Home

A friend of mine recently said something interesting. He told me that the concept of home was quite unclear and ambiguous to him. His statement set me thinking. What is home? Is it just simply the roof under which you live? If so, then for me, I should have two homes. I live in a hostel as well as presently during the holidays in what I always considered home. But then again, home should be something concrete. Right?

They say home is where the heart is. Is it that simple after all? My friends in college don't like it when someone refers to our hostel as home. If I was to say to one of them - "Hey, lets go back home and pick up the book", I'd be quickly reminded that home was back in India. Why the hostility towards residences outside the proverbial home? Aren't you living by your own rules out here? Isn't it a relief that no one tells you what to do? It's your own personal kingdom. Freedom is found in abundance. And yet the apprehension.

It's a personal thing I guess. Many find comfort in different places they go to. For them, home is a fellow traveler. I'm a rooted individual myself. Wherever I go, home will always be my city, my house, my room. Home is my own low, amazingly sleep inducing bed. Home is the trolley next to the fridge, with myriad edible things for me to increase my waistline. Home is the basketball ring to which I still have to attach a net. Home is where my best friends "hang out" for more time than they do in their own homes. Home is the posters on my wall. Home is my family. Home is where I will always belong, someplace I'll know better than I know myself.

"What is more agreeable than one's home?" - Marcus Tullius Cicero

What's In A Name?

Shakespeare evidently never experienced the irritation of being called Sheikh Speer or such. I am intrigued by this particular folly of his. Seldom have people got my name right. It took an effort back home to explain how my name is pronounced. Here in Singapore, I've given up. Say name cannot lah! I've heard anik, ban, gupta, datta, aniba and even honey bun for crying out loud! I guess I am destined to have an unpronounceable name. But it's fine. Really. I quite enjoy being called Bun, Bread and the occasional non bakery item such as Bongo. But what I dont enjoy is seeing my beloved city undergo a name change due to a politically fueled movement for freedom from "cultural enslavement".

As the world sadly knows by now, Bangalore is no more. It has rebranded itself, taking the local name for “city of cooked beans”. Now many might have a problem with the recognition issue, and say 'How can you change the name of the I.T. Capital of India?' But that's not what the main problem is. Yeah sure Bangalore, oh sorry, Bengalooru Mahanagara Palike will have to end up spending about 50 crores due to the name change, but the government sees this as an "investment". I'm not angry because no one will come to Bengalooru. In the end the name probably will catch on. I have good friends here from Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata too. The printing industry is having a field day because of the new business. Good for them. Knock yourselves out. What I am disappointed about though is the motive behind the change.

For crying out loud, Bangalore has enough authenticity by itself. We have some of the country's greatest writers such as Girish Karnad and U.R. Ananthamurthy who write in Kannada as well as English. We have a thriving culture with Kannadiga organisations always conducting cultural programs and what not. We have more signboards in Kannada than in English. We feel it natural to converse with the local auto rickshaw guy in Kannada. We hardly talk to the shopkeepers in English or even Hindi for that matter. For any true Bangalorean, its culture is a part of our being. To even have to stoop as low as to create a need for culture, is appalling. We know all this, and yet the government claims a victory for authenticity and culture.

I'm not trying to dish out anti-establishment rubbish, but the actions speak for themselves. Over the past few years, radio stations, discotheques and even restaurants have been banned due to activist sensationalism and 'cultural freedom'. Sin thy name is English! The government recently went a step further when Basavaraj Horatti, the education minister threatened to ban more than 2,000 private schools that taught in English, not Kannada. Hell, call the city 'Ban' Galore if at all you want to change it's name!

So what is the fight about anyways? British Imperialism? I sense a wave of Kannadiga Imperialism coming on if you ask me! The British did not change our culture by changing the "authentic" name of our city. Are we really going to blame them for a mispronunciation? I think it was a completely uncalled for change, which does no good, but creates unnecessary friction and possible damage as well. I left Bangalore in July and will be going back to Bengalooru in December. That's not even amusing.

You don't change anything by calling anirban honey bun. I'm still the same person with the same virtues and defects. I love my city just the way it is. Sure we have buildings and road names reminiscent of British rule, but for every Richmond Road, we have a Sampige Road. And for every Daly Memorial Hall, We have a Ravindra Kalakshetra. Thats why I ask the government - Yaake neevu sumne hesaru change madtaidare? To me the city will always be Bangalore. Oh sorry Mr. Cultural whistle blower, I meant Namma Bengalooru.

