doesn't matter who it is that is telling you, remember.. it will finally be you and only you who will look at everything around you crash. One of my favorite songs "Somewhere I Belong" by Linkin Park delivers meaning that is very important. No matter who you are, you belong somewhere. The purpose of every life on this planet is to find that somewhere. Only when you attain that somewhere will you be truly free of the pain. The peace you find will be unimaginably satisfying. Learn to trust yourself. Learn to stand for yourself.

Having said that, I would also like to say something of equal importance. When and if you get into such a situation because of whatever may be the reasons. Don't sit around and blame the world for being unfair like I did.. It never is. You are born to this world. You are its child. It will never do anything unfair to you! It is inevitable. It is for your best. Accept it. Make it what you want. Fighting is useless; Know that. If the world wants it, there is little you can do!

Give all you have to it. Believe me, I've been on that side of the grass. I fought. I lost. Here I am: nowhere. I'm not in an IIT. I don't play a guitar. I haven't had formal training in basketball. I'm nowhere. I'm in between: in a sand trap. I'm having a hard time getting out. Whether I do get out or not depends on how well I've learnt my lessons. That is my problem. But to all of you out there: don't come into my position. It ain't fun! So don't fight once your in shit. You're smelly grimy and dirty anyways. Enjoy the warmth. Get through it. From there... you'll be immune to all kinds of shit! Learn what you can from this experience of mine.... Remember: its about you. Nothing else.

India Against Corruption!

Are you kidding me? No really! Are you? India against corruption? INDIA against corruption???

INDIA against CORRUPTION?

India AGAINST corruption??

I could be rolling on the floor laughing at this because its reminds me of an old joke that went: "Mahatma Gandhi Hair Dressers", "Gomateshwara textiles", "Venkateshwara Liquor shop" and so on! India, my mother nation, is many things. It is proud, it is developing, it is technologically advanced, culturally and geographically diverse, climatically sane, modern, intelligent, etc etc. The list of praises I can shower her with will never end. I adore her for she gave me and my family life. I respect her for she gave me nationality, integrity and respect. I love her for she made me her own.

But my country thrives on corruption. It is everywhere. It is omnipresent. I must commend the TATA TEA ads for they splendidly bring out the very roots of corruption. A beautician being asked for a bribe. A father assuring his son admission in a college. It starts in the very place we are born. Our own parents bribe us with sweets and toffees. The sweets and toffees become toys and video games. Those become cars and bikes. We face corruption at every stage of our lives. If not hard-core corruption then some form of it.

A question to Young India: do you even know the meaning of corruption? Do you realize the vastness of that word? Many of my friends on facebook are attending an "event": "India Against Corruption". I almost clicked "attend", but something held me back. Do I fully grasp what that means? Am I ready to take such a huge step at this stage of my life? Am I qualified to say I can handle that responsibility?

Corruption has a vast radius of definitions. It can start from the meaning of the word itself:

"The act of changing, or being changed for the worse"

It starts, like I said, from a very young stage of our lives. We constantly face this "act". Knowingly or unknowingly, our own parents habituate us to this sort of a life. Situation requires them to. That is how desperate our country is. That is how deep in shit we are.

A little money can take you places. It may be inside a pub before you are 18. It may be through a driving test even though you wouldn't know driving. It may be through an exam even though you wouldn't have passed. All this is corruption.

At a higher degree it involves whisking away all the tax money to an untraceable bank account. Hoarding of stock. Adulteration of stock. Encroachment of plots by government officials. So on. so forth. All of this seems unfair sitting on this side of the screen. Put yourself on the other side. What if you were to gain? Wouldn't you give it another thought?

Corruption is integrated into our lives now. That is the fact of the matter. So before you go announcing that you are against corruption I'm going to ask you one thing: BE TRUTHFUL TO YOURSELF. Can you shoulder that responsibility? Can you dedicate yourself to that task?

Anna Hazare fasted for it. He put his LIFE on the line for it. Can you do that? Can you risk everything for it? Can you stick to the cause even if it means that you have to pay a thousand bucks to the cop for over-speeding? Even if it means you have to wait in line for something you want badly? Even if it means you will loose your house because of it? Even if it means you have to stand up to your parents for it? Even if it means you have to stand up to your friends for it?

I feel that's asking an awful lot. Aren't we comfortable the way we are? Doesn't money matter a lot? So much that a little extra wouldn't hurt?

All that given.... Its a cause worth scratching your head for. Its worth thinking for. Its worth sweating for. I love my country. If not now, I will be fully ready to shoulder the responsibility one day. And that day, I will put my life on the line for it. I will risk everything for it. I will stand up to corruption and KILL it! But no man can do it alone. So it is up to all of us to start now. Give up corrupt ways. Take life the HARD WAY. Grow up and start FIGHTING TO SAVE OUR NATION! JAI HIND!

Music!

Describing music is like describing life.

It is complex, yet simple. 

It is big, yet small. 

Its unique, yet common. 

Music happens when life happens. It is so connected to life that it has  the power to affect and change life. Music realizes thew most profound feelings in us. Music means many things to many people. 

To Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart music was so important that even in his last days all he could think of was to finish his last composition "Requeim". In his lifetime he composed over 600 works, many acknowledge as pinnacles of symphonic, concertante, chamber, piano, operatic and choral music. In his life time he also constantly suffered at the hands of illness.

When one speaks of Mozart, it is but mandatory to talk of Ludwig van Beethoven. He wrote his own compositions in the shadow of Mozart. "Posterity will not see such a talent in a 100 years" said Joseph Haydn of him. He had been deaf for a good decade when he released the completed 9th symphony.

Being the most celebrated musicians of history, to know that neither of the two could enjoy the music they composed raises a question: what tied them to music in such a way that they went on even in the darkest times of their lives?

I can't speak for either as I couldn't have known them in their lifetimes, but it is safe to say: To each music was life.

It may not be that to everyone, but, everyone enjoys music. There isn't a single person I know who doesn't enjoy some sort of music. It soothes the tensed and disturbed mind. A little music can change the environment to a degree that can astound us. Music has an effect on everyone. It may be one's source of inspiration. It may be another's source of relaxation. To some it may have a calming effect. To some an agitating effect. To many it is a source of hope. And to some, like Beethoven and Mozart, it may be the source of life.

To me, music is another world. It is like a dream where I control the flow. It excites me when I need to be excited. It calms me when I want to be calmed. It listens to me when I have to talk and talks to me when I want to listen. It gives me meaning where I find none. It thinks for me when I cant think and urges me to think when I have to. It shows me the light that is life, when I'm engulfed by the darkness. To me it is a dear friend who holds my hand through shit and tells me "AAL IS WELL".

The Definition Of Cool: Views 'n Opinions

"Define Cool."

I went around asking that question to a lot many people, and I was surprised to find diverse answers coming my way. I started it as a little prank: one i could enjoy on my own. But, alas! I cant stop thinking: Didn't "being cool" mean a lot to me at one point? Didn't it mean a lot to everybody at one point? Doesn't it mean a lot to a good many even now?

I started this little research of mine, and set out on a "pursuit of cool"(which was supposed to be my title for this article till-) which i found, thanks to google, is a taken title! :) This guy Bram, has a blog of his own elsewhere in which he says:

“There is no algorithm to define cool, you just know it when you see it”

That was his view of cool. His pursuit started with that sentence. His view of cool is that.

All of us have this pursuit: consciously or unconsciously. It is inevitable. Some end very early, some never end.

So i asked around, to see what people define as cool. Answers I got were clearly not serious ones. But they were the first ones that people could think of when I asked them to define cool.

A school going student promptly told me anything other than studying is cool. Obviously, the reaction was because of the immense burden of the education system. So I surmised this: cool to this person is something that allows freedom. Something that keeps her mind light and free.

Another answer I got was one worded and simple: "ice"! Now how about that! :D I really couldn't work much with that. All I could think was that on a hot day, this guy would call a breeze cool. That's cool to him: something comfortable.

I don't know if their pursuit has ended. Or even if its started.

But mine, started with a simple question I remember asking my mother, a good 6 years ago. And I'm satisfied enough to say it has ended too. I had just returned from a debate competition. It was the biggest thing in my life at that time. I stood to win 1 lakh in cash if won the competition(which unfortunately didn't happen). I was awed by the very atmosphere it created, even more by the seniors I was accompanying who seemed calm and composed while hell was breaking loose for me.

I worked hard, and got to the semis of the competition(even my seniors didn't make it this far), but lost out there. My partner told me I was splendid and that I was cool. I did not want to embarrass myself after all that so I went home to my mother. She told me, that to her cool is me. She told me that I was unafraid to to do what I wanted, to talk my mind and be who I am. I told her that I'm afraid all the time to do all that. She told me that THAT makes me even cooler because I have the courage to overcome my fear and the things I do. I smiled at being praised and promptly told her I think she's cool.

That was a mothers view. My pursuit should have ended there. But, in a curious turn of events, being "Cool" earned me a slap form my P.E teacher. I still have nightmares about that one! :p

So, while keeping the definition my mother gave me(mostly because it was very flattering), I tried to define cool myself. I had to do this because by that time, the word cool played a very important role in my life. Being cool was being accepted. The "uncool" kids were castaways, outlaws much like "mudbloods" from Harry Potter. And I DID NOT want to be a mudblood!

But books, favorite TV shows and my role models taught me that being cool is not that. Being cool, as I understand it is being YOURSELF. Being cool is being SIMPLE. Being cool is being truthful. Being cool is standing up for what YOU BELIEVE.

 ‘COOL IS BEING YOURSELF, COMFORTABLE IN YOUR OWN SKIN, NAKED IF YOU HAVE TO. COOL IS KNOWING THAT YOU’RE GOING AGAINST THE GRAIN AND BEING UNSWAYED BY WHAT PEOPLE THINK,WHAT THE RULES SAY YOU’RE SUPPOSED TO BE OR DO, AND HOW YOU MEASURE UP AGAINST ANY OF THE AFOREMENTIONED.’

 I read this (elsewhere first, but found it on Bram's blog too) and felt that this is it. The hard core definition of cool. More on "cool" later folks!

