Expressions!!

Raaj main na Paat main,
Saare sukh Khaat main.
-Nani
Ancient wisdom couldn’t have been put in simpler words.
SLEEP. Don’t you just love it?? I do in fact I adore it. There are few things which meet there purpose as perfectly as sleep does. It is simple, never hard to get (except for poor insomniacs) and 100% unadulterated fun. The day may be tough, tiresome or simply hell but as soon as you are under the sheets, the senses give in, befuddling thoughts are laid to rest it simply happens and it is a different world altogether.
Now there may be a breed of people, who are questioning my sanity at the moment, they are the ones who consider it only a necessary evil, a liability, a blot on their seemingly perfect day, the ones who hardly get their fill of 6 hours a day and that too because experts say so. They would never understand the underlying intricacies but maybe you will. It is tough not to fall for it. It is attractive, addictive, charming, without any hint of attitude, faithful and most importantly readily available.
It comes in many types the important ones are as follows (Pardon the exam language, I just got over a bunch of them and the after effects linger for some time):
The Hard Earned Sleep: The most satisfying of the pack. The day was challenging, you fought hard it drained you, and now you are ready for the spoils. Instant and sound though hard to get at times, especially if you are the lazy and laid back type.
The Next day exam/work/presentation Sleep: This one is the hardest one to resist. When it strikes it is brutal and leaves little chances of a fight back. The closing eyelids won’t take any amount of reasoning, advices would go unheeded and it will always emerge as the eventual champion. The usual reverberations have an undertone of disaster within them. You deserve a medal and much acclaim if you are able to fight of a fit of this one!!!
The Power Nap: The flexible cousin of the fraternity. The paradigm being “at the time you want, for the time you want”. Effective and productive, if taken in measured doses.
The Drunkard Sleep: This one is exclusive and only a few elites have the capacity for it. You sleep and you sleep on and on.... Breakfast turns into lunch and eventually into dinner but you are that deep slumber. Someone knocks the door over, you sleep (personal one) and even if there is some minute interruption you can return and resume as if nothing happen. A tough trade. Welcome to the club if you can, losers try harder.
The Palesque Sleep: When you have the capacity to sleep without any regard for your body position then you have mastered the art of palesque sleep( based on Pal, a friend). It slashes the required prerequisite of the “relaxed position”. Happens mostly in awkward positions; twisted at unimaginable angles, hands dangling, body part out of their natural sync. In short more gauche more palesque.
The Summer Rooftop sleep: Again a rare one but a beautiful one. The irony lies in the fact that the most striking part of it is the one where you wake up. The beautiful sky , the crispy coolness of the summer morning makes this one a personal favourite of mine.
There are many other mostly self explanatory ones viz, The sleeper class winter sleep, The In-flight cramped sleep, The bed less sleep and many more , each unique yet equally satisfying. And as a reader you are encouraged to submit new interesting ones.
Though it may seem at times, but it is not just a mundane part of our day to day itinerary. It is a silent indicator, a metric on which life can be judged, compared. The best thing it does, at least for me, is the addition of a daily inspiration, no matter how gruelling the day may become I can always rest assured that there is a sanctuary waiting for me at the end of it, where I make the rules, where I decide my life’s course, where I play GOD, what if only for 8 hours or so.

P.S.-
1. Feel free to point out the grammatical errors as i am looking to chalk up the technical part of my writing.
2. Do some advertising as nothing soothes the eye then the soaring visitor count.

This was supposed to be about 10 days before but with the obvious distractions of being in a different place altogether, the delay was inevitable.

I never thought this to be the place where I would be writing my next blog from, staring at the sky full of stars at an altitude of 12 KM, travelling in a tube structure at 700KMPH and sometimes with mild turbulence. For starters it’s really beautiful!!!! One of those must see sights. Now some may find it overtly toned but speaking from the average Indian’s perspective for whom air travel remains a distant dream( data suggests so) I liked it a lot!!!

Now let’s start from the basics. From what I have learned international travel is not as routine affair as it seems. You have to keep the dimensions in check, the baggage weight in check, check in, immigration, security and what not. So it was always going to be confusing. But it turned out I am not so unlucky after all, people who were seeing us off knew someone in Airport Security and the moment he arrived the whole entourage(and it was quite a big one) was inside the airport, at times throwing victorious glances toward people looking through the glass wall, trying to say late goodbyes.
So the process went on smoothly to the point that the person handling our flight gave us invitations to the executive lounge and even was trying to get us upgrade to business or first class but I think I will write that story some other day.

THE FLIGHT: First times can be scary!!! The thought that you will be accelerating to the speeds of 800KMPH and then will be floating in the air, just because Bernoulli said so is not encouraging at all. The most horrifying was the probability of throwing up at take off. I have heard lot of it and I was really worried about that. But once securely in seat and fumbling with the seatbelts I was humbled by the fact that my, not so tech savvy, mom figured it instantly while I was trying to make sense out of instructions . Air hostesses were pretty but not as the popular media puts them except for one. (maybe I should try an exotic airlines next time if they have an economy class ticket). The take off was uneventful although the grumbling of the aircraft made me miss a beat or too but nothing too fancy. The most awkward moment of the flight was the one where I was asked about my options for a drink, although the thought of savouring a wine or something like that did exist the look on ma’s face made them rest(Most probably I will be returning alone ;-) so let’s see). After the initial excitement it’s a dull affair for most of the next 9 hours.