Public Speaking

Main lights off. Spotlight on you.
Audience waits with bated breath.
After the forever wait comes the opportunity
Brilliant speech will cause certain death.

Wit and humour. You have plenty.
Set cue cards down on the stand.
Before the first word, it happens.
Stranger in a strange land.

Bedroom orater succumbs
To the most common of fears
Hush now, don't try to cry
No one will wipe the tears.

Why did it happen?
Is there no justice my brothers?
Oh grow up stupid child
A victim like the others.

Seems a myth doesn't it
Why so much hype then?
Because it's natural
Lions crawling back to the den.

Take it in your stride
Get over it if you can.
Public or private
Fear is your fan.

Audience is not the only cause
That, too well we know.
Even with the closest ones
Sometimes our feelings don't show

Whichever way you wish to succumb
Learn to come out on top.
Go forward in reverse
Jump, Skip and Hop.

Lost In Translation

They say that there is no time like the present for postponing what you ought to be doing. 4 months, 6 days and 23 hours is a long time. In terms of a blogging break, it really is. Reasons could be given, but what purpose would it serve? So here goes - another attempt at effectively capturing my life on cyberspace.

Indonesia left south east asia in a haze.
North Korea left the world in a daze.
I finally got out of the maze.
Or was it just another phaze?

Singapore does a few things to you. It shows you the trick of survival in a varied culture. It teaches you too look below the glossy exterior and identify the dirt within. It exposes your weaknesses faster than a torture chamber would. It gives you the best opportunities in the world, but snatches it away the moment you loosen up. And of course, it reduces grammar requirements drastically. You don't need to give an elaborate explanation to ask one for something. All you have to ask is 'can?'. Mostly, cannot. It's worth the try.

Home is being missed terribly. I miss my family, my friends and my food (Ma.. I'm hungry!). I miss my city. I miss M.G. Road. I miss NPS. I miss 5 hour-long phone conversations. I miss long walks through Defence Colony. I miss Bangalore. But I aint gonna complain. Life is good here. Plus, my ticket for december is booked. So I'm happy!

New friends have been made. New places have been seen. New types of food have been eaten. Old habits though, have remained. College is great fun. I love SMU. Not just because every place in it is covered by posters screaming the same thing! I love it because it is everything I expected it to be. And sometimes its gone way beyond. The technology in this place could make NASA raise an eyebrow. Or maybe two. And of course, who can ignore hostel life? It's something I'd recommend highly. Nowhere else will dinner be at 6 in the morning, and nowhere else will you meet a football player from Ghana, and a Thai monk who debates.

I have mastered the art of getting up at 8:20 for an 8:30 class, and still making it in time. I'm impressed! Quizzing is being missed sorely. It's place has been taken for now, by debating. British Parliamentary at that. It's great fun. Before I move on, any P.O.I.'s at this point? I kill myself!

Motion picture type soundtrack has begun playing in the background. The sirens are going off. The show has begun. And I'm on my way. Come on, lah. Slow down cannot. Have a great time? Can. Wah lau eh!

Lost in translation.

The Cup Of Life

So, the greatest sporting spectacle of our times has arrived! It's time for the world's best football players to come out all guns blazing and Joga Bonita! I personally, have never been a big football fan. But yes, the world cup makes football fans out of all of us! So here I am, blogging on what everyone seems to be obsessed with right now! And what a start it has been to the world cup. Three goals in the first 16 minutes!! Neat stuff! This Miroslav Klose dude really seems to come to the party at the world cups! And who can forget Beckham's trademark free kick today! I think I might be officially baptised into the world of football by the time the world cup comes to a close!

As I read in a local daily today, according to a survey conducted, about 90% of the Indian youth chose football over cricket! And we thought cricket was a religion here! What is it that draws the attention of fans worldwide? I mean look around.. Every shop at every mall is going overboard with the merchandise! I walked into Garuda today, and woah! Normally, the cookie monsters would be the first to capture your attention with that surprisingly awful smell (How is that possible though? The cookies taste awesome!) . But today, I was greeted by some salespeople dressed in the Brazilian jersey (cheap imitation of it.. well, nonetheless). And the best part was, they were trying to sell laptops! Connection please???

