Please Spare A R Rahman From The CWG Controversy..

Poor Rahman. The media and the CWG officials are screaming Rahman didn't do justice to the theme song. He shouldn't have received any money for composing the song. He should have made it better. Now as the song is not upto the mark, he should redo it. He took the assignment very lightly that the song is just a remake of his old songs.

Give me a break.

Rahman might have never asked for the chance to do the song, did he ? And when the assignment was given to him, the committee would be confident that he is capable of it. Before performing the song in the unveiling function, he did give a preview to the committee. If they were not satisfied with the song then, why did they wait for the function to show their disappointment ? This is just a crap.

For the money part, if Pandit Ravi Shankar didn't charge anything, whats the deal. His team was only 3 members and Rahman's troupe is of 40 musicians. And has he had to ask them not to get paid or their effort... All those 6 months they spent for the song should go just like that... Leave all those part, for a games, where 15K TV was hired for 22K, will this matter....

If you argue, O Yaaro is not popular as Maa Tujhe Salaam, you are forgetting one thing. Before Rahman presented that song at the Independence day celebrations, its video was in all channels. The beautiful video did help in the popularity. Rahman is not a performer. We can not expect his singing to do what the Maa Tujhe Salaam video did. Even Vakka Vakka came with a sweet video ;)

Sometime back, when Michael Jackson came up with the song We Are The World with collaboration of noted singers of that time, it was a rage. People celebrated it. It went on to became the largest selling single of all time. Recently, co-writer of the song, Lionel Richie said that the song was a crap and was too shallow... Why did he took such a long time to came with such a statement... Guess something like that happened to the CWG theme song too. 

Rahman, please do not modify it, the committee doesn't deserve it.

Good-Bye V3i, Welcome W205 !

After 5 glorious years ( 3 with my sister and 2 with me ) of service my V3i passed away last Friday! Yes, I am talking about the mobile. Though a bit old for the current scene with phone, it satisfied all my needs and I didn't want to upgrade it, unless I really needed to do so. It was raining heavily in Bangalore, and though I was wearing my rain coat, I forgot to put the phone in the inside pocket and it was having a deadly swim! I realized it only when I reached room and though drenched, it allowed me to make the one last call and it went out. It never woke again :( So the rain made me part with a fortune, a fortune which was my V3i ! I don't think it was a happy death for it ;)

I need a phone to make calls (!) and texting only. I never use the camera in phone ( I prefer my CyberShot for clicks ), or the music player. But I need mp3 ringtone support. That's why I chose this Walkman phone from Sony Ericsson, W250. Lightly loaded and light on pocket too! Now time to build friendship with this.

Of Mobile And Dogs

There was a couple of news that gave a shock last week

1) Two students of Keralam lost their life crossing the railway gate. They were listening to songs in their mobile at high volume and didn't hear the train approaching.

2) A Mangalore boy was killed by stray dogs.

Both were sad and were avoidable. We hear it so often not to use mobile on roads or at least while cross the roads, but how much we care for it. We don't have proper footpaths where we can safely walk. And if it is there, two wheelers will use it as shortcut. So we are not safe in the footpath either. It is not only while we drive cellphoen bacomes villain. When we talk, and most often to our family or friends when we walk, we unkowingly will get so involved in the conversation that we forget we are on road. 

So please try to avoid cell on road, at least while you cross or when footpath is not there.

Stray dogs are more than menace. We don't need strays on road. KILL THEM. Human life is important. Forget all those PETA or Maneka Gandhi to be merciful to them. The government failed to keep their number in control. There are a lot of strays and their number is increasing day by day. Kill them to make our streets and kids safe.

Being With Divinity

I like visiting temple, especially the ones which has the special aura of divine presence. In Bangalore, I like the Ayyappa Temple at Agara, Shiva Temple at the Old Airport Road, Anjaneya Temple at Marathahalli. To this added the Ganesha Temple at Malleshwaram.

Yesterday I been there, it was my second visit. The first one was too hurried and didn't made much of an impression other than it is a big crowded place. Yesterday, though it was Sunday, we had a calm darshanam and as were not at all in a hurry, had enough time to wait for our turn for pooja and to visit every prathishta at the campus. The poojaris there were special. They will wait for us, and for the ones who won't mind waiting, will do the pooja and give prasadam. The chief poojari or any of his assistance will wait for us to complete the long list of family for whom the archana has to be done and after the pooja, remembers to give the exact packet we give for pooja, I liked it.

