Its a world where the deaf and blind mock the mute. The problem here is that the mute person has no way of making the other person understand and even a normal person would require a Hellen Kellerish kind of dedication from the other side, which is obviously not coming or else the mute would have been left in peace. Its one where drug addict mocks the occasional smoker. No one is perfect, in this case, the occasional smoker would do well to quit smoking altogether even if the intention of the addict is to free up atleast a small amount of cigarette for himself! So the aim may not be that broad-minded, but it shows that we can take something good out of every bad thing and we should be broad minded as to accept advice and criticism, whatever may be the source.
The Hon'ble Supreme Court of India suggested that Government distribute the food grains for free instead of allowing it to rot, a soung "suggestion". It was later confirmed to be an order rather than a suggestion and the government acted accordingly for it was the right thing to do, but the Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh quite clearly stated that the judiciary should stay out of the domain of the Parliament. Advice accepted and everyone knows their right place and on a different note, I agree with the government on something finally. What this shows is that we should accept the right advice, right criticism and the truth irrespective of its credibility.
I am not calling the Supreme Court of India blind/deaf or the Prime Minister dumb, but simply narrating two similar stories. The saying that you cannot teach an old dog new tricks is used to refer to old schools of thought, but they are not being called dogs, but simply using a famous saying to make the message clear.
But what about the blind, deaf person- well leave it to fate for we are mute and need to overcome that handicap and better take care of that right away rather than engaging in a series of back and forth insults. Clean up your own home before you criticise the small speck of dust in your neighbours compound. Nations can also learn from this- rather going and establishing democracies and planning wars on nations which may acquire future threats (about which immediate neighbours even don't have problems), they should clean up their own yard- rising unemployment is not only the bane of the third world, but is also crippling the worlds strongest economy(??).
Edit on December 10,2010
Another striking aspect is that no one wants another person to do well inspite of saying well done or congratulations at our success. But one downward slide or perhaps a moment of indecision at the edge, they would gladly push you and watch you go down and down, laughing heartily. My current policy has been similar to what one Mr.Sherlock Holmes did at the Reichenbach. Pretend that you have fallen, hide somewhere where they can't find you so that they could take pleasure in your fall into the dark side and after sometime, just walk away and get on with life. Rather let them be happy at your fall than have a grudging, jealous badger.
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Friday, August 27, 2010
From the old
I had gone home for a couple of days, taking a break from PS and in the briefest of lightning stroke that my visit was, I put back into order the computer that I had used in my school days from 2002, which in its hay days was a matter of great pride and wonder to me. Now sitting with a laptop a fraction of the size of that desktop and more than 2 dozen computers whizzing away around me (office), that one comp with which I started my journey retains its proud position as the one that showed me encarta, FIFA, Deltaforce, various nuances of file formats and lots and lots of music.
With an extra half gig of RAM, he (I prefer to call desktops as he and Laptops as she) seems as mighty as ever and a further exploration into its drives showed me that all the old quiz files from my schooldays, songs and games remained there in suspended animation. In fact, the very first songs loaded into the comp while we bought it were still there along with the songs that I listened to while in school- Westlife, BSB, Eminem, Metallica, Linkin Park and U2. I still remember that I had kept a friend's U2 'How to dismantle an atomic bomb' CD for over 6 months inspite of his repeated demands it be returned. I just could not bring myself to give it up and then came BITS and DC where any song, movie, documentary and TV series was available within minutes.
Life could be classified as Pre-DC and Post-DC instead of Pre-BITS and Post-BITS (unlike most of my academically talented friends might suggest) because for me and for a lot of others too, DC was the greatest thing about our campus. Sorely tempted to write about it, but better keep it for some other time as I need to get back to my past! Literally shaking off layers of dust from the old desktop, I saw a time capsule preserving the life of a previous era. Old files on quiz, a few on BITSAT and old school projects were reminders of an era when the world I lived in was much small and the world outside seemed all shiny and far away, the access to which was limited to the information on Encarta and Britannica. I just wanted take a bit of it with me and so transferred all the songs into my hard-disc and listening to those songs all over again, it brings back memories of not specific events, but of what those days were like- preparing and reading up for quizzes, listening to famous speeches on encarta, how entrance came and ruined all the fun and then the abrupt departure to BITS.
