Today's Fortune

The heart is wiser than the intellect.

Me : Is it ... ?

Analysis and Interpretation !

This Valentines most sought after 'Doctor Ship's (Relationship's) advice !

(By the way from this day hence, I (Dr Ship) am going to start charging for all the advise that I give ... no matter what the topic)

Okay .... All agony aunts and uncles, several councillors, psychologists, psychiatrists and matchmakers will be out of job if couples with troubled relationships follow this one advise.

If you have a problem with your whoever ... Don't brood over them ... Discuss them.
Break the problem down ... Don't break down ... Talk it out.
Don't just sit there thinking what he/she said and what he/she meant. Its just not worth the trouble ... trust me. Instead just walk over ... get into a solution mode and request your partner in crime to do the same and thrash that issue out.

The moment couples get into the analysis and interpretation of what was said and what it meant or worse what was intended or indicated or implied or any such intangible confusion ... disaster reigns !

If despite your best efforts your other half (note : I'm not saying better) refuses to participate in your efforts ... Follow the Traffic Signs! (simplest signals ever created)

Stop ... Look ... Move ON !
(open to analysis and interpretation ... ha ha Got you there !!! Well get your thinking caps on !)

And to make things light at the end of this extremely difficult lesson, here's a forward that I got today....


A man walking along a California beach was deep in prayer.

Suddenly the sky clouded above his head and, in a booming voice, the Lord said,
"Because you have TRIED to be faithful to me in all ways, I will grant you one wish."

The man said, "Build a bridge to Hawaii so I can drive over anytime I want."

The Lord said, "Your request is very materialistic. Think of the enormous challenges for that kind of undertaking. The supports required to reach the bottom of the Pacific! The concrete and steel it would take! It will nearly exhaust several natural resources. I can do it, but it is hard for me to justify your desire for worldly things. Take a little more time and think of something that would honor and glorify me."

The man thought about it for a long time.

Finally he said, "Lord, I wish that I could understand my girlfriend. I want to know how she feels inside, what she's thinking when she gives me the silent treatment, why she cries, what she means when she says 'nothings wrong,' and how I can make a woman truly happy."

The Lord replied, "You want two lanes or four on that bridge?"

Make time or Miss out ...

Davies the poet who got nothing of what he deserved but still managed to simplify the choas of modern life into words that will continue to reverberate even in the eaons to come ... I salute you.

'Leisure'
- By William Henry Davies

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars, like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty's glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

Five For Fighting

I can’t stand to fly
I’m not that naive
I’m just out to find
The better part of me

I’m more than a bird
I’m more than a plane
More than some pretty face beside a train
It’s not easy to be me

Wish that I could cry
Fall upon my knees
Find a way to lie
About a home I’ll never see

It may sound absurd
But don’t be naive
Even Heroes have the right to bleed
I may be disturbed
But won’t you conceed
Even Heroes have the right to dream
It’s not easy to be me

Up, up and away, away from me
It’s all right
You can all sleep sound tonight
I’m not crazy, or anything...

I can’t stand to fly
I’m not that naive
Men weren’t meant to ride
With clouds between their knees

I’m only a man in a silly red sheet
Digging for kryptonite on this one way street
Only a man in a funny red sheet
Looking for special things inside of me.....inside of me

It’s not easy to be me

Should Truth Prevail ?

I think honesty and truth are not synonymous with each other ... just like excellence is not synonymous with perfection ...

But then this is what I think ... and these days I don't really think that matters much.

The very meaning of a 'Meaningful Life ...'

Recently while on one of my endless drives back from office I was assaulted with a question. Endless because the traffic crawls slower than an earthworm and assaulted because I was a million miles away trying to breakdown the theory of the infamous Freudian slip. (After Willy he's next ...)

She : What do you think is the meaning of having a meaningful life ?
Me : Whoa !!! Where did that come from ??? (To both myself and her)

She : No. Generally.
Me : Well...
(Suddenly jolted out of my reverie ... I managed not to come up with an instant answer which would in any case have been very hollow)
Me : I think .... It could mean different things to different people ... (my voice faded off)

All possible answers beginning from the mystical to the mythical and even the metaphysical seemed to flow through my head but nothing clicked.

In the very awkward silence that followed the sound emanating from my car's stereo seemed rather loud ... I turned it down. The traffic moved another pace but the silence remained unbroken. On another day or at another time this question might not have instigated my brain cells the way it did then. Perhaps it was the intensity with which the question was put that forced me into a thoughtful coma ...

Next Day.

I enter office too busy with my 'To Do' list to lend any further thought to the question that had plagued my mind the previous day...
And then I saw it. A framed poster that's been hanging in my office for all the five years that I have worked here. Its a poster that displays the famous monologue voiced over by Mark Renton at the beginning of the film, Trainspotting.

And I thought maybe there's something here (pasted below) !!!

Its titled - Choose Life. Pardon the liberal use of the F word ... not my taste but it had to be a true representation.

Choose Life.
Choose a job. Choose a career. Choose a family. Choose a fucking big television, choose washing machines, cars, compact disc players and electrical tin openers. Choose good health, low cholesterol, and dental insurance. Choose fixed interest mortgage repayments. Choose a starter home. Choose your friends. Choose leisurewear and matching luggage. Choose a three-piece suite on hire purchase in a range of fucking fabrics. Choose DIY and wondering who the fuck you are on a Sunday morning. Choose sitting on that couch watching mind-numbing, spirit-crushing game shows, stuffing fucking junk food into your mouth. Choose rotting away at the end of it all, pishing your last in a miserable home, nothing more than an embarrassment to the selfish, fucked up brats you spawned to replace yourself.

Choose your future.

Choose life.

Whats The Scene ...

Restless energy
Super good weather
Nowhere to go
Tired mind
Too much work
Boring atmosphere
Emotional mind
No relief
Cloudy night sky
Ray of light
Second chance
Desperate measures
Clap of thunder
Depth of silence
So little time
Hope...

Ask ?

I just read this very interesting quote ...

'Its better to ask twice than than to loose your way once.'

And I think it makes a lot of sense !

Shakespearean Verdict

After the longest three days of my life I've decided that you my friend Mr. Shakespeare had no clue about your own dilemma ...

Sorry William since I am in no position to pass a verdict on myself (at all) ... better you than me !

By the way Willy did you ever believe in miracles ?... You know ... I mean I don't know ... maybe someday ... somewhere... I'll be surprised !!!

Till then ... IS Life Beautiful ?

Ya Ya ... I know "All the world's a stage ... " blah blah blah........

Well well well "Play On ..."

Dream Junction ...

Its past 4:00 AM and I have been staring at my blank screen for several hours now. My only company in this sleepless quest has been the untiring cursor, the hum of my laptops fan and a tired but worried and anxious brain that's been gushing forth a steady stream of thoughts.

While I stood at the Incredible Junction, mesmerised by what I saw, felt and perceived; I had promised not to analyse or interpret any of the myriad scapes that it presented. Today I'm still there ... but today I'm worried that this dream that I have so ardently chased might forever just remain a dream...

What should I do ?

Should I just stand there and let the world go by and then hope for the best ? (this is what I am doing at present)

OR Should I do what I've always practiced myself and also advised others to do (in all aspects) ... "Accept life only at your own terms because you yourself have the power to write your own destiny..."

Why is it that suddenly my own philosophy that I have so religiously followed has suddenly deserted me?
But isn't that what I really want? And isn't this is just another means to attain my goal. But do the means justify the goal ? ... NO (period)
Is what I want really matter? ... I don’t know...

Maybe I am living in a dream world and this dream that I'm chasing is a part of the dream world... I don't know...

What I do know is that I don't want to wake up? For once I don’t...
And somehow I fear I will …

What Now ?

My dear friend William Shakespeare once wrote -
"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances ..."

Then Why O Why did you Mr. Shakespeare write this -
"To be, or not to be: that is the question."

Because my life currently revolves around it and for once I have no solution !

Incredible Junction !

I've always loved travelling - moving on in search of something new and fresh, for ideas and experiences that will help me unravel the mysteries of the world that surrounds me.

BUT ... but today ... its different.

I don't know how to explain this but for once I don't just wish to take off into the horizon that has always enchanted me. Instead I want to be here in my comfort zone that has so recently covered me up in a cozy cocoon and consumed every second of my thinking.

I don't know where this will lead ... I've never ever experienced anything quite like this !
Maybe I'm just chasing a dream ... But then some dreams are worth chasing !

My Chaos Theory & Murphy's Law

Chaos Theory ... Butterfly Effect ... Non Linear Dynamics ... Quantum Mechanics ... Initial Conditions ... Random Orders ... Will it ... Won't It ... Maybe....

Whatever be the logic that mathematicians apply to quantum chaos - one thing is for certain whenever I want some work done it will simply not happen and even if it does not before I loose considerable amount of hair worrying about it.
Nothing ... I mean nothing ever goes right the first time !

Do I not put in the effort ? - I do ... Yes I do !
Am I a moron ? - Well nobody's perfect but I'm confident of my basic common sense...
Am I not adequately prepared ? - I just spent a week of sleepless nights working it out...

Final question - Have I lost my sanity ? - The way things are going I may BUT not yet ... not bloody just yet !!!

Time to get back and ... !

The Dilemma

Me - "I love my job"
They (vehemently) - "You're not normal"

Me (wondering) - Why ???

They - "Always remeber, your Bosses will take advantage of this"
Me - "But they are good people"
They - "Thats an illusion they create"
Me (strongly) - "No ! Not where I work !"

They - (Pause)

They - "One day you will realize and suffer"
Me - "Bosses or not - Trust is what I have in them..."
They (cut me short) - "You're mad"

Me (wondering) - Am I ???

Beauty Or The Beholder ...

I love Hollywood flicks and I've been to some really advanced countries ... I've seen my fairshare of haute couture, watached a lot of FTv, have a few model friends ... basically been there done that ... BUT... nothing and I mean nothing can prepare you / me for the 'understated' (read under dressing) of Singapore's women.

I mean the sheer size of those skirts and trust me when I say minis dont compare to these microscopic if not atomic sizes.

Well I'm not complaining ... Its just a matter of first impressions and thats my dilemma. Was I alarmed, shocked, impressed, stunned, fixated ... belive it or not I have no idea.

Now I'm not a lech and I'm proud of that and the female population of the world can rest assured that I did nothing to embarres the male of our species. The question however remains that how should a simple soul like me re-act when presented with such an emphatic vision.

(After thought) Incidently I had been wished good luck for my trip by a real close friend whose text message read "Good luk chasing volcanos n volcanic women :-) have a gud trip". I still wonder if she knew what she was saying ....

Neelix to Chakotay

"Commander, I don't think you can analyse love. It's the greatest mystery of all. No one knows why it happens, or doesn't. Love is a chance combination of elements. Any one thing might be enough to keep it from igniting - a mood, a glance, a remark