Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Festive spirit...Not a high anymore!

The picture you see alongside here is one the most respected and popular sweet marts in Pune..This picture was taken on the 20th of October, 2006, one day prior to laxmi poojan..

I had gone there to get a box of kaju katli for the people in my father's office..I hadnt been to office to spend anytime with my collegues since i started college..so i thought id go wish everyone happy diwali...so i make my way to this shop and as soon as i enter i see this HUGE crowd of people around the counter..trying to push their way forward and get their share of the various ghee+khoa+sugar preparations..After muscling(as much as is possible for me*chuckle*) my way to the appropriate counter, i ask the person there for 1/2 kg of kaju katli...hes busy filling boxes after boxes of the same sweet...he just nods his head and continues with his work...now when people who have come in after me start to get their demands, i get my back up...so the man there tells me that i have been asking the wrong person...i roll my eyes and ask him to give me the sweet then...

After aquiring that prized possession, i make my way to the cash counter...whcih has a HUGE line for paying...i roll my eyes again...after i get to the counter the man rudely tells me "Gimme 200 bucks!!"...i feel like sounding him off then and there..but then bite my toungue...dont think that would make too much of a difference...i DONT wish him Happy Diwali and walk out...

As i ride on my way to office, i cant help wondering as to what have we all sunk to?...Has the purpose of celebrating diwali come to the point that people have to walk over each other to buy something as insignificant as sweets?..Is diwali charachterised by eating and binging out or by spending time with family, spreading love and in general being nice to one another?...These are questions we need to ask ourselves as we propel ourselves into the 21st century...Do we want to follow traditions or do we want to live life the Capitalist,modernist way?...cause both cant co-exist in harmony...its bound to blow up somewhere!

Presently in the Past

I made my Aai(my mother) read some of my recent blogs today...and she pointed out something to me...That i seem to be living in the past...all my blogs seem more like memories..and none too much about the present...and that got me thinking..maybe i AM living in the past...living on past memories rather than future expections or goals...

I think i do need to change my outlook towards my life....will help me in achieving whatever little ive set out to do...So from today iam gonna live in teh present and the future...ofcourse..i might reminice in the past once in a while..but my life will revolve around my present...and my future...I WILL Turn this Page once and for all!

A(l)titude rocks!!

I often say that i live in a bowl..Before anyone gets any cutlery ideas let me clarify that iam speaking of a geographical bowl..A lovely city called Pune situated on the leeward side of the great Western Ghats...surrounded on all sides by hills, which are the lifeline of the city..and one of my favorite places on this whole earth(of all that i have seen that is*chuckle*)!

My tryst with the these "tekdis", as they are so fondly called here, started way back when i was 10-11 years old...My mami used to take me and my cousin brother on half day long sojourns to the Law college tekdi, packed with sandwiches, water, binoculars etc...the works...lovely 15-20 km walk all along the plateau on top...climbing from one part of the city and getting down from another part way away..Also, we used to regularly visit the Hanuman tekdi(behind Ferguson College)..every evening in our summer holidays we used to to go up there...climb that Pagoda behind Symbiosis and get down from the same side and walk back home...

After losing touch with these hilly landmarks for a few years during 10 std and junior college, i started revisiting the Law college tekdi in the first year of engineering...it was my getaway..from the various laws that were crowding in my brain...Boyle, Faraday,Joule and the works...And it became a ritual!!..For the four years that i went through my engineering, the tekdi was my getaway!..during regular college, during PLs, even during exams...



The path well trodden. August 2005

The tekdi has also been a source of great friendships for me..I have met and made good friends with SO many people there...During engineering, we had a HUGE group up there of about 12-15 individuals, mostly from engineering(Mech at that), different age groups etc and we would discuss everything..right from sports(cricket ruling ofcourse), academics,movies etc...all this along with the benefit of good health...Those were some awesome times!

I still visit the tekdi whenever i can...I do meet a few of my old acquaintances..See familiar faces that have coming there for donkeys years...new faces...I make it a point to go and sit at the stone quarry and watch the sunset...makes me forget all my tensions...

Sunset at the quarry. October 2006

The tekdi has given me a LOT of special memories..great friends, a place to relax and a decent stamina level(he he)...And now they are out to take it away from me(refer the new road)...Hope all parties with vested interests see some sense and save the lungs of our city!



Saturday, October 21, 2006

Sound of Music...And the lyrics of life!

I dont know why but only sad events in my life make me want to blog...Maybe its self pity..Maybe its the need to share..I dont know!...Feeling rather sad today...

Was lying in bed today, awake since 5 am, various things running through my tiny brain...My sem end exams, internals, the girl i (still!!) adore, my family, friends...everything!..And in retrospection i realise that all through this 25 years i have particular songs that make me remember various stages of my life...Its uncanny..But they do!..

All songs from the film Aashiqui(1988) - My association with these songs will be lifelong...Baba used to play these songs in our black,shiny 1973 FIAT President(MTY 3266....I miss that car like HELL!*sniff*) when we used to go out for drives all around Mumbai..Goregaon..Film city..MAN!..I miss those times!

O Sanam by Lucky Ali(1996) - This song always reminds me of the period of my first crush..10th standard...Shes one of my best friends now..and i adore her to the hilt!

All Backstreet Boys Songs(1997-1999) - Remind me the teenage college times!St. Aba's Rocks!!

Mere Khayalon ki Mallika from Josh (2000) - A crush!

Sweet Child of Mine by Guns N Roses(2000- for me) - This song heralded in the rock music craze in me..And made it life long for me...Second Year of Engineering..Submissions..Deadlines...Metallica..GNR...Nirvana...A Heady mix!!Man, i loved my Engineering days!

Unforgiven 2 by Metallica (2003 - for me) - This song will ALWAYS remind me of my trips to Amby Valley..My first few months of my professional life... Driving our white Premier 118 NE (MH 14 D 1193 - Shes gone now!*sniff*) in DENSE fog...up a terrifyingly(not to me) winding road...with this song playing on our Pioneer cassette player..Heady!!..Miss those days!

You spin me right round by Dead of Alive - OST The Wedding Singer (2003 - For me) - Heard it first in the ROTOMOTO advert during the 2003 ICC World Cup...LOVED it...And associated with yet another crush!

Turn the Page by Metallica (2004 - for me) - This song reminds me of my first "pseudo" girlfriend..She never was one..But i thought so..Made a mess of myself...Got out of it..Turned the page!

Aapki Kashish from Aashiq Banaya Aapne(2006 - for me) - My FIRST girlfriend!

Golmaal from Golmaal (2006) - My first few days in Indira Institute of Management, Pune...Used to play in the bus all the time...

Kya Mujhe Pyaar Hai from Woh Lamhe (2006) - My strongest infatuation till date! EVERY word in this song spoke the way i felt..It was "OUR" song....Not anymore unfortunately!
P.S.: I STILL absolutely ADORE her!*sniff*

Die Die My Darling by Metallica [2004,2006(thrice) - for me] - ALL my failed relationships (half and full).

Painted on My Heart by Cult - OST Gone in 60 Seconds - [2004,2006(thrice) - for me] - Remembering ALL my failed relationships (half and full).

A rather large lot of music right? Well, music is my way of remembering the great(and not so great) times in my life...As i approach 25 years of completion of my life, i am reminded of Boman Irani's line to Abhishek Bacchan in Bluffmaster "Tumhare zindagi ke kitne din tumhen yaad hain Roy?" translated means "Roy, how many days of your life do you really remember?"..If he had asked me, i would have said, "Read my blog pal! Its all there"

Sound : Music
Words : Lyrics
Life : Memories