Life... And All It's Funny Twists

Transition

2010-02-12T00:19:00.002+05:30

Thank you for taking the time to check my blog. I'm currently working on changing the style and content of my writing, while updating the layout of this blog. The new web page will be available in a few months.

Freestylin' With A Grammy Artist

2010-02-06T18:57:00.010+05:30

I was cleaning out my desk and found some old articles written for a lifestyle magazine a few years ago. The printed words brought back associated memories of encounters with people of fame, their words and my impression of them...

A good interviewer must be prepared. It takes research to ask good questions. I wanted to do better than good questions. As a fledgling writer, my interviewing skills were not fine-tuned. I resorted to getting personal with my interviewee.

My companion for the afternoon was a Grammy-Award winning American rapper, CEO of a record label and a man who claimed to have revolutionized the art of producing mix-tapes. Hakeem Seriki, aka Chamillionaire.

The first thing that struck me about the man was the diamond-encrusted teeth as he posed for the camera. We sat down in a quiet corner of a club late in the afternoon, as the VH1 crew worked hard below us, setting up for the concert that was to follow later that evening. I clicked 'Record' on GarageBand on my Mac and we got to work.
"Are you sure that thing's recording?"
I was offended that he didn't trust my technology skills. "It's recording, I assured him."

Like old friends catching up after a long period of absence, we exchanged pleasantries before our conversation took a personal turn. He told me a story of the life of a rapper. A regular guy who got crossed by his friend and his record label. An artist whose fame spread by selling mix tapes out of the trunk of his pickup truck.

Most of what followed was not published in my article. It was almost too sacred to expose this hardened rapper-stereotype as a soft human with an incredible work ethic. Dubbed the Mixtape Messiah, he hadn't uttered a single profanity on his current album at the time. He was devoted to his art. "You don't understand," he said, smiling through his diamond teeth, "I'd come home at night and eat cereal because we had no other food in the house. I was determined to make money and get my ma out of this hole."

As our time together drew to an end, I asked him what he thought of India. "Wait, you're a rapper, sing me a ditty." He turned to his posse, a couple of heavy-set men in dark shades. "What's a ditty?" He asked them.
"I don't know, what's a ditty?" came back the response.

I doubt I knew the meaning of the word myself. They figured out my request to wax lyrical. He played with words for two minutes and then sang to me. Can you call rapping, singing?

We laughed when he finished. Then he regained his composure and put on the facade of a gangster, you know, the kind that raps about thugs, cops, violence and sexy women.

Life is Risky Business

2010-01-29T02:43:00.006+05:30

All courses of action are risky, so prudence is not in avoiding danger (it's impossible), but calculating risk and acting decisively. Make mistakes of ambition and not mistakes of sloth. Develop the strength to do bold things, not the strength to suffer.

Niccolo Machiavelli, The Prince.

Modern Colloquialism

2010-01-29T02:32:00.006+05:30

The phrase, 'catching up,' has turned into an integral closing line for casual banter between casual friends. It implies being left behind. You are literally playing, "catch. up." How did we go from having a few good friends to having many... friends?

We're in a culture where our social circle is judged by a misleading number on the left column of our facebook page. I've been rigid in accepting friend requests and yet, there are people on my friend list who are almost strangers. X has Y number of friends. Does he really?

What is our obsession in trying to keep up with as many people as will fit into our phone directories? It sounds harmless, really. But, chances are, the reason for wanting to meet a friend is not simply for, "catching up."

Let me present to you that it has more to do with keeping oneself busy with an active social life. To present oneself with opportunities. There's usually a deeper longing behind the innocent statement stated. Fill up time, perhaps? Potential romantic interest? Guilt for not keeping in touch with an old friend? Or, just a plain old excuse to avoid meeting them? "Let's catch up sometime," is a much easier way of saying, "Right now, I have other priorities." I'm taking responsibility for putting friendships on the back burner with that statement. It would be preferable for me to say, "Hey, I'd like to meet you for (stated purpose)."

It's good to let people know why you want some of their time and then let them choose if they want to give it to you.

Work Outs For Vain Glory?

2010-01-29T02:30:00.004+05:30

The gym is one of my favourite places to observe human behaviour. The regular clientele, those who visit with religious regularity, are always willing to share their ongoing fitness struggles. Those who achieve their goals and go beyond, learn that over time, you have to appreciate the principles of delayed gratification and hard work.

They schedule their work-outs, their diet and are sensible with their lifestyle choices. Additionally, their lives appear more balanced. The happier ones play sport outdoors, swim at the beach or go hiking. The successful ones talk to fitness coaches, research online and read books to find new ways to challenge their mind and their body.

It really is about lifestyle. You can't lose or gain weight just by observing strict rules at a gym and watching what you eat. There's an attitude of patience, persistent work and eagerness to learn behind the winning ways of people with high fitness levels (and low body fat.) The human body is built to endure. It needs to be challenged, nourished, pushed to the limit and then rested. There is no easy way out.

As to methods there may be a million and then some, but principles are few.
The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods.
The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Stop! You Had Me At... The Hollywood "Jolt!"

2010-01-29T01:48:00.008+05:30

No romantic comedy is complete without it. One of the lead actors, usually towards the end of a movie, will pull out the 'jolt.' It's when, after a brief rosy period of romance, the fairytale falls apart. Usually through a misunderstanding, cold feet, a past mistake or error in judgment by one of the lead actors. A period of time has to pass before (usually), the man steps up and takes responsibility. Either to apologize or call the woman out on her selfish, closed-off behaviour.
For instance:

Will Smith in Hitch, talking through a shut door, trying to convince Eva Mendez to give him another chance.
Tom Cruise in Jerry Maguire. You know the story. And the famous line.
The Notebook. In the boat and right after.
Breakfast At Tiffany's - George Sheppard's speech in the rain, followed by the frantic search for 'cat.'

The list is exhaustive, but you get the drift. After watching a few rom-coms, you pretty much get the gist of how any other movie in the same category is going to pan out. It doesn't take a genius to figure out the twists. Even if the twists are unexpected, like the surprise in, "Up In The Air."

Work To Live, Not Live To Work

2010-01-26T08:17:00.003+05:30

Karoshi - a Japanese term which means 'death from overwork.'

Technology was meant to liberate us from the drudgery of work, to allow more time for leisure. Instead, it's become an addiction. There has been incredible growth in global economies, ushered in via the connectivity and speed of technological advances. But, it hasn't created more time. Have we chosen money over time? Stuff over leisure? Busyness over enjoyment?

I like to think of life as a constantly changing sum of different seasons. Seasons of hard toil, rest, leisure, saving, spending (on the right things), accumulating and giving away. In an almost ecclesiastical exclamation, I note that there is a time for everything. Which is why this past month has been pure bliss. Not having to study or work creates opportunities for lots of random adventures and Sydney's one of the best places to find yourself lost.

And I am finally cured of my tech-addiction. The new Ipad's out and I haven't even bothered to check out the video. That's a big step for me. My email and facebook get a look once or twice a week and my phone gets a peek a few times a day. Social isolation? Far from it. I've managed to keep in touch with friends, have fun and do all the things I normally would. The bonus is being able to read two books in two weeks, explore a few new suburbs in Sydney and plenty of time for soaking in the beautiful sunshine and enjoying the stunning sunsets in my part of town.

One of the greater pleasures of life, I find, is to sit on a couch with a cup of tea and a block of dark chocolate, watching the sun's fluid descent, while musing over the simplicity of life.

Assumption of Cool

2010-01-22T02:44:00.009+05:30

For the past few months, I've been waking up really early for my daily workout. The 4am start has slowly become habit. A home-brewed espresso shot, juice and muesli gets me going. At a steady pace, it takes 30 minutes to get to the gym, through parks and pretty streets. Preparation for this daily routine is vital.

Ipod-check. Keys-check. Decked out in workout gear, with a dance tune in my head, I'm set to hit the concrete roads. I turn the lights out and walk smack into a wall! My knee made first contact with the corner as my palm slapped the side of the wall with a big bang, to stop my body from crashing into it.

A few shaky steps later, I was out in the pleasant chill of a beautiful dawn. The pain of a bruised ego and knocked-up knee melts away in my false pretense of cool. My feet settle into a gentle, rythmic two-step dance. The wind carrying me away from my bewildered flat mates, who were likely shocked out of their sleep.

Sometimes, I wonder... am I a hazard to myself?

Slip-Stream Life

2010-01-04T15:04:00.004+05:30

I'm exploring the possibilities of living a life that's natural. An individual using his gifts, what he's naturally good at, rather than getting a job just to pay the bills. Soren Kierkegaard understood this when he stated, "At each man's birth there comes into being an eternal vocation for him, expressly for him. To be true to himself in relation to this eternal vocation is the highest thing a man can practice."

William Wordsworth once said, "The child is father of the man." All we need to do is look back at what inspired our childhood, the thing that held our imagination captive.

As a child, I was fascinated by cars. I pulled apart all my toy cars, reconfiguring the remote controlled ones to work manually (reverse engineering, which I though was cool!) It got so bad that my cousins would hide their cars when I went over to play. The mechanics aroused my curiosity and I did some silly things in my quest to understand how cars worked. Like trying to drive my dad's car when I was nine.

Cars still fascinate me. Top Gear is one of my favourite shows. Jeremy Clarkson inspires me to one day have my own show. Maybe if I lived out my slip-stream dreams, I might actually do that. Although, it would probably be about lifestyle... and some cars.

The Romantic Games We (Shouldn't) Play

2010-01-04T05:56:00.005+05:30

A friend recently gave me a copy of 'Why Men Like Bitches,' and asked for my opinion. The title of the book can be misleading. The basic premise is that nice girls get looked over by the boys. The definitions of 'nice' and 'bitchy' are slightly sketchy, although the ideas suggested really work in creating attraction. The book contains a list of 'nice' behavioural patterns in women that repel men. The author suggests a seemingly selfish attitude in women that looks out for number one. It apparently is attractive to men.

I laughed.

Not because it was hilariously funny or silly, but because most guys read similar books written for men. A popular dating coach for men famously quoted, "Attraction isn't a choice," expounding that it is possible for any man to attract women, with the right behavioural changes. Similarly, the above mentioned book says the same for women looking to attract men.

I agree, 'attraction isn't a choice,' but love is. Love cannot be learned or earned through strategies, but through practice. You have to... just love. So, let me debunk all the methodologies, even though they work for a short while and instead point to a way that is way tougher and yet, lot simpler. Be unselfish, generous and patient, have an interesting life, exercise, look your best and live with integrity. And always smell good.

Stuck on my wall is a hand-written note which says, 'a man (or woman), should offer stability while not being boring. Exciting without being chaotic. A man should be respected for his accomplishments, admired for his poise and liked for his warmth, kindness and generosity. It all comes down to developing a good personality mix that can flourish in a variety of environments.'

A Reasonable Man

2010-01-03T05:29:00.002+05:30

Theories intrigue me. Theories backed up by scientific data are even better:

The frontal lobe in the human brain is the emotional control centre, responsible for our personality. It is fully developed in a man around the age of 25.

It could be the reason why men act like idiots in their early twenties, not able to hold down relationships and unable to make sound judgment calls on life decisions. In some cases, the control of mental faculties is not exercised, resulting in stupid decisions into the thirties.
Frontal lobe development is delayed in men, resulting in impulsive and irrational actions, combined with emotional decision making. This is not an excuse for why men make mistakes, but women would be better off understanding the biological wiring of a man.

I read about it a few years ago, in disbelief. Now, I am convinced that there will always be disparities between men and women in their expectations of each other because of differences in the development of their brain. That word is a pariah in the world of relationships - 'expectations.'