It truly was a wonderful time with small dreams, a small world but a really sweet and happy world. Nothing lasts forever but it remains in that computer table in the corner of my room, ready to remind me what it was all about in the Pre-DC era.
With an extra half gig of RAM, he (I prefer to call desktops as he and Laptops as she) seems as mighty as ever and a further exploration into its drives showed me that all the old quiz files from my schooldays, songs and games remained there in suspended animation. In fact, the very first songs loaded into the comp while we bought it were still there along with the songs that I listened to while in school- Westlife, BSB, Eminem, Metallica, Linkin Park and U2. I still remember that I had kept a friend's U2 'How to dismantle an atomic bomb' CD for over 6 months inspite of his repeated demands it be returned. I just could not bring myself to give it up and then came BITS and DC where any song, movie, documentary and TV series was available within minutes.
Life could be classified as Pre-DC and Post-DC instead of Pre-BITS and Post-BITS (unlike most of my academically talented friends might suggest) because for me and for a lot of others too, DC was the greatest thing about our campus. Sorely tempted to write about it, but better keep it for some other time as I need to get back to my past! Literally shaking off layers of dust from the old desktop, I saw a time capsule preserving the life of a previous era. Old files on quiz, a few on BITSAT and old school projects were reminders of an era when the world I lived in was much small and the world outside seemed all shiny and far away, the access to which was limited to the information on Encarta and Britannica. I just wanted take a bit of it with me and so transferred all the songs into my hard-disc and listening to those songs all over again, it brings back memories of not specific events, but of what those days were like- preparing and reading up for quizzes, listening to famous speeches on encarta, how entrance came and ruined all the fun and then the abrupt departure to BITS.
It truly was a wonderful time with small dreams, a small world but a really sweet and happy world. Nothing lasts forever but it remains in that computer table in the corner of my room, ready to remind me what it was all about in the Pre-DC era.
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Carpe Diem
In the movie 'Guns of Navaroone', Commodore Jensen, the military officer who appoints the team with the unenviable task of doing away the Guns of Navarone says 'Slap in the middle of absolute insanity people pull out the most extraordinary resources: ingenuity, courage, self-sacrifice. Pity we can't meet the problems of peace in the same way, isn't it? It would be so much cheaper for everybody.'
At times of crisis, we do things beyond what we thought we were capable of, strength- both of mind and body- come to us and we get by and survive. I suppose that is the main thing-survival- we will do anything and everything to get by. But then there is another issue, the second part of the sentence, where peace and stability means we do not reach anywhere near our full capabilities. Is it that in times of crisis our attention is fully on the present and everything fades into insignificance and we live today like there is no tomorrow? It is a topic that I have come across and also posted on my blog (At War, They Live Life).
On war footing is another common phrase when disaster relief and rescue or a work is being done expeditiously. Does it mean that we do not want to achieve that same level of intensity on every occasion, or perhaps it is not required. But the fact remains, that statement is indicative of a lot of things wrong with us- complacency and lazyness- for we are happy with the present unless threatened with dire consequences. We achieve maximum efficiency on the eve of exams or when deadlines are near. It is a good thing in the above two situations but it can also mean that we will be blind to all things that happen gradually like global warming or slow inflation or gradual deterioration of our health until one day we reach the tipping point.
A lot has been said about living it today, but it has also been misinterpreted to mean just having a blast and totally freaking out, in which case you would be wise to remember that there is a tomorrow. What living everyday simply means is that we should make the best use of the time given to us and situation we are in. 'If', 'Carpe Diem' and a lot of other works speak about the same thing.
Let us make use of every second, make best use of our situation and become better individuals through the process.
Live everyday like there is tomorrow.
What better place than this to begin
What better time than now....
At times of crisis, we do things beyond what we thought we were capable of, strength- both of mind and body- come to us and we get by and survive. I suppose that is the main thing-survival- we will do anything and everything to get by. But then there is another issue, the second part of the sentence, where peace and stability means we do not reach anywhere near our full capabilities. Is it that in times of crisis our attention is fully on the present and everything fades into insignificance and we live today like there is no tomorrow? It is a topic that I have come across and also posted on my blog (At War, They Live Life).