The Ganesh vigraham made by flowers was special. A lot of creativity and patience goes into it. The elephant ears of Ganapathy is made by Anthuriam flowers, for example. Too bad, camera was banned there.

Make sure you got time to spend there. On the Malleshwaram main road take the 8th cross and take the left turn towards the temple. You can leave your bike on the parking lot in the main road, cars I am not sure where to park ! Visit there, you will also feel something magical about that place.

Respect Elders, But NOT Everyone

From kids we are asked and conditioned to respect elders. And we do it, most often with pleasure. But now I guess it is a time to think again about that lesson. Reason - the times have changed. This is kalikaalam, when even God will be struggled and Evil makes victory, however momentary it may be.

There was this old man, who is a Yoga teacher. He used to take class about life, its preciousness, how to live it completely, devoting oneself to good etc. When you become close to someone, we unknowingly shed the mask we wear. We forget to modulate the fake accent, talk without thinking about the image we have with the other person. Once this man made a rude comment about a girl I know, and recently he was 'treated' for an illicit relation he had with a lady who goes to his house for private Yoga sessions. I felt pity to myself to call him Guru...

Last  week I was travelling in Volvo, which is supposedly how gentlemen travel and there is no separate seats reserved for ladies in it too. I was sitting in a seat facing rear, and from Mayo Hall a lady boarded with her girl child. Girl child was sitting next to an uncle. He smiled, the baby too. Then he pinched her cheek, I was sure she didn't like it, but she was still smiling. Then he put his hand on her lap. But when he saw I was watching him, he took his hand off. If there is no bad intention, why should have he took his hands then... We should teach our kids, both boy and girl, what a bad touch is. And should teach them to raise alarm in such situation too. 

During my college time, we used to bunk classes to watch movies. One day there was this old man next to my friend. Oldy put his hands on my friends thighs, he asked him to take  it off, oldy did. It repeated twice and then my friend stood up and shouted to the oldy ' you moth^* fuc&^*, behave yourself, else I will chop your bal@$ off'. The oldy left the seat instantly. At times it is the only way to make them aware that they will not be respected always for their age. Speak up. I am sure there will be many incidents you are in or heard of like this.

Do you still say we should always respect our elders...

My Cyber Friend

This is translation of the post I published on my Malayalam blog Kurippukal. You can read the original here.

‘I don’t need your phone number. Let us remain friends only over the net…’
‘OK, if you insist, let it be. Till now many have asked me for my number and I never gave it. Now when I feel like talking to you, you say you don’t want to. Leave it. Bye…’

It was my friend on chat. She wanted to talk to me and gave me her number. But as I suggested her to be net friends, she got angry and logged off from chat.

I was never sure how will I accept in a group and was never eager to make friends. When others were making internet a friend space without boundaries, I was laid back. In Orkut and Facebook, I accepted friends request from only those were with me in my school or college.

This lady I met through my blog. She liked my writing and thinks that I got terrific humour sense and innocent. Somehow, we started meeting on mail and chat. And she became my first and only friend in the cyber space…

Chatting with her made my lone life in this metro fun. And now we meet on phone too. Yes, I got to give into that offer. She was always fun with her stories about her city and people she meets. And will discuss about the poems she posted in her blog, which I ever can hardly follow !

She sounded very excited when she called that day….
‘Guess what, I was caught by police today…’
‘Wonderful. Who was the unlucky fellow with you..’
‘Hey nothing like that. It was for driving without license!’
‘Great.. How much he fined you’
‘No man, I cried and the poor police guy let me go!’
‘Any policeman would stop you when you drive like a drunkard. At least you may take the scooter out once you learn how to drive.’
‘No man, then it will not be this thrilling…’

She always do some crazy stuff for the thrill and somehow she managed to escape unscratched….

After that incident, she didn’t call me for a while. Not on chat or mail either. As I used to her frequent anti-mobile periods I was waiting for her call. One night I got a call from her.
‘Yaar, I am on my way to Bangalore. Pick me up in the morning!’
‘What ??? Hey, how will I recognize you ? What’s the matter ?’
‘I will tell you once I reach there. Check mail. I have sent my photo. See, I am smart’

I went numb for a moment and then quickly checked the photo… It was a cute girl. I was thinking about the excuses I would need to tell the house owner to get her in.

