Lessons.....

Just recently I received a mail from a friend detailing the lessons a 90 year old woman learnt in her life. She bulleted them as 45 learnings she had from the life so far. Taking a cue from that I am jotting down the stuff that I have learnt from life so far, Albeit too small a life to learn much, but this is my take on life....the lessons learnt and the experiences I've had....so here goes....

1. Life is hard, Learn to crawl before you walk and run....but always progress such that in the end you would believe you can fly.
2. Be true to yourself.....you can fool the world around you....but in the end you gotta live with yourself....so be truthful to yourself.
3. Smile a lot....might be weird at times but it sure takes out misery from those around you.
4. Love your parents....trust them immensely....they will be the only ones to stand by you when you're all alone.
5. Honor every promise you make. It builds people's trust in you...no matter how immaterial the promise may be.
6. Experience love. Once, twice, thrice.....heck!! even a million times.
7. Once you love someone, be prepared for heartbreaks. Expect nothing from love except that it will all vanish one day..so love someone like never before....n pray for the courage to see you through the times when you loose it all.
8. Believe in true friends. After your family, they will be the ones to see you through a dark night. Trust their words and actions, they know what is best for you.
9. Its OK to be weird, eccentric and paranoid. Sure beats leading an uneventful life.
10. Try to do things that you never did before, even if you totally suck at it......even at the risk of total humiliation. It takes sheer courage to make an ass of yourself in the public eye.
11. Stand up for what is right in every walk of life.....There is such a thing as pure justice....so what is rightfully yours will always be yours.
12. Dont try to be Superman by wearing undies over pants and a cape and jumping off tall objects. You will look stupid and the most you would get out of it is scraped elbows and a broken nose.
13. While fighting, always punch in the nose first and then kick the balls... Opponent down in 3 seconds.
14. If life gives you lemons, make lemonades.......but the trick lies in commercializing it and building a fortune and empire outta it. Easy life after that when you have people to worry for you.
15. Experience hate. That will help you understand how much you love someone or something more.
16. Never forget where you came from. In the end what you are now is because of what you were then.
17. Its cool to have alter-egos.They are the voices in your head and they make any discussion seem even better. At last count I had four of them in my head.
18. Work for something that interests you and something you believe in. Money will follow.
19. Never loose out on an oppurtunity to be a part of anything. The most dreaded thing is to regret that in future thinking 'What if..........?'
20. Respect your partner's wishes, even if that hurts you. The person will love you even more for doing that.
21. Spend as much time with your family and friends. They are the ones you have lived for all this while. Make it worthwhile for them as well.
22. No system is perfect. No human is either. Rebel against the system that you dont believe in.
23. Every experience in life makes you a better person. What doesnt kill you only makes you stronger. you will eventually be strong enough to challenge any hardship that life throws at you.
24. Fear lies in your head....nothing can take you down....what stands between you and the glory of the world is only this fear.
25. Once you reach rock bottom and have lost everything you loved and believed in, you have nothing left to loose and everything to gain. Make the most of it. The only way to go then is up!
26. It is very important that you breathe. Two simple actions in a continuous perpetual cycle go a long way in enjoying life..so inhale......n dont forget to exhale!!
27. Actions define the person you really are. So be justified in your actions.
28. Never forgive those who betray you. They are not worthy of it.
29. Emotions engulf you.....deal with it.
30. Be loyal to those who stand by you. Ensure your support and usefulness when they need it the most.
31. Cry a lot.....Grieve the pain within. Even tough men cry. It shows you have a heart thats still beating.
32. Death is never the end......neither is breaking bonds.......It never ends there.
33. Indulge yourself with the good, simple life. It will keep you happy....
34. Celebrate everything in life.. Even your uncle's third cousin's best friend's wife's second cousin's daughter's birthday..
35. Break away from the mould....Be different.....Get up.....get noticed...
36. Watch movies.....I learnt more from cartoon and movies than i did from books and History Channel.
37. Listen to music. Nothing will give you more pleasure...except perhaps the opposite sex.
38. Gorge on food.....Anorexia and starvation will get you nowhere but to problems in life.
39. Rush to the terrace and scream your heart out......wont get you anything or prove anything.....but sure is fun.
40. Try your hands at cookin......burnt food never tasted better
41. Let go of everything that holds you down.....Dead weight only helps you sink.
42. Memories are what eventually remains forever.....Make ones that are worth living over n over.
43. Happiness is a relative term......Be at peace with yourself.
44. Family, Friends, Happiness, Love, Glory, Money, Power........always in that order.
45. Dont envy the kid's life of eating, napping & crapping throughout the day......you would do it yet again after the age of 70.
46. Get in touch with someone you completely forgot about.....Its a nice feeling.
47. Fortune favors the brave and those who dare......so DARE...
48. Never hurt a human so much that they cant pick themselves up.....Its a curse you wont wanna carry.
49. Pain is a constant in life...It shows that there are much better things to look forward to.
50. & Lastly, read a list and try to make one bigger than that yourself...