On war footing is another common phrase when disaster relief and rescue or a work is being done expeditiously. Does it mean that we do not want to achieve that same level of intensity on every occasion, or perhaps it is not required. But the fact remains, that statement is indicative of a lot of things wrong with us- complacency and lazyness- for we are happy with the present unless threatened with dire consequences. We achieve maximum efficiency on the eve of exams or when deadlines are near. It is a good thing in the above two situations but it can also mean that we will be blind to all things that happen gradually like global warming or slow inflation or gradual deterioration of our health until one day we reach the tipping point.
A lot has been said about living it today, but it has also been misinterpreted to mean just having a blast and totally freaking out, in which case you would be wise to remember that there is a tomorrow. What living everyday simply means is that we should make the best use of the time given to us and situation we are in. 'If', 'Carpe Diem' and a lot of other works speak about the same thing.
Let us make use of every second, make best use of our situation and become better individuals through the process.
Live everyday like there is tomorrow.
What better place than this to begin
What better time than now....
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Duality benefits
BITS-Pilani is known for its academic flexibilities and the dual degree system where a student completes an MSc and an Engineering degree in 5 yrs is the most popular one. Being one such student, doing an MSc in Chemistry and BE in Electronics & Instrumentation, I have had the fortune of attending two farewells- twice the photos, wearing that coat two times in the hot sun and attending one decent farewell in the audi and one awful one (2k8 batch, take a bow- you screw up everything) and a second helping of CDCs and all that associated with it. Other benefits include not having to spend an entire semester totally consumed by boredom as we have the great opportunity of getting run over by engineering CDCs.
There are few a silver linings too- we got our batchmates as PAs in our labs (which has worked out quite well for a lot of us), easy advice on how to write exams (hasn't helped me though), quite a few treats as our friends got placed or got through to B-Schools and what more can be more pleasurable than just watching them having a blast while we wrestled with lab exams, online exams on weekends and assignments. Well, not exactly, we too joined in the fun with them since it as infectious (if not more) than the jaundice that struck us last sem.
We spend an extra semester in campus and become the grand-old people and I was fortunate enough to be in the same room for all these years. We have seen the institute change and the view from my room has changed drastically- from rocky and grass infested in first year to the constant literal ground-breaking that rocked our 2nd yr (coupled with the power crisis, they gave us quite a few good days) and now to a lush green football (which was shifted twice?) and cricket ground. As I write this, someone is delivering left arm off-spin as a live cricket match is on offer on most days of the week! There is one thing that has not changed, the view of Zuari bay and the town on the other side and the constant breeze that makes for an automatic 'door-slammer'.
People are packing, ready to leave and I saw this last semester too and I told myself- " Micro on the last day and you got one more sem here". Not this time though (although an equally hopeless exam awaits me on the last day), no more sems (hopefully??hint of any NC??) to come back as 4 years have gone by faster than the breeze that blows in from the Zuari bay. I cannot yet reminisce or feel nostalgic or feel sad for I got miles to go or rather 3 more exams to go. I guess I am glad to be a dualite since it simply does not give me the time to feel sad (having to fill options for 288 PS-2 stations did its part too) and I do not want to feel sad for it has been a glorious 4 years for me, not always, but on the whole, it was worth the journey. I may not be a good engineer, but the journey has changed me and made me wiser.
Thank you....
There are few a silver linings too- we got our batchmates as PAs in our labs (which has worked out quite well for a lot of us), easy advice on how to write exams (hasn't helped me though), quite a few treats as our friends got placed or got through to B-Schools and what more can be more pleasurable than just watching them having a blast while we wrestled with lab exams, online exams on weekends and assignments. Well, not exactly, we too joined in the fun with them since it as infectious (if not more) than the jaundice that struck us last sem.
We spend an extra semester in campus and become the grand-old people and I was fortunate enough to be in the same room for all these years. We have seen the institute change and the view from my room has changed drastically- from rocky and grass infested in first year to the constant literal ground-breaking that rocked our 2nd yr (coupled with the power crisis, they gave us quite a few good days) and now to a lush green football (which was shifted twice?) and cricket ground. As I write this, someone is delivering left arm off-spin as a live cricket match is on offer on most days of the week! There is one thing that has not changed, the view of Zuari bay and the town on the other side and the constant breeze that makes for an automatic 'door-slammer'.
