Lights.Camera.Drama.

The two masks associated with drama represent the traditional generic division between comedy and tragedy. They are symbols of the ancient Greek Muses,Thalia and Melpomene. 

Yes, stop rolling your eyes and wondering,"When the hell is she going to get to the point? and give us that life altering piece of wisdom, WHEN GOD WHEN??". You see now, why i picked to write about drama. I'm full of it. More on that later. 

So in our lives too we see a little of Thalia and a little of Melpomene; the comedy in how we tragically try to deal with the blows/lemons life gives us and the tragedy that we fail to see the comedy when its glaring right there in our faces. We end up way too much time trying to take ourselves too seriously and also making ourselves look like we mean business. I mean seriously, think about it, what purpose has that served. Remember when, the kid with bat always ran the show, "Merko batting nahi milega, toh main bat leke ghar jaa raha hoon". See, you owned the place!

Ok, not the best example, but you get my point right. People who say they hate drama, are just plain bored, boring or belong to Sweden. 

And me, well ask my friends and they will exaggerate a whole lot and it still won't do justice. Some may even go to the extent of calling me obnoxious, then again I flap my arms in their face and ask them to change their minds, whilst singing a song. Face it, we all need a little bit of fun,excitement, crazy emotional confrontations, lots of gasping and 3 times slapping of the poor souls around you (I am Divya Galagali and I have watched one too many Ekta Kapoor shows) 

We all have a flair for the dramatics, Indians I mean, and if you're a descendant from some other country, GO BACK <insert foreign name here> GO BACK!!! I'm just kidding, no seriously, Go!

Nautanki zindabad! This will be my party ka slogan/war cry/celebratory words,you have to vote for me. Voting Lines are open from 21:00 hours, The individual who votes the most, gets a evening with me , complete with bhel puri, nimbu marke and mosambi juice ( Please get your own plate and glass,thank you). Hurry up!!

Those who were looking for some sort of gyaan or have an epiphany on reading this post, I do not make apologies, but since you'll cry and make a big fuss about it, here you go.

“All the world's a stage and most of us are desperately unrehearsed” 
                                                                                      
                                                                                                                      - Sean O'Casey

Unplugged

There are a few things that I can remember from my childhood, stuff like, tripping over a toy,hiding under beds and tables, but one thing I distinctly remember is my mother's voice, singing to me, while she put me to sleep. I don't know how, but I can still unmistakably remember how I felt every time she sang, floating paradise. Yeah, that and I didn't have a care in the world, (considering I was 1-2,yea that feeling seems about right). Now that was mostly my ma, but the song, the feeling still lingers.

They say the best kind of music is the one that touches your soul. I haven't heard many of those recently, but any music that can invoke an emotion is a winner in my books.

We all have special memories attached with certain songs there are those that, moved you to tears,that made you laugh, that made you dance. There are people and there's their song, and no i'm not talking about artistes here, I am talking about your friends, like I have one song that I associate with almost each one of them. The songs range from classics to pop to bollywood, lots of rock, never rap, even if they like it, I can't stand it. It's just a lot of cuss words and New York city codes and stuff like dawg, yo,thang being yelled at regular intervals.

I've always been in awe of people who make music, who sing,They're wonderful people just because of it, well atleast the one's I've met are real gems. My music sir,back in school, he was something else, I am yet to meet somebody as awesome as him. A couple of friends who's singing always lifts my spirits,even when they are humming something distractedly. Then there are those who wouldn't mind listening to my crabby voice, and actually find it nice, beats me,but I have to admit it does feel good.

Above all, it's the numerous discussions I have with people because of music,with people I've never met or complete strangers, and whoever knows me will vouch that I can make walls talk ( that's NOT true!!!) but it's great to have talk to somebody who speaks your language, I would have never known about the epic Woodstock festival back in that late 60's,or known about how beautiful Spanish music is or the various genres of music I stumbled upon if it weren't for those memorable talks.

Today that I sat down and thought about it, it struck me how much it's a part of me, as much as I am of it. Sounds strangely philosophical, especially when it's coming from me, but it is what it is.

Music gives a soul to the universe

Wings to the mind

Flight to the imagination and

Life to everything.

( haha, chew on that!!)      

Lost In Translation

Moving to a new city, has its ups and downs. I am not much of an optimist, but I can see the glass as half-full, depends on what's in the glass. So in my view, wearing my brown-tinted glasses, new city, new people, new experiences. And as a very famous man said, "New is always better". Yea, Barney Stinson.

But with this comes a new challenge, I call it a challenge because it is quite a daunting task to stay away from your phone, your Ipod,Ipad,I-what-not, when you have nobody to speak to, and all you know is what's trending on Twitter, what's the latest on goal.com, cricinfo.com, what's the latest on which confessions page, where are you checking-in, what will you Instargram. I have forgotten, what it was like before we had all these 'smart' gadgets, faint memories though.