This Addictive Tune Haunts My Days

2010-01-03T05:11:00.000+05:30

Blood - The Middle East (a band from Townsville, Australia)
Reminds me of you, James. Maybe because it sounds a lot like Bon Iver...

Making Random An Art

2010-01-02T03:44:00.007+05:30

Early this morning, during sets at the squat machine in the gym, I looked up and found myself staring at an old friend. The last time I saw him was seven years ago, at the gym in the University of Melbourne. He looked the same, minus his trademark dread locks.
I found out that he's married now and has a son. He is in Sydney for two days for a product launch through work. Right, I remembered his interest in promotions and marketing from my Economics electives at Uni. It was a pleasant surprise, randomly bumping into him out of the blue.

Anyone else could be excused for putting it down to randomness, but this happens to me on a regular basis. So often, that it can't be random. Consider for instance: of all the gin joints..., I mean, hotels, in Sydney - my friend had to stay at the Hilton and work out early on a Saturday morning at my gym. This is the first time ever that I've been at the gym on a Saturday morning for a work out. The timing of it all and just the... 'randomness,' makes me wonder. I've met people in the most bizarre places, under extraordinary circumstances. Heck, my whole life is a series of random coincidences, then.
I highly doubt that to be the case.

Anyway, back to my friend from this morning. We started chatting about what we're both doing now and he was surprised to hear I was studying theology. It got me thinking on the long jog back home - am I really passionate about what I'm doing now? Not what's in the future, years away, but right now. The answer is yes. But, there are things in my heart that have been pushed aside temporarily that need to be addressed. For instance, I love making videos. I'd really like to write for a magazine again. I've been wanting to learn how to play the trumpet and take language classes.
There are a list of goals I've drawn up for this year. I'm being purposeful and focused. Will I be able to cross them off by the end of the year? Even the most ridiculous ones, which I would be loath to mention on a public blog? I'm sure, somehow, through 'random' events, it will happen.

All things seemingly random work to the rythm of a common purpose. I've stopped believing that things just happen randomly. No, I am not fooled by randomness.

A Colourful End To The Year

2010-01-01T14:24:00.005+05:30

Conversation With A Cabbie - II (Bush Is My Hero)

2009-12-29T04:45:00.005+05:30

A week ago, I met a cabbie and we had an interesting chat. We somehow got on to the topic of war and why he was forced to leave Iraq. "George Bush is a hero," he declared. This man lived on the receiving end of a dictator's misguided leadership. His perspective of a foreign ruler invading his country to overthrow a tyrannical regime is miles different to those who criticize Bush's invasion of Iraq.

Proponents of the Just War Theory recommend that war is justified if it meets the following eight criteria:

1) Just cause - The cause of initiating war must be just.

2) Competent authority - War cannot be initiated justly except by those who hold the proper authority and responsibility.

3) Comparative justice - The moral merit on our side must clearly outweigh the moral merit on the other.

4) Right intention - The intention of going to war must be to obtain or restore a just peace. Desires to punish or humiliate are not adequate intentions.

5) Last resort - All non-violent alternatives must be exhausted before resorting to war.

6) Probability of success - If the prospect of success is hopeless, war is not justified no matter how just the cause.

7) Proportionality of projected results - The good expected must be greater than the estimation of anticipated costs.

8) Right spirit - War should be regarded as a tragic necessity.

(Click here for the full article)

The people of Iraq, according to my cabbie friend, now have freedom and hope. They admire George Bush for giving them that freedom. It slightly changed how I thought of him too.

World leaders have an immensely tricky maze of murky decisions to make. When they make them, there are many voices which rise up against them. But, one of the traits of a great leader is to make decisions and stick with them.

Was George W. Bush a great leader? I don't know. But, he is a hero in a small town in Iraq.

I'd Like To Live On This Cliff

2009-12-26T18:09:00.003+05:30

It's a Joy To Feed And Be Fed

2009-12-25T17:26:00.009+05:30

I had a fun Christmas. We had a great bunch of people over for dinner and the conversations were entertaining. Great food, great company and to top it all off, I'm watching Jerry Maguire on TV. Ha, that movie is all the more fun to watch with a bunch of guys ;)

To my family and friends that I got to talk to today - our brief conversations were worthwhile. To my friends all over, I hope this holiday season brings you much joy.

Amazon's Book Reader

2009-12-25T11:20:00.004+05:30

When my American flat mate started raving about the Kindle last year, I was skeptical at first. My reaction was based on downloading e-books in the form of pdfs onto mobile phones and laptops. The result was an uncomfortable reading experience.

The display on the Kindle seems to be a lot easier on the eyes and considering the features... I'm willing to give it a try. I wish I had one of these babies the last time I left Australia. Flying out of Melbourne five years ago, I had to ship a couple of boxes filled with books and magazines. Now, I prefer traveling light - keeping it simple. No carting books overseas. Or magazines.
Hence, a Kindle would be handy. I'm a fan of making technology work for me.

A Christmas Tree, Summer Night Sky and Hot, Sweaty Salsa

2009-12-23T00:38:00.003+05:30

Conversation With A Cabbie - I

2009-12-22T11:44:00.000+05:30

I was on my way to a new church on Sunday night. I hailed a taxi and started a conversation with the driver. He was probably around 60 years old, Iraqi, traveled extensively and had a lot to say. We started talking about religion, a consequence of him asking what I was doing in Sydney.

"Religion is a private practice," he said, "It is personal and should not be practiced outside the home." He then explained his theory of evolution and the existence of man for 4 million years. Organized religion, according to him was created ten thousand years ago and caused confusion, strife, division and death.
I just listened to him and asked him leading questions. He obviously loved to talk and I like to listen. As a Muslim, his line of thought was actually quite refreshing and he made some valid points in the case against religion. Then again, there were plenty of holes in his argument, but I was more interested in learning about his experience, rather than debating his intellectual understanding.

Our's is an age of expression. We want someone to listen to us. Blogs, tweets, facebook status updates, sms, phone calls, coffees, etc. The phrase, express yourself, has taken new dimensions and given freedom to thoughts and ideas that would have been controversial a decade ago.
But, I still find a ten-minute face to face conversation with a stranger teaches me way more than hours of mindless trawling through the net.

Things I Wish People Would Stop Saying In 2010

2009-12-22T10:20:00.002+05:30

Things I wish people would stop saying (or at least not overkill):

Is there more to life than being ridiculously good looking - Zoolander is ancient. I can't believe we're still using this line. You would either have to be really, really ridiculously good looking or be Ben Stiller to use this now.
(Whatever new trend) is the new black - Purple is the new black is a really outdated statement. Black was hardly the first thing that was 'in.'
So they say - I think this one is alright, as long as the 'they' is identified. So, instead of, "You know what they say about men who scratch their cheek with their pinkies," it should be, "You know what social scientists with plenty of time to observe ridiculous human behaviour say about men who scratch their cheek..."

It wouldn't be appropriate of me to leave things hanging at a list of things I don't like. Here are some alternatives that I would love to hear more of:

(Anything good) is a chocolate thing: Things are just better with chocolate.

Un voleur d'odour...

2009-12-16T13:51:00.012+05:30

I'm a scent thief...

Myer, as expected, is crowded around this time of the year. It was a bad idea to walk through the store on my way to work. After a quick cursory scan of the ground level, I decided the perfume section was my fastest exit route. A young lady sprayed herself with an exotic smelling perfume. The resulting mist completely missed her and the perfume comfortably settled on me as I walked past her. Ladies, I understand the theory of the mist, but that's best left to the privacy of your homes. If you want to create a mist in a crowded store, some random guy is going to walk through it and have a tough time explaining the decidedly feminine scent on his shirt to his work mates.

My favourite female perfume is one that I can smell in a crowded room. With disturbing accuracy. You know what they say about people who never forget a scent? They make excellent perfumers. Actually, no one said that - I made it up.
Frenchman, Jean Claude Ellena, created some of the best-selling perfumes in the past decade. A writer interviewing him wrote, "A good perfumer needs more than just a highly sensitive nose. A key attribute for a perfumer is not a highly sensitive nose, but a finely tuned memory, as a large part of the training lies in memorizing millions of scent molecules."

For a year, I've been debating buying Jean Claude Ellena's, Terre d' Hermés. It's been described as sexy, spicy, like a tall, brooding Frenchman in a chic suit who could fix a plough as easily as an underperforming blue-chip company. I think it's time for me to pay homage to the original scent thief and purchase Jean Claude's perfume:

"This is for the man who has his feet firmly on the ground, but his head is in the stars.”

Technicolour Dreams

2009-12-13T12:58:00.002+05:30

If we were all the same, or mostly the same, life would be 1940s black and white. Does a desire to be different drive me? Yes, it does. It happens subconsciously and naturally. In a sea of black and white, I am the technicolour. But I am not alone. There are so many others that the black and white actually blends in quite well. Maybe 'black and white' is the new 'different?'

I recently wrote a blog post, titled, "Life in Gray." In retrospect, it should have been, "Life in technicolour."
A friend showed me one of his pictures of a busker in Central Sydney. He plays his guitar a block away from where I work. The colour enhancement is apt. He plays the guitar with dramatic flair:

Click on the picture to link to my photographer friend's album.

Move Over English, Google Is Now the Universal Language

2009-12-12T05:00:00.005+05:30

A common language binds us all together and it's not English.
I just entered a bunch of random Korean symbols into Google translator and it gave me back a coherent sentence in English. Which leads me to wonder - are we (non-English speakers) still cracking jokes at people in our native tongue , expecting to be safe within our cultural boundaries?
We're on the cusp of a new revolution, as artificial intelligence improves on the previous centuries' technological genius.

Soon, humans will have internal micro chips, translating languages in real time. Forget language classes, the new era will erase the difficulty of verbal communication.

Or, it may just exacerbate the practice of speaking many words without saying much.

Spontaneous Surprises

2009-12-11T12:41:00.003+05:30

I was walking through Crown St today and stopped to take a picture of a beautiful dog. A tan Cocker Spaniel, full of energy and bounce. The owner happened to be at the flower shop that I occasionally stop at, to chat about exotic flowers with the Thai lady.
On my way out of the shop, I noticed a neatly wrapped up bunch of sunflowers. The flowers were probably wrapped up yesterday and needed some TLC. I asked the lady if she wanted to give them to me and she said yes. So, I took the flowers and continued walking down Crown St.

A few metres down the road, a middle-aged Aboriginal lady asked me for some change.
"Please fella, do you have some change?"
"I'm sorry," I didn't even say the words, just mouthed them as I walked past her. Then I stopped, turned around and walked back to her.
"Hi, I can't give you change, but would you like some flowers?"
"Flowers?" She repeated, looking quite amused.
I showed her the big bunch of sunflowers.
"Oh, that would be lovely!"
So, I gave her the sunflowers as her mouth broke into a massive toothless grin.
"Thank you, may God bless you and have a Merry Christmas." She then extended her hand and gripped mine.
"You too, be blessed," I said as it suddenly struck me that it's two weeks to Christmas.

The beauty of human contact. Touch. She made my day.

Like a bruised reed growing stronger from its root
I am slowly unfurling, standing tall again
Watching the dirt wash off me
And embracing the beauty of life

It Messes With My Geography!

2009-12-10T18:17:00.003+05:30

India has 25 states. India has 25 states. India... shoot - 28 states! Soon, 29 states.

Save The World. Now.

2009-12-10T11:38:00.002+05:30

I wonder what outcomes we may expect from the Climate Change summit in Copenhagen. The summit kicked off with a video featuring kids making a plea for help, with the tagline, "We can save the world. Now." The Danish PM's speech was followed by a guy playing the trumpet. Almost like a summons to war.

