Darcy's World

5 Things to learn from Sheldon Cooper

2012-01-24T12:54:00.003-05:00

One of my favorite sitcoms is the hit American show called the Big Bang Theory. The lead character is played by Jim Parsons called Sheldon Cooper. Sheldon is a theoretical physicist at the Cal Tech University in Southern California. He is a very complex person. He has an exceptionally high IQ but lacks a lot of social skills. He life revolves around his work and his obsession for comic book characters and other sci fiction stories. To call him quirky would be as much an understatement as to call Bill Gates rich.

Nonetheless there are a few things about Sheldon which I think all of us should imbibe

1. His absolute adherence to routine in his life. Yes he takes discipline to a level of military code but all of us would be more productive if we followed some structure in our lives.

2. His astounding self confidence in his abilities. How often have we all suffered from self doubt and that nagging feeling of lack of self worth. Sheldon never waivers from his belief that he is the best, even when he is glaringly wrong.

3. His ability to refuse to conform to society's rules. He simply lives his life on what is right and wrong. He never worries about fitting in and keeping up appearances. He believes that his work speaks for itself. His private life is no one's concern

4. Sheldon's loyalty to his friends is remarkable. He often disagrees and argues with his friends but never ever hesitates to help them in true face of danger. Such loyalty is a rare exhibit and should always be regarded

5. Sheldon's most endearing quality is that he has kept the child in him alive. He creates time for things that make him happy even if it as ridiculous as dressing up in weird costumes and going for Comic Con.

Parenthood

2011-12-20T11:30:00.003-05:00

At my age which is in my mid twenties, if you are unfortunate enough to live at home with your parents in India, you realise that as much as freedom our generation gets in terms of dating, alcohol and just being our own person, an equal or more is taken away from us. Our parents think they are the cool parents who allow their offsprings a vast number of opportunities that they never got as young adults. We are often reminded about they didnt have Cell Phones and no personal TV's or cars for personal use. It wasnt that they were deprived of something their peers had. No one had cell phones then because they weren't even invented yet. TV's were not manufactured in India on a large scale, neither were cars or anything else. The opportunities we have are common to our generation, like the ones they had common to theirs. Infact they were way more privileged than we were because their parents did not keep tabs on them 24/7 and pester them with questions like what are you doing with your life, and when are you going to settle down. I can hardly imagine our grandparents telling our parents that you dont spend enough time with us. Our grandparents understood that as young people they are not going to be home that often and will move on in life. I hardly doubt our parents came home from a movie or dinner and regaled every anecdote shared with their aged parents, if you didn't do it with your parents you can hardly expect us to do the same. I wonder if our grandfather yelled at our dad when he got a Color TV and told him you will spoil your eyesight.
Our generation is often derided for moving away to foreign shores and leaving behind aged parents. Didn't their generation migrate from the villages and towns to cities and metros. If it takes 24 hours to travel across the world today, it took 24 hours even then to travel those 1000 miles.

Mexico's Abortion Stand

2011-09-29T09:12:00.002-05:00

Mexico passed an important legislation in terms of abortions. Abortions are now illegal in several states of the country. I am not familiar with the laws of Mexico, but its clear that this issue is a state issue and not a federal one.

Any law that is a state law and not a federal one has the risk of not being executed to its fullest, for the simple reason that to enforce the law you have to ensure domicile and residency. Therefore women can definitely move from one state to another to have an abortion. Also the backlash of such legislation is that it results in illegal, unsafe and medically unsound abortions that can lead to serious corrupt services and medical malpractices. The common bane of developing countries is poverty and corruption that arises from that. Mexico has definitely made a gross error in this legislation by simply making it illegally as a state offense. If it had been a federal law it would be more effective.

In India we dont have such problems of abortions illegally because we dont mind killing the girl child after she is born. The government is cracking down on illegal sonography clinics where sex determination is performed. The thought and the rationale behind is well intended but it is only half the problem. Does the government care what happens to the baby after she is born. A follow up on how if a girl is delivered is she still alive after 5 years or 18 months or for that matter even one month. We need legislation for that, we need serious enforcing of a law that checks on girls born, and if dead under what circumstances.

Abortion regulations and laws are world over considered as a Women's Right to Choose. In our country its the other way around, keeping the child is considered as a Women's Right to choose. Millions of women every year lose their daughters because some archaic belief that we are a burden on them. Well they should be reminded that the Commander in Chief of the country and the Chairperson of the ruling party are both women.

Living Single

2011-08-10T08:57:00.002-05:00

I read a very universally true thought today. People are alike all over, irrespective of their origin, financial status, genetics, social standing. They all are looking for the same things. They all want to be loved, appreciated, be successful.

Hence they also perceive in a similar fashion. They still have preconceived notions about women who are single after a certain age. God forbid if the girl is half decent looking and has the resemblance of a brain. She is either labelled as "easy" "slut" "frigid" or even worse a lesbian. It is quite likely that the girl wants to be able to create a name and position for herself before she decides to commit herself to someone. The odds of her being in a serious relationship are very high. Has it ever occurred to people that she chose not to get married or commit to a relationship because she simply didn't want to.

Hence post that men of all ages and relationship status suddenly gain the right to flirt with them, assume the women are definitely available and there is a void in these women's lives that a man alone can fill. Men need to grow up. We do not need you, we manage fine without you. Trying to be sympathetic cos we are single is not going to gain you brownie points. It just iterates the fact that all men are lecherous, cheating bastards. They can flirt with not only to random strange girls on the internet but with their partner's friends.