In my daily travels, to work and back. I have ample time to just look at people. Now looking means a lot of different things to different people, for me, its the observation bit and not stare or lech, though that too happens, occasionally. So while making that commute, everybody is absorbed in their own function, some lost in thought, others plugged into music and yet others hanging on to dear life from the little rope that we all clutch on to, now and then.
I was sitting listening to my all time favorite, "Hotel California",  and I see this girl, just ahead of me who was talking animatedly to her mom, and the mom heard her out and replied to her animatedly. I turned down the volume, to realize that the girl was speech impaired. I turned down my music all together, and the next 15 minutes I witnessed the most beautiful conversation I have ever witnessed. Through gestures she told her mother, that she saw a dog and how it followed her around, and when she turned to follow it, it licked her feet, and she loved it and asked her mom, if they could buy one. And then she spoke some more about some friends she met before, the trees that were passing, how they stood hung and dry because of the heat, and the bridge and a couple of cars, I could understand this, because I could read her lips and her mother's responses.
Here was someone who spoke I would say, because I understood everything she said, her heart out about her day, people she met, things she witnessed. And she wasn't done. She had a phone on her, but not once did she open it to even check for messages, so engrossed in describing her day, things she saw, things she felt. Now I’m a certified emotional fool, but I feel this was a incidence I think that would even makes stones budge.

^Talk about Irony!!! 

Among the best conversations I've had are with my dad, Just for the record and those who were sharpening their knives and forks, sorry folks. 

Now, what I say next, may make me come across as preachy, but what the hell, if you have been reading my blog, haven't you noticed? I Preach!!! Just makes you think at times, to switch off and just talk about things that are close to you with the people that are close to you, a little more often than you already do.

The Relapse of The Anti-Feminist

In light of what's happening in our blessed nation, the brutality inflicted on small kids, how people can even do something so heinous and still live with themselves is beyond me. Now I am no expert on criminal psych, so I don't have much to say on that account apart from 2 words, Hang him!, But I do have something to say on the feeling of feminism which is visible evidently post such crimes.

I won't campaign for gender equality! Crazy huh? coming from me, who's been howling about  better treatment of women all this while, rather obnoxiously? When one speaks of gender equality, it equates to men and women having, equal rights, same social standing and being treated the same. While I agree on the first 2 accounts, the third I'm a little skeptical about and here's why. Well, to begin with, I don't want to be treated like a man, an opinion I think most women would agree to I believe or rather hope. It's pretty simple actually. I am not a man, I don't have the same needs, so don't treat me like one. Yes, respect my space, treat me right according to my needs, rest I can deal with.

The one's leading these "treat us the same" campaigns, are the one's who'll expect a man to give up his seat in a crowded bus, open doors for 'em, jump the queue, get the picture, right?

At the risk of sounding "anti-feminist", I am not even remotely ashamed to admit that there are many things in my life which I wouldn't be able to do without the help of a man. Simply shooting down ideas and opinions that don't sound pro-women is pointless and this non nonsensical feminist ideologies are what give me sleepless nights (only when I am downloading Grey's Anatomy episodes) 
All I am saying is, the easiest way to end this tirade between genders, is to treat them as individuals, see what you like or hate about them, before stereotyping them based on their gender. And this is for both men and women!

Celebrating womanhood is a great thing, but this kind of mob mentality and needless demands aren't going to serve any purpose. Instead one could just focus on making the best of what one has,you would achieve much more because you would shirk the fixed notions of how much you’re supposed to have achieved. By doing this, you wouldn't just be getting your life in order but set a precedent for others to follow.
Just accept that there are certain things that the men in your life do it better than you, whether its cooking or driving (I can see my brothers taking a victory lap,Idiots!), instead of contesting and challenging their every accomplishment, just saying, we could co-exist more happily. But if you keep doing things, just to prove that you're better than him, in Marlyin Monroe's words "Women who try to be like men, lack ambition".

Yesterday Today Tomorrow

I miss a lot of  things in life.. people mostly, but there are some experiences you have, that are just so awesome, that they never repeat themselves. Well a major contributing factor of course is the people you had these experiences with.

And you know, the crappiest part is, As you're traipsing down sweet la-la memory lane, you end up missing all of this even more when you are certain that there is no chance of it happening, atleast in the next 10 mins(the phase where you're feeling a little emotional and nostalgia just keeps crashing over you)

So things that I miss :

 Rains, now rains are so goodamn apt for this "I miss you/that" mood, you can't help but think that way, its all gloomy and clammy, the ambiance is set. And the Chai Pakode, there's some bizarre excitement and enthusiasm that these hot,greasy treats bring out in you. Oh and my favorite singing and dancing in the rain endlessly whilst stuck in rains in the middle of nowhere.

