Mumbai

I am a born and bred mumbaikar. Except I live somewhere else now. Anyways, I was home for the weekend. And for the first time I realized that the noise and traffic unnerved me. I mean why was everybody rushing to get somewhere. Why was there no moment where everything justs stopped, like youve pressed the pause button. And you could walk around just looking at all the characters around you. Each car blaring its horn, has a story to tell. But why wasn't anybody bothering to find it out. Why the rush! The constant movement!

Anyways heard this later. And realized how apt it was! Its from "lage raho munnabhai"

Shaher ki is daud me daud ke karna kya hai?
Jab yehi jeena hai dosto to phir marna kya hai?

Paheli barish me train late hone ki fikr hai
Bhul gaye bhigte hue tahelna kya hai?

Serials ke kirdaaro ka saara haal hai malum
par maa ka haal puchhne ki fursat kise hai?

Ab ret pe nange pao tahelte kyu nahi?
108 hai chanel phir dil bahelte kyu nahi?

Internet ki duniya ke to touch me hai,
lekin pados me kon raheta hai jaante tak nahi.

Mobile, Landline sab ki bharmaar hai,
Lekin jigri dost tak pahuche aise taar kaha hai?

Kab dubte hue suraj ko dekha tha yaad hai?
Kab jaana tha shaam ka guzarna kya hai?

Toh Dosto Shaher ki es daud me daud ke karna kya hai
Jab yahi jeena hai to phir Marna kya hai?

The silence is too loud

I'm standing in a crowd
I don't see anybody around me

I'm whispering to be heard above the noise
I'm shouting to drown out the silence inside me

I eyes ache from all the people
The tear drops fall untouched

My palms are sweating from being pressed
The sands are slipping through my fingers

I talking to many a people many a time
I talking to stop listening to myself

I'm singing a song
But the volume is too loud to hear the music

Todays Mantraas

I saw the sign...

Found this really nice site, wanted to try it:
Sign Generator

Whats in the paper baby?

My 1 year old neice is reading the newspaper! Really!

She sits with it, holding it in in her tiny hands and talks gibberish to herself or to the newspaper. Or maybe shes reading it out for the benefit of others. We are not too sure.

But shes seems mighty interested in it. Shes has entire discussions with herself on the news of the day! Or so we claim. Since none of us actually understand what shes saying anyways. Aaaah! Shes almost a pseudo intellectual!

She also insists on having books read out to her. She insists loudly! :-D Oh Im am so glowing with pride.

Though I wouldnt say the contents of the newspaper qualifies as good reading. Its good to know shes got the "hunger".

I bought her "Sleeping beauty" come time back. A single woman, runs away from home to live with 7 single men in the forest! Sleeps a lot! Has strange men kiss her before their first date.

Now, thats a story to tell your 1 year old niece. I think I know why shes gotten suddenly interested in reading. ;-)

Keep it up gurl! You're making your aunt damn proud!

Found this....

Found this on Tia's. Thanks.

For the young who want to
by Marge Piercy

Talent is what they say
you have after the novel
is published and favorably
reviewed. Beforehand what
you have is a tedious
delusion, a hobby like knitting.

Work is what you have done
after the play is produced
and the audience claps.
Before that friends keep asking
when you are planning to go
out and get a job.

Genius is what they know you
had after the third volume
of remarkable poems. Earlier
they accuse you of withdrawing,
ask why you don't have a baby,call you a bum.

The reason people want M.F.A.'s,
take workshops with fancy names
when all you can really learn is a few techniques,
typing instructions and some-
body else's mannerisms
is that every artist lacks
a license to hang on the wall
like your optician, your vet
proving you may be a clumsy sadist
whose fillings fall into the stew
but you're certified a dentist.

The real writer is one
who really writes. Talent
is an invention like phlogiston
after the fact of fire.
Work is its own cure. You have to
like it better than being loved.

from The Moon Is Always Female, 1980

Mom's Birthday today

16th April 07
Virginia Tech
Structural Engg Class

I am sitting in the Structural Engg class. The professor is explaining trusses. We are supposed to solving the questions he's assigned to us.