The sad end to this truth is that even the naive or pretend naive partners and wives of these philandering creeps blame the other women. They are constantly threatened by the single women and their independent lives.

Rest assured ladies, we dont want a man in our lives and if we did, we are definitely not interested in yours

5 Myths about gujjus

2011-08-10T00:27:00.003-05:00

5 Myths about Gujaratis all over the world. Looks like we have become the next community to be stereotyped by the Indian TV shows and movies. Their portrayal of Gujaratis is very far from accurate.

Myth No 1: We are cheap and love to bargain

Gujaratis are one of the most warm and large hearted people that ever existed. We are very inclusive. Yes we do squeeze every cent of the nickel we spend, cos we simply understand the value of money. We would not hesitate to spend money on where it matters. We dont compromise on our standard of living or our health.

Myth No 2: We cook dhokla, thepla, dal dhokli every day.

No we dont cook that food everyday, we probably eat it once a week or in urban homes maybe on occasions. We love our food and we love all kinds of food. The chances of finding South Indian, Chinese, Punjabi or even Italian food is way higher than being made to eat dhokla or dal dhokli

Myth No 3: Our father is either a trader in the stock market or we own clothing stores

Guess what we stopped doing that about half a century ago. Yes quite likely he is a businessman of some sorts. It comes naturally to us, its probably part of our genetic code. But there are equally high chances that he could be a surgeon, a lawyer, a singer or an actor. The Gujarati theatre community is one of the most active and successful regional theatre groups in the whole country.

Myth No 4: We all know how to dance the Garba or play the Raas

We are not programmed to know and like the garba. We also have 2 left feet and probably cant do it if our life depended on it. Holding two sticks and hitting it with other two sticks is quite ludicrous for a lot of us, as it is to go round and round in a circle clapping your hands. We also find the idea of gyrating ourselves for ten nights in a row a little too much.

Myth no 5: We all have ancestral homes and hail from remote villages in Gujarat

Gujaratis were one of the first migrants from India, chances are you will find a Gujarati in several parts of East Africa. We imbibe and blend into the land we are living more easily than any other community. Its true we speak our language when we meet other Gujaratis but doesn't every other race or community do that. Would you have two Frenchmen talking to each other in English simply because they lived in America.

Quest

2010-02-11T02:33:00.003-05:00

A dear old friend of mine has been inspiring me to pen the thoughts that consume me.

When I read the writings that she pours her heart and soul, her deepest darkest fears, her happiest glorious joys. They provoke me to wonder what is it that our heart and mind seeks.

What is the journey that we sort out for. Is it love, is it glory, fame, success or just happiness.

Why is that we never reach our destination, and life continues to remain a journey. Is it because our definitions of love and glory, fame and success changes.

Again why does our definition of these loaded words change.

Love is the chemical imbalance that our brain experiences, induced by a couple of hormones.

Glory is the appreciation of others who have not seen the trials and tribulations that you underwent to attain that goal.

Fame is a hyperbole on glory, where we seek the happiness and appreciation from others more than the peace and serenity, the humility that one should experience when a goal is completed.

Where will this quest end and why do we embark on this journey. We were not told that this a journey you have to undertake has it been so hardwired in our DNA that we always have to be on a limb trying to get to somewhere/someone. What if we decide one day that we have reached our destination. This is all what i seek, desire. Would we cease to exist?

Every Other Time

2007-05-22T21:24:00.000-05:00

This is a song called Every Other Time..
it describes the relationship I have with my best friends..
You know who you are.. I love all of u..
n I wouldnt change a thing abt wat we have...

the girl in da song is me.... n i think i do this to all of you at most time..
i wonder why u guys love me in the 1st place...
but god knows u do.... n me just grateful cos u guys do..

I said lets talk about it
As she walked out on me and slammed the door
But I just laugh about it
'Cause she's always playin' those games
Deep down I know she loves me
But she's got a funny way of showin' me how she cares
Last night she did a doughnut on my lawn
And drove out with her finger in the air
Oh, yeah

Sometimes its black
Sometimes its white
Sometimes she's wrong
Sometimes I'm right
Sometimes we talk about it
Or we figure it out
But then she'll just change her mind
Sometimes she's hot
Sometimes I'm cold
Somtimes my head wants to explode
But when I think about it
I'm so in love with her
Every other time
Yeah, every other time

Sometimes we sit around
Just the two of us on the park bench
Sometimes we swim around
Like the dolphins in the ocean of our hearts
But then I think about the time
When we broke up before the prom
And you told everyone that I was gay, OK
Sometimes I walk around the town
For hours just to settle down
But I take you back and you kick me down
'Cause that's the way, uh-huh uh-huh, I like it

Sometimes its black
Sometimes its white
Sometimes she's wrong
Sometimes I'm right
Sometimes we talk about it
Or we figure it out
But then she'll just change her mind
Sometimes she's hot
Sometimes I'm cold
Somtimes my head wants to explode
But when I think about it
I'm so in love with her
Every other time
Yeah, every other time

Every other time

Keep it up homegirl
Don't you quit
You know
The way you scream is the ultimate
And when I
Walk away just watch the clock
I bet I
Don't even get around the block

