I was speaking to Jason today. And after the usual crap Indians making acquaintances with inquisitive Americans have to put up with, you know, wanting to know where you originally come from in India and what language you speak, which ultimately and never failingly leads to " Why don't you Tamil folks speak Hindi?"..
Yea, that went for almost an hour. That was because, for a change, instead of cutting the long story short with a simple "Its a long story, Jason " i embarked on the details of Karunanidhi, MGR, their beginnings, anti- Hindi-isms et al. In case you haven't noticed, there is a catch-22 right here. How could it be a long story if you can finish it with a " Its a long story buddy."
Anyway, after this and that (which happens to be the title of my blog, and which i have finally used), he asked me how often i flew back to India to be with family and friends. I told hiim " Not very much" and he asked why not?
Here is where the second catch-22 comes into context. When you are a student, you have time to blow, endless vacation time, but no money to fly home. But when you make a job and you are assured of steady money, you have no vacation time and cant go home, though you have the money. I hadn't thought of this beforehand, but it came out the minute he asked me. He is a perennial catch, i thought, even as i was explaining it to him. I was darn proud of myself for saying that and making the connection to that ultimate novel before he did.
In fact, it is only fair that i should. I am reading that novel right now. I am at that stage where Yossarian wins a medal of honor and dresses himself to receive the medal in just moccassins. I love that Yossarian !!!
Catch-22s 'flying' all over the place.
Oh yeah, as a matter of fact, came to know that Joseph Heller, when he originally wrote catch 22, had named it as catch-18. He had to rename it because Leon Uris' MILA 18 had hit the book stands just before his catch 22 did. And that was another very good book.
November 30, 2005
November 13, 2005
The meek shall inherit the earth....
First thing in the morning on a Saturday.
Yea, I know it was 11 ish but that’s around when first things happen in my mornings. It was actually toward the earlier side, if you want to know the truth. Shankaran was still sleeping like a log and never before had I woken up before he did because that meant I have to make coffee for him.
I had just brushed my teeth, and making coffee and all when the doorbell rung. Unsuspecting, I open the doors and there are these two middle aged women standing outside, aren’t they?
The short one got off the mark with a , “ The world is a bad, bad place to live in, isn’t it?”
I nodded. I had drank rather like a fish (In fact, we had drunk, like a train around the bend) last night and that was now giving me a terrible hangover. So, in these circumstances, if someone was gonna say “ Isnt the world a bad place?” I couldn’t have agreed more.
That’s how I would have opened a conversation myself, with someone, when I have a splitting headache. I wouldn’t go knock on someone’s door and ask if they also held the same opinion, because what if they disagreed? I would have stood like a bum. Anyway, “Very” I replied.
She continued “ Every time you switch on the TV, they are always saying bad things, aren’t they? All you hear about all the time is murder, rape, theft, kidnap, assault, terrorism and such gory news, isn’t it?” She continued “ Don’t you think it would be wonderful if someone would rise and put an end to everyone’s sufferings.” Something rang a bell in my mind. But I didn’t say anything. I just stood there giving her the old eye. She had warmed up and was striking form now. She was asking me “ Wouldn’t it be great if that person could free the world of all sinners? Can you imagine how good it would be to walk free in a new world rid of all sinners?” I wanted to say that if that started to happen, I probably wouldn’t be here to talk with her about it. That person who would rid the world of sinners would start with me. That’s where he would. She was in full form now. No stopping her. Home stretch boy! “The world would become a paradise. There would be no crime and everybody would be happy. Secure. That’s how everyone will feel. The poor shall be happy, the hungry will get food, the homeless ones will find shelter and the meek shall inherit the earth. Don’t you think that’s the way things should be?” I couldn’t get to say a word but managed to mouth “ I guess so.”
The other one, the fat one, who had been silent all this while, took control when the small one paused for air. She asked, “ Do you know the person who shall free the world of the sinners? Do you know he is going to walk the earth soon again? ”. I suddenly felt like telling her about ‘ Anniyan’, but it was obvious they weren’t referring to him. And, of course I knew whom they were referring to, but I wasn’t going to say his name and fall right into their trap, was I?