Zurich: We had a stopover in Zürich for about 3 hours. Even the airport was promising and I can only wait to get out of that terminal and have a look at this beautiful city for real. So for most of the next 3 hours we spent waiting, trying to get hold of the duty free shops. And once you are out of India you catch a serious disease of CONVERSION. So it’s like “Oh My God!! Coffee is Rs. 200” and something like that. Thanks to the wonderful hospitality of Swiss airways we didn’t have to buy any outrageously priced product. They filled us to the brim just before landing, saving a lot of “Oh My God!!” scenarios.

Toronto: The next flight I handled like a pro, like a frequent flyer who have been there so often that he couldn’t care less. Air Canada has some of the eldest airhostesses after Indian Airlines, a fact part of which I can now verify.
They provided quite good meals and in flight entertainment though. Day flights are boring and not as fun as the night ones. The scenery changed once we were on the outskirts of the city. The outskirts were mostly farms and fields with occasional settlement in between. The documentation on immigration system in Canada had me a little worried but it was a piece of cake.

Next One: The Toronto experience or more aptly The Mississauga Experience

P.S.- Do have a look at the trivia section below to remove any lingering doubts you may have. Comments and questions are always welcome.


Trivia Section: For the persons wondering how come this all of a sudden, here is the full story. It wasn't me it was my dad. Sometime in the early 2000s dad had an idea, let’s immigrate to Canada, he filled the forms and we completed all the procedures for the next 6 or so years (Yup that’s a lot of time and it requires time until you are desperate and willing to pay the consultants, majority of who are just crooks)
Now they gave me and my family a visa which was valid till March’09. The procedure required at least one visit to Canada within the time period, after that you had the choice to delay it further(only requiring 2 years residence in Canada each 5 year to maintain the Permanent Resident status). As this period is a little dull at college due to the abundance of festivals I decided lets fly away. And here I am. Now I have the obvious choice at the end of my course to pursue my life at any of the location and where I would be is anybody’s guess. Lots of trivia for sure!!!

An adapted quote from Stranger than fiction -

As harold took a bite of Bavarian sugar cookie, he finally felt as if everything was going to be ok. Sometimes, when we lose ourselves in fear and despair, in routine and constancy, in hopelessness and tragedy, we can thank God for Bavarian sugar cookies. And, fortunately, when there aren't any cookies, we can still find reassurance in a familiar hand on our skin, or a kind and loving gesture, or subtle encouragement, or a loving embrace, or an offer of comfort, not to mention hospital gurneys and nose plugs, an uneaten Danish, soft-spoken secrets, and Fender Stratocasters, and maybe the occasional piece of fiction. And we must remember that all these things, the nuances, the anomalies, the subtleties, which we assume only accessorize our days, are effective for a much larger and nobler cause. They are here to save our lives. I know the idea seems strange, but I also know that it just so happens to be true.

My beloved companion ,albeit for a few days, Now you are gone and left me with this immense vacuum which i find impossible to fill. The time with you was a wonderful experience. Each picture that you clicked, each note of music that you dished out is etched in my memory.You are terribly missed and will remain with me forever and ever. [sobs]


Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He is Dead.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever: I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun,
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the woods;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.

-W.H. Auden




P.S.- May the person who separated me from you rot in hell!!!! [More Sobs]

Note 1: Don’t blame me for choosing such an obscure topic; it is an unwritten rule of the blogosphere, for the active bloggers, to have a blog on LOVE. And I have to comply with the rules written or otherwise.

Note 2: It is always tough to write on something without having a first hand experience. And that problem becomes even more intricate when the issue at hand is as complicated and as mysterious as LOVE. But I, being a self declared virtuoso at the game of TRYING, will try.

Contrary to what Bob Dylan sang in 1970s, Love is NOT JUST A FOUR LETTER WORD. It is much more, much-much more. For example: it is a thesis topic for many researchers, the bread and butter for lyricist and poets, a favorite topic to speculate on for the writers, the backbone of existence for our good old BOLLYWOOD (Take LOVE out and the industry falls like nine pins) and fortunately, unfortunately or matter of factly it is the reason for existence of ours.

For starters, it is an established fact that LOVE is a very subjective thing. The definition changes from person to person. Some like to borrow the classic definition, some are very content with the new millennium version of it and there is also another breed who redefines individuality when it comes to love. But most of them will agree that “It is not something which can be universally defined”. In fact it is not something which can be DEFINED AT ALL.

During the initial course of life itself we pick up a general idea of love: from the formative years, from the learning experience, from those songs, from all those pseudo love encounters and most importantly from those movies. All of which leads us to a vague, eccentric idea of love which may or may not be a lot of things but it is a reflection of ours for sure. And then we stick to that idea for the rest of our life. Mostly.