I said let's talk about it
As she walked out on me and slammed the door
One day we'll laugh about it
'Cause we're always playin' those games

Every other time

Sometimes its black
Sometimes its white
Sometimes she's wrong
Sometimes I'm right
Sometimes we talk about it
Or we figure it out
But then she'll just change her mind
Sometimes she's hot
Sometimes I'm cold
Somtimes my head wants to explode
But when I think about it
I'm so in love with her
Every other time
Yeah, every other time

Keep it up homegirl
Don't you quit
You know
The way you scream is the ultimate
And when I
Walk away just watch the clock
I bet I
Don't even get around the block

Virtue-Humility

2007-04-23T22:04:00.000-05:00

A lot of stress is given in self help books and life in general about principles and the right ones to follow.... while an underrated quality is virtue.. virtues are no less important than principles. virtues are those morally thingies like honesty, patience, courage and my favorite humility.. among the family of virtues humility is one of the least emphasized....
humility shud not be mistaken with modesty cos they are closely related.. modesty is the virtue of thinking that what you have achieved is not the best.. but humility is believing in that you as an individual are not the best.. there are other far better n far superior to you. Humility should not be considered as a sign of subservience or cowardice.... Humility is not something that is achieved over night, you have to genuinely try to attain that level.. the more humble you become the more pious your heart and soul will tend to be.. Humility enables you to accept that you are wrong and since only human; capable of making mistakes. It empowers you with the strength of self motivation and self goal to achieve higher ambitions.
It is rather simple to belittle someone who according to you is not as capable as you in your fields of expertise.. but there is no human who is not inept at something.... The greatness of the person doesnt lie in demonstrating pride of their knowledge or skill, but in humbly assisting the other person to perform the task.
how many times have we said.. or we have been told..if u dont understand then dont ask, or if you dont know nething abt the subject dont bother me... if a person was aware of the situation or understood.. they wont bother to ask you.. their ignorance is not the flaw.. your pride and arrogance is the flaw.. so next time you insult some1 for being clueless... remember you too are not perfect....

Apologies

2007-03-13T23:15:00.000-05:00

I saw Lage raho munnabhai a few days back...Gandhiji suggests munna that he shud apologize to jhanvi. Munna also does it the same way by writing an apology letter.
That particular rendition of apology triggered my thoughts, about effective ways of apologies. The various ways that I could think of saying those three words. " I am sorry " ranged from singing
Please forgive me, going down on your knees and chant Please forgive me at an express rate. you could leave a store bought sorry card. You could try making it up by being useful and a sudden interest in their mundane activities.
All these are extremely effective and would work 9 out of 10 times. There is one more which will work 10 out of 10 times. That is too look at the person straight in the eye, with a feeling of deepest remorse which is heart felt and say I am sorry I let you down. Even the coldest person in the world couldn't say no to that.Yes you might get punished after that, forgiveness is not returned instantly but yes, the person would have definitely started to forgive you.

Dekhi Zamane ki yaari

2007-01-16T14:46:00.000-05:00

are dekhi zamaane ki yaari
bichhade sabhee, bichhade sabhi baari baari
kya le ke milen ab duniya se, aansu ke siva kuch paas nahi
ya phul hi phul the daaman men, ya kaanton ki bhi aas nahi
matalab ki duniya hai saari
bichhade sabhee, bichhade sabhi baari baari

vaqt hai maharabaan, aarazu hai javaan
fikr kal ki karen, itani fursat kahaan

daur ye chalata rahe rang uchhalata rahe
roop machalata rahe, jaam badalata rahe

raat bhar mahamaan hain bahaaren yahaan
raat gar dhal gayi phir ye khushiyaan kahaan
pal bhar ki khushiyaan hain saari
badhane lagi beqaraari badhane lagi beqaraari
are dekhi zamaane ki yaari
bichhade sabhee, bichhade sabhi baari baari

ud ja ud ja pyaase bhanvare, ras na milega kaaron mein
kaagaz ke phul jahaan khilate hain, baith na un gulazaaro mein
naadan tamanna reti men, ummid ki kashti kheti hai
ik haath se deti hai duniyaa, sau haathon se leti hai
ye khel hai kab se jaari
bichhade sabhee, bichhade sabhi baari baari

Statute of Limitations

2006-12-12T23:05:00.000-05:00

Our lives are ruled or governed by certain limitations and restrictions..You need a passport to travel abroad, u have to be 18 to get married, etc... so most things have a statute of limitations... But does failure have a statute of limitations.... I mean is there like a particular limit.. that Ok you have failed so much in so much time.. you are considered unfit to live please die...
No one should be allowed infinite amount of failing....The system up there has to have a restriction code... Why cant life be like an ATM machine where after 3 wrong trials your card is blocked... why don't we get messages saying wrong password and u r forced to log out of the system.
So that concludes that life gives you infinite chances of improving yourself.. making failures into successes...
Thus next time we fail dont lose hope cos we all have another chance..... N hey when we r at the death bed.... a couple of grades wont matter...

the devil wears prada

2006-12-08T10:23:00.000-05:00

I recently saw the movie "The Devil wears Prada".. Now the title is misleading..... cos no where in the movie they mention a Prada...
For the clueless. ... Prada is a Fashion House......
The two protagonists are ambitious women.. Now ambitious women... is a more polite word for b****... Thats what most people would say... I strongly disagree...now you are thinking why am I not surprised... Darcy disagrees with everything..
Ambitious women are path breaking women.. who have the courage to walk the unknown territory.. They have the will and the desire to achieve more than what is expected of them.. Those are qualities of champions and leaders.. Unfortunately in our bigoted and parochial take on things is that champions and leaders are fundamentally men... We as women didnt complain... when the world's greatest chefs, our designers, seamstresses.. are men.. We didnt bitch about how they took all our jobs.. We dont get jealous if a male colleague gets ahead of us...
Being ambitious is to follow your dreams and face your karma...
so cheers to all of us... who dare to follow our dreams...