Environmentally Trendy has become a fad in the past decade. The irony is no matter how 'green' you are through the year, you can erase all your good work by indulging in a plane trip or two. Still, that shouldn't stop anyone from making small changes. I guess it's not a bad idea to tout it as "Saving the world. Now." In some small way, eating natural foods, recycling, not using a clothes dryer or the AC, etc., are all contributing factors. It creates an awareness.

I wonder how the 'green' countries persuade the others to get on board in cutting carbon footprints? Would it at some level represent a similar dynamic to my household? A bunch of six guys with varied interests. Two 'greens', two neutrals and the other two, "don't care about the environment." You can imagine where I fit in this grand scheme. Why would I persuade my flat to make sacrifices or adjust their lifestyle? What do I have to gain from this?

Skeptics argue that nature has always been unaffected by man. Climate change, they reckon, will not be affected by the changes we make.

Is either side correct? As I said, I'm curious to see how each country with their own agenda reacts to what is now touted as a global challenge. How do you communicate - We're all in this together, let's save the world. Now?

Dance Is Not About The Feet. It's About The Rythm.

2009-12-10T06:31:00.000+05:30

Da Po Po Came Looking For Me

2009-12-10T05:23:00.003+05:30

The Police came looking for me,
They asked around at my old flat,
And called my phone several times.

The guys in my previous flat were intrigued that the cops were asking for me. The mind was racing as I ticked off all the possible reasons why the police would want to talk to me. Hmmm... the list was long but not risky enough to warrant a cop call.
Turns out, they have my old phone which I lost in February and they came to return it to me.

I aint scared a no po po. Call da po po hoe... Call da po po hoe....

Acting Is Reception And Transmission...

2009-12-05T09:55:00.003+05:30

A short review of my first acting workshop, at the Actors Centre Australia:

At half past ten this morning, not knowing what to expect, I sat down with a bunch of strangers in an old chapel, which was converted into a studio. It was beautiful inside, with brick walls, wood paneling and lights. Nicole Kidman and Naomi Watts studied at the centre and Hugh Jackman is one of their patrons. Colin Ferrell attended workshops here for six months before appearing in the movie, Minority Report.

I won't go into too much detail, but the workshop was packed with energy and emotion. The only words we used during the exercises were, "Yes, no, you, me, adventure (vs.) boring, revenge (vs.) forgiveness." But at the end, I felt like words could flow out of my mouth in a gushing torrent. How strange - I thought acting was about memorising scripts. In actuality, it's about creating atmosphere and energy. The message conveyed by the verbal pauses is far, far greater than what's actually said.

This workshop has stretched my imagination of what's possible for me. Stepping out of my comfort zone was such a breeze and all I needed was atmosphere, a stage and some encouragement. I've been buzzing all day and it has resulted in some amazing conversations with people who would normally talk in mono syllables.
It is true what they say, acting is reception and trasmission of energy.

'Famous' Is An Occupation?

2009-12-04T20:13:00.004+05:30

Ask a kid what he or she would like to be in the future. Chances are, one in eight will reply, "famous." That statistic is made up and completely false. It's most probably one in five.
The lives of the rich and famous are no longer private. They are the meat of articles and TV shows. They are the topics of conversation and frankly, people are intrigued by famous-people-gossip. So, it should come as no surprise that the future of our nations wants to be famous. The very kids we baby-sit, teach, nurture and cherish will someday blame their teachers and parents for not telling them that 'famous' is not an occupation.

Maybe if we explained to them that true success is a product of hard work and a combination of skill and fortune, they might strive to do what's in their heart. The thing they are naturally good at. And skies above, they might actually be famous one day. But when they get there, it's not because they chased fame, but rather pursued their natural talent through hard work.

I'm learning not to be cynical. It's tough.

Old Men and Politics

2009-12-03T05:51:00.003+05:30

There has been some controversy in Australia recently over laws on controlling climate change. The leader of the opposition party was ousted because of his staunch stand on an emissions trading scheme. The flip side could potentially hurt the Australian economy, but they would be leading the world in cutting greenhouse gas emissions. On paper, this would seem like an obvious choice. An idealist would prefer to save the planet and improve living conditions. A capitalist would argue that a stronger economy would have more resources to address climate change in ways that don't involve cutting profits.

The events of the past few weeks reminds me of the story of Tiberius Gracchus. A 2nd Century BC Roman politician who caused turmoil in the senate with his idealistic legislation. He challenged wealthy landowners who illegally gained possession of farms from citizens who couldn't fight back. His strong sense of what is right and wrong eventually landed him in trouble with the corrupt elite and he was murdered, along with many of his supporters.

A number of Indian politicians - idealists, were murdered. Good people killed prematurely. Martin Luther King Jr. challenged white supremacy, Jesus Christ challenged religious hypocrisy. It takes courage to stand for what you believe and stand firm in the face of opposition. These are extreme examples, but I truly admire a person who despises to settle for the way things are, if something could be done to make life better.

I wonder sometimes - would I prefer to be a soldier fighting wars or a senator who calls the shots. My preference is the disposition of a courageous warrior and a headstrong senator. A combination of a fighter and a sensible policy maker. They both bear responsibility and require immense courage. It's easier to fight wars in your youth and pass laws in old age. Maybe that's why politicians are usually older. The wisdom of age has its advantages. Otherwise, we just learn through mistakes. Still, I say take a side and stand for it.
My motto for this past month has been - "Decide and do."

As part of 'decide and do,' I'm taking up an acting workshop this Saturday. I am strangely freaking out. The last time I was in a play, I forgot my lines on stage and made something up on the spot. I'm just going to pretend I'm a warrior-senator who wants to make my country a lot of money, but also reduce greenhouse gas emissions. There, that should get me all fired up. And a block of dark chocolate to calm my nerves.

The Beauty of Random

2009-11-27T13:25:00.006+05:30

Thursday, the 26th of November:

After a memorable evening at a graduation ball with friends from college and dancing until late, I was on my way home with a couple of friends. We stopped at 'The Ivy' to see if we could dance some more. It happened to be the same night as the Aria awards and the after party was at the Ivy. Invites only. I struck up a conversation with a few people who had just walked out of the club and they offered us their passes. So, my friends and I walked through the red carpet (now quite deserted), into the club. It turned out that one of the passes was a VIP guest pass and gave us access to the penthouse. We just missed partying with Robbie Williams, Michael Buble and the boys from Empire of the Sun.
A beautiful young woman approached us and asked us for a lighter. She was surprised that we didn't smoke and decided to sit down and talk to us. Or, rather, she talked and we patiently listened. She seemed under the influence of something illegal. One of the things she said was that she wanted to be 'normal.' She seemed to think my friends and I were 'normal.' Because we didn't smoke. The irony of that comment, in a posh Sydney club, filled with smoke and the smell of alcohol, made me wonder if all these people actually wanted to be there. Was it just trendy to be in the vicinity of celebrities? Is it just trendy to be out dancing late under the influence of some unhealhty... umm... influencers?

Anyway, we didn't really care much for stars. We just wanted to dance, but they closed the club soon after we got there. So, we enjoyed the warm beauty of summer twilight in Sydney as we walked home.

On a side note, random things I've said in the recent past:

Walking past a glass house in the Botanical Gardens - "Oh, look, a glasshouse made of glass."
At a bookstore, "This is a good place to buy books." Then, realizing the obviousness of my comment, "I meant, this is a good place to buy kids books." We were sitting in the kids section.
Admiring a painting at an Art museum, "This was painted by an artist."

The Charm of a Hand-Written Note

2009-11-25T02:09:00.001+05:30

The Juice Blender is my Friend

2009-11-23T04:35:00.004+05:30

Detox seems to be the catch cry for summer preparation. The ritual of detoxification (removing toxic substances from your body), is an ancient practice. Fasting from certain foods has medical benefits and there are other (not so yummy) foods that help repair the body. It has been my joy in the past to discover the pleasures of a food processor. Squishing food together in a pulp makes it easier for the body to digest nutrients and drinking is so much faster than chewing food thirty two times (a magical number for the appropriate chewing required to aid proper digestion).

Considering the pace of life, would it be a surprise if soon, more types of food were blended? The advantages to the intestines and the time saved would warrant such a lifestyle change. Restaurants could offer the option of blended curries with rice pulp, pasta and bolognaise juice, T-bone steak... ok, let's not go there.

Although the above options might sound preposterous, consider the initial response to the guy who made the first smoothie. Banana smoothies with blueberries, flaxseed, honey and almonds changed my life. All I'm suggesting is that we can take the idea of detox as far as we like. The trouble is when the pendulum swings mightily back against all your attempts and you go straight back to the chocolate cake right after McDonald's diet. Honestly, I'd take the blended steak over McD's.

Life in the Gray

2009-10-31T12:57:00.005+05:30

Is our way of thinking a result of our generation? As a post-modern generation, are we really more comfortable living in the gray?

Perhaps I'm more modern than post-modern, my preference is to state absolutes. Life in the gray bothers me. It has to be this way or that, don't leave me hanging in the middle ground.
Sophie's World is a book by a Norwegian author, about a girl's journey through lessons in philosophy. It's fuelling my journey through the history of philosophy. The book starts with the philosophical debates of Socrates, Aristotle and Plato (as opposed to the Disney dog, Pluto - inside joke) and then proceeds through Jesus, Paul and St. Augustine. Most of their statements were absolutes, which I believe is a result of their mental gymnastics. They wrestled with what they saw, felt and perceived. And they taught.

I'm currently wrestling with this thought - why does everything need to be resolved? Experience is teaching me that when I place expectations on my relationships, they are not as rich. Perhaps it's my natural male instinct to be visionary - look into the future, imagine things as they should be, put goals in place, have a timeline and plan.

No, here's another thing I learned today about relationships - if it fits in a mental spreadsheet, with logical conclusion, it leaves no place for the unexpected.

I'm moving past my notions of post-modernism and modernism, putting Socrates and Aristotle to rest. I love surprises. I'm going to let life surprise me, rather than trying to box myself and those I meet.

P.S. - You'll note that the conclusion for this post is an absolute too ;) It's like telling a bird to stop flying...

The Nightmare of Christmas for Some

2009-10-03T12:13:00.011+05:30

Main Entry: ²festival

Function: noun

Date: 1528

1 a : a time of celebration marked by special observances b : feast 2 2 : an often periodic celebration or program of events or entertainment having a specified focus

It's less than three months to Christmas. The period leading up to this festival (in English-speaking nations), is sometimes characterized by frenzied shopping and increased levels of anxiety. (I use the term, 'sometimes,' loosely.) My annual 'Stop the Christmas anxiety madness' lament was triggered this year by a lady who frequents my workplace. We were talking about the holidays and she reminded me, with an anxious frown that Christmas is just twelve weeks away!

Why do people feel anxious about a festival? The celebration involves time with family and friends. I'm sure that aspect of Christmas is agreeable to most people - so, why is Christmas such a nightmare for some? Perhaps, the answer lies in how they celebrate. The pressure to spend on: lavish gifts, extravagant meals and fancy getaways.

How about a law that prohibits rampant consumerism? Maybe the government could distribute free information packs on how to shop sensibly. Oh, hang on. This is a country that waltzed through the recession, accompanied by the constant ringing of cash registers. For an economy that counts on excessive spending, Christmas is another excuse for more shopping, extravagant meals and fancy getaways. For those who are financially independent, if that is how you choose to celebrate, the following twelve weeks will present you with some pleasant choices with unpleasant consequences.

This much is common knowledge - not everyone cruises through the Christmas period, stress-free. More information on how to handle the situation won't help. Rather, we need to figure out how to make sense of what we already know.