Ah well, no point trying to comprehend this mass frenzy among the hoi polloi! I've decided to just sit back and enjoy the world cup. Only drawback is that I've lost all monopoly over the remote control at home. Try reasoning with the tag team of grandfather and father that the French Open finals is equally important! So, the way things are shaping up, Federer and Nadal will have to take a back seat tomorrow! And to add to the hopelessness of the situation, Sehwag just hit a hundred at a rate rarely seen in ODI's even. Tennis is the worst game to be passionate about right now! Ronaldinho and Rooney will be familiar faces on the TV for the next month or so. And did I forget to mention that my kid brother's obsession with Kenan and Kel is not helping!!

Coming back to the world cup, like I said, I'm gonna just give in and experience life in an eight inch diameter! I'll even pick favorites! I'm backing Brazil or England to win this. Though Ivory Coast seems like a funky team! Would be nice to see them do well! So there you have it.. The passions are shifting, albeit temporarily! If anyone has seen the Nike "Soccer versus Ninja's" ad, maybe that will explain it.. Here's how it starts. The coach shows the players the picture of a football which has been taken by the Ninja's, and the following is the dialogue that follows -

Coach - "We need this back."

Players - "It's just a ball."

Coach - "No! It's rounder."

Is IIT IT?

8:00 am on a tuesday morning. Approximately 3 lakh people logged on to the internet to check their fate. A number, or a rank would possibly decide their future, and disturbingly for some, their existence. The IITJEE 2006 results were being annnounced. Once they were out, it was a moment of sheer ecstacy for some, and a heart breaking one for many others. Sadly, many people who did not make it, took their lives because they couldn't accept their failure. Looking at both sides of the coin, I thought to myself whether all the effort was really worth it. I mean , forget the physical and mental stress for a moment. What about the emotional drain? Was IIT really worth all this?

Flashback to 2 years. All of us began our long journey towards the IIT summit. Tom and Jerry were replaced by Resnick and Halliday. Through the past two years, many of us dropped out of this journey for many reasons. Some though, stayed on, and studied hard, and I mean really hard. All their focus was on April 9, 2006 when they would write the IIT exam. There were many barriers in their path, but they overcame each one of them with determination, if not with ease. So, as the days turned into weeks, which turned into months, books as thick as pillows were finished off with mind-numbing pace. Sleep was not an option for some. I remember secretly hoping that all of them would somehow make it, after all the toil.

My question was answered on the 31st of May 2006, when the results were announced. Many of my friends made it, and even more did not. What I remember the most from that day was the supreme joy I felt on hearing that my best friend had got a phenomenal all India rank of 153. I mean, if I myself could be so happy, I can't imagine how happy he must be. And this was when I realised that it was all worth it. You might sacrifice a year of your childhood to get into IIT, but once you make it, there's no bigger joy. Just knowing that you are among the smartest people in the country, and that you are studying at the best college in your country and arguably the world, that must be one hell of a feeling.

So if IIT is your aim, and you indeed make it, all the effort becomes worth it. The intellectual and career benefits of being an IITian speak for themselves. Even if you do not make it, just knowing that you had the resolve to make the journey should leave you feeling proud of yourself. For that matter, I guess that whenever we are fixed on an aim, want it bad enough, and decide to work towards it, the outcome becomes a small part of the entire process. In the words of a wise man -

"Don't worry about the destination. Enjoy the journey."

Timestamps On The Day Gone By

7.30 am - Get up. Get ready

9.15 am - Leave home headed for a Quiz.

9.30 am - 30 minutes minimum to kill before the Quiz. The quiz is being conducted by the KQA. A friend called up in the morning and asked me to come. The mailer, as I read later, said "Please report at the venue latest by 9.30 am. Late entries will not be entertained." To those familiar with the KQA, the irony of the above statement need not be iterated. Nevertheless, I land up promptly at 9.25 outside the venue, happy to have kept up my record of never having been late for a quiz. (Wish I applied the same interest to other areas of my life *Sigh*). I find no signs of a living soul anywhere in my immediate proximity. Why am I not surprised? So I decide to take a little walk and return a little later to hopefully find fellow beings there.

9.35 am - I choose Brunton Road to bear the brunt of my mass in motion. (Brunton.. brunt.. aah I crack myself up). For those uninitiated souls who have never been here, Brunton Road is tucked away off MG Road. Whilst on my little walk, I rediscover the beauty of this place. The houses and the serenity just take your breath away. This inspired to me to decide that I will henceforth spend more time devoted to discovering and appreciating the joys of Bangalore. I hope this endeavor of mine actually leaves the drawing room!