My New Blog

2006-12-07T08:41:00.000-05:00

Okk.. people who regularly read my blog.. which i dont know how many are here..

But this is my new blog.. I had to shift loyalties cos i wanted a better blog service provider..

My blog is quite messed up.. cos i have transferred all my posts in reverse order.. so if u r browsing through...its just a lot messed.. and hopefully i should.. make it a little better.....

so cheers..
keep blogging

Orkut

2006-12-06T03:50:00.001-05:00

i did the most craziest thing today.. i deleted my orkut account.. yes i actually did that.. y on earth did i do something so ghastly.. lot of reasons..
i dont want complete strangers to know what is happening in my life..
i dont want ppl i kind of know to know what my closest friends know or feel abt me..
i do wish that conversations remain private
i do wish my cell phone no is private..
i dont want ppl i dont like know that i dont like them..
i do not want ppl i dont wanna be in touch wid know what is happening in my life..

well the argument is, its all in jest.. well its not.. we have become suckers for gossip that doesnt concern us.. i mean does it really matter if the geekiest guy back in high school is getting married.. does it concern ppl what relationship two people have between each other..
yeah u know me well u know me really well but u dont know all of me.. and i havent given u permission to know all of me.. so stop snooping around.

ps.. my account has been restored ( i cudnt live wid out it)

Me High Maintenance

2006-12-06T03:47:00.002-05:00

well i have been proclaimed high maintenance by a very dear friend.. y cos i told him so.. i am a self proclaimed high maintenance person. the only sad part is i dont go around telling ppl that.. if u know me well enough u wud realise that.. and when u do realise that and happen to tell me that in a paraphrased manner i wont deny it.. im high maintenance im not in self denial..

so how did i realise that.. its all thanks to harry met sally (original of hum tum and a much better version). sally (meg ryan doesnt know her status) but harry (billy crystal) tells her so.. i was pondering what's my status and i realised im high maintenance too..

i have an extremely strong sense of what is rt for me and what is wrong.. not necessarily falling in line wid normal social conduct

i judge ppl the minute i see, talk, hear abt them.. i have an opinion on everything under the sun and moon.. and im very vocal abt it..

i like certain things in certain fashion at certain time. im picky choosy abt all i know.. i dont trust ppl at all.. hey but im not all that bad.. im sure any1 who will ever read this (not that many do.. ) will think of me as some bitch but im not.... i know im the most caring and genuine friend in da world.. ull always get an honest opinon from me.. i cant help thinking myself as miranda from the sex and the city.. only a shit lot less cynical..

well if i have such strong views abt myself u can imagine my views on everything else.. well thats high maintenance take it or deal wid it.. u cant ignore it..

Fresher's Party

2006-12-06T03:47:00.001-05:00

well last friday i had my freshers party.. okk freshers to drexel.. i was shit scared to go.. well after i had made a complete idiot of myself.. i was expected to be.. not that hemang bhai and his friends helped much.. they so know how to juice an issue up.. and add a 1000% hyperbole to it..
well we reached there kind of in time.. i mean the crowd was sitting cos obvio the music sucked and no1 in their sane mind wud dance to that.. not till u r sober.. after u r drunk well u cud dance to funky town also..neways.. we were out to have a gud time nothing great.. not like oh my god i had the time of my life.. but ya we didnt want a dud..the music picked up n we got into the groove.. we (and by that i mean me, pat, tap, pranay,and gasper) were away from the rest of the crowd.. y?? wee we hang out together we dont bother by spending too much time in bonding wid others.. reasons.. we r diff.. surprisingly pranay dances really well and he and gasper were setting the pace.. tapan well he was doing his own weird dance.. pat was clicking snaps..one snap which i think is the cutest is where pranay lifts me up and im as tall as the guys.. it was so spontaneous.. i loved it.. we got dancing and were having one heck of a time.. i mean it was pure ecstasy.. we danced without a care in da world.. i mean it was balls to the world.. i love dancing and here i am.. i dont care if i dance like chandler or shakira.. it truly was party time.. we never thot we cud have so much fun in drexel....
the food was actually there.. i mean we all got our share of free pizza.. the liquor did flow..
then came wat i call the craziest thing i have done..
pranay and i partnered in the paper dance.. and we were out on a vengeance.. i mean I had to win.. no two ways abt it.. after the first 3 folds pranay piggy backed me.. i was like oh my godddddddddd
ya the exact janice way.. thank god pranay was a few beers down.. i know im small but hey i do weigh well over 90 pounds..and guess wat we won.. we won.. it was like the awesomest thing ever.. we rocked we were stars..
ya the next awesome thing that happened.. i met up wid two of my crazy school buddies.. i mean i hadnt seen them in 6 yrs..
and we were so happy to see each other..we kept laughing for ever and it felt we were back in school and they were creating drama..
so all and all the nite was over and we went back loads tired and high on life .. it was one heck of a nite.. and ya i did have the time of my life..