Once there used to be a small column in The Times of India which used to (or more aptly, tried to) decipher love and the various aspects of it. Every day they used to have this picture of a guy and a girl with the heading “Love is” and the lines below it changed everyday. And I don’t think I ever witnessed a repeat of any line ever. That is from where I borrow my idea of love. To me it is about the tiny little things which otherwise are so inconsequential that we don’t even blink an eye for them. But put them all together and voila! you have a necessary evil at hand. NECESSARY because even the most cynic of people around (no raised eyebrows please!!) are probably searching for it and EVIL because…come on I don’t have to give reasons for that. Do I?????

Love is not a fitting thing for crude prose, it is much like poetry; graceful, soulful and flowing. It is something which makes you transcend the barriers of sanity, something which urges you to shed your pragmatic self, which gives you the power to make a fool out of yourself again and again and again.
It is about stolen glimpses, senseless smiles, unexplained tears, the plethora of fears… it is the trap everyone wants to fall for, it is the feeling everyone wants to be ensconced in. The encryption everyone is trying to decrypt. (With due respect from the geek in me)
One of those elusive MUST HAVEs of life, the paucity of which can lead to serious complications and the excess of which can give you a serious HIGH. One of those rare journeys where you enjoy both the “Traveling” part and the “Arriving” part.
Some people also term it as the most dangerous of things around. People have been wrecked hollow because of it. Lives lost or worse still lives made not worth living. But I think that it is about the misinterpretation of the whole thing. It may sound very theoretical but the idea of GETTING everything you love makes it a hollow concept, a boring story.
Someone said, “Only white brush strokes on the canvass never make a masterpiece.” (It is an original one!)
*Best illustrated in the Keira knightly- story of Love Actually.

Among other thing love is; it sure is something very tough to write about with the conclusion part being the toughest. So I will conclude with some nice quotes from my sister’s quote collection.

Love as told by the seers of old.
comes as a butterfly tipped with gold.
flutters and flies in sunlit skies.
weaving round hearts that were one time cold.

Just to have you near me
brings me happiness each day,
just to know I have your love
means more than words can say,
Just to know you’re happy,
Makes me happy too,
and always just to have you,
will make all my dreams come true.

Love cannot be forced, love cannot be coaxed and teased. It comes out of heaven, unasked and unsought.

Love is all in fire, and yet is ever freezing;
Love is much in winning, yet is more in leesing [sic];
Love is ever sick, and yet is never dying;
Love is ever true, and yet is ever lying;
Love does doat in liking, and is mad in loathing;
Love indeed is anything, yet indeed is nothing.

Phew!!!

P.S.- That was pretty decent from an outsider’s perspective, I guess. Will revise it the very moment I become fitting enough. [:-)]
Conspiracy theories about the timing won’t be entertained.

Note: I first thought of the title “A Rare Sunrise”, but since irony seems to be the flavor of the season for me, so finally settled at this one. My tribute to the events around me.


The high stakes, hectic, ever interesting (???) colorful college life ( got the point , IRONY) has given me a lot of things to cheer about: those buffoon friends, some decent additions to the “OH SHE IS GOOD!!” list , a killer forehand(not exactly killer, but will do) and to balance the scale, tipped in my favor, it took a lot away too. Now that list is a confidential one.
Just today I witnessed an entirely unheard of thing, at least for me and safely speaking for a lot of us, The Sunrise. The reason for change was of course tennis but those sun rays got something inside me ticking.
When was the last time I watched a sunrise???
Hmmm… it definitely wasn’t in September (for it was time to reconcile with good old net), August?? Tough chance as most was spent at college, July?? Yep that must be it.
In fact if I remember it right it was on 13th july when I woke up early to catch a Delhi bound train for the premiere of HP-5.
That is a loooong time by any standards possible.
And god it was so beautiful, so different. The shades of orange slowly turning into red, the silence mixed with the chirping, the calm, no whirring laptops. Just that heavenly feeling of being soaked with something divine something serene something so out of this world. The beauty of simplicity, of nature and a lucky break from that ever demanding hustle bustle.
Strange!!!! How something so ubiquitous became so exclusive?? How things that were naturally embedded in our lives become so out of place????
It is part of the growing up dilemma I guess. At the opening stages of our life it was “early to bed: early to rise” , another way to look at it is: we have less of dark in our usual day. But we grew up and keep increasing the percentage of the nocturnal activities. Thus becoming more and more distant from the sunrise, letting the darkness fill the void. Call me a cynic/skeptic/pessimist but that definitely IS the case.
Aren’t we all just a pale shade of white we once were??? Not all black , but grey, with the shade intensifying day by day.
Again consider the IRONY( it really is the flavor of the season) such things are coming from a self confessed nocturnal creature , the raat ke 12 baje din nikalta hai type( Courtesy:Raghav).
But I can do with a decent amount of sunrise. Twice a week sounds good. Anymore can make it commonplace again chiseling off the charm effect, again pushing it into the mundane.
P.S.- Comments???? anyone?????