An eleven year old dialectician...

16/6/2009, Tuesday...

There was an eleven year old boy who loved playing football.When he was in class 8th, his school, introduced SUPW('Socially Useful Productive Work..!') classes. The classes were scheduled to be held on Fridays in the last two periods. The students could 've chosen from various options like creative writing, dramatization, gardening, and some computer based activities, etc, etc...

When the options were provided to the students, the students, based on different schools of thought, could 've been easily divided into the following three categories : the studious types (mostly opted for the computer based 'SUPW') , the 'creative' types (opting for creative writing, dramatization, etc.) and those who were not interested in any of these, chose the class whose teacher incharge was the lenient of all(this happened to be the gardening class). The students were told to go to the respective teacher incharge of the activity and register themselves for the same. So, based on these laic classifications, the SUPW classes were enrolled for by the laity.

But there was this eleven year old kid who thought a bit otherwise, and what he did, is what really is, creativity(atleast for an 11 year old..). He didn't register his name in any of the activities and on fridays he used to go to the ground to play football.

This clandestine act continued for the entire year. But at the end of the year, when it was time to award grades to the students the boy was caught and paraded before the headmaster and when the headmaster and the other teachers came to know, they looked at the boy in a gobsmacked way that had the potential of becoming 'the look' of the next fashion season..!

They collectively reprimanded the boy and 'awarded' him an 'E' grade which meant that he just about managed to pass. As the teachers told him to leave the room after making him apologize and taking his signature on an undertaking they started talking about the clairvoyance and the creativity that this eleven year old possessed. The boy while leaving the room and while casting a few aspersions upon the teachers was very satisfied and very happy with what he had done.

Well Done Son...!!

I don't know what 've i written and why 've i done that. I don't know if anyone can ever interconnect my sporadic thoughts.I don't know if someone will ever try to. But do i care ?? ... i never did... n i still don't...

:)

The Rogue Vogue...

29/05/2009, Friday...

Of late i've developed a strong dislike for the word 'cool' (and also for its counterpart 'hot'). Everytime a boy (guy) or a girl (gal) delivers this word, my dislike grows stronger.The word is synonymous with 'good' or may be something else but that is what i made out of it. The word, kind of, epitomizes the urban youth.

The gilded youth of today - the late to bed and late to rise youth, the youth whose vitality lies with the 'touchscreen' , 3G compatible handsets(and those who don't have them,long for them), the i-pod youth, the Gucci and Kelvin Kleine youth(and not to mention those who pile up the cheaper alternatives to them, equally 'cool'..), the gals with "sartorial plights" (shorter the clothing, more expensive it is and more importantly cooler or maybe hotter (don't know) is the girl), the youth that regularly uses the words: fuck (guys), cheap (gals),etc., the 'boyfriend-girlfriend' youth, the disc going,pub going youth - are completely antithetic to what they are trying to imitate and what they are trying to achieve. The subtopia - the shopping malls, the multiplexes, the fast food chains... - is thronged by these vacuous urbanites. I used to think that hedonism is on the horizon, but it isn't, it's already there and is being accentuated by the media.

Not just the youth, there is an ever increasing number of 'cool parents' who want their children to be 'modern' and at the same time they want to conserve in them the rituals of past,the rituals of religion and the filial piety. The number of people going to temples and those involved in religious activities is on a rise and so is the number of homeless old age people and the crimes against the old.I fail to understand that why people travel hundreds of miles or stay awake for nights to please a Jagdambe Ma or a Santoshi Ma when their own Ma is on her deathbed counting her last breaths.

Celibacy is on a rise and so are the number of rape cases.
Fraternity is being subdued by the bonhomie fratricide of today.

I am tired of this cool new generation of Indian westerners, of the vague, undressed and tumultous utopian vanity of this cool gen X.


I don't know what 've i written and why 've i done that. I don't know if anyone can ever interconnect my sporadic thoughts.I don't know if someone will ever try to. But do i care ?? ... i never did... n i still don't...)

The diabolic 93rd minute and a ghoulish "anglophile"....

7/5/2009, Thursday...



An Arsenal fan, wearing an Arsenal jersey, in Nairobi, hanged himself to death after the gunners lost to Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League semi final 2nd leg at the Emirates. He was apparently, very disturbed with his team's performance.





But what are we, die-hard, Chelsea fans supposed to do ? We were not disappointed with our team, our team didn't play badly but we lost... thanks to "SOME" egregious refereeing by the match incharge - Tom Ovrebo, who works as a referee in the Norway League.I wonder how he beacame a "referee" or is it even right to call him a "referee" - he never 'referred' to the linesmen nor did he pay any heed to the 'referrals' made to him by the blues.