Friends

2006-12-06T03:46:00.001-05:00

there are all kinds of ppl u know.. u can classify most of them as friends.. but there are few who are friends who are more closer than friends..u have to say a few words.. and they complete the sentence.. do all friends remain friends.. wat if one of them or both of them are attracted to each other.. when is it good enough to risk a friendship.. for a relationship.. i say never.. friends shud never hook up.. u mess the karma up so much.. its not funny.. if ne1 who does read it.. will wonder if im talking from personal experience.. if i liked a friend or a friend liked me.. or we both liked each other..the ans is no..
but i have a girl friend who made that mistake.. and seeing the two of them suffer.. i know.. i wud never get involoved wid a friend....
do i have a friend who is a guy but is closer than a couple of my girlfriends.. oh yeah i do.. i am so glad i have a couple of close guy friends... cos u always get a man's perspective on an issue.. u cud talk shit in front of them.. and not worry if they wud bitch abt u.. u go out in jeans and a tee... n not have to bother to wear gloss, or make sure u looking all good.. cos they dont care..
but do all ppl understand that a guy and a girl cud be friends.. the answer is mainly no.. they dont.. they cant accept that it is ok for friends to say i love u, miss u or dude ur the best thing to happen to me.. without any form of attraction ... i know when my friends say i love u they do.. but love as in i cud call at 3 am and not have to explain y i called..
i wish we grew up and not jumped the bandwagon the next time we see a guy and girl hugging..

Settling

2006-12-06T03:45:00.001-05:00

I was watching sex and the city last nite.. and carrie talked abt settling down.. do we always just settle for something.. is it true.. did we settle for the school, college, vocation we are or were in.. is compromise a good thing..when is compromise a gud thing.. we always say change is gud.. are we just letting ourselves believe that u know what u cant do much abt it so lets just leave at that.. is that some sort of compromise too..
wat happens when we dont compromise.. wat is lost or gained.. do we feel good abt it..
A very dear friend is heartbroken recently and i was trying to calm her down.. i told her the guy was a prick and he didnt deserve her.. was that true.. was he all that bad.. or i was trying to make her believe to settle for what she had.. which in this case was nothing.. i was trying to replace the security, joy and happiness of a relationship by chocolates.. i dont know if she has been pacified or not.. and will she ever learn that all relationships have a lifetime and no matter how much u want it to last.. in the end u settle for the last one in the race..

The Hotel

2006-12-06T03:44:00.001-05:00

I found this piece of fiction .. im not sure if me breaking copyright laws.. but who cares..

The Hotel

“I’m telling you it was her man!”

“Boy, you must have been dreaming. How can it be her? She is thousands of miles away.”

“No, dude, I’m pretty sure it was her. I even followed her a little just to make sure. She is here. I’m willing to bet on that.”

We were on our way to a party neither of us wanted to go to when he dropped this bombshell. The thought that she was right here, in this city, made my heart race without my realizing it. It had been what, five years I think. We had said our goodbyes under difficult circumstances. I had never expected to hear from or about her again. But the world is small and in this era of connectedness any person from the past can pop up anywhere.

...

“So are you going to meet her?”

That question had been hanging in the air between us ever since he had said that she was here.

“I don’t know. Too much baggage still to be cleared on that front. So where did you see her?”

“At that hotel you guys used to frequent, you know.”

Yes, I knew the place. It was our adda so to speak. We were there practically everyday, so much so that the people working there knew us by our first names. In fact, we could get a room at a moments notice, a convenience which we often availed of frequently.

The street lights flashed by outside. The traffic lights blinked like owls. Traffic was sparse in this part of the town. It was a beautiful night. The wind flowing in through the window was cool on the skin. It was like drinking a glass of fresh water from a matka on a hot summer day.

The silence between us had stretched into a comfortable vacuum. Any thought was possible.

“Do you think she will look you up, you know, for old times sake?”

When lines converge life looks different. Ideas of fate take on an entirely different meaning. Yeah, that was indeed a million dollar question.

“I doubt it. If I know her she won’t. She is much stronger than me in that way.”

“What will you do if she called?”

“I’ll say hello.”

“Very funny. Seriously man, what will you do if she called up and said she wanted to meet you?”

How could I answer such a question? I suck at answering hypothetical questions. I can never understand people who are so sure about what they will do if such and such situation came to pass. Life is too random for one to be so confident about one’s reaction in my opinion.

Before I could answer we reached the place. Another hour or two of painfully polite smiles. People whose faces I’d never want to remember or see again. I hope the place had a nice balcony. Balconies are my favorite places at boring parties. Get a nice drink, sit with your legs up on the railing, your eyes communing with the stars and boredom can be thrown down from the balcony.

We entered, said our obligatory hellos to the host and went our separate ways. We had a prearranged meeting point to come to after a certain amount of time if we couldn’t take the party anymore.