People are packing, ready to leave and I saw this last semester too and I told myself- " Micro on the last day and you got one more sem here". Not this time though (although an equally hopeless exam awaits me on the last day), no more sems (hopefully??hint of any NC??) to come back as 4 years have gone by faster than the breeze that blows in from the Zuari bay. I cannot yet reminisce or feel nostalgic or feel sad for I got miles to go or rather 3 more exams to go. I guess I am glad to be a dualite since it simply does not give me the time to feel sad (having to fill options for 288 PS-2 stations did its part too) and I do not want to feel sad for it has been a glorious 4 years for me, not always, but on the whole, it was worth the journey. I may not be a good engineer, but the journey has changed me and made me wiser.
Thank you....
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Proud to Plagiarise
I have a dream, a dream that one day my country will be ruled by a government for the people, by the people and of the people, not by a government for the rich, by the rich and of the rich. I have a dream that one day, this country will be able to balance the developmental aspirations of the rich as well as the livelihood necessities of the poor. I have a dream that a time will come when the rich help the poor overcome their condition and we will see a nation where there is no gap between the rich and poor.
I have a dream that this nation will appreciate an honest person's work and not just throw him out because of a small taint, but I also hope that they will not let men with completely tainted records lead this nation into darkness. I dream of a day when access to education is not restricted by money or caste, but is provided to those who deserve it.
I dream of a day when our country is green, clean and beautiful and everyone wants to maintian this beauty for future generations and not sacrifice it for the greed of a few.
I know that it is too much to ask for, I know it is Utopia that I am dreaming about, but we must dream for we must aim for the stars only then can we reach atleast the moon. I proudly plagiarise from Martin Luther King, for his dreams did become reality and I too hope against hope that the dream becomes reality.
I have a dream that this nation will appreciate an honest person's work and not just throw him out because of a small taint, but I also hope that they will not let men with completely tainted records lead this nation into darkness. I dream of a day when access to education is not restricted by money or caste, but is provided to those who deserve it.
I dream of a day when our country is green, clean and beautiful and everyone wants to maintian this beauty for future generations and not sacrifice it for the greed of a few.
I know that it is too much to ask for, I know it is Utopia that I am dreaming about, but we must dream for we must aim for the stars only then can we reach atleast the moon. I proudly plagiarise from Martin Luther King, for his dreams did become reality and I too hope against hope that the dream becomes reality.
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
The Story has only begun
One of my best friends told me about how another friend of ours had got placed in Microsoft and how she was the only one who got placed there from her college. It was not a surprise for me since she is the only person that I know who joined a good engineering college to actually become an engineer whereas for the rest of us, becoming an engineer was just an insignificant epilogue. We were told that once you get in, THAT IS IT and at 16, you believe what you are told by your parents, who actually had no clue about what they were saying and who were taught this by friends and the initial sources were coaching centres that had to grab the school toppers regardless of the interests of these students
A popular bollywood movie had the phrase 'kahaani abhhi baaki hai mere dost', meaning 'the story is still not over' (roughly!), but in engineering life, the story only begins once you are in college and then there are higher studies options to think about and then careers in core or software or a transition to management or something else entirely.
I do not know what is right or wrong, to have joined BITS has been an unbelievable experience for me since it widened my horizon, I met some of the most talented people ever, some of the most smartest, sharpest minds and learned to live in a mixed environment which had people from all over the country. It taught me to learn and learn and learn all the time, even from the most insignificant of matters, from everyday incidents about dealing with people, taking pressure, meeting deadlines (to be more honest- how to submit an assignment- copy, borrow or just plain old bluffing) and countless other things. But engineering wise, I really doubt whether I have done justice to myself and to this institute. Time will tell, but it is most likely to ring me up and say 'Yo dude, m2l2. ggwp hua mkl' or something like that.
Got an exam tomorrow, going to be run over by a freight train at full speed. So, ciao people.
PS- this is my personal experience and that of many who studied with me in my hometown and what many of my friends had told me. Your experience could be different and if it is, you are really fortunate and hats off to you for having done what you wanted to do.
A popular bollywood movie had the phrase 'kahaani abhhi baaki hai mere dost', meaning 'the story is still not over' (roughly!), but in engineering life, the story only begins once you are in college and then there are higher studies options to think about and then careers in core or software or a transition to management or something else entirely.