With Michael Essien's 9th minute, left footed volley which was bulleted into the Barcelona's goal, began the 83 minute period for which i was so happy, the faith kept on increasing as the minutes were ticking away and the road to Rome - where, this time, we'd 've crushed the lucky bastards - seemed like a highway ride rather than a bumpy ride. But then in the 93rd minute, with just 1 minute remaining, as fate would have it, Iniesta blowed our dreams away with a goal for Barcelona. Heartbreak for me and for all the blues out there.. I couldn't believe what i just saw, the sight obfuscated me.


The Barcelona goal was totally fair, no arguments about that, but by the time they scored we could have been or rather should have been 3-0 or may be 4-0 up, but we were not, because of that tonsured scamp - the Norwegian referee - who seemed to have missed all the clear cut fouls in the penalty area, which even a cow could have spotted. But he didn't. His career as a referee should end here. The final in Rome is going to be a flop show with none of the teams deserving to be there(because even Man U, too, rode their luck as they 've been getting all the easy teams in their knock-out rounds, and i hate them any way...)


After the disaster, i tried to sleep but just couldn't, i was restless and my lips were continuously uttering newer and newer insults for the referee. After half n hour i decided to go for a stroll in the nearby park. When i entered the park a dog started lookin at me and a moment later started walking with me. For some time i didn't pay any attention to the creature walking beside me and i, along with him completed one lap of the park and then when i decided to return to my room i decided to say goodbye to him. I sat on my toes, very affectionately i put my left hand on his back and very lovingly called him by a nickname and shook my right hand with, the equally willing, toe of his right fore limb. And the nickname was - TOM (OVREBO)......!!

I don't know what 've i written and why 've i done that. I don't know if anyone can ever interconnect my sporadic thoughts.I don't know if someone will ever try to. But do i care ?? ... i never did... n i still don't...)

A DOGmatic answer to the nature's call...

2/5/2009, Saturday...


Today, me and my friend went to PVR Prashant Vihar in the hope of finding a movie to watch, so that we could waste our 3 hours and hoped against all hopes, that we won't realize that we've been wasting time from the past three hours.

The movie ticket was worth Rs.150 (only...!) and owing to the "(widespread) budgetary problems that we are facing nowadays", we decided against the futile action. All's Well That Ends Well...



When we were standing in a nearby parking lot, i saw something which looked like "some-thing" to me..! A black stray dog was sniffing and tinkering around.He started sniffing the cars in the parking lot one-by-one.To my amazement, the cars were parked in the increasing order of their costs.And the dog was also sniffing the cars in that order. From the nadir, to the zenith, he sniffed them all and what he did in the end was indeed scrupulous, pragmatic and expedient - he lifted his hind limb, and with an air of panache, relieved himself onto the most expensive car...!!



A must know and a must have in the various paraphernalia of the economists...!!

I don't know what 've i written and why 've i done that. I don't know if anyone can ever interconnect my sporadic thoughts.I don't know if someone will ever try to. But do i care ?? ... i never did... n i still don't...)
:)

Embedded In The System ---->> Number One Zero....

23/4/2009, Thursday...

Today, i appeared for one of the two internal vivas of my final semester of "ENGINEERING" and the name of the subject was - Embedded Systems and what happened in it epitomizes my past 4-5 years.

Three of us were made to sit in front of the lecturer, who was chating to one of his close lecturer friends( who by his build, looks to me as if he's just been going for the jugular everytime he got into bed...!! ) who, in turn, was talking to his wife on the cell phone and both of them had a derisive smile on their faces for the three of us.

He asked each one of us the topics we were comfortable at. But i didn't even knew the name of the topics and so the word that i involuntarily uttered was - 'Basics...!!' and i felt a wee-bit smug after that.

After the viva was over the lecturer told the 1st guy that he managed a score of 30%, the second guy - an 80% and the third guy i.e me - a 0%. I couldn't answer a single question. The blank paper he gave me to write my answers and explanations onto was returned to him by me as it is - 'BLANK', not even a single ink mark on it.

After i got up from the hot seat the smugness inside my head was gone and was replaced by a true sense of satisfaction...!!


"When you know that your time is close at hand...
Maybe then you'll begin to understand....
Life down here is just a strange illusion....."


Am off to sleep now... got the second one tomorrow....!!