It is true - the best things in life aren't things.

The Misery of Self-Diagnosis

2009-09-25T17:26:00.002+05:30

I've been feeling crook for a few weeks now. Someone asked if I had sought medical advice? Of course... Dr. Google. I typed in my symptoms online, researched all the available medical information and deduced (emphatically) that my sinus was blocked because of a gluten intolerance. That hurt - half my daily diet is gluten-packed. Anyway, I decided to reduce my gluten intake for a couple of weeks to see if that helped. It didn't make a difference.

Next: During a random bookstore perusal, I picked up Deb Shapiro's book, "Your Body Speaks Your Mind." It's an unusual read (at least for me), a rather odd theory about how most physical ailments are related to the emotional/mental state of a person. According to the book, a blocked sinus could be a result of: blocked emotions/unreleased tension/stuffy feelings/lack of creative outlets.

That's it. I just have to learn to release my emotions.

Information is so readily available to us, is it any wonder that we're getting too smart for our own good?
I quit playing Mr. Know It All and went to see a doctor this morning. My blocked sinus was, after all, a reaction to the increased levels of dust and pollen over the past few weeks. "Welcome to Sydney," she said and prescribed a few days of rest and a nasal spray.

Late Afternoon on the Extremely Dusty Day...

2009-09-24T13:25:00.003+05:30

If you click on the pictures, you'll see the man on the board, flying a kite and his nosy dog beside him...

A Dusty Morning in Sydney

2009-09-23T11:09:00.004+05:30

A dusty, orange hue covered the sky this morning in Sydney. Apparently this is the first time the city has witnessed a dust storm of this nature.

Symbolism

2009-09-21T18:05:00.003+05:30

My time in Sydney so far has been incredible. It's been painful as I separate the junk that collects in an individual's life over a lengthy period of flimsy boundaries and a lack of self-examination.
On my way home today, I passed by a florist who threw out a whole bunch of leaves and dried flowers. I picked them up and continued walking, drawing looks of amusement from several people. After cutting through the dried stuff, I was left with something that resembled life and although it was really simple, it added colour to my lounge:

Alright, so I made something out of rubbish. I had to throw nearly all of it, save a few stalks.
That's my Sydney. Shedding old ideas and habits, exchanging them for new perspectives and goals. Cutting through all the flaff to keep the little that changes me.

Dance, But Don't Ask For the Lyrics

2009-09-21T03:15:00.003+05:30

Havana is currently hosting the largest open-air concert in Cuba. Hundreds of thousands are at the "Peace Without Borders" concert. The opening act, Puerto Rican singer Olga Tanon, started the concert by saying, "Together, we are going to make history." She then sang a love song - 'Es Mentiroso Ese Hombre' (That Man is a Liar). Strange title for a love song, huh?

A few months ago, a friend and I were listening to an upbeat Latin American song. Resisting the urge to dance, I asked her what the song was about. "Oh, a creepy guy who is stalking his ex-girlfriend..."

It's Time to Dream Again

2009-09-17T03:18:00.003+05:30

A little blue book on my table reminds me every day to never stop dreaming. It's called... wait, ... "DREAM, every day." Every second page has a quote at the bottom from past and present dreamers who aspired, aimed high, imagined possibilities and achieved goals that were beyond limitations.
The rest of the book is blank. Well, it's slowly filling up with my dreams. Here's something I wrote earlier this year. Dreaming, for most of us, is just to get back on track:

It's time to dream again:
Dreams don't die
They get pushed aside,
buried under the mound of everyday existence
Waiting to inhale and get larger

It's time to dream again
To push aside present challenges
And focus instead on goals forgotten
Pull them out, re-consider and set yourself
back on track

It's time to dream again
For the future waits eagerly
As men and women embrace their potential
for bigger, better, brighter things.

Future Hope

2009-09-14T10:20:00.007+05:30

I'm halfway through Oliver James' book, "Affluenza," an interesting read on the esoteric affects of materialism on mental health. I read the follow-up book (Selfish Capitalist) first and found them both extremely challenging. I'm at a point in the book where he interviews a woman from New Zealand, who moved to Seattle, had a baby and now wants to leave her partner to move back to Auckland. Her son is attached to his father and dislikes any kind of separation from his mother. The mother wants to leave the father to avoid her depression but hasn't considered the ramifications to her son's emotional future. She says it's better for her son's future. Instead of examining her own issues, she's quite happy to take her two-year old son away from his father, half-way across the globe. An act that will most likely not alleviate her symptoms of depression.
The point Oliver drives home is the importance of having a single, responsive care-giver for children, at least until the age of three. Children need undivided attention at all time.

What would it look like to raise a child in an age of immediate-connectivity? If Facebook and Twitter are slowly becoming the standards for communication, what's next? Without sidelining the positive aspects of social networking - we need to consider how this is going to affect our children. Or, in case you haven't thought about it - your children will mirror your patterns of behaviour, whether good or bad.

Susan Greenfield, a writer, 'brain researcher' and Professor in Pharmacology at Oxford, is speaking at a lecture at the Opera House in Sydney on the 4th of October:
Festival of Dangerous Ideas, Baroness Susan Greenfield: Does Online Networking Harm Children’s Brains?

I wonder if the question of ethics will be raised. It will surely leave me with more self-examination. Which leads to more writing. So, you will be hearing about it soon. If you're interested in attending, the link is on the right column of this blog.

A Night in the City

2009-09-11T17:48:00.002+05:30

An outdoor viewing of Swing Time (Fred Astaire) outside the Opera House

Swing Dancing before the movie

Tonight, I watched an old dance classic movie outdoors, at Circular Quay. The wind was cold and the steps we were sitting on were unfriendly to our bottoms and yet, the joy of sharing a movie with a large number of strangers offset any discomfort. The Opera House stood behind us and the city of Sydney with its (relatively) tall buildings hovered over the screen, while boats and ferries continued treading the water on our right. The area around the Harbour bridge has a certain charm. I visit the place often. It's a relationship of sorts. Sometimes, I get jealous and wish I had her all to myself. But, she is not mine and I am not hers. When I do visit her though, she never disappoints.

Together, we admire the beauty of the night sky and observe with curiosity the travelers with clicky cameras, the glamorous patrons of the Opera, the corporate spill-overs congregating for a drink to celebrate the end of another long week at work.

The Sauce Around the Cake

2009-09-10T11:34:00.005+05:30

My balcony affords a stunning view of the Sydney cityscape. The perfect spot for a lazy afternoon reading a book in the sun with a cup of coffee and a gooey brownie topped with raspberries. The sauce from the raspberries dripped over, forming a rather pleasant-looking moat around the chocolate. Food presentation is fast becoming a national craze. Immaculate looking dishes - small quantities of food, drizzled with some exotic sounding sauce.
It's such a white thing to do!

Now, before you get offended by my racial slur, allow me to point out a few other things in the picture. The coffee - latte with one sugar, accompanied by a F. Scott Fitzgerald short-story collection. Not just that, I took a picture (three, in fact, for a wider selection) to put on this blog. Wait, I have a blog! It is settled then: "Racially, I am Indian. Culturally, I am white."
There is nothing Indian about my selection of: food, clothes, books, mannerisms, thinking, sport, hobbies, even women!

The only thing Indian about me is that I ate every crumb of brownie, soaked in every last drop of raspberry sauce, before drinking a rather cold cup of coffee, an hour after I made it. In some ways, I am rather uncomplicated and non-fussy. And in that respect, I am totally proud to be Indian.

Celebrate The Differences

2009-09-09T11:43:00.007+05:30

My flat mates each represent a different continent and we all speak a language that's not English. As an experiment to understand the importance of a common language in communication, we declared today, 'language day', in our flat. None of us are allowed to speak to each other in English. For the whole day.

So far, what I've noticed is that we all prefer silence, rather than speaking our native languages. Perhaps because it's pointless, in a way. Our ancestors struggled to express themselves appropriately and hence invented words that facilitated a dialogue. A common language binds us together. It is relational on a much deeper level than two animals using body language.

At the dinner table last night, we each proposed a toast in our native tongue. My Dutch house mate said something in Dutch with a sweet smile on his face. We drank heartily in celebration of our friendship. Later, we found out that he actually said, "Screw you all!"

I Almost Got Punched Tonight!

2009-09-05T16:39:00.009+05:30

I need to share something with you. An interesting ten minutes of my evening that I feel should be recorded on this blog.

My adrenaline is still pumping. How I escaped being attacked by two strangers is still foggy in my head. I was walking home along my usual route - along a busy road when I heard someone asking me for money. I looked around, shook my head and kept walking. The voice followed me and appeared before me in the form of a young man with loose-fitting clothes, a white cap and questionable breath. The voice had two companions - a woman smoking a cigarette and a mean-looking, tall bloke.

Deja vu. I'd been here before. Late at night, accosted by two thugs asking for money. That was nearly 8 years ago. On that occasion, I distracted them, ran like a coward and hid out of sight for a long time while my would-be-attackers scoured the streets, shouting and cursing.

Tonight was different. I stood my ground and calmly asked why they wanted my money. The woman just walked away, I guess she didn't want to witness another innocent stranger being bashed up. The first man, with clenched fists threatened to beat me up if I didn't give them money. He got into position to land his first punch. Again, I asked why they needed money. The second man cursed and said they were hungry.
"I'll feed you, I have no problem buying you food. But, I won't give you money - on principle, it's not something I am comfortable with."
This seemed acceptable to the second man who somehow convinced his friend to take my offer. So, the three of us walked into a nearby shop, where I announced to the Asian owner that the men would get a couple of plain hamburgers, please. On me.
I then started a dialogue with the men. Brock, the guy who was ready to bust my lips, looked at me apologetically and thanked me for buying them dinner. His friend was equally thankful. His words - "Everyone walks past us, we are just hungry and want some food, we're homeless, you know." I told him I understood. Then we all shook hands, smiled our farewell and I was on my way home again.

A hungry man will most likely resort to violence to meet his basic need. Money often flexes its ugly muscles in a power struggle. I had a choice tonight - either buy my new friends food and willingly part with some of my money, or have all of it grabbed from me and then deal with my blood on the street.

The next time you're in a confrontational situation, try addressing the need of the other person. It's not about fixing needs, but just identifying them. It could turn out to be the difference between a clenched fist and a warm, friendly handshake.

Why Men Play Games

2009-07-17T10:27:00.003+05:30

As I type this out, screams emerge from my living room. Shouts of despair, encouragement, taunting and exhilaration as two boys are locked in a duel. Armed with fist-sized consoles, they press buttons to manipulate the action on the screen. The game consumes their focus and demands all their attention.

Women all around the world ask the question. Some men who consider themselves above childish pastimes ponder with amusement - "Why do men play games?" A year ago, I was one of those men. My gaming was restricted to the occasional game of tennis on Xbox or wii. Then my flat mate introduced me to soccer on PS and now I'm hooked (moderately).

As with any multi-billion dollar industry fueled by addiction, the reasons behind the popularity of gaming is intrinsic. Yes, it allows men to bond and is safer than getting drunk together, but I believe there is a deeper expression that drives men to play games.

Competition: Games that involve sport, racing or military tactics pump the adrenaline in our system. The allure is in the transitory nature of the games. You can get away with things that are not possible in real life. If you lose, you restart the game and have another go instantly. I've been sucked into this many times. It's not just about beating the best player around, but selecting the most difficult level and beating the computer. It's innate - men are fierce competitors and the desire to win drives us to play game after game until we reach the pinnacle of success. At which point, we choose another game.