I do not know what is right or wrong, to have joined BITS has been an unbelievable experience for me since it widened my horizon, I met some of the most talented people ever, some of the most smartest, sharpest minds and learned to live in a mixed environment which had people from all over the country. It taught me to learn and learn and learn all the time, even from the most insignificant of matters, from everyday incidents about dealing with people, taking pressure, meeting deadlines (to be more honest- how to submit an assignment- copy, borrow or just plain old bluffing) and countless other things. But engineering wise, I really doubt whether I have done justice to myself and to this institute. Time will tell, but it is most likely to ring me up and say 'Yo dude, m2l2. ggwp hua mkl' or something like that.
Got an exam tomorrow, going to be run over by a freight train at full speed. So, ciao people.
PS- this is my personal experience and that of many who studied with me in my hometown and what many of my friends had told me. Your experience could be different and if it is, you are really fortunate and hats off to you for having done what you wanted to do.
Monday, February 15, 2010
At War, they live life
Recently I read the books 'Fools Rush In', an autobiographical account by Bill Carter about his trip into wartorn Sarajevo and 'The Zahir' by Paulo Coelho. There was a common factor in both of them, it explained how people in the middle of war were living their life to the full and how they were not worried about trivial matters of existence but concentrated fully on the present. This was the central theme of the first novel and formed an important part of a revelation in the latter novel.
'Fools Rush In' explained how people who have survived a day in the frontline enjoyed a well earned break by drinking and singing and also about a fashion show that was organised in the city of Sarajevo right in the middle of war (the song 'Miss Sarajevo' by U2 is based on Bill Carter's book).
I suppose having survived certain death, humans become more aware of being alive since they have realised, whatever it is that we do to keep this body breathing, it will stop one day. Yesterday was a hellish experience which they were able to see through and are thankful for having one more day to live and tomorrow, they might not be this lucky. This makes today the only certainty, the only thing that is visible and within their reach. Hence, they make the best use of today.
They are not burdened by the mundane aspets of daily life, saving for a rainy day, paying for rent, getting a degree or looking after the family for all of this is too far in the future to even cross their minds. The only constant and certainty is not even today, but this nanosecond for in the next a missile or bullet or shrapnel could take away everything. We are weighed down by our actions in the past, we have things to do in the present, we have dreams and aspirations of the future hanging over us and always, always miles to go. We are all prisoners of our past, expectations about the future and helplessness in our present.
We sacrifice our present in the hopes of a better future, we carry our past with us- its weight pulling us down. I do not know what is right- to live forgetting our past, uncaring about the future and living a free present or to lead a cautious, planned life. But one thing is for certain, not all of us can be totally free, for if that happened, the world will not run. Not all of us are free of commitments and we will never be free of our past for it determines our present.
There is a practical way out perhaps- we can stop worrying about results and what will happen in the future but just give it our best. We can learn from our past and leave the experiences behind just as pointers and to remind us of our mistakes and
low points so that we do not repeat them especially because how much ever we want to change the past, we really cannot do anything about the time that has gone by. I guess this is what 'Bhagavad Gita' tells us, it is our duty to perform our actions and it is not for us to worry about the results and also says that whatever has happened has happened for the good.
'Fools Rush In' explained how people who have survived a day in the frontline enjoyed a well earned break by drinking and singing and also about a fashion show that was organised in the city of Sarajevo right in the middle of war (the song 'Miss Sarajevo' by U2 is based on Bill Carter's book).
I suppose having survived certain death, humans become more aware of being alive since they have realised, whatever it is that we do to keep this body breathing, it will stop one day. Yesterday was a hellish experience which they were able to see through and are thankful for having one more day to live and tomorrow, they might not be this lucky. This makes today the only certainty, the only thing that is visible and within their reach. Hence, they make the best use of today.
They are not burdened by the mundane aspets of daily life, saving for a rainy day, paying for rent, getting a degree or looking after the family for all of this is too far in the future to even cross their minds. The only constant and certainty is not even today, but this nanosecond for in the next a missile or bullet or shrapnel could take away everything. We are weighed down by our actions in the past, we have things to do in the present, we have dreams and aspirations of the future hanging over us and always, always miles to go. We are all prisoners of our past, expectations about the future and helplessness in our present.
We sacrifice our present in the hopes of a better future, we carry our past with us- its weight pulling us down. I do not know what is right- to live forgetting our past, uncaring about the future and living a free present or to lead a cautious, planned life. But one thing is for certain, not all of us can be totally free, for if that happened, the world will not run. Not all of us are free of commitments and we will never be free of our past for it determines our present.