I don't know what 've i written and why 've i done that. I don't know if anyone can ever interconnect my sporadic thoughts.I don't know if someone will ever try to. But do i care ?? ... i never did... n i still don't...))

When i was chewed up, spit out and booed off.....

4/4/2009, Saturday...

Here's a short story that brought me back to life, my faith, my dreams, and kept me going..... A story which is always there with me in my heart, my soul, my head and, and in my wallet..! A story about faith...

There was a skinny young boy who loved football. Practice after practice, he eagerly gave everything he had. But being very weak as compared to other boys, he got absolutely nowhere. At all the games, this hopeful athlete sat on the bench and hardly ever got to play.

The determined young man decided to hang in there.. who knows perhaps he'd get to play when he became a senior. All through school he never missed a practice nor game but remained a bench-warmer all through.His faithful father was always there in the stands, always with words of encouragement for him.

When the young man went to college, he decided to try out for the football team.Everyone was sure that he could never make the cut, but he did.The coach admitted that he kept him on the roster because he always puts his heart and soul to every practice. He shared this with his father and he shared with him, his excitement. The persistent young athlete never got to play any game.It was the end of his senior football season, and as he trotted onto the practice field shortly before the big match, the coach met him with a telegram.

The boy read the telegram and became deathly silent.Swallowing hard, he mumbled to the coach, " My father died this morning.Is it all right if i miss the match today ?" The coach put his arm around him and said,"Take rest son and don't even plan to come back to the game for some time."

The game began and wasn't going well. The team was trailing. A young man slipped into the empty locker room and put on his football gear. As he ran onto the sidelines the coach and the players were astounded to see their faithful teammate back so soon. "Coach please let me play. I've just got to play today," said the young man. There was no way the coach wanted him to play in that situation.But, the young man persisted, and finally feeling sorry for the kid, the coach gave in.

Before long, the coach, the players and everyone in the stands could not believe their eyes.This unknown boy, who had never played before was doing everything right. In the closing seconds of the game this kid intercepted a pass and dribbled all the way, scoring the winning goal.

The fans broke loose and his teammates hoisted him onto their shoulders.Such cheering you never heard. The coach came to him and said,"Kid i can't believe it. You were fantastic! Tell me what got into you?"

He looked at the coach with tears in his eyes, and said,"Well, you knew my dad died, but did you know that my dad was blind?" The young man swallowed hard and forced a smile,"Dad came to all my games, but today was the first time he could see me play, and i wanted to show him that i could do it..."

I do know what 've i written and why 've i done that. I don't know if anyone can ever interconnect my (not sporadic) thoughts.I don't know if someone will ever try to. But do i care ?? ... i never did... and i still don't... and, i never will...

:)

Fields of Gold...

27/3/2009, Friday...


It has been drizzling throughout the day.The temperature of our city took a tumble today and had a free-fall.The temperature and the wind were very pleasant and this was very conspicuous in our city's behaviour.All the 'cool' guys and gals of the city were out with their friends to enjoy the weather.All the 'cool' couples of the city were out to enjoy the romantic weather.Bliss all-around, with water dripping from heaven...

But this subversion of the heat by the weather Gods wasn't welcomed by all.Some miles away from the bliss of 'our' city were men and women with tears in 'their' eyes and fear in 'their' hearts.Despair all-around, with water dripping from hell...

They weren't lunatics crying for things meant to be happy for.They were farmers standing in their 'Fields of Gold' in danger of being robbed off.Its time when - Wheat - our staple crop is being harvested.Even a small amount of rain can cause the hardwork of farmers, their families, their animals to be washed off.The tender love, the fostering and all the tireless hardwork put in by the sons, for their mother earth is in danger of being washed off by the 'cool and pleasant' drizzles.'The farmer' might have had a nubile daughter, a child who's to be admitted to an 'English' school, a mother and a wife to be taken care of and may be something for himself too.And its hard, really hard, when your dreams are being washed away in front of you and all you can do is cry helplessly.

I wish the winds veer again. I wish the bliss and joy goes where it really belongs to.I wish the smile on the farmer's face comes back.I wish his dreams start breathing again.
I wish the 'coolness' goes away and those 'un-cool' villagers wake up to a bright sunny day tomorrow.Let all the curses of the 'cool' guys and gals of our city fall on me, but not on those 'un-cool' workers who feed our nation.

I don't know what 've i written and why 've i done that. I don't know if anyone can ever interconnect my sporadic thoughts.I don't know if someone will ever try to. But do i care ?? ... i never did... n i still don't...