3.11.2010

I Like This

Do one thing every day that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time on jealousy.
Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with your self.
Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the 'Funky Chicken' on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.
Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.
Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Don't leave them in India and go somewhere (just kidding)
Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.
Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths. Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 you will look 85.
Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen.

Sunta Hai Mera Khuda

Last week, I was doing the "spring cleaning" of my wardrobe and library. As I got up after picking a book, the top of the head hit the point of the open window and I literally had what you call a "free fall". Somehow, it didn't faze me what with all this crap happening this year with me. I came (I was alone in the house that time) to after a while and mopped up the blud. The spic and span feelings were long gone. I had some leftovers from my birthday cake, wiped it with a vanilla shake and went down for a walk. After a few calming moments near KBR park, I felt like going for a drive. Damn!! No car.

Hailed an auto and said, "Chalo". (Let's go)
Auto-guy: "Kidhar?" (Where?)
Me: "Arre tum kidhar bhi chalo, lekin pehle chalo". (Take it anywhere but first let's move from here)Bad Hindi but we from Mumbai are like this only.

So off we went. I directed him to the highway towards Mumbai. After 30 minutes of straight driving and 4-5 Hindi songs:
Rickshaw guy ventured again: "Kidhar ko jaana sahab?" (Sir, where do you want to go?)
Me: "U turn le lo aur vapas chalo". (Take a U-turn)

And the song from Pukaar - Sunta hain mera khuda started playing in the background. Earlier, I'd never paid mucho attention to the lyrics, beat or Rahman's genius. Moi attention used to switch to the gorgeous Namrata Shirodkar and end there. This time was different. I was on my back with the feet hanging out of the rickshaw going deeper into the song. What a song. It ended quicker than I wanted to; just when I couldn't have enough of it.

I thundered: Vapas lagao. (Play it again)
Auto guy stops the rickshaw: Kya? (What?)
Me: Grrr. Wo gaana vapas lagao deck pe. (Play that song on the damn deck again)

Sanity resumed. The song plays again. This could very well be THE WEDDING and HONEYMOON ballad. I imagined making excruciatingly slow love to my beloved listening to the lyric,"Kaho to main tere aage, Kamar peeche gajra daale, Doloon nasheeli chaal se" and so on. The visualization of the girl wearing fresh gajra around her waist and teasing me with her swinging gait conjured golden visions behind my closed eyelids. And bigtime goose bumps. Flowers in the hair have been a turn-on for me since childhood. As a child, I used to love women wearing flowers in their freshly washed hair or otherwise. Sadly, I miss that now. Worn cotton saris loosely draped around the waist, flowers in freshly washed hair, green or red glass bangles and I am your slave. But I had never imagined a woman wearing flowers around her waist and the thought titillated me intensely. I made him play it 5-6 times more till I reached home. Could be more but I am not sure. I gave him whatever money I had in my shorts pockets, scrambled up the stairs, downloaded the mp3 from songs.pk and the video from Limewire. Transferred it to my mp3 player, burned it to DVD and CD to be heard wherever I am. Had an ice cream and a smoke. Retired to bed with the mp3 player. The head was forgotten. Next morning, the dried crusts reminded me of the little agony in the shower but then I remembered the song and played it again. And again.

I wonder how many songs I have missed due to moi timely hormonal imbalances. But this is my perfect song for now. Moi antidote and current serotonin producing formula. Abhi sirf khuda sune to sab sahi hain :)

Obviously, current music is: Pukaar - Sunta Hai Mera Khuda

3.08.2010

Bum Bonus

Every working man waits for the bonus payout period, isn't it? That delightful month of getting chunky hits into the savings account. Visit sin city, shop till you drop, buy that blue chip stock etc. whatever hits your fancy. Well, for some reason I can never be accused of bonus gluttony. Like clockwork in every bonus period I get hit by some unfathomable huge dick expenses which invariably swallow moi bonus. Its unerring and now quite eerie. I've gone through anger, alarm, frustration, hope, prayer (yeah), madness and now am in acceptance. Read "The Secret" and tried it to he he. I try everything you know. Don't leave any stone unturned for anything I want in life. The last two companies I joined must have wondered when I didn't haggle too much over the bonus amount and meekly accepted their number.
As usual, this bonus month I am right up the creek with the proverbial paddle. From the nicest chunkiest bonus of my life so far, the "sudden" expenses will leave me with about 1.5 k to splurge. Fuck..I am going to give it to a beggar I know outside my office. At least someone can enjoy a "bonus", wotsay?

3.07.2010

I am planning to create different blogs on varied topics. I am still lazy to create sections within the same website. On philosophy, personal etc. The laughter one needs an update. Starting with Touch(e). You are probably familiar with some of the stories but nothing like having them in one place. Starting off with The Tiny Foot which never fails to overwhelm me.