I gravitated towards the bar without a second thought. There were cocktails too. Not bad. I picked up a couple of Caipirinha’s and started my search for a balcony. I passed many people but seeing that I was carrying two drinks they just smiled and allowed me to pass by. This was another trick I had picked up. Carry two drinks in your hand, look as if you are searching for someone and people will automatically assume that you have company and thereby leave you alone. The party was on the second floor so there must be one for sure. Ah, there it was, to the side, the door hidden by a palm tree of some kind. I opened the door and stepped out to a decently sized balcony which had an incredible view. The house was the last on a hill so the land dropped away below me and the lights of the city were laid out like jewels. It was an ocean of golden light. It was as if the sky had been inverted and the stars had been brought down from heaven to earth.

“Great view huh.”

I nearly dropped my drinks. I had been so caught up in the view that I hadn’t realized someone else was there. But more than that it was the voice. I could never forget that voice even if I wanted to in a million years. It was a voice that brought to mind the sound of a brook falling over smoothened pebbles. It was a sound filled with the freshness of spring and the romance of winter. It was her.

“When lines converge life looks different.”

She smiled that special smile of hers. A single ray of sunshine peeking into a darkened room. A wave of happiness rising in my heart. She knew how special that sentence was to me. I had made it up one time when we were lying in bed in each others arms, after a particularly wild afternoon of endless sex.

I wasn’t surprised to see her on the balcony though. We both had actually first met on one such balcony. We were both lovers of that special kind of solitude that such places offered in ample quantities. She hadn’t changed at all. It was as if no time had passed between then and now.

“What are you doing here?”

Of all the questions I could think of not asking that should have been the first on the list. She smiled impishly.

“I’m talking to you.”

I couldn’t help but smile back. I had irritated her innumerable number of times with that stupid response.

“You haven’t changed a bit, you know.”

“Well, neither have you.”

“It is so good to see you again. I missed your smile.”

“I can’t say I missed your inane remarks but I do miss hearing your warm voice.”

A comfortable silence flowered then in the space between us as we slipped into whorls of memory. The time when she held me tight and whispered, “Do not ever leave me.” Another time, on a cool summer morning, when she looked into my eyes so intensely and said, “You are very important to me.” The time when she hugged me from behind, under the barren trees, and kissed me on my neck gently. I smiled as I thought of the time when she fell off the bed in the middle of the night but still went on sleeping. There was another time when she fell sick and cried like a little baby in my arms. And there was this time when I slipped a snowball in her panty from behind and laughed so hard when she started dancing like a marionette to get rid of the snow.

“Do you still think of what-ifs?”

“No, that time is long past and you know it.”

“I don’t know. As you just said when lines converge life looks different.”

“You know, I don’t really want to go on this road again right now. I hope you understand?”

I didn’t reply. What could I say or do? I couldn’t force her to do what I wanted. Time had burnt so many bridges between us that we had very little common ground left. In the distance the city burned like a jewel. The myriad little light sources coming together to form one vast garland for the gods.

I went back in time. We had gone on a little hiking trip over a weekend. As we were walking on a small path meandering through a breathtakingly beautiful meadow, she suddenly turned back and hugged me without a word. The love I felt in those arms, with her warm soft body pressed against mine, I still remember to this day. Her words brought me back instantly.

“Do you still go to the Hotel?”

“No, but I heard you are staying there.”

“Your invisible sources again?” “Yes.”

She laughed her clear tinkling laugh again. But when she looked back at me she was serious, her eyes intense and hands all bunched up.

“I know this is out of the blue and perhaps foolish but I’d love it if you can come back to the Hotel with me now.”

And with those words my breath flowed easier again. Had she also felt it? She must have otherwise she wouldn’t have said those words. She had never been the impulsive kind.

I took her hand and walked back out. We did not even say our goodbyes. My friend had seen us going out and would understand. Outside, without a word she moved closer into me and leaned her head on my shoulder. A habit as familiar as the slap of the newspaper landing on my doorstep every morning.

I started the car and turned on the lights. As the gears shifted she leaned in and whispered into my ear. I smiled as I heard the familiar words again. The words shimmered and the memory of their sound remained in the air for a few moments. The past had finally caught up with the future. I drove off into the radiant night.

“When lines converge life begins to look different.”

Cheating

2006-12-06T03:43:00.001-05:00

I made the list yest.. the list well the list of ppl I cud cheat on my husband for.. like if I met that person after I was in a relationship….

Well the list is confidential.. but it brought the thought to my head.. that what qualifies as cheating..

Well sex does.. a kiss, or making out doesn’t.. y.. cos sex is full submission and going all the way is not acceptable.. at least to me..

Sharing emotional secrets and being emotionally dependent on the person other than ur partner does.. I mean part of being in a relationship is to connect emotionally.. and if u start doing it wid some1 else u might as well break up..

Cheating also is when u start lying abt an addiction u have got urself in2.. like if u start smoking, drinking excessively.. I mean that also is cheating..

So when ur partner confesses that he has cheated how do u react to that.. I mean there is no fixed formula to that.. no googleable answer to that.. do u forgive or u forget.. or u ask for revenge.. its pay back time….

What if u cheat while being in a relationship.. how wud u wish ur partner to react.. wud u ask for forgiveness.. wud u confess at all.. do u think u owe it to ur partner.. or its better to keep skeletons in the closet.. what if u want to get out of the relationship.. cos it doesn’t satisfy u on some level.. do u stick around.. or wud u just leave…..

If u leave cud u live wid urself widout feeling guilty..

Y am I getting all these thoughts.. I dunno.. I haven’t cheated.. cos for that u need to be in a relationship.. and im not in one.. I don’t have the time to invest in a relationship.. love can wait..