Till I write the next blog....Adios.

My Immortal....

Ever since Evanescence, a rock band, released their album Fallen, I have been a fan of the song 'My Immortal'. The song is written by Ben Moody, who co-founded the band with Amy Lee. Although Ben has left the group citing creative differences, this particular song has assumed a hit position in the minds for a million people. The song basically is about the loss of a loved one. The way people move on after the loss. The lyrics are powerful and brings tears to the eyes of countless people. What I love about this song is that it is a piano piece and a beautiful one at that. The best way to experience this song is to close your eyes and listen to it (preferably on a surround sound system). It makes you feel as though you are riding a wave of music. Amy Lee sounds amazing right from the deepest lowest note to the highest pitch. The song infact shows the immortality of the person in essence. thats what touches us all the most than anythin in the song. The music, the lyrics, the emotions.....they all work up to that effect and that effect alone. A recommended song for the ones who have lost something precious in their lives. As usual I part with the lines from the song and urge everyone to atleast listen to it once...

I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
And if you have to leave
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
[Chorus:]
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
But you still have
All of me
You used to captivate me
By your resonating light
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
Your face it haunts
My once pleasant dreams
Your voice it chased away
All the sanity in me
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
[Chorus]
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along

Salaam Mumbai.....

Yes, this entry will also be about the acclaimed Slumdog Millionaire (for those tired of hearing about it already....tread no further). Much has been said about the film. It's basically about a boy from the slums who becomes a millionaire by being on a popular game show where every question that he answers is somehow related to some phase in his life and eventually leads him to answer the final question and win the money and the girl he loves (sorry for telling the story to those who havent seen the movie yet.....but then again why have you not seen the movie yet? :P) Many people has lambasted the movie saying that it portrays Mumbai and eventually India as a whole in bad light. This made public by one of the leading 'superstar' of the country. Enough with the hue and cry about only slums being shown in the movie....Wake up and smell the coffee guys....Mumbai afterall has one of the biggest slums (we didnt need a firang to make us realize that). If anything then what Danny did was open a new perspective to India on an international scale. Till about 5 years back the generic notion of India among westerners were that Indians wear bejewelled turbans as such or live in palace or haveli like buildings..c'mon princely states have been dissolved ages back in India. After Slumdog... westerners are now opening eyes to a different India. And it is not about India having just slums. It shows India having a metropolis that has contrasting classes of people, both rich and poor. It shows the innocence of the kids in the slums and the notoriety of the ganglords that rule the street. If anything, the movis is a real take at the real India....and the real people that reside here. Movies here are larger than life (too much fantasy to make us dream better in our sleep I guess). A few Indian movies like A Wednesday and Mumbai Meri Jaan make things more realistic but are considered lacklustre since it doesnt attract huge commercial gains as other mainstream cinemas. So what if a firang had to come in India and made a hardhitting movie about the country? A good film is a good film. And I believe that we got so much acclaim due to the combine efforts of Danny's vision and direction anf the crew that went onboard. I doubt anyone else would have made the same film any better. Every detail in the film, evry scene tells the story beautifully and the end credits show a very creative outlook as well... Oscars for the well deserved....As the whole world is now singing.......Jai Ho!!!!!