9.55 am - I decide to get back, cause just maybe, human life form representing the KQA may have decided to show up. I am not failed this time, as people arrive, I register myself, and 10 minutes later, the quiz begins.

1.30 pm - The quiz is done, and the results are out. I had taken part in the general category and got the highest among college students present there. Woot! But no prize for moi. Only the overall winner, whose paper I ironically ended up correcting, walked away with his wallet substantially heavier. But yeah, we KQA types don't quiz for the money, though the occasional iPod's have been accepted with glee!

1.45 pm - Happy with my little achievement, I decide to go down to the Barista on MG Road, grab some lunch, and read a book.

2.30 pm - Still eating, still reading.

3.30 pm - Still reading.

4.30 pm - I decide to get back home.

4.45 pm - I get down near home, and realise that the auto meter was rigged. But due to limited fluency in Kannada, my anger is restricted to hurling of profanities in English. Auto driver doesn't understand a word, but is highly amused by me. I finally give in, and pay him what he doesn't deserve.

11.45 pm - Teleport 7 hours since last timestamp. I decide to blog, inspired by a comment by my friend that my blog entries must have all been typed under the influence! I think this entry will confirm his suspicions!

11.50 pm - My day comes to an end. A night ahead, full of endless possibilities beckons!

11.51 pm - Time(stamps) up.

Going Away To College!

Just thought I should share the reason for my present state of extreme joy! SMU sent me my Letter of Admission yesterday!! Finally. So here I stand, with smile on face, and college acceptance in place :) Now begins the countdown... for what? For the dreaded board exam marks to come out. From one hurdle to another. I tell you, we students lead a cursed life! Man, I fear the outcome of the chemistry paper. It was BAD. But hopefully overall I will get an "acceptable" average atleast! Still, nothing's gonna change one fact - I'm going to college!!!! *performs unmentionable dance move and ceases to type*

The Wait

It is quarter past 3 in the morning, and I am staring at my computer screen so intently that all the colours seem to merge effortlessly into one. After many minutes of intense battle between my eyes, my brain, and the screen, my brain surrenders, and I slowly delve into a state which may be likened to sleep. This is not a first. This has been the case almost every night for the past few days. "Sleep is for the weak" someone once said. Well, if not sleeping makes you strong, I'm closing in on Schwarzenegger! Now, you may be wondering what possesses me to combat the will of the human body. Well, the singular reason for the above iterated nocturnal pattern is "The Wait".

I am waiting for something. Something which I thought would arrive much earlier. It hasn't arrived yet, and my life hangs in the balance. What I am waiting for may not be relevant , but it sure has made me re-evaluate my entire mental character. I have realised that waiting for something I really want is not my cup of tea. I'll have it as soon as possible, thank you very much. And express delivery will be duly rewarded! Which led me to blogging my thoughts on this whole issue of waiting. I was waiting to make another entry into my blog, and I thought to myself, why wait?

I could try and sound pseudo-philosophical and state the oft stated claim, that all of us are waiting for something in our lives, and that this wait continues for all our life. But I think I'll choose a slightly more ground level approach to this topic and share my two cents worth on this topic. So then, why is it that many of us crack under the pressure of a wait, while the rest of us simply do not let it get to us? And also, does a wait make the end result sweeter or just plain sour? You know what, I don't think I really know the answer myself! I hope I do get to know soon enough. I can't wait!

So on that unbelieveably pointless note, I shall sign off, by quoting the great Mark Twain. I think his words summarise what I had started off trying to iterate. Anyways, over to Mr. Twain -

"All good things arrive unto them that wait - and don't die in the meantime."

The Song Remains The Same

"Without music, life would be a mistake.... I would only believe in a God who knew how to dance" - Friedrich Nietzsche

How many times have we been fearlessly rescued from the throes of depression by the correct song playing at the correct time? How many times have we rejoiced on a happy occasion by blasting on full volume, our favorite "happy song"? How many times have we spent hours on end listening to the same song over and over again, till we became comfortably numb?

The true magnitude of the power of music cannot be expressed in mere adjectives. Now you may be wondering why this blob of cytoplasm with no semblance of a brain is suddenly stating the obvious. Well, its only because I wanted to write about something, and decided to write on the thing that is closest to my heart.