Article from the Triangle

2006-12-06T03:42:00.003-05:00

Okk the following link is an article in The Triangle.. (Drexel Student Newspaper)

I cud have not agreed wid it more.. so here it is

http://www.thetriangle.org/media/storage/paper689/news/2006/11/17/Entertainment/Incoherent.Ramblings.Of.A.Triangle.Staffer-2467367.shtml

Cheers

Torn

2006-12-06T03:42:00.001-05:00

Lyrics to Torn

A tribute to all broken hearted girls.. who looked for their prince charming and found ugly frogs.. (including me.. )

I thought I saw a man brought to life
He was warm
He came around
And he was dignified
He showed me what it was to cry

Well you couldn't be that man I adored
You don't seem to know
Or seem to care
What your heart is for
I don't know him anymore

There's nothin' where he used to lie
My conversation has run dry
That's what's going on
Nothings right
I'm torn

I'm all out of faith
This is how I feel
I'm cold and I am shamed
Lying naked on the floor
Illusion never changed
Into something real
I'm wide awake and I can see the perfect sky is torn
You're a little late
I'm already torn

So I guess the fortune tellers right
I should have seen just what was there and not some holy light
But you crawled beneath my veins
And now, I don't care
I have no luck
I don't miss it all that much
There's just so many things
That I can't touch
I'm torn

There's nothin' he used to lie
My inspiration has run dry
That's what's going on
Nothing's right
I'm torn
Chorus

50 things

2006-12-06T03:39:00.000-05:00

The list of what I want to do before I die not in any order of preference

Play the drums
Shoot a basket
Travel to Venice
Sweden
Goa
Kerala
Graduate from Grad School
Take a class at Stanford
Take a class at MIT
Take a class at Harvard
Take a class at Yale
Watch a Live Lakers game
Spend a week in Southern France
Knit a sweater
Make Moong ki Dal ka Halwa
Ask a guy out
Dance to the song Zara Zara
Do Salsa
Spend a whole week reading PG Wodehouse on an armchair
Go to Kashmir
Go to Vishakhaptnam
Gamble in Las Vegas
Listen to U2 Live
Buy a new BMW convertible
Buy my mom diamonds
Buy a ring from Tiffany's
Live in Manhattan
Live in San Fransisco
Own a Strawberry Farm
Be in two places at the same time
Have a star named after me
Have poetry written for me
Go to a club and have a song dedicated to me
Take vows, wear a wedding gown, walk down the aisle and say I Do
Have a wild night in Las Vegas
Learn how to bake a cake
Have a huge 3 tier cake at my wedding
Dance on my wedding day
Pay for my own wedding
Run a marathon
Watch an F1 race live
Go for a blind date
Manage to get all the songs sung by Geeta Bali
Learn all the compositions of shrimad Rajchandra
Remain a Vegeterian
write in a magazine
go see Timbucktoo
Go to Jhumri Telaiya
Go for a Cruise to Alaska
Always follow Paryushan

Third Wheel

2006-12-06T03:36:00.002-05:00

Third Wheel..

I am sure all of us.. at one time or another have been the third wheel. I mean you land up with two people who probably dont want you around. They could be subtle about it.. and not tell you.. directly... but eventually you do get it.

So what are we supposed to do in a situation like that.. confront them and tell them "ok im sick of being the third wheel".. Most of us have more pride than that..

The other thing you could do was get out of that situation... like bail.. but you know what its a domino effect.. if you are a 3rd wheel to one you are pretty much a 3rd wheel to every1 else too..

So the only people you are left to hang out wid are people you dont want to.. or u shudnt..

Well the smart guys who r reading this know what im talking about.. and y im talking about this.. for the unintiated..take a wild guess.. im pretty sure u will get it.. and im sure a lot of u guys who know me over the years know im that im not talking about one particular case

so as im stuck here in my misery of being the 3rd wheel.. and as my life tugs on.. u guys enjoy a happy thanksgiving..

Death

2006-12-06T03:36:00.001-05:00

Death the biggest D day in our life. well thats a paradox itself.. Death and life in the same line.. but this is one of the biggest paradoxes known to all living creatures.

Death can be a long stretched out, tortous and painful process for cancer patients who know that its six months or eight months more.. I mean every day is a day gone and a fraction of time closer to death. Very few can live life zealously like they showed Rajesh Khanna in Anand.. I mean most of them towards lose the will to live. and rather choose death.

Death can also be in a flash.. out in a microsec kind of thing.. wat happened to the ppl crashed in2 the wtc. One of my fairly good friend just survived what i call a near death experience. Its freaky enough to know that he wud have been gone in no time. N we wudnt have had chance to say our final goodbyes..
But wat shocks me more is the loss of control we have over our life.. I mean we can act all super human we want.. but the guy up there has all the cards.. he choses to deal the way he likes. He is the key holder.. So as much as we wish to fly and soar high in the end we dont decide when we r going to die.

Life life like each day is ur last..
Kya pata kal ho na ho..

Hypocrisy towards Hindi Movies

2006-12-06T03:34:00.000-05:00

I saw D2 yest.... (for the uninitated... Dhoom 2)... All my friends kept saying wat crap wat crap.. aisa kabhi hota hain kya.. yeh sab filmi cheez hindi movies main hi hota hain..