They seemed least bothered by my silence. ‘ Yet another disillusioned, impoverished soul to show light to’ and ‘Lead kindly light’, they would have thought. The small one had caught her breath and took over from where she left. She fished the bible out of her bag and frisked it right till the page she wanted. You could say she had done it quite a few times before. She reached there pretty fast. And she started reading, straight from the bible. She showed the book to and I could see she was reading verses 11-15 from the ‘PSALMS’, chapter 729, I think. I don’t know how I remember and all. I am not too sure though, but I would place a small bet that was it. And frankly, I do not care. The verses talked about the messiah’s rebirth and how he would offer salvation and drink the blood of the sinners and all. It was gory, if you ask me. It was not something I would find solace from.
She finished reading, and the fat one, who didn’t speak much asked “ Well, wouldn’t you be interested to know more about it?” I wasn’t but I couldn’t say it in their faces. I am that kind of a person. I know some people can say stuff like that right in strangers’ faces and all, but I can’t do that. I was standing there, wondering how I could get out of this soon, but I didn’t say anything.
The small one then fished into her bag again and showed me a magazine called ‘Awake’ which asked ‘What hope is there for the poor?’ on the cover page and said “ We could leave this with you so you can go through it. Would that be okay? Would you go through it?” I could sense this was meeting was gonna end soon and jumped at it. I said I would be delighted to read it and took it and started turning the pages, right then, in front of their eyes and all.
It was a mistake. I had overacted. Encouraged, the small one started with new vigor and told about their church and where I could find it and how I should look them up if I happened to be passing that way. I continued to turn the pages and all. That’s all I did. When she was finished, they thanked me and all and I welcomed them, I mean not into the house and all, but just mouthed ‘ You are welcome’and ‘ Anytime’ which we all say when someone thanks us. I was about to belt in and lock the door, but she wasn’t finished.
The fat one said I was a good kid and asked which high school I went to. I told them I was a graduate. “ That’s surprising. You look so young “ she said. I told them “ Yea, I am old. I don’t look old, but I really am.”
They laughed politely and asked if it would be okay if they dropped in later sometime to see if I have any questions from the book and probably if I wanted to discuss religion and messiah with them. I would have puked when I heard them say that. But I didn’t and I didn’t say anything. I pretended to look at the book very seriously. That’s all what I did.
Anyway, they were about to leave and I was depressed as hell and wanted to kick myself for what I had gotten into. They would come again and all, but I wouldn’t turn them away if they did. I am too polite for such kind of stuff. I was already thinking of a polite excuse to tell them the next time they came and all when they suddenly said their names. Brenda and Grace, they told me.
I saw the opening and unhesitatingly took it. “ Shankaran” I said, extending my arms. I wanted to hug them and place a kiss on the small one's cheeks - she wasnt too bad if you ask me, but i didnt. I even spelt 'my' name for them and saw them place a tick mark against it. Then they noted our door number before moving to the door next to ours.
The coffee never tasted better.
Hallelujah, Boy!
Yea, I know it was 11 ish but that’s around when first things happen in my mornings. It was actually toward the earlier side, if you want to know the truth. Shankaran was still sleeping like a log and never before had I woken up before he did because that meant I have to make coffee for him.
I had just brushed my teeth, and making coffee and all when the doorbell rung. Unsuspecting, I open the doors and there are these two middle aged women standing outside, aren’t they?
The short one got off the mark with a , “ The world is a bad, bad place to live in, isn’t it?”
I nodded. I had drank rather like a fish (In fact, we had drunk, like a train around the bend) last night and that was now giving me a terrible hangover. So, in these circumstances, if someone was gonna say “ Isnt the world a bad place?” I couldn’t have agreed more.
That’s how I would have opened a conversation myself, with someone, when I have a splitting headache. I wouldn’t go knock on someone’s door and ask if they also held the same opinion, because what if they disagreed? I would have stood like a bum. Anyway, “Very” I replied.
She continued “ Every time you switch on the TV, they are always saying bad things, aren’t they? All you hear about all the time is murder, rape, theft, kidnap, assault, terrorism and such gory news, isn’t it?” She continued “ Don’t you think it would be wonderful if someone would rise and put an end to everyone’s sufferings.” Something rang a bell in my mind. But I didn’t say anything. I just stood there giving her the old eye. She had warmed up and was striking form now. She was asking me “ Wouldn’t it be great if that person could free the world of all sinners? Can you imagine how good it would be to walk free in a new world rid of all sinners?” I wanted to say that if that started to happen, I probably wouldn’t be here to talk with her about it. That person who would rid the world of sinners would start with me. That’s where he would. She was in full form now. No stopping her. Home stretch boy! “The world would become a paradise. There would be no crime and everybody would be happy. Secure. That’s how everyone will feel. The poor shall be happy, the hungry will get food, the homeless ones will find shelter and the meek shall inherit the earth. Don’t you think that’s the way things should be?” I couldn’t get to say a word but managed to mouth “ I guess so.”
The other one, the fat one, who had been silent all this while, took control when the small one paused for air. She asked, “ Do you know the person who shall free the world of the sinners? Do you know he is going to walk the earth soon again? ”. I suddenly felt like telling her about ‘ Anniyan’, but it was obvious they weren’t referring to him. And, of course I knew whom they were referring to, but I wasn’t going to say his name and fall right into their trap, was I?
They seemed least bothered by my silence. ‘ Yet another disillusioned, impoverished soul to show light to’ and ‘Lead kindly light’, they would have thought. The small one had caught her breath and took over from where she left. She fished the bible out of her bag and frisked it right till the page she wanted. You could say she had done it quite a few times before. She reached there pretty fast. And she started reading, straight from the bible. She showed the book to and I could see she was reading verses 11-15 from the ‘PSALMS’, chapter 729, I think. I don’t know how I remember and all. I am not too sure though, but I would place a small bet that was it. And frankly, I do not care. The verses talked about the messiah’s rebirth and how he would offer salvation and drink the blood of the sinners and all. It was gory, if you ask me. It was not something I would find solace from.
She finished reading, and the fat one, who didn’t speak much asked “ Well, wouldn’t you be interested to know more about it?” I wasn’t but I couldn’t say it in their faces. I am that kind of a person. I know some people can say stuff like that right in strangers’ faces and all, but I can’t do that. I was standing there, wondering how I could get out of this soon, but I didn’t say anything.
The small one then fished into her bag again and showed me a magazine called ‘Awake’ which asked ‘What hope is there for the poor?’ on the cover page and said “ We could leave this with you so you can go through it. Would that be okay? Would you go through it?” I could sense this was meeting was gonna end soon and jumped at it. I said I would be delighted to read it and took it and started turning the pages, right then, in front of their eyes and all.
It was a mistake. I had overacted. Encouraged, the small one started with new vigor and told about their church and where I could find it and how I should look them up if I happened to be passing that way. I continued to turn the pages and all. That’s all I did. When she was finished, they thanked me and all and I welcomed them, I mean not into the house and all, but just mouthed ‘ You are welcome’and ‘ Anytime’ which we all say when someone thanks us. I was about to belt in and lock the door, but she wasn’t finished.
The fat one said I was a good kid and asked which high school I went to. I told them I was a graduate. “ That’s surprising. You look so young “ she said. I told them “ Yea, I am old. I don’t look old, but I really am.”
They laughed politely and asked if it would be okay if they dropped in later sometime to see if I have any questions from the book and probably if I wanted to discuss religion and messiah with them. I would have puked when I heard them say that. But I didn’t and I didn’t say anything. I pretended to look at the book very seriously. That’s all what I did.
Anyway, they were about to leave and I was depressed as hell and wanted to kick myself for what I had gotten into. They would come again and all, but I wouldn’t turn them away if they did. I am too polite for such kind of stuff. I was already thinking of a polite excuse to tell them the next time they came and all when they suddenly said their names. Brenda and Grace, they told me.
I saw the opening and unhesitatingly took it. “ Shankaran” I said, extending my arms. I wanted to hug them and place a kiss on the small one's cheeks - she wasnt too bad if you ask me, but i didnt. I even spelt 'my' name for them and saw them place a tick mark against it. Then they noted our door number before moving to the door next to ours.
The coffee never tasted better.
Hallelujah, Boy!
November 09, 2005
Stumped.........
Unbeleivable !!
Im pretty good with faces and names and assosiations and all that bull. Or so, i thought.
Some while ago, this happenned.
One guy in one of the forums i am a member of wrote about something and called that as '1G4T'. Like a bum, i wrote him back asking what that meant. It stands for Oru G, Naalu T, or originality (If you dont know Tamil, skip it). I kept reading it as OneGFourT and going 'What the heck is that'. Failure to comprehend something as basic and simple as that automatically leads to the conclusion you are bereft of any 1Gnal/ lateral thinking and inevitably followed by some good natured old school rubbing in by friends like 'Generally no Knowldege! How can you expect general Knowledge from him?'. Old school as hell.
I was just navigating links on Orkut today, right, and i was seeing Moody's page. And i was looking at the pictures and stuff. He's posted like 6 pictures and one of them catches Moody's profile (basically his monstrously huge nose) and what not, and he had titled it ' Total Damage @ VEC'. He was in this bus and looking out.
I musta seen that picture quite a few times, and nothing ever ocured to me. It dint strike me one bit. When i read the title, V E C did not ring me a bell. I am ashamed to tell you this. That was my goddamn alma mater.
I read it as Vec, not V E C. I must have seen that picture a 100 times. And since Moody's doing the rounds in China and its whereabouts, I never made the assosiation that i could be old school. I even thought, why do people abbreviate. I coulda known a landmark in Taiwan.
That could be understandable. (Maybe because, they renamed VEC as VIT during our 3rd year. And i take solace from the thinking, i would never miss VIT) It is not sooper convincing, but still. Listen to this !!! In the same picture, Sami was in the background. A little out of focus. But very much Sami. No mistaking that. Moody was looking sideways and Sami was in the background trying to get out of his seat and all that. I am fucking rooming with that guy. Yeah ! Right now! For the past 1 month, and i didnt recognize him. Awesome.
Do you want to hear the clincher? It is so depressing. I showed it to Sami and confessed so and so and all. You know what he told me. That i had taken the goddam picture, thats what!!
Im pretty good with faces and names and assosiations and all that bull. Or so, i thought.
Some while ago, this happenned.
One guy in one of the forums i am a member of wrote about something and called that as '1G4T'. Like a bum, i wrote him back asking what that meant. It stands for Oru G, Naalu T, or originality (If you dont know Tamil, skip it). I kept reading it as OneGFourT and going 'What the heck is that'. Failure to comprehend something as basic and simple as that automatically leads to the conclusion you are bereft of any 1Gnal/ lateral thinking and inevitably followed by some good natured old school rubbing in by friends like 'Generally no Knowldege! How can you expect general Knowledge from him?'. Old school as hell.
I was just navigating links on Orkut today, right, and i was seeing Moody's page. And i was looking at the pictures and stuff. He's posted like 6 pictures and one of them catches Moody's profile (basically his monstrously huge nose) and what not, and he had titled it ' Total Damage @ VEC'. He was in this bus and looking out.
I musta seen that picture quite a few times, and nothing ever ocured to me. It dint strike me one bit. When i read the title, V E C did not ring me a bell. I am ashamed to tell you this. That was my goddamn alma mater.
I read it as Vec, not V E C. I must have seen that picture a 100 times. And since Moody's doing the rounds in China and its whereabouts, I never made the assosiation that i could be old school. I even thought, why do people abbreviate. I coulda known a landmark in Taiwan.
That could be understandable. (Maybe because, they renamed VEC as VIT during our 3rd year. And i take solace from the thinking, i would never miss VIT) It is not sooper convincing, but still. Listen to this !!! In the same picture, Sami was in the background. A little out of focus. But very much Sami. No mistaking that. Moody was looking sideways and Sami was in the background trying to get out of his seat and all that. I am fucking rooming with that guy. Yeah ! Right now! For the past 1 month, and i didnt recognize him. Awesome.
Do you want to hear the clincher? It is so depressing. I showed it to Sami and confessed so and so and all. You know what he told me. That i had taken the goddam picture, thats what!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