It's interesting to note the transition we normally make in terms of music. We start of with those happy pop tunes which appeal when we are kids. Michael Jackson would be the cynosure of all ears! Then we get into the "no pop please.. we're too cool for that" phase, where we find peace in Lars Ulrich giving a royal trashing to his drums. Maybe because inside, as we become angry confused beings, the heavier the music becomes, the lighter the soul becomes. Or something like that. Then, as we mature a little more, we drift to music which holds more meaning in terms of lyrical quality and melody. Finally, we end up with a range of music which varies from M.S. Subbulakshmi to Madonna to Marilyn Manson to Mark Knopfler.

Of course, all views published above are solely of the author (moi) , and may not hold resemblance to any other person's musical journey. But the importance music holds to each one of us, albeit in different magnitudes, is undeniable. So no critiques of my musical choice shall be entertained, and no critique of other's choices shall be offered. The tranquility you find in Boyzone is the same tranquility I may find in Bodom. (Metal totally rocks dude!!)

So as I come to the end of this little synopsis of mine, I hear INXS in the background, telling me how pretty Vegas really is.. Oh wait.. now suddenly Tom Petty is explaining to me why he wants one last dance with Mary Jane. We must remember to never lose our passion for music, and must also understand that whatever tune life makes us dance to, the song remains the same.


Exit light

Enter night

Take my hand

Off to never never land

Life Is Passing Me By

Just went and finished off with CET Physics and Chem. It was much better than Maths!!

Hmmm. Now I'm feeling a little flat. I don't really have much to do. Have to start studying for Comed, but yeah, there's a tiny little problem. I don't really wanna!! Hopefully SMU's admission letter comes through in the next week or two. Then I can show Comed my finger! Oh btw, the fool is back in town. Yes, Vivek Iyer has now permanently shifted his residence from Pune to B'lore. Now we poor, unsuspecting B'loreans have to face him!!

So like the title of my post says, life is passing me by. I have nothing much to look forward to as of now. And btw nandini, stop writing such amazing pieces on your blog. It makes mine look just bad!! And also, publicize my blog a little!!

p.s. - Out of goodwill, nandini's blog may be viewed through the link I have created. (Now you definitely have to publicize my blog!!)

Quite An Exciting Few Days!

Well, in the past two days I have:

1. Banged a car, thus causing total damages of Rs 1.5 lakh to my car, as well as the other car!

2. Finished off with my interview with SMU. It went off pretty well, and unless chink's have a vile sense of humour, I really hope to get in.

3. Flunked CET Maths big time.

So anyways, going to write CET Physics and Chem now.. man why do I even try?

Fun Please Stop!

In case you were wondering about the subject of this post, let me explain.

There was a time when books and studies and grades held utmost importance to me. That was long ago. Then, there was a radical transition, the cause of which has not yet been accurately determined. (Extensive research continues.. There is hope!). Since this transition took place, neither me, nor many of my friends have studied at all. (Not all my friends mind you! There are the IIT boys who have not seen sunlight for many months)

We became experts at wasting time, and of course, having fun. Bangalore bears the scars still! All the while that we partied, we forgot about our impending futures. So now, I feel that the fun must come to an end, and we must get down to studying, so we can save some face (though I am highly doubtful whether any of us had much of a face to begin with). Today should be the last outing till Sunday atleast, which would translate to about 5 days of study! Man, the way things are shaping up, I don't have any hope in life! (Only comforting fact is that none of us really do)


p.s. - Based on prior experience, the author of this post has a strong feeling that this resolve to study shall be broken in approximately 2 hours. He is not to be judged, or criticised for this belief.

The Return Of The King

Greetings.

It is highly likely that not many have ever visited this waste of cyberspace. I hope they begin to soon enough! Or maybe not. Well, for those who cared to notice, been almost a year since I blogged. I have a very good reason for that. Loss of perspective on life, garnished with a lavish sprinkling of laziness. Lots of things have happened since my last post. Too many to list. But yeah, I would like to mention the major one - After all that preparation and anticipation, I WON THE TCS IT QUIZ!!! And to add to my supreme joy, me won an iPod for myself! Happy happy joy joy!

So anyways, this is my present itenary for the holidays -

1. Wake up (and smell the coffee!)
2. Study (or something like it)
3. Sleep
4. Gym (Yes, the fat is disappearing!)
5. Blog/Chat/Surf
6. Sleep

Sounds interesting right? Right.

Anyways, will try and post atleast once a week.