There is a practical way out perhaps- we can stop worrying about results and what will happen in the future but just give it our best. We can learn from our past and leave the experiences behind just as pointers and to remind us of our mistakes and
low points so that we do not repeat them especially because how much ever we want to change the past, we really cannot do anything about the time that has gone by. I guess this is what 'Bhagavad Gita' tells us, it is our duty to perform our actions and it is not for us to worry about the results and also says that whatever has happened has happened for the good.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Freedom
What is freedom? The ability to do as we wish? If so, we have only moments of temporary freedom, like a leash tied around a dogs neck. As long as the rope is free of tension, we are free- free to do what we wish like in that small little circle. Once that rope is tight, there is nothing to do about it but submit and find solace in our momentary freedom. This freedom is most definitely not an illusion, it exists and is true, but it is has a range. It cannot extend beyond that and when this freedom ends, we are frustrated.
Whatever we do, we are all tied down. Tied down by our past, tied down by the expectations of others about our future and by our helplessness in our present. When we are young, we fulfil our parent's wishes, we go to a school then a college and get a degree- all this decided by our parents or our economic condition. We then enter into a job, start a family and we need to support the family and sustain the family. When are we ever free in this world? Only when we are unconscious, before have begun to walk and talk- it might seem a contradiction since babies cannot move and cannot express themselves. But their smile must tell you they are happy.
We are tied down by commitments to family and work, we have social obligations, favours to do since they have done favours for us a- quid pro quo. Deadlines must be met, assignments must be completed, exams to be written and we forget ever asking ourselves what we are doing to ourselves, this world and what the hell we are doing with our lives. When we ask that question, it is an uncomfortable feeling for it is not in the answer that discomfort lies, but we ask why we have not asked ourselves this question before and the answer to the question is still elusive. We are living a life that has been either advised to us, told to us and ignorantly and complacently accepted or forced down upon us.
Is there any freedom in this? We are all prisoners of our past, expectations about the future and helplessness in our present. Can we leave this world behind us and move into another realm? Can we escape this life and go into the uncertain? It would require immense courage and perhaps most importantly recklessness beyond compare and even bordering on the insane.
Whatever we do, we are all tied down. Tied down by our past, tied down by the expectations of others about our future and by our helplessness in our present. When we are young, we fulfil our parent's wishes, we go to a school then a college and get a degree- all this decided by our parents or our economic condition. We then enter into a job, start a family and we need to support the family and sustain the family. When are we ever free in this world? Only when we are unconscious, before have begun to walk and talk- it might seem a contradiction since babies cannot move and cannot express themselves. But their smile must tell you they are happy.
We are tied down by commitments to family and work, we have social obligations, favours to do since they have done favours for us a- quid pro quo. Deadlines must be met, assignments must be completed, exams to be written and we forget ever asking ourselves what we are doing to ourselves, this world and what the hell we are doing with our lives. When we ask that question, it is an uncomfortable feeling for it is not in the answer that discomfort lies, but we ask why we have not asked ourselves this question before and the answer to the question is still elusive. We are living a life that has been either advised to us, told to us and ignorantly and complacently accepted or forced down upon us.
Is there any freedom in this? We are all prisoners of our past, expectations about the future and helplessness in our present. Can we leave this world behind us and move into another realm? Can we escape this life and go into the uncertain? It would require immense courage and perhaps most importantly recklessness beyond compare and even bordering on the insane.
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Paris je t'aime
I just could not resist. My right hand is paining after a long trivia battle, my eyes are puffy and sleep beckons, my stomach rumbles on and my mind is not working properly either. It is a quarter past two of the thirtieth day in the month named after the Roman god of the Gates, the year 2010.
I saw the movie 'Paris je t'aime', meaning 'Paris, I Love You'. I had heard about the movie somewhere along the long walks that I take through the corridors of wikipedia or it might have been during one of those channel surfing marathons as I sat alone at home with just the TV for company during my tryst with entrance exams(the movie was released in 2006 May).
I used one of the clips for the 'Travel & Tourism' Quiz for 'Waves Winter-09', my college's Cul-fest. I did not expect it to be answered, but it was worth asking. Interestingly, it was answered by 'the guy who sat in the audience and was shouting the answers' during his first quiz in BITS in 2008. Kudos Mr.LDC cordi, nice work. Needless to say, his team won the quiz.