I reached on time to pick her up and was looking for her. In the deep blue gown she was looking pretty.
‘What’s this man, you are staring at me.’
‘Nope, I was just wondering is this the same girl in that photo.’
‘Yup. You can trust me, this is the same girl.’
‘Trust and you… The one who sent the photo of a four month old baby and expect me to recognize you today ??’
She gave me a cute smile as answer.
‘I was thinking, generally the beauties in the net when come face to face become  horrible. But here you look very pretty..’
‘Hey, stop staring and let’s go home.’
I think she liked that compliment. There was enough time for a quick nap and we went to bed. When I woke up, she already had bath and was looking all fresh.
‘Yaar, wake up, I am feeling hungry, get ready quick’.
‘See on weekends I will take bath only after food. Just gimme two minutes to brush my teeth.’

She was in deep thoughts once we back home after food. After a while she started to talk…
‘Yaar, I am confused now. I am not sure whether I am in Love.’
‘I guessed a feeling of Love when I was talking to you these days… Open up’
She gave me a photo and said ‘ See this is the guy. Same campus. He likes me a lot. I am not sure whether I should say yes to his proposal..’
‘Why you are not sure… Just listen to your heart.’
‘I think he is the one. But something pulls me back… see, I don’t have anybody but you to discuss this. Nobody else will be sensible enough to understand me…’
‘Girl, why are you hesitating? He looks good to me. And he Loves you. What more you will need… Love him without any space between you..’
Till she left the next day, she was talking non-stop about him.

In the coming days she was updating me their Love story. They were planning to settle in Australia. He got visa, and once he settle there, she will join him there. She was very happy, and that happiness grow into me too.


She called me after a while.
‘Man, I am in hospital now…’
‘Wow.. Congratulations, is it twins…’
‘Hey idiot. I fell down from my scooter. Don’t know what the state I am in now. All I can feel is bandages all the way down my neck.. And it pains like hell’
‘Hey crazy lady, why didn’t you call me earlier. Is there anybody with you now…’
‘Yeah. He didn’t go to Australia. He was taking care of me. Waking up all the night, fighting off death I guess…’
‘Hey dear, what will I tell you. Get well soon’

It took two weeks for her get discharged. And was under the physio therapy. By then he went Australia. And then came her call.
‘Yaar, he bought a house there. Once I become well he will come and we will go together married.’
‘Wow, that’s good news. How are you..’
‘Will take some time to heal the wounds and the fractures. And another funny thing is that I may not be able enjoy sex completely !’ she was laughing as if she cracked a joke.
‘Wow, that’s good. Now you need not worry about it.’
‘Guess what, I sent him my horoscope yesterday.’
‘Why ?’
‘Man, we need to look for the auspicious time for the marriage. I think you don’t believe in all this…’
‘Ok ok. I am waiting for the day you will get married. After that I will not need to tolerate you, right…’
‘No way. Even after a hundred years, I will not spare you. May be even he might not understand me like the way do’.
‘Oh no… Now think about getting well. Take care’

She sounded very weak and shaken when we talked next. She was trying to say something but her sobs was not letting me make it out clearly. All I got was she got a call from his father, who told her that the horoscopes won’t match at all. She was trying to reach him, but was not able to talk to him. She lost all interest in life and her physio and medicines all went wrong. She went home for a break but feeling the atmosphere there suffocating she went back to Chennai. Now she has issues in walking and can’t sit for long either. The poet who always wrote about dreams, now talks only about death. 
‘I Loved him with every bit of me like you suggested, still why I didn’t get him….’
I didn’t have an answer for that.
‘See yaar, for the unknown stars and horoscope, he left me. I never knew that I was so addicted to him. Without his chat or mail I am feeling suffocating. I don’t find any meaning in surviving like this. I feel like somebody drained all the colours from my life…’
‘Don’t think like that dear… He is the loser. His fate has only the luck to know you, but not the luck to make you his. For him, please do not waste your life crying…’
‘And think this, his father called me to tell the news. At least, if he had the courtesy to call me.. I feel like been used and thrown away..’
However hard I tried, she was not convinced and kept on crying. I let her cry, thinking if it could help her to feel better…


After that night I met her today on chat. She was sad but sounded strong.
‘Yaar, I am giving only pain to you. And I don’t want to give you that anymore…’
‘Dear, don’t think like that. You can never hurt me or you will never be a pain for me’
‘….’
She logged out. After that she never answered my call or mails. I am trying. I can not let her go like that. After all she is the only friend I have on the cyberspace. She can not go just like that, can she…