But I keep thinking of this evening. Its mom's birthday today. Am really waiting to go home. My younger sister and I have planned a surprise birthday party for her. Its gonna be great. We gonna have cake- Strawberry. Its mom's favourite.

We've got presents for her. Katy, my sister-shes in high school. She cam eup with awesome idea for a birthday present. See, mom writes poetry. She doesn't talk about it too much but we know she's really proud of them. So we collected all of them and got them bound into a book. I designed a lovely cover for it. We even added a note in beginning wishing her and thanking her for all she's done. I think mom's gonna really love it. Can't wait to surprise her.

Katy'll be taking here SATs soon. She'll join college too. She's going to love it. I hope she joins VTech too. The Campus. The students. The courses. Everythings great.

Well, I'd better get back to the trusses. Forces, Stress...hmmm.

Later.
Amy.

P.S.: Heard some strange rumour about someone getting shot in the
dormitories about an hour or 2 ago. Sheesh. Rumours are getting crazier by the day.

Anyways....hope this class gets over soon. I have to leave. Katy'll be waiting for me.

Katy says:
16th April 2007: Mom's Birthday today
.
.
.
Amy's didn't come home today.

I'm Al'right - Phil Vassar

Well it's been a long time glad to see your face
I knew we'd meet again another time another place
Can't believe it's been so many years
You'd better grab a chair and a couple of beers
Lookin' good in your three piece suit
You know I always knew you'd take the business route
You were always the one to follow the light and you look like you're doing alright

Been singin' for my rent and singin' for my supper
I'm above the below and below the upper
I'm stuck in the middle where money gets tight
But I guess I'm doin' alright

I'm all I'm all I'm alright
It's a beautiful day not a cloud in sight so I guess I'm doin' alright
O- oh o-oh, I'm alright
Got a good old friend here with me tonight and I guess I'm doin' alright

Well we had a lot of dreams when we were younger
They thought we were crazy but we had the hunger
We kept a lot of friends skipped a lot of class
Been on top of the world and knocked on our
We lost touch, we lost in love
We lost our minds when things got tough but
Beatin' time is a losin' fight and I guess I'm doin' alright

I'm all I'm all I'm alright
It's a beautiful day not a cloud in sight so I guess I'm doin' alright
O-oh o-oh I'm alright
I got a good old friend here with me tonight and I guess I'm doin' alright
Well I guess I'm doin' alright

Well I hate to see this evening end
God only knows when I'll see you again
Just send a fax or send me a letter or give me a call that would even be better
Give the kids a kiss for me and say hello to the family
And tell them all my future's lookin' bright
Well I miss 'em but I'm doin' alright
I said I miss 'em but I'm doin' alright
I'm all I'm all I'm alright
It's a beautiful day not a cloud in sight so I guess I'm doin' alright
O-oh o-oh, I'm alright
Got a good old friend here with me tonight and I guess I'm doin' alright
Well I guess I'm doin' alright
I'm doin' alright

Truth

I smile when I'm angry,
I cheat and I lie.
I do what I have to do to get by.
But I know what is wrong
And I know what is right,
And I'd die for the truth in my secret life.
[Leonard Cohen in In my Secret Life]

It is a fool's prerogative to utter truths that no one else will speak.
[Neil Gaiman, Dream Country]

WHY do I feel the need to be honest when I shouldn't be?
[Me, Today: 19 April 2007]

Tomorrow

My friend Gautam Begde and I were chatting this morning. I was telling him I couldn't find the remaining lines to a first line "Would you be my tomorrow?". And as we were talking, he came up with this.

Would you be my tomorrow?
The biggest regret I had was
That I couldn't be your yesterday;
But today I realize it was because
May be I was meant to be your tomorrow


Wow. Creativity on the go.
Thanks buddy.