Timelines

I first heard the word "timelines" in the movie "Back To The Future". Irrelevent though this article is to that context, I found that word interesting enough to take me into deep thought about time and how it is the most dependable thing in this universe. This is not a lecture on how to manage time or how people waste time. Its more than that. Actually, nothing close to that. Time is a beautiful thing. In this world that looks at time as just a constraint, I believe it needs more thought.

Time favors no man, it favors no machine. It might favor God himself, but no one is a testament to that. I've seen and heard people use the word with regard to strict deadlines, traffic conditions and their daily woes about the lack of time. Just thinking about how simply people use the word puts me in a tangle of thoughts that take me forever to untangle!

"Time and tide wait for none"

Just that one sentence shows us how impartial and duty bound time is. Its is ruthless and hard working. It is all those things we should be but are not. Time doesn't stop when the world is in disarray. Time doesn't look back and regret its past. Time doesn't think about what its future is. Time..... just works in the present. It has no fears, no worries; Just one goal: to go on.

Given that Time deserves credit for its success. It has gone on. It has made itself so complex, no one understands it, and thus hinders it. Why I say that is simple: understanding brings emotions. Emotions raise questions. Questions demand answers. Answers demand commitment. Commitment cannot come without compromise. Time, my dear readers, has saved itself the strain of that compromise. Its path is not a compromised one. Purely for that one goal does time exist. Such is time.

That is my understanding of the nature of time. Or rather, that WAS my understanding. It happened recently. I was chatting with a junior of mine from school. Not a particularly fond one, she was all I had to save myself of boredom(these exam TIMES do get difficult you know!:D). In the course of our conversation I found myself enjoying it! Not a moment later I surprised myself: "times change". I said that.


In two words I shattered my definition, my understanding of the word time. There I realized, time can not be defined. It is not meant to have the boundaries of definition. It is everything around us. To define time would be a task only time itself could accomplish. Time is in birth and death. Time is in rise and fall. Time is in everything. TIME IS GOD.

Money Matters!

These days i catch myself working out new ways to earn money(which is why i monetized my blog too btw!) too frequently. I've often been loud about how money matters little(like in my previous blog). But my money matters have taught me that money matters! :\

Its astounding really, how much value money holds in today's life. To think there was a time when there was a trade in kind is a fantasy. I wonder why the barter system died out like it did... everybody seems to prefer money(me included!). If we study, its for money. If we work its for money. If we teach its for money. Bit by bit, second by second, moment by moment, it seems that money is taking control over our very existence. 

I remember a line from a song 'sabse bada rupaiyya' from the movie bluffmaster that went "bin rupaiyya to mister na teri mummy ka pyaar, na paida hota kabhi tu, na kabhi kar sakta mere yaar"(without money you wouldn't have your mother's love, you wouldn't even be born, neither can you give birth)! Money is so important into our lives now, that even birth depends on whether you have you have the jingle in your pockets!

It seems the days when one could say "Money cant buy you everything" are over. It seems money CAN buy you everything: from your B.E. degree to respect. Heck I've heard even love is for sale these days. All i can say at this point is- WHAT is the world coming to! For the way we humans are behaving, it seems armageddon ain't far way! :P

Life

18 years on this planet and I am yet to understand what Life is. The time of twenty four hours given to us is nowhere near enough to realize what this; is it a gift? is it a curse? is it a phenomenon? a game?

Yeah, so what is the meaning of life? A google search, like the one above? Is it the hours spent burning a hole in your pockets shopping? Your job maybe? Your spouse? Parents? Or is it all of these put together? people have so much to think and talk about, they loose track of the bigger picture: they just live life, not LIVE life!

Life is a marvel in itself. Something to be cherished, to be felt, to be treasured, to be shaped into the most beautiful works of art. In all the pressure, the hurry, the madness of what people think is life, they loose the artist in themselves; the one that brings beauty to their life. life can be anything you want it to be: an adventure, a painting, a blogroll, a race, anything!

Most people choose the race format and make life a race: who will make the most money? And the best thing is... life has no rules, none at all. Its one of those things u define, design and play on your own. YOU decide what effects you, YOU decide what makes you, its all you. Its purely how the individual plays it. they can choose to blame another, they can choose to let another play their life. But it is THEIR choice. What most rats in this race miss is that it is THEIR choice! It is they who are responsible if someone else controls the remote to their lives! it is they who are responsible if they control their lives.

right out of spiderman, as Ben Parker quoted: "with great power comes great responsibility". life is a super power bestowed to every one of us. what decides its use is how responsible you are of this super power of yours.

 In the end life is what you make it. Its meaning is defined by how you live it and how you much you love it. In all the years i have lived,  i have learnt one valuable lesson: never take life for granted. Its the worst mistake you can make. To waste your life is the greatest crime. People who take life for granted end up... well... dead.  One way or another, they end up dead.

Love your life, live your life. Do what you want to, but with a degree of responsibility to it. There is nothing more precious you can have than life itself, so treasure it. Forget the little things that bother you, look at the bigger picture, and ask yourself this very important question: WHAT IS LIFE?