Construct: Strategy games are usually much longer and take immense amounts of patience, planning and yes, strategy. A 17-year old boy tried to get me to play 'Dawn of Discovery.' He loved the game, he said, because it gave him the opportunity to build empires. There's a depth of sense behind that statement. Historically, men have always aspired to build. The bigger, the better. So, instead of building a real-life legacy or even literally building something, most men prefer the comfort of strategy games that allow them to play the role of conqueror, builder, warrior, king, governor, priest and teacher.

I foresee this as being one of the major reasons why the men of our generation lack leadership qualities. They have the skills, honed to perfection. But unlike the games they are accustomed to, real life does not afford the luxury of completely erasing the memory of a loss and re-starting a fresh game. A balanced approach is required and most men lack self-control when it comes to being boys around other men. At the same time, playing a game or two of soccer a day steals 20 minutes of my time. But it strangely motivates me to get out and improve my game on the field and it strengthens my relationship with those whom I play with.

Alright, someone's just won the game and they're shouting my name. It's now my turn to play.

Remembering Names Made Easy(er)

2009-07-16T06:07:00.000+05:30

For a smart, educated and intelligent man, Mark (name changed), made a terrible first impression. And a worse second impression. He had this terrible habit of forgetting names and instead of apologizing and stating the obvious, he acted as though we were meeting for the first time. On our third encounter, I looked him in the eye and told him we had already met, twice. Then I suddenly realized that I had forgotten his name too.

An American historian, Henry Schoolcraft, compiled a list of tales based on American legends. (Henry Longfellow's The Song of Hiawatha is based on these tales). He had to learn the names and meanings of people from different tribes. Schoolcraft's Red Indian wife was called Jane, Oh-bah-bahm-wawa-ge-zhe-go-qua (the Woman of the Sound the Stars Make Rushing Through the Sky), Johnston. Her mother was called O-shau-gus-coday-way-qua (The Woman of the Green Prairie).

If only we could associate names with the first thing we see people doing?
Man who was watching the sky with dismal disappointment as the first drops of rain poured on his pudgy face. And my forgetful friend who inspired this post could be, Oh man of confusion, let me tell you my name again. I guess then our parents would call all of us, Oh little wailing pink child...

No, that's not going to work. I'm going to have to confess to Mark that I forgot his name.

The Global Poverty Project

2009-06-24T06:04:00.003+05:30

Hugh Evans, Young Australian of the year in 2004, is gearing up for his global poverty project campaign. It starts with a round of public presentations in major Australia cities. I reckon the presentations are worth checking out, follow the link above to get the schedule in your city.

Global Poverty Project Trailer

The Impending Death of Printed Words

2009-06-14T03:08:00.007+05:30

There still exists a small portion of society who would rather hold a book in their hand than read something electronic. The smell of old paper is an aphrodisiac to them. The mention of Twitter gets their blood boiling and they are the last ones on the bandwagon of 'everything online publishing'.
An attitude that is slowly becoming extinct in the face of technological advances.

A recent article in the Financial Review outlined the future of the publishing industry. After studying trends over a 20-year period in the music industry, television and newspapers, Mike Shatzkin, a digital futurist reckons there will be only one major publisher left in 2029. "If you read a book on paper, you're going to be definitely stamped as retro," he says.
A book has different dynamics to a CD though, so it's hard to compare the publishing industry with the music industry, although there are parallels in moving forward. It seems the music labels that have survived in recent times are the ones that embraced online sharing, ipods, fans, recordings and concerts. The publishing industry will no doubt introduce changes to accommodate a changing audience.

Post his Terminator days, Arnold Schwarzenegger has been working hard to reform the Californian educational system. In an attempt to reduce the $350 million spent annually on textbooks, the state recently announced an initiative to use free digital textbooks for next year.

Is this all pointing to the death of the physical book? Some of us may shudder at the thought. We want to live out our old age surrounded by tall wooden shelves filled with books of musty paper.
The writing's on the wall. Bookshelves will soon be relegated to a corner in antique shops.
It is useful to consider the convenience that this transformation could bring. Your kids won't have to carry heavy bags to school. Or forget textbooks. The high school bully could well be the geek who can easily replace entire schooling texts with gibberish.

Either way, let's embrace the change. And may the memory of the corner bookshop with a coffee place bring a smile to our faces as we watch a hologram version of Peter Pan with our grand children...

Love In The Time of Recession

2009-05-20T09:42:00.006+05:30

Is love recession proof?
Someone asked me to write about love in uncertain times like the present. Uncertain in what respect? Time is not uncertain, life is uncertain. The outcome of asking such questions is uncertain. Or maybe not. I realized it was a chance for self-examination. The answer is irrelevant unless applied individually against personal values.

Is love recession proof?
That depends on how you define love, what you love and the importance you place on economic stability. Are we required to downsize our love, restructure our affections and pull back on non-tangible, altruistic investments?

I'm not referring just to romantic love, but the love of life, people and the deep down desires of every person to make the world a better place. If love is giving, do we alter it based on sound financial principles? Sure - if love is largely based on finances. But, it's not. See, that's the thing about love - if your source is limitless you don't have to worry about hoarding it. You do have to make smart investments, increasing your capacity to love even if your financial sources dwindle.
I read in a magazine how women apparently make smart investments in men. They like to be selective in their choice but are generally disappointed when Mr. Right slowly turns out to be someone else - himself. Instead of getting rid of him, the smart ones learn to love him. Love hinges on you and your ability to choose, rather than external, changing forces.

Is love recession proof?
At the end of it all, I failed in trying to define love in terms of economics. We fall short of understanding the nuances of love by equating its essence with something defined, like economics. Love is a lot of things which we may not completely understand. The one thing it's not is indifference. Especially to such tough questions. It is useful to consider how economic downturns affect our capacity to love others. Do we pull back or press in all the more?

No matter what... it is with God. He is gracious and merciful. His way is through love, in which we all are. It is truly - A Love Supreme - - John Coltrane

The Dance of the Sexes

2009-05-16T11:49:00.007+05:30

An unsubstantiated, unscientific perspective on human behaviour.

The whole Universe moves to a set rythm. Seasons change, revolutions, rotations, sun, moon and trees swaying to a gentle breeze. Life imperceptibly moves to a beat that is elusive, yet obvious. Human behaviour has a certain predictability, a set pattern that moves to an unheard beat.

Our days are filled with subconsious, subliminal gestures - actions that are carried out without consciously anazlysing our behaviour. The common example is when you're in the proximity of someone you respect and admire. All of a sudden, you're not all put together as you'd like to think. Or, in a social situation, have you ever wondered why that cute guy or girl suddenly moved closer to where you are? It's not chance, but a subconscious response to your subconsciously stated interest in them. Not very romantic, huh?

There is something suggestive about a woman who dances provocatively on a dance floor. It makes all the men around her act like complete fools. The same way that a well-attired man can make female hearts flutter by his commanding, confident appearance.

I have observed that when you pass someone on the street, they try hard not to look at you, an act substantiated by their blinking eyes. So much of life takes place on a subliminal level and yet, most of our efforts at self-improvement are forced on a conscious level. I must remember to stand straight, smile more often, appear relaxed, be patient, talk clearly. I'd like to think that in the presence of other people, our actions are a response. We are constantly gauging, responding, sending signals and receiving signals.

An intricate dance that has us locked, moving in sync. It all goes back to the first night in Eden when Adam looked deep into Eve's eyes...

Gatz

2009-05-16T11:08:00.008+05:30

I started reading F. Scott Fitzgerald's collection of short stories ('The Curious Case of Benjamin Button') a few weeks ago. Fairly impressed by his writing, the stories provided me with inspiration to record some of my own adventures in Sydney.
Last night, I watched the first half of a play based on The Great Gatzby. The play, titled, "Gatz," is a 7.5 hour long reading of the book. The plot (in short): an employee in New York finds the book at his desk and starts reading out aloud.

At first, my friend and I were skeptical, especially as the lead character simply read from the book for the first ten minutes. What followed for the remaining 3 hours was sheer brilliance.
Other characters in the office took on personalities from the novel and with well-timed movements and comedic gestures, brought the story to life. The soundtrack was mainly 1940s jazz, with bits of Salsa, Bollywood, swing and an entertaining air-piano performance.
I can't wait to watch the second half. The show's playing at the Opera House and I would recommend watching it:
http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/whatson/gatz.aspx

F. Scott Fitzgerald is fast becoming one of my favourite writers.

Acrophobia

2009-05-12T17:27:00.000+05:30

At the edge of a cliff, like jelly precariously balanced on a spoon. Waiting to be devoured by the expanse below, I jumped, hands spread out, spine curved. There's nothing you can do as gravity takes control and dictates your descent. What seems to be a perpetual moment of mid-air suspension turns into an accelerating free fall towards the calm waters below.
Snap. Rebound.
How was it? Untie me quick and let me at it again.

Amusing Pictures, Simple workouts that, err, work...

2009-05-05T11:35:00.001+05:30

Taken from www.realage.com:

Chi-Gong Workout

Ever tried chi-gong (also spelled qigong)? Ever even heard of it? No, it’s not a tea or percussion instrument, but a 2000-year-old series of bodily movements and breaths that calms the spirit and the mind. It has also been shown to strengthen the immune system, reduce stress, and improve balance and posture (all important as we get older).

The most important goal of chi-gong is to learn how to breathe correctly -- which involves breathing from the tan tien -- a point 2 inches below the navel.

In each exercise, breathe in slowly. Focus on a point on the wall in front of you, with your chin parallel to the ground -- this will help maintain balance. Your eyes should never drop during any exercise. Ideally, do this series of movements, crafted by the YOU Docs and chi-gong master Karl Romain, once daily to help keep your mind and body calm and focused.

Repeat each move three times before moving on to the next.

			1. Loosening the Neck Sink to the ground with your elbows and knees slightly bent and your chin parallel to the ground. Turn your head to the right as you inhale, and exhale as you come back to the middle. Then, turn your head to the left and repeat the sequence.

			2. Picking the Fruit Exhale as you reach for imaginary fruit, and inhale while bringing the fruit down. Reach for the closest fruit first, and then progressively move up the imaginary tree. Keep your knees bent and your back straight.

			3. Relaxing the Shoulders Lift your shoulders first, then elbows, then wrists. Roll your shoulders back; your elbows go out and your hands angle toward the middle -- as if you’re grabbing a pole -- with your hands sliding down to the level of your waist. Feel the energy as your hands pass down your body.

			4. Reaching to Heaven Inhale and clasp your hands at the level of your navel, and then raise your arms as if you’re reaching toward heaven. Lean to the right as you exhale, and then inhale as you come back to the center. Use the same technique as you lean to the left. Finally, bring your hands down in front of your navel as you exhale.

			5. Bow, Bend, and Stretch As you inhale, bow forward from the waist while your hands slide down your thighs and onto your knees. Bend at your knees and squat with your hands on the insides of knees. (Do not exhale until you come back up; this really works the control of your breath.) Then, stretch your legs as you let your torso hang to the floor, keeping your knees slightly bent. As you slowly rise up, exhale, allowing your head to be the last part of the body to rise up.

			6. Stepping over the Fence Inhale and deliberately shift your weight to the left until the right leg has no weight on it. Lift your leg only when it is weightless. Pretend that your right hand is attached to your right knee by a string. With your hand over your knee and leg, exhale as you rotate your leg and arm to the right -- as if you’re stepping over a 1-foot fence. Slowly lower your heel, foot pointed out, and then rotate your foot frontward as you transfer weight to the right. Repeat with your left side.