The Golden Knight Comes home........

Continuing from the previous blog......its still Oscar fever. A time to celebrate the wins. Moreso for us Indians as Slumdog Millionaire swept 8 of the 10 Oscar nominations. Three of these picked by our very own - two by A.R.Rahman and one by Resul Pookutty. Undoubtledly a time for celebrations and probably a long partying time. Its very good to know that finally Indian crative minds & technical geniuses are being acclaimed internationally. I can onlly imagine what it would feel like to receive an Oscar, an award that has been widely reputed and acknowledged as the pinnacle of succes in the entertainment industry. And to know that it has been received by two fellow Indians is a matter of much pride. Honestly, I hadnt heard of Resul Pookutty until this film was nominated for the BAFTA awards. He has worked on many acclaimed Indian films as sound technician. A.R. Rahman is known internationally and nationally as a creative genius that created many a beautiful melodies. His compositions are heard in many films and also his own solo ventures. One rendition of patriotic nature named Maa Tujhe Salaam is something of a common track played during most Independence and republic day celebrations. Most of his tunes invariably stays in the head. Thats his effect on the masses. This also includes a jingle tune for a popular Indian cellular network. An unassuming man, sweet and docile and quite respectful, A.R. Rahman's international acclaim is not trivial. Contrary to the humble persona that he carries, Rahman has performed live at Wembley Arena (a mecca for music lovers) and at the Royal Albert Hall as well as the Carnegie Hall (both the success stages for any musician). The Oscars he received are a cherry on the already illuminary carrer of his. The fact that both the winners from India came from a small background and made is big to this extent is the success story of our times. Irony lies in the fact that the movie for which they received the award was also about the main protagonist starting from the small slum and making it big in life eventually... Kudos to you Rahman and Resul...Take a bow.....you have arrived!......

The 'Heath' of the moment....

Its Oscar nights. A night where the who's who of the biggest entertainment industry rubs shoulder with the best in the industry.....a night where glitz and glamour rules above all.. a night where the most influential wait with bated breaths to hear the verdict......a night where if invited, then it is assumed that you have more or less arrived. The Kodak Theater has seen it all, as did the Shrine Auditorium before that. Black ties and evening gowns galore, its every designers dreams that one of their works be strutted on the acclaimed red carpet. Millions watched the ceremony prime time and live......and so did I.
One award that I did wait for was the Best Actor in a Supporting Role category. I was more than overjoyed when the award was announced as it went to Heath Ledger for his brilliant performance as the Joker in the Batman movie 'The Dark Knight'. Overjoyed to the extent of giving him a standing ovation. This was perhaps the first posthumous award in the category since Heath left his legacy at the young age of 28 when he died of prescription drug abuse on 22 January 2008. Tell you the truth Joker never felt this cunning and villainous, not even at the hands of Jack Nicholson (he played Joker in the earlier movies). Heath proved his mettle in his acting prowess. Watch the movie and you will realize that this is the Joker that has always been depicted in the Batman comic series. I saw the movie over and over not to see Batman in action but to see the sheer villainy of Joker. Everything that he showed as the character on film only added to his sheer brilliance. Not to say that i was saddend to hear the news of his demise. Heath may have gone from amongst us but he left the most memorable performance before he passed on. That, to me, is what true showman genius is all about. He has attained immortality in my heart and this feeling is perhaps seconded by millions who have seen his performance. A well deserved stature for a brilliant actor. This is a tribute to Heath Ledger and the character of Joker that he immortalized. Applause, standing ovation and encore!!!!

At about 2:45 pm. EST, on 22 January 2008, Ledger was found unconscious in his bed by his housekeeper, Teresa Solomon, and his masseuse, Diana Wolozin, in his fourth-floor loft apartment at 421 Broome Street in SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan.
Heath Ledger died as the result of acute intoxication by the combined effects of oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam, temazepam, alprazolam and doxylamine (prescription drugs for insomnia, anxiety, depression, pain & cold symptoms).