Enough blabbering, on with it. Or perhaps, in keeping with the spirit of the movie which has 18 short stories, taking place in different parts of Paris, I was just sharing my own stories. Now, to the matter at hand- the movie is about love, how Paris is the city of love. A lonely person finds love, a blind man finds love, a vampire finds love. It is about rediscovering love and life in Paris. 18 beautiful stories, each one some of the most impressive stories I have ever seen.
Each of them with a twist, a heart-wrenching tale of loss, couples reigniting the spark in the marriage and the most beautiful one is directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Do watch it, for it will make you fall in love and believe in love and fall in with the 'City of Love'. I wish I could go to Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower, the streets and the cafes and of-course the museums. It's a dream, a wish, a love that will never go away.
I saw the movie 'Paris je t'aime', meaning 'Paris, I Love You'. I had heard about the movie somewhere along the long walks that I take through the corridors of wikipedia or it might have been during one of those channel surfing marathons as I sat alone at home with just the TV for company during my tryst with entrance exams(the movie was released in 2006 May).
I used one of the clips for the 'Travel & Tourism' Quiz for 'Waves Winter-09', my college's Cul-fest. I did not expect it to be answered, but it was worth asking. Interestingly, it was answered by 'the guy who sat in the audience and was shouting the answers' during his first quiz in BITS in 2008. Kudos Mr.LDC cordi, nice work. Needless to say, his team won the quiz.
Enough blabbering, on with it. Or perhaps, in keeping with the spirit of the movie which has 18 short stories, taking place in different parts of Paris, I was just sharing my own stories. Now, to the matter at hand- the movie is about love, how Paris is the city of love. A lonely person finds love, a blind man finds love, a vampire finds love. It is about rediscovering love and life in Paris. 18 beautiful stories, each one some of the most impressive stories I have ever seen.
Each of them with a twist, a heart-wrenching tale of loss, couples reigniting the spark in the marriage and the most beautiful one is directed by Alfonso Cuaron. Do watch it, for it will make you fall in love and believe in love and fall in with the 'City of Love'. I wish I could go to Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysees, Eiffel Tower, the streets and the cafes and of-course the museums. It's a dream, a wish, a love that will never go away.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Obama - Hope, nothing else
If anyone said actions speak louder than words, I present before you Barack Obama, President of the United States! Nearly a year into his presidency, all he has got to show a is a disaster of a "note" in the Coppenhagen summit, a health care reform bill that still has a long way to go before becoming a law, a declaration that Gitmo will closed down and troops will withdraw gradually from Iraq and Afghanistan. All words and no action along with a Nobel Peace prize makes someone a Barack Obama.
Oh, wait- he did something, increased the number of troops in Afghanistan and then collected the Nobel Peace Prize and then made a ragtag note on how to "rescue" our planet, all in the span of 2 weeks. Bravo Mr.President, but I think you owe more to you predecessor than to anyone else (that includes his teleprompter). We have seen how low and how bad a US President can and the distant glimmer of HOPE mesmerised the US population, but I guess they had no choice (Joe Biden does not count as a choice).
But what went wrong the Nobel Committee? Did not know that Swedes were so stupid- they had forgot about Mahatma Gandhi half a dozen times. Maybe they wanted to make amends, give someone the prize even before he can really do something so that they wont make themselves look stupid as was the case with Gandhiji.
He spoke the truth in his Nobel acceptance speech as he said "Still, we are at war, and I am responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land". This was an excuse for escalating US troop presence in Afganistan and accepting the Nobel prize in the same week. Jonathan Freedland hit the nail on the head when he commented "Obama is not saviour of the world. He’s still a U.S. president. He must represent the contradictory interests of a country still way behind on climate change", in the context of a disastrous COP-15 summit.
His report card for the first year in office can be best described as 'empty promises, yet we HOPE'. He has been a complete failure in making the failed banks in the US, the ones responsible the worldwide economic downturn, accountable. The billions of dollars that the American taxpayers shelled out in rescuing these banks are used to provide bonuses to the same executives whose risk-taking policies put the entire world in this misery. The recent decision to charge a grand total of USD 117bn on banks worth more than USD 50bn that were rescued in the Troubled Assets Relief Programmes was accompanied by a stern statement 'My commitment is to recover every single dime the American people are owed.My determination to achieve this goal
is only heightened when I see reports of massive profits and obscene bonuses at the very firms who owe their continued existence to the American people'. The banks will go back to rewarding the same strategies that destroyed the entire world's financial structure and will pay a fine of 117bn spread over 10 years, shared by 50 or so banks. 250 million USD a year, petty cash for banks with assets of more than 50bn. But the way said made it seem like a whole lot more.