Beaches, I don't know, is it the never ending expanse of sky and sea, the calm or what, it's bound to take you down that memory lane. The crooked sand castles you made and proudly posed with for numerous photos as a kid, getting drenched in the middle of crazy waves, floating around driving life guards crazy, burying people under blankets of sand. and drawing weird (at times questionable) things on them.

Inbox, messages of yesteryear's ,plans, conversations, conspiracies, birthday wishes, tiffs, true confessions (not the kind that's doing the rounds on FB nowadays ), just makes you replay all those times, those moments with the whole picture being painted, like it just happened yesterday- those secret "hideout spots", making up spooky tales, early morning return after insane birthdays and Niteouts (don't ask ;) ) and  night-in's usually involving a movie marathon, some chai-biskoot and loads of Maggi.

Now saying that I miss just these times, would be the understatement of the century. But as much I miss 'em, I look forward to making new memories and newer experiences with people I have met and I will meet. Because you're only moving forward, when you're looking ahead. So yes, a little measure of nostalgia for the soul and we're back to the present. It's like how Master Oogway says (Kung Fu Panda fan here!)

"Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is mystery
Today...is a gift!! That's why it's called the present.."

More than strangers

People who you've never met, never seen them beyond their social network DP's (most are photoshopped to perfection ), some you give a second glance else it's business as usual.
In the last couple of months, I've had the pleasure of knowing a few of these strangers. A pleasure, I'd say cause meeting them has been nothing short of awesomeness. Now this usually doesn't happen. For many reasons : 1) being yourself is too mainstream, although people may scream about it from their rooftops, saying it and actually doing it are 2 entirely different concepts that some bozos can never grasp. 2) people have way too much time on their hands to tell random people thing like "Hi, will you fraand me, I am cool and smart" , yes this an excerpt from a message, it happened, for real.

Anyhow, screw the bozos, about the awesome strangers I met and yet to meet a couple of 'em, in the journey of pursuing a common goal. What amazed me was that, there wasn't just a match in the way we thought but also in a way the kind of lives we've lead, the people we've met among other things.
Now this was exciting because, because they had so much to share, teach and experience, we did it together and how!
And until very recently, I hadn't met any of 'em, and when I did, it was just a validation of everything I had thought about them. I still stand by the idea that friends I've made till now are my friends for eternity but that doesn't mean I couldn't have more on board.
That instant click, that connection, wavelength match is something you are always looking out for or rather should look out for, that's where and when the magic happens

So the next time you meet somebody who you don't know too well, or before you turn away before getting a chance to know 'em, think again! Who knows, they might just turn out to be more than strangers

P.S. No, I am not asking you to accept "Fraaandhip requests!!! Please by all means Ignore 'em and Block 'em. Cheers

Dekh Bhai Dekh

A week back when Asaram Bapu, didn't know who he was up until then , made a statement on how Nirbhaya should have reacted in that situation. She should have pleaded, called them her 'brothers' and asked, sorry, begged them to leave her. Now my first reaction to this asinine comment was to berate my choicest gallis in all the languages I know, but on further research and couple of news flashes later, I realized he wasn't the only one. There were close to a thousand people at the gathering where this "Ass-aram" made these statements, and I can bet you my little toe nail and win it back when I say that, a good 100+ in the audience there clapped and nodded in agreement.

The prolific rise of the self proclaimed "God men" is not startling, I say this cause we are a nation that worships these gurus/saints/babas and will garland anything and anyone who can "heal" AIDS and others of its kind. Switch on your TV and you will catch them dancing to some bhajjan, and howling some mantras and touching new heights of ridiculous. Now in my personal opinion, old men in overalls singing and dancing on national television are a load of bat droppings. I wouldn't give 2 hoots about what they say. But nowdays they seem to have a lot say!!!

And it's not just them, every tom dick and harry, with a famous daddy or a seat in the assembly has a ridiculous insight or suggestion to make. Bizarre even doesn't even begin to describe their statements, right from how Chowmein is the reason minds are getting corrupt, making little girls wear overcoats at all times and of course the show stealer, calling the man who is raping you, Your Brother.

The bit that saddens me the most is the that a large population of our country agree and  stand by such chauvinist and medieval ideologies. You can go ahead and set up fast track courts, hang rapists but unless there is an attitude make over, the one that screams "She asked for it", we are in for a long ride.

So, my sisters and brothers kindly give a crash course to any fellow "brother" who needs it rather, deserves it.