All Apologies....

My last blog entry was about love and the bonds it nurtures and sentiments attached to it. One emotion that often comes with love is the feeling of getting hurt. We are all scared of getting hurt by the ones we love. Somehow its beacause of the fact that we expect never to be hurt by them. But that never happens does it? No matter how hard we try we always get hurt. No matter how much we try to avoid that feeling. I have been loved by very few and there are very few that i trust completely. But the cycle of getting hurt always goes round and round. I have been hurt by the ones i have loves and I have hurt the people who have loved me endlessly. I have been blessed by the people that actually do love me. They have my complete trust in them. Its really strange to fathom how you could hurt the people who love you. Might seem extremely crazy.....and perhaps is as well...This blog goes out to the ones who have loved me beyond the defined extents of love itself yet got hurt through my crazed behaviour......All Apologies......i have nothing to make things better or change what has happened.....yet it still is a wild and desperate attempt to seek solace through the fruitless action of apologizing knowing full well that it can neither change nor remedy the hurt caused through my being.....especially to the most important people in my life whom i have caused more heartaches and grief than anyone else.

I wish I was like you
Easily amused
Find my nest of salt
Everything is my fault
I'll take all the blame
I'll proceed from shame
Sunburn with freezer burn
Choking on the ashes of her enemy
What else could I write?
I don't have the right.
What else should I be?
All Apologies....

The Measure of Love...

Valentine's Day just passed by....supposedly a day to celebrate love. But let me ask this....If you truly love anyone, Isnt it a celebration in itself? Every single day? Love is basically an emotion......and emotions are very hard to define. Essentialy emotions are actually human perceptions of their feelings and their way of defining the bonds that they share. To me love transcends in all forms. Quite a few people that I love......& the ones I love are the ones i trust to stand by me through thick and thin. They say love has no boundaries. Love exists in many forms and extends to even the most inanimate objects. You love someone and cannot explain the extents of it because the main reason for love is a certain kind of attachment and the sentiments that they induce. Memories are such that they do not erase quick. They linger and prolong in even a subconcious inanimate state. There are certain memories that even i feel are forgotten....but they arent, As I said, they linger and all it takes is a certain occurance to trigger it. Life itself is made up of memories.....memories that make you stong......memories that make you smile. So what then is the true measure of love?.Well, the true measure of love is YOU......Its upto you.....upto me.....upto everyone of us to make a memory......a memory worth living.....a memory that inspires....a memory that bonds and binds us......that is the true measure of love. Make a difference to somebody's life......orchestrate a change.......love and then be loved by all. We have but one life to live.....make it worthwhile by loving. This blog is a dedication and moreso a tribute to all those instrumental in my life.....my best friends........ my family......everyone who has affected my life (which perhaps include everyone i know)....and also a certain sealephant that i adore.....
will be back with more soon....till then hastalavista baby... I'll leave you with a song from Bon Jovi's last released album called 'You gotta make a memory'

Hello again, it’s you and me
Kinda always like it used to be
Sippin' wine, killing time
Trying to solve life’s mysteries.
How’s your life, it’s been a while
God it’s good to see you smileI
see you reaching for your keys
Looking for a reason not to leave.
If you don’t know if you should stay
If you don’t say what’s on your mind
Baby just, breathe there’s no where else tonight we should be-
You wanna make a memory.
I dug up this old photograph
Look at all that hair we had
It’s bittersweet to hear you laugh
Your phone is ringing, I don’t wanna ask.
If you go now, I’ll understand
If you stay, hey, I got a plan
You wanna make a memory
You wanna steal a piece of time
You could sing a melody to me
And I could write a couple lines
You wanna make a memory.
If you don’t know if you should stay
And you don’t say what’s on your mind
Baby just, breathe there’s no where else tonight we should be-
You wanna make a memory
You wanna steal a piece of time
You could sing a melody to me
And I could write a couple lines
You wanna make a memory