			7. White Stork Kicks Up Raise your hands in front of your body while your elbows remain slightly bent and your hands cross each other in front of your body. Move them above your head in a circular motion as you inhale. At the same time, lift your right knee and, as you kick out, start to exhale. Your foot should be flexed, kicking out with the heel. You should be kicking at a 45-degree angle, with your foot raised up like a stork and moving away from your straight left leg. Straighten your right leg as it’s rotated to the right. Your arms should move with your leg as you alternate sides.

			8. Lifting a Knee Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Inhale as you step forward with your left foot at a 45-degree angle and raise your hands in front of you with palms facing each other. As you exhale, lift your right knee and clasp your hands over your knee as you hold it in the air. Keep your back straight and the knee of your standing leg slightly bent. You should feel the stretch in your lower back. Let go of your knee as you inhale and step back with your right foot, again raising your hands with palms together. Exhale as you bring your left foot back to center and lower your hands to your sides.

			9. Polishing the Mirror With your pelvis tucked under and back straight, use your shoulders to circle your arms and squat down as you rotate your arms in one direction -- as though you are cleaning a mirror. After repeating three times (or more), repeat with your arms moving in the opposite direction. Inhale as you squat down, and exhale as you rise.

			10. Picking Up the Suitcase With your back straight, pelvis tucked, and feet shoulder-width apart, squat back with your hands open and beside your knees, as if you were reaching for luggage located behind your legs. Go only as low as possible, as if you were grasping luggage handles. (If your knees are strained, your posture is incorrect.) Repeat, as if you were putting the luggage back on the floor.

			11. Universal Post With your back straight, step forward with your left leg, and put your arms around an imaginary wide post, elbows bent and shoulders relaxed. Roll the post to the right and then to the left. Repeat with the other foot forward.

			12. Monkey Hears a Noise In this exercise, you'll inhale as you step out, and exhale as you look over your shoulder. With your knees slightly bent, step out to the left and lean forward in a twisted position, with your right arm extended forward and your left hand closed in a fist next to your left hip. Turn your head to look over your left shoulder, as if you’re a monkey running forward while hearing a noise behind you. You should feel a stretch in your right calf, lower back, and neck. Then, rotate in the opposite direction, with your body facing toward the right.

			13. Standing Meditation Clasp your hands over your tan tien (that’s 2 inches below the navel) and breathe, focusing on the movement of your belly. Keep your legs bent and spread, and your hips tucked under with a straight back. Do this for about 2 minutes -- that’s the maximum most people can focus.

And Still I Wait

2009-04-29T09:44:00.013+05:30

In a bookstore not far away
Amidst rows of neatly stacked books for children
Jane who grew beetroot red because she couldn't decide
what to eat for dinner
And Julian the mouse with long whiskers,
I wait

A book in hand to kill time
I read about a phenomena called 'musicophilia'
Words glazed in sentences of sense
But tonight, distracted, I wait

A father and two children
The little girl, bold in her approach
The little boy, shy at first, follows his sister
They sit beside me at my vantage point
To watch the city beyond the glass
Move like a myriad of fast moving light lines

"Read me a book, dad"
Dad tries to hush them
But children - the concept of speaking in hushed tones
Is unnatural and unusual
"Read me a book, dad," she says again
As they sit beside me - a family,
United by the printed words of a stranger,
I wait

It's almost closing time
"Please make your purchase," says the announcer
"For we are about to close."
Stay open please, there's still hope today

Finally - a familiar scent and the click-clack of heels
on a wooden floor
Another moment of false hope

The clock on the tower outside the window signals 7
"Kindly leave the store," says my old friend, the announcer
Outside the window, the city moves
In four different directions at a busy intersection
Each life intertwined, intermingled in a common hope to survive
To thrive, to repeat the cycle
It's just another day at the bookstore
Still waiting...

Confessions of a Mumbler

2009-04-28T10:19:00.005+05:30

I'm a mumbler. It's a self-protection mechanism. When you've got a quick wit that lands you in trouble because your sarcasm is not funny, you learn to develop ways to confuse people. So, when I've just said (mumbled) something controversial, the extra seconds before I am asked to repeat what I just said (mumbled), helps me to quickly assess the risk of my sarcasm. Based on the few seconds of thought-clarity, I will either repeat what I said in a humorous tone, or say something entirely different.

It's become such a subconscious part of my verbal interactions that even when I've got something smart and sensible to say - I end up mumbling. And how often we regret not having said the right thing at the right time. So, I've decided to fix the mumbling.

The only time I'm very articulate, clear, precise in speech is when I'm angry. All I need to fix the mumbling is to carry a list of things that annoy me.

The Pressure of Social (Online Networking) Isolation

2009-04-25T23:52:00.006+05:30

Rewind back a few years to the time when Hi5 and Orkut were the giants of social networking. Facebook (fb) was exclusive and that exclusivity led to a sudden surge of activity that re-shaped common perspective on online networking. Remember how most of your friends were hesitant to join 'another' site and some even swore off using fb. That was then. Asking someone today if they're on fb is a redundant question. Everyone uses it. Or rather, fb uses most people.
Over the years, I've noticed people going off fb for short periods of time, only to return in a few months. The smart people at fb anticipated the psychological disadvantage of social (online networking) isolation and programmed fb in such a way that information would be retained if the individual wished to return at a later date. In most cases, they did return.

Present day: Twitter. I associate that word with the early morning chirp of a bird. It signals the advent of something fresh, a new day - sunshine and a whole day of opportunity. Imagine if that bird twittered within ear shot all day long. As often as it liked.
The current rage in social networking is Twitter* - a site that lets you enter a feed of 140 characters, a brief update on what you're doing.
Get this - 50 Cent has a Twitter P.A. For some, it's hard work entering 140 characters.

I guess, in a way - this blog is a gloriously magnified tweet. Although, I'd like to think of it more as a roar of my thoughts. If I blogged a few sentences every hour, updating my current list of activities/thoughts/plans - I'd feel sorry for anyone reading it. And I'd have to feel silly for wasting all that time.

Someday soon, maybe we'll all be Twittering incessantly. Maybe.
The smart ones will learn to use it to their advantage. Because, eventually, 'online social-networking isolation pressure' gets to even the most stoic.

*"Twitter is a free social networking and micro-blogging service that enables its users to send and read other users' updates known as tweets. Tweets are text-based posts of up to 140 characters in length which are displayed on the user's profile page and delivered to other users who have subscribed to them (known as followers)."

Sometimes in April

2009-04-19T10:08:00.003+05:30

It's April again. Autumn induces creativity, motivating and energizing the senses, slowly building an anticipation for the hardships and challenges of winter. For some, though, it brings back painful memories of incomprehensible violence. April, 1994 marked the 100 days of slaughter of nearly a million people in what is now called the genocide in Rwanda.

Don Cheadle played the role of Paul Rusesabagina in Hotel Rwanda and together with John Prendergast, wrote an insightful book, 'Not On Our Watch'. I couldn't believe what was written in the book. It hit home later, when I watched a lesser known film, "Sometimes in April," based on a true story of a Hutu army general with a Tutsi wife caught in the middle of the politically charged battle between the Hutus and the Rwandan People's Front (RPF).

Fifteen years later, the story continues under a similar guise in Sri Lanka, Pakistan and several other war-torn countries. The banner on the right column of this blog links to a web site that proposes to garner political support to save children who are abducted and then forced to fight in Uganda.

The wheel is turning again. The Justice Generation is preparing to launch an offensive with a message that is more than words. It's time to speak. To act. To write. To live a life that's bigger than the fulfillment of our dreams. To seek in some way to change the life of someone else.

In the end we will remember
Not the words of our enemies
But the silence of our friends

Martin Luther King Jr.

An article that summarizes the history of violence in Rwanda and the genocide of 1994:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/1288230.stm

17 Again

2009-04-15T18:56:00.006+05:30

In a case of reel life imitating real life, according to my 'Real Age' test, I am 18.8 years old. After losing points because I could not give them the exact figures of my heart beat rate, cholesterol and blood pressure. So really, I should be 17!

Unlike Matthew Perry (in the movie '17 Again'), I prefer my real age.

Simple Ideas - Dramatic Results

2009-04-15T06:44:00.002+05:30

The "Kyoto Box", named after the United Nations' Kyoto Protocol won the $100,000 science prize for ideas to fight global warming.

The cost of the box is under $10 and is aimed at billions of people who use firewood to cook.

"We're saving lives and saving trees," the Kyoto Box's developer Jon Boehmer, a Norwegian based in Kenya, said.

Hindisight Is Like A Butterfly

2009-04-14T06:11:00.003+05:30

How far is far,
how high is high?
We'll never know
until we try.
From Special Olympics Song

Mistakes are unavoidable. Our attempts at lofty ideals often result in mistakes. Errors which, like a caterpillar's cocoon present an ugly face. The beauty of hindsight is wise instruction. Hopefully we learn and avoid making the same mistakes.

The important thing is that we keep trying. Keep pushing boundaries.

Sure, We Got Shaky After School!

2009-04-12T08:10:00.004+05:30

How Does Anyone Live Without a Phone?

2009-04-10T11:26:00.002+05:30

I managed alright. For nearly two months. Back on though, same old number.

Talking ipod!

2009-04-04T12:52:00.003+05:30

Due to some uncontrollable urge of nature, my Apple products die the day I start enviously desiring a technological upgrade.
The new 4GB ipod shuffle is on sale and just as I was checking it out, my classic ipod bailed on me. Dead. With about 30GB of audio. Of course, it's all backed up. On the hard drive that conked out last year. I'd have a panic attack if I was sentimental about my music.
Luckily, the good stuff is on CDs. Maybe I will upload it again on the new ipod that talks.

Things You Learn From Reading Newspaper Comic Strips:

2009-04-01T18:00:00.005+05:30

$3 - A Day's Wage?

2009-03-25T12:57:00.003+05:30

Lately, I've been browsing through websites for freelance writing jobs. One of them had multiple advertisements for web developers, content and technical writers. Employers include a job description and writers bid on projects. The bids seemed awfully low, so I clicked on a few out of curiosity. The average bid from freelance writers for a 750-1000 word article was below $5, which is absolutely ridiculous.

I clicked on the profiles of some of the writers and then it all made sense. Most of them were from India and Nepal. Some of them even have PhDs and Postgraduate degrees. It makes business sense, but one has to feel for writers in Australia who churn out quality, but lose out on the massive difference in cost of living across continents.

It reminded me of my days as an editor for an online site in Hyderabad. The pay was around Rs. 500 for editing 2-3 articles. Strange thing is, I never got to see my employers. It was all online and once a month, I'd walk into the office and the security guard would pass me a white envelope with a cheque inside. In stark contrast, my next writing stint, with a magazine was all about meeting people.
Writing for a lifestyle magazine was way more fun. Maybe I should just focus on fun-writing and leave the more serious stuff to my Indian colleagues who can afford to outbid me by a mile.

Ways to Save the Planet

2009-03-25T09:40:00.002+05:30

The Discovery Channel recently screened four radical ideas on conserving/generating inexhaustible energy. I wonder if this would actually work?

The Art of Simplicity is Making Peace with Your Complexity*

2009-03-23T04:02:00.006+05:30

* India Arie

Smell My Flavour

2009-03-18T12:08:00.005+05:30

Lunch with the boys at home is more like housewives at a party. When we get a chance to hang out at home, it's wild. Today's topic of conversation was about how some men (with no awareness) mislead members of the opposite sex just by being friendly. After a lengthy discussion, the Italian man said in exasperation, (with arms stretched out), "It's like saying - Smell my flavour." He obviously meant something else, but we picked up on the phrase and have given it new meaning.
It's the new catchcry. T-shirts, shopping bags, billboard ads, chocolate-coloured bottles of perfume. It's a statement.