"every element of our national capacity, our diplomacy, and development assistance, the power of our military and most importantly, the compassion of our country". "To the people of Haiti, we say clearly and with conviction, you will not be forsaken, you will not be forgotten" - Classic textbook styl speech-making. I say, give me a break man. Say something earnestly, don't just sit down with your speech writer and the 'Handbook on Public Speaking' and make a speech!
I hope Mr.President gets down to business after a year in office- he better for the world is not yet out of economic gloom. There are tonnes of other problems, Carbon Dioxide being one of them, Iran and North Korean issue where he can probably get something done because it just is about talking to each other, Iraq and Afghan conflicts where a solid decision on troop reduction including a precise timetable must be drawn and the closing down of Guantanamo Bay. I hope you succeed Mr.President because you managed to convince those who did not think much of the Father of my Nation. I hope you can convince the US people about the perils of Climate change, but it is just a hope, something that made you President.
Oh, wait- he did something, increased the number of troops in Afghanistan and then collected the Nobel Peace Prize and then made a ragtag note on how to "rescue" our planet, all in the span of 2 weeks. Bravo Mr.President, but I think you owe more to you predecessor than to anyone else (that includes his teleprompter). We have seen how low and how bad a US President can and the distant glimmer of HOPE mesmerised the US population, but I guess they had no choice (Joe Biden does not count as a choice).
But what went wrong the Nobel Committee? Did not know that Swedes were so stupid- they had forgot about Mahatma Gandhi half a dozen times. Maybe they wanted to make amends, give someone the prize even before he can really do something so that they wont make themselves look stupid as was the case with Gandhiji.
He spoke the truth in his Nobel acceptance speech as he said "Still, we are at war, and I am responsible for the deployment of thousands of young Americans to battle in a distant land". This was an excuse for escalating US troop presence in Afganistan and accepting the Nobel prize in the same week. Jonathan Freedland hit the nail on the head when he commented "Obama is not saviour of the world. He’s still a U.S. president. He must represent the contradictory interests of a country still way behind on climate change", in the context of a disastrous COP-15 summit.
His report card for the first year in office can be best described as 'empty promises, yet we HOPE'. He has been a complete failure in making the failed banks in the US, the ones responsible the worldwide economic downturn, accountable. The billions of dollars that the American taxpayers shelled out in rescuing these banks are used to provide bonuses to the same executives whose risk-taking policies put the entire world in this misery. The recent decision to charge a grand total of USD 117bn on banks worth more than USD 50bn that were rescued in the Troubled Assets Relief Programmes was accompanied by a stern statement 'My commitment is to recover every single dime the American people are owed.My determination to achieve this goal
is only heightened when I see reports of massive profits and obscene bonuses at the very firms who owe their continued existence to the American people'. The banks will go back to rewarding the same strategies that destroyed the entire world's financial structure and will pay a fine of 117bn spread over 10 years, shared by 50 or so banks. 250 million USD a year, petty cash for banks with assets of more than 50bn. But the way said made it seem like a whole lot more.
"every element of our national capacity, our diplomacy, and development assistance, the power of our military and most importantly, the compassion of our country". "To the people of Haiti, we say clearly and with conviction, you will not be forsaken, you will not be forgotten" - Classic textbook styl speech-making. I say, give me a break man. Say something earnestly, don't just sit down with your speech writer and the 'Handbook on Public Speaking' and make a speech!
I hope Mr.President gets down to business after a year in office- he better for the world is not yet out of economic gloom. There are tonnes of other problems, Carbon Dioxide being one of them, Iran and North Korean issue where he can probably get something done because it just is about talking to each other, Iraq and Afghan conflicts where a solid decision on troop reduction including a precise timetable must be drawn and the closing down of Guantanamo Bay. I hope you succeed Mr.President because you managed to convince those who did not think much of the Father of my Nation. I hope you can convince the US people about the perils of Climate change, but it is just a hope, something that made you President.
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