So here is to all Bollywood Haters and Hollywood Lovers

Our movies dont have weird characs that move around like giant octupuses.. (Dr O in Spidey 2)
An Elf is someone who is not more than 4 foot tall .. unlike Orlando Bloom (LOTR)
Speeding down a freeway and no cops catching you (Judgement Day)
People carrying masks of each other in pockets.. normal people have wallet, cards and kerchiefs.. Tom Cruise has masks of villans(Mission Impossible)
All random cars on the road dont require keys to open
Extra Terrestials come in Giant Saucers.. I mean y saucers.. y not a bowl or soup dish..
The houses in the mid west are all haunted...
People shown working in new york.. are always reporters for gossip columns..
We dont make movies about extinct creatures running amok..
Animals remain their normal size... Monkeys dont rock the Gateway of India
There are no characters that freeze the city..

Finally we dont make movies of an alternative universe.. where the prequels are made after the sequels.. where a brother finds a sister hot(Star Wars luke and leia)

Absence without Leave

2006-12-06T03:33:00.000-05:00

People come into your life without notice or permission.. most of them leave little or no impact.. But some of them just strike a chord.... Just as people come without permission they leave without permission.. most of the time we r ok with dat.. but couple of times we r not..
People who leave wid unfinished business are the ones you miss the most.. It could be people who we like or dislike..
So the point being... in the end we r hurt, deeply mortified for people just walking out of our lives.. without saying goodbye..Hey not all relationships have to be life long friendships.. but all relationships do require a closure..
The worst are the ones that come and go.. like its a walk in da park.. the truth is its not.. its life... not a waiting lounge... where you kill time and move on to your next or final destination.
.
So to avoid all the hurt.. you either put strict admission control into your life or simple no access at all.... Its better to be safe than sorry..

Dialogues

2006-12-06T03:32:00.000-05:00

Movie Dialogues I love......

English Movies

Pull up the mattresses
You say tomato I say tomato
Life was like a box of chocolates; you never know what you're gonna get
You talking to me..
Its pay back time
"You want answers?"
- "I want the truth!"
- "You can't handle the truth!
Ill make him an offer he cant refuse
May the force be with you
Show me the money
"Mrs. Robinson, you're trying to seduce me. Aren't you?
Houston we have a problem
It's a far, far better thing I do than I have ever done. It's a far, far better rest I go to than I have ever known
There are two kinds of women: high maintenance and low maintenance...."
- "Which one am I?"
- "You're the worst kind. You're high maintenance, but you think you're low maintenance.
Play it again Sam
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain.

Hindi Movies

Pyaar faisle se nahin kiya jaata bas ho jaata hain
aaj Pooja kal koi dooja
Duniya gol hain har paap ka double role hain
Chance pe dance
Holi kab hain, kab hain holi
Do dost ek pyaali mein chai peete hain..
bahut yaarana lagta hain
yeh kya kar raha hain dusri aankh bi jaati
beech mein amavas aa jaati hain
yeh aakash ka jaadu hain kabhi fail nahin hua
itna sanaata kyun hain bhai
kuch nahin
hamaari kahaani hogi zaroor
khusiyan tareekh nahin taqdeer laati hain
bahut na insaafi hain

Love Story

2006-12-06T03:30:00.000-05:00

It was a gloomy fall day in New York City. The cold air had finally swept into the region. Among the hustle bustle which is a characteristic of New York City stood a couple unpertubed by their surroundings. They were in a universe of their own. I had been observing them at a distance, sitting on one of those old wrought iron benches in Central Park.The girl was not a plain Jane but she wasnt a Jennifer Aniston. The boy was unusally tall for a person from South East Asia. They were engaged in a deep conversation. The striking thing about them was that they both were crying.

I couldnt but help to go over and ask what was wrong cos from wat I was seeing there were no two people who were more meant to be together.

The boy said that she was going back to Greece that day and he was leaving for Seoul the next day. They used to be in love and had a passionate relationship. They both worked in the same office . He was a quiet, concentious worker. He had fallen in love the second he laid her eyes on her. She was a cheerful friendly girl. Lee wooed her with all his heart and Helen after two months had agreed to go out on a date with him. The following five months are the ones which neither of them could forget.Those were the most cherished memories of their lives. But Helen had transformed Lee into a charmer, and someone totally out there. The quiet Korean had been replaced by a charming smooth talking American. Helen had invited trouble for herself or so she thought. Julia their co worker started to give Lee a lot of attention and Lee got enchanted by Julia's stunning looks and wild personality. He left dear Helen for gorgeous Julia.

Helen couldnt do much about it. She suffered patiently and saw in front of her own eyes, her soul mate slipping away from her. For the next twp years Helen and Lee didnt talk. Lee had moved on from Julia to many different women. That particular fall Lee's Visas was expiring and Helen had to go to Greece for a family wedding. Helen knew that it was her only chance of telling Lee that she still loved him. She had gathered the courage to ask him to meet her at their favorite place in New York City, Central Park.

So today she confessed her love to him and Lee had just realised that all this while he had his soul mate in front of him and he was chasing behind the wrong ones.

My eyes brimmed with tears when I heard their love story. I had to leave because I had to catch a train back to Philly.

I dont know what happened to them, but it made me wonder who among them was wrong. Helen for creating her Frankenstien or Lee for being ungrateful to his lover.