My Italian flatmate wants to be the salsa dancing male (in the TV commercial for the perfume), who turns around with a toss of his wild hair and entices with his rich accent, 'Smell my flavour...'
If you've ever met him, you're picturing it right now. And probably laughing.

The next best thing from being alone for a man is to be in the company of good men.

The Fight

2009-03-13T02:44:00.005+05:30

I've been challenged to a fight. Not a mean-spirited, let's take this outside brawl, but an organized clash of two art forms. It all started with an innocent conversation. Doesn't it always?

I was at work, chatting with one of the fitness instructors, a bulky kick boxer. He told me stories from his childhood about being beaten up and then turning the tables on the bullies. He recently got picked on by four Colombians at a night club and creamed all of them. The way he described the fight, bouncing around, weaving and ducking was hilarious, until he showed me his busted knuckle and blood-stained hoodie.

We struck a deal. For the next four months, my friend is going to teach one of his friends how to kickbox. I'm going to learn Aikido and then we face off each other.
Protection: A head guard and groin guard.
Weapon of choice: Fists.

Why? It's relational. Fear restricts us from engaging in life. This is no different to me learning to surf on a beach with sharks, teaching a class a Bollywood move or even going out swing dancing. The fear of trying something we haven't done before is compounded by the stress of not knowing the outcome. I refuse to let fear selectively choose what I do in life. Does that mean I'm never afraid? No - there are some things that still freak me out. Ocean depths. Snakes (more disgusted than fear). Riding rickety cable cars over a gorge. Telling a girl I like her.

So, you see, in comparison, beating up a stranger and getting beat up... it's perfectly natural.

I'm a Man of Few Words... Any Questions?

2009-03-02T19:19:00.004+05:30

I feel like I should write something sensible. It's my birthday and so far, it's been brilliant. All 50 minutes of it. It started with midnight salsa in the center of the city (alone, under lamp posts), while waiting for the bus. This is one of those few occasions I can't do without a phone. So, I'm either buying a new one, with a new number or getting my old number activated in the morning.
These two weeks without a phone have been a revelation. But I'm starting to feel like a monk. I'm too addicted to technology to do without something as basic as a mobile phone.

The Slow Suffocation of Art

2009-02-20T04:08:00.007+05:30

Last night, I was at the National Songwriter's Appreciation night with a friend, giving artists feed back on their songwriting/performance skills. We made friends with an American producer from L.A. who publishes a music journal in Sydney. We discussed the lack of tourists in Sydney due to the recession and the affect it would have on the music industry.

According to our friend, a good manager and a hectic tour are essential for any artist to sell records. It's a tough life with grueling schedules and could be the reason why serious song writers and gifted artists struggle to cope. It's just too difficult.

Supporting art is as simple as buying CDs or songs on itunes, rather than downloading them illegally on music-sharing programs. I'm surprised at how easily people justify stealing music and movies online. If you cannot afford it, should you really have it? The most common excuse is, "The record labels make all the money, not the artists, why should I support greedy record label executives?" The simple answer is - that's the corporate structure everywhere. Your boss makes money because of your work, how would you feel if your clients preferred not to pay you for your work because the profits from the business go straight to the top? The result, unfortunately is an increasing amount of struggling artists who, despite being excellent at their art, are forced to take up extra jobs to pay their bills. Sadly, that's bad news for art. What's left behind is commercially-driven noise packaged to appease our short attention spans.

On a side note, one of the performers was a platinum record selling RnB/soul artist and producer. We were impressed by his bio until our producer friend informed us that in Australia, platinum is 20,000 records. That's still a big deal, hey?

Modern Hand Analysis

2009-02-14T10:21:00.007+05:30

Six years ago, at a work party on a Friday night in Melbourne, my colleague, who was a self-confessed 'palmist' started indulging the curiosity of a half-inebriated crowd. A queue formed quickly and people started shouting our drinks as she read their palms. Out of curiosity, I started observing the connection between hands and their owner's behavioural patterns. Over time, I've developed my own theories about palmistry and hand analysis. In my opinion, palms are not an accurate indication of a person's future. You can make predictions based on past and current events, which amounts to nothing more than an educated guess. A person's characteristics, on the other hand, can be determined by studying their hands (and various other aspects of their behaviour.) Modern hand analysis, unlike ancient palmistry, is the science of studying both hands as a whole. Here's a little to get you started:

The line closest to the base of the fingers is the heart line. The head and life lines run parallel to it and the alleged fate line cuts through one or both of the first two lines.
The lines on both hands are asymmetric.
Common sense reveals that soft hands are an indication of an enjoyment of the finer things in life. Coarsely textured hands often indicate a coarse nature.
Flexible hands usually signify a relaxed, easy-going and flexible personality
The lines on your hand change over time.
What do the lines mean? Well, you'll have to buy me a drink sometime.

Later that night, my friend looked at my lines and told me that I would not marry my girlfriend at the time. The 'one' would be the fourth woman I'd date seriously after that relationship.

Elephants as Weapons of War

2009-02-07T19:31:00.002+05:30

Inspired by a question on ancient war tactics, I looked up the origins of using elephants as weapons of war (Geek Alert!).
Elephants were first used in battle by the Persians (Darius III) against Alexander the Great in modern day Iraq. The Persians lost the battle, despite the presence of 24 elephants causing a stir among the Macedonians. The elephants were brought from India and referred to as "Indians."

I've always wondered what it would be like to go back in time with missile launchers and guns. Do you ever get that thought when you watch movies with old-school wars?
Of course, I then have to remind myself that I dislike wars and killing is not cool. Let's just scare people into submission using elephants.
Extra geek points if you looked at the picture and recognized it as an oliphaunt (yup, Lord of the Rings).

The Rhapsody Evangelist

2009-02-04T18:36:00.004+05:30

My house mate is a big fan of Rhapsody, the music digital service that allows you to stream songs and add them on playlists. They have virtually any song you can think of.

Tonight's random Rhapsody browsing find is an Indie band called "Noah and the Whale" and the song, "Five Years Time," is, umm.... questionably fun, fun, fun:

The Next Train Stop Is... Never Mind

2009-02-02T12:11:00.003+05:30

The longest name for a village is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch!

It's a small village in Wales. Imagine telling someone you're getting off at the railway station. Thankfully, for the large number of tourists to the village, the shorter version of the town's name, 'Gogogoch,' is totally acceptable.

The Real Hero of the Incredible 'Nadal-Verdasco' Semi at the Australian Open

2009-01-31T08:56:00.005+05:30

Did anyone notice the black kid linesman at the semi-final on Friday night? My house mates were cracking up at his expressions as the camera zoomed in on him several times. The poor kid was clearly not interested in the match, he had other things on his mind. Apart from his slight disinterest in the game - he yawned, scratched his unmentionables, played with his cap and settled into the typical stance of a rebellious hip-hop kid. On national TV. We found him extremely entertaining.

Each time the camera panned on him during the five-hour game, we guessed he was thinking:

"Come on boys, I've got a bucket of fried chicken at home and it's getting cold."
"Fellas, I could have braided my fro and got dread locks done by now."
"Man, this is the most work I've done all year. We have a black President in the US, but you guys are making me watch lines while you play? What's the deal, yo?"
"Alright, enough's enough, pass me the ball now, I'll show you how it's done!"

Anyway, this is for all the ball boys/girls/linesmen/umpires (especially those that have to put up with Andy Roddick's childish behavior.) You guys are the real heroes of the game.

Protectionism or Opportunity?

2009-01-29T03:10:00.005+05:30

The challenges of a decline in global economic growth has created a lot of discussion over how personal finances should be handled. The three main streams of thought are:

A bold approach to capitalize and cash in on the reduced interest rates and drop in prices of investment options.
A closed-fist tightening of the belt, focus on saving and cutting down on expenses.
Continuing with life as normal. The slowdown has not affected all areas yet and the economy is bound to suffer if we stop spending.

Perhaps the best strategy is to adopt each of these approaches based on individual lifestyles and priorities. Protectionism hampers growth, opportunism could be reckless.
One thing is certain, things won't get so bad that we are forced to hunt animals and live in the wild. Oh right, there isn't much of either left. Maybe the future is going to look a lot like the movie Wall-E?

P.S. - If you're bored, try these games, they're pretty addictive:
http://adisney.go.com/disneyvideos/animatedfilms/wall-e/flash_site.html?deeplink=Games

Appu From 'The Simpsons' Is Not Your Average Indian

2009-01-27T18:37:00.005+05:30

I met a linguist recently, she specializes in English and teaches non-native speakers of the language. We discussed the difficulties of learning a language as an adult and she politely corrected my pronunciation of certain words.
I handed her the menu at the Indian restaurant and let her make a mockery of simple words in Hindi with amusing results (for me.)
Isn't it strange how the "Indian accent" cops so much flak? For most of us, English is our second or third language and I think we do pretty well.

Hey, how cool would it be if Slum Dog Millionaire scores a few Oscars? Fantastic movie. Forget the talk of the West exploiting commercial agenda, it's a good movie and deserves credit.

Challenging Thoughts

2009-01-25T17:45:00.000+05:30

Proverbs 23:7 - As a man thinketh in his heart, so he is.

Every unchecked, unchallenged thought has a destination. It leads to either right or wrong action. Sometimes, a thought builds momentum, collected over time, resulting in action to achieve a desired outcome.

Most idle thoughts begin with wondering. The what ifs of our mind are a mirage of an oasis in a vast desert. A temporary reprieve from how things are, a trip to nowhere. The what ifs of the past are even more dangerous. "What if: I said something different to that person; handled that situation another way; behaved in a certain manner..." Nothing changes.
Although we all have a secret thought life, it is evident in our actions, our relationships.

If you indulge in right living, right thought and action, reality might throw a curve ball at you. Just don't sit there expectant, hoping for things to go right while your mind entertains negative, self-depreciating thoughts.

Hilarious!

2009-01-22T21:23:00.003+05:30

I heard someone describing the antics of a group, "Improv Everywhere." A few hundred 'agents' follow the instructions of a leader on a megaphone in public places.
This is the first one I heard about, the Grand Central Freeze...

Hair Colour has no Correlation to Intelligence

2009-01-21T04:16:00.005+05:30

During a conversation with an acquaintance, a stranger jumped in, all bubbly and excitable. After being introduced, we told her that we were discussing the President's inaugural speech, to which she replied, "Which President? I'm not really into politics."
"The American President!"
To my amusement, she then said, "Oh, is it that black guy?"
My acquaintance, (smart thing), quickly changed the topic of conversation to modeling and fashion.
Turns out, the conversation intruder is actually very smart. Sharp and passionate about the things that matter to her. It's good to know that someone is not being swept up in all the media hype. It's almost refreshing to meet someone with such an entirely different way of doing life. Forces you to deconstruct what you believe is intrinsic and makes you question how your priorities are shaped.

As for the speech, it was inspirational.

Sunday mornings are for Bob Marley, Sausage and Eggs, Sunny Weather and the Beach

2009-01-18T05:27:00.007+05:30

Ever wonder who thought of frying the first egg?
I've hit up on this breakfast formula that works really well. First fry sausages, eggs and bacon, all on the same big frying pan. Then place the pan in an oven for ten minutes at 150c. When you get it right - bam! Tastes even better when the sun is shining.

Days like today remind me of Goa. Best friends, Kingfisher shack, fantastic weather, the best Jamaican pancakes I've had, great beach and Bob Marley all day...

Net Reclusive

2009-01-09T09:33:00.002+05:30

A month after moving into the new apartment, we still haven't sorted out the internet. Apparently the Christmas holidays are a bad time to get a new connection.
Suits me. I check my email once in a few days and it saves a lot of time. I miss writing online, but my journals are filling up fast. The mobile stays home too most days, if it's important, I've got voicemail. You don't realize how much idle time is spent checking email and the phone until you lay off them for a few weeks.
I'm enjoying my technology detox. Reducing my information intake is doing a lot of good to my attention span. If it's not important, useful or necessary, do I really need to know?

2009-01-05T15:20:00.002+05:30

At the end of a random conversation with an older Sri Lankan man, he told me his name.
'Sriranganathan is the surname and my Christian name is Shiva.'

Couldn't help the lop sided grin. I think he knew why I thought it was so amusing.

Changes

2008-12-27T07:11:00.007+05:30

This is the week of doing things I've never done before. Each day, my house mate and I intend to try something new and explore places we would never visit.
Yesterday (Boxing Day) was quite bizarre. The city was swamped with a sea of shoppers, on the hunt for the biggest discounts. Someday they'll realize how they ironically end up spending more by buying unnecessary items just because they're on sale. I still love shopping, just not when there's hordes of people frantically snapping up stuff. Anyhow, work was insanely busy, longest day this year. I couldn't wait to get home and relax. Ended up playing a frenetic game of Egyptian Rat Screw with some friends.

Life moves on, a new cycle begins. Change doesn't have to be drastic or major. A few adjustments here and there and before you know it, you're a completely different person. I like what I see. Good changes. Very excited for the new year. Time doesn't change, but through its passage, people do.

Man's Best Friend

2008-12-08T11:13:00.005+05:30

Men are easy to shop for. So are women. All you have to do is notice.

Earlier this morning, I said goodbye to a friend. She bought a Japanese sword for her fiancee back home. I flipped when she showed it to me. Maybe because I grew up on Robert Jordan and sword-weilding superheroes, maybe because martial arts fascinates me... either way, I love swords. Swords over guns anyday.

As a kid, I'd listen to my dad explaining to my very peaceful aunt that my karate classes were an appreciation of an art form, not to incite me to get into fights. As a ten year old, I failed to see how knuckle push-ups on concrete floors or grown men running over your abs could possibly be represented as an art form. But I loved it.

Swords are another matter altogether. Agreed, they are expensive as gifts. Perhaps not of much worth these days. Some say the same about diamonds. But they're still a girl's best friend.

A sword is a man's best friend.

Just Another Saturday at Work

2008-11-29T16:47:00.004+05:30

She stood for a minute, staring in through the glass door, with a look of uncertainty on her face. It was cold and wet outside, uncomfortable weather. She pushed the door and walked in, the look of uncertainty slowly turning into one of perplexity. "Michael... job..." She sounded Japanese, but he decided not to ask. He received an insulted look the last time he asked a Chinese man, Nihonjin Desu Ka?

"Michael... job... city," she said, pointing to the front door. He looked out at the steady drops of rain. Whoever Michael was, he definitely was not at work outside in the rain. Any effort to construct a conversation earned him an even more confusing look from the young girl who seemed to be disappointed at his lack of understanding. He tried to ask her if she had an address or location. "Michael... job.. city, no English," she said. The look in her eyes conveyed exasperation, he was helpless as he looked at her, not knowing how to communicate. He offered to take her next door, since she was pointing outside. There was no Michael next door, just a bunch of amused construction workers trying to add finishing touches to a suit shop. He had to get back to work, she half-smiled and caught the attention of an older man who walked up to her.

Maybe she was visiting her boyfriend in Sydney and decided to surprise him at work. Good luck finding a Michael in the city.
She stood outside explaining to the older gentleman, in the same three words, that she was looking for a guy named Michael, who was either working in the city or was supposed to meet her regarding employment in the city. A passerby stopped and started talking to her in a Chinese dialect, got his phone out and dialed a number. It was Michael. Her Michael, who worked in the city, in a nearby shop.

The rain continued its onslaught on the concrete road. He wondered if the advances we made in constructing complex languages had actually robbed us off the power of communicating without words. Somewhere not so long ago, humans relied largely on body language to communicate. For a brief moment, he discovered the art of communicating with his eyes. The dance of the pupils.

Reframing an Ancient Text

2008-11-28T03:52:00.005+05:30

A frame is what you see things through. It's when you apply certain parameters to an object or a person, which determines how you treat them/it.

The Bible is an ancient text, reproduced with an extremely high level of accuracy for us to read today. If we all had to study Hebrew/Greek/Latin and Aramaic just to read it, perhaps its popularity would wane over time. So, translations help. Imagine then, if someone decided to re-print it in contemporary, magazine style, with modern images (Angelina Jolie?)

I wonder what the response is going to be to 'The Book' (story from BBC):
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/7750842.stm

I reckon the most fun to read would be the 'Bible in Cockney.' In it, Jesus feeds "five thousand geezers" with "five loaves of Uncle Fred and two Lillian Gish". The Lord's Prayer morphs from "For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory" to "You're the Boss, God, and will be for ever, innit?"

The problem with framing someone or an object and thinking of them in a certain way restricts our potential. Framing does not affect the object, it affects how we see it and our response to it.
Should 'The Book' offend Christians because of its provocative images? Or should we stop carrying around abstract wooden squares which restrict our world view?

The Need for Closure

2008-11-26T16:54:00.005+05:30

Schubert's Unfinished Symphony

A harmonic cadence is a term for two chords that conclude a section, phrase or piece of music. It lends finality or gives new direction to the music. Based on the cadence, the listener decides if that particular piece has concluded. Sometimes, at a concert, the performer pauses for a moment and the audience starts the applause because they heard a perfect cadence and assumed the conclusion of the music.

Most music ends well. Or has a definitive ending. Music that does not end in an appropriate cadence can sound incomplete and without resolution. It disturbs the human mind.
Schubert's unfinished symphony is a classic example of music with unexpected dynamics and a seemingly unfinished ending. It starts in doom and gloom and suddenly rises to a magnificent high. The tempo and mood of the music changes randomly, demonstrating the power of classical music on human emotions. There is some debate about the ending - was it meant to be unfinished or did Schubert intend to come back to the piece at a later date and complete it? It causes a feeling of uneasiness in the listener. Inconclusive art forms, such as Schubert's symphony or paintings that are not finished, can leave people unsettled.

Relationships that have an irresolute ending have a similar effect. The word used most commonly to indicate a harmonic cadence in relationships is 'closure.' In High Fidelity, John Cusack, for most of the movie, seeks closure from his past relationships. It helps him to finally commit to the relationship he walks away from at the beginning. I'm not a big advocate for leaving things unfinished, but timing plays a key role in relationships. There's a time and a place...

What is it about us that searches for resolution? I wonder if it's possible to let loose ends be loose ends, even if they disturb you for a while. The final completion of all things, when that happens is the only resolution worth chasing. Except, it cannot be chased.
So maybe we let some pieces of music or relationships end in non-resolution. Flip the page and start afresh. As long as there's music to be written, why bother going back to some 19th century piece of music (however incredible), to debate on whether it was meant to be finished or unfinished?

Because relationships are the essence of living. Art, on the other hand can be interpreted any way you like.

Early Morning Television and Good Food

2008-11-25T17:44:00.004+05:30

Monday.
Breakfast, 5.30am. Channel 7 - The Sunrise Show.
My first stint on Australian TV. The executive chef at the Hilton was on the show and prepared a fantastic three-course breakfast for the audience. A couple of the acts were interesting, but the best part was getting to see a three-hour live breakfast show put together.

Lunch, 12pm. One of Sydney's top restaurants, with a glass wine tower.
The best sirloin I've ever tasted. Too good.

Dinner, 5pm. A cafeteria at the Hilton.
Creamy pasta with chicken, spinach and mushrooms. Spoiled by fantastic food the whole day.

Supper, 12pm. Home.
Microwaved meat pie and a packet of Kettle chips. Four hours of dancing and I'm famished.

When you're that hungry, even the best gourmet meals in the city are on par with a meal prepared in four minutes in the comfort of your kitchen.

Distracted by an Old Man

2008-11-24T18:43:00.003+05:30

An incredible old man. Claudio Arrau playing Beethoven's Piano Concerto No. 5 - before his death in 1991. Inspired by baroque music, I'm writing a piece on the emotional effect of music from that era. More to do with closure and how music seems incomplete without resolution. It ties in with how we do relationships too. Long shot, but it'll need some editing. In the meantime...

All Set for the Grin Revolution

2008-11-20T17:57:00.002+05:30

I spent an hour today studying people's faces. Particularly to note when and how they smiled. Here are some of my observations:

No one smiled in solitude.
Most of the smiles were U-shaped. Quick smile-type lesson: U shaped smiles are when the teeth are hidden, believed by some to be an indication of a reserved personality. C shaped smiles are the ones you see on magazine covers, exposed pearly white teeth. People with C shaped smiles are generally regarded as more friendly and approachable. Of course you could throw that theory out the balcony, I'd support you because my smiles are usually U's.
Most people frown way more than they smile.
Women have this funny way of twitching their eyebrows when they smile. Men tend to raise their eyebrows slightly and bob their heads back ever so slightly.
I really need to learn how to use my spare time effectively.

Dancing in the Moonlight

2008-11-15T05:01:00.004+05:30

It's a beautiful morning outside. Perfect to stay indoors, wrapped up in a meandering cul-de-sac of thoughts. The past 24 hours have provided me with a lot to mull over. Insightful conversations, covering a wide range of topics. An early morning birthday breakfast for a friend filled with baked delicacies and an even longer conversation. The common theme in all these conversations was 'dreaming.'

It's not something we're all talking about as a result of the kind of training we're receiving at college or that this month's theme is to dream out loud. Instead, we're verbalizing what stirs us, expressing our deeper desires, the things that go beyond the superficial stuff of everyday life. There are a few things that fuel my dream. Listening to other people's dreams is one of them. Part of what I call my 'Dream Project.'

The other thing that inspires me is the beauty of nature.
Last night, in between dances at a Latin club with a live band, I stood at the window with a friend. As we were admiring the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge, we noticed the expanse of water in between. The soft glow of moonlight dancing off calm water. Incredibly sexy.
I dream of dancing in the moonlight...

The original version of 'Dancing in the Moonlight' - King Harvest

Lifehouse - Everything

2008-11-13T16:20:00.001+05:30

On Thursday nights, I get to hang out with a bunch of amazing people at a backpackers hostel. Tonight, as one of them was jamming on the guitar, we sang this song. I figured I'd check it later. The skit based on the song really got to me.

Sounded Funnier The First Time

2008-11-13T16:17:00.002+05:30

Eddie Izzard - Star Wars, Death Star Canteen

Kids and Chocolate Milk - II

2008-11-08T17:08:00.004+05:30

On Sundays, I help out with Hillsong Kids, it's the kids' equivalent of church. The age group I'm involved with is 4-6 years, which is a little younger than the kids I'm accustomed to dealing with. But, they're not any less smarter with their mouths.

A random bit of floating conversation led to some of the kids talking about tea. I wonder if they ever tried all these flavours, but it started with, "I drink peppermint tea," echoed by, "Green tea's better," and "I just like normal tea with milk."
Suddenly, the (usually reserved) Korean kid jumped in, "I like boo tea." Not sure if there was such a thing as 'blue tea,' we gave him a quizzical look. He then sticks his butt out, "You know... bootay."

One of the other leaders looked at me. We were unsure of how to respond, so we burst out laughing, as the Korean kid continued to wiggle his derriere. Sacrilegious and unhealthy for sure, but hilarious.

The last time I recorded such a conversation was a lot milder:
Kids and Chocolate Milk - I

It's all good in humour, but we need to be mindful that children are easily influenced by sexual imagery in media. It distorts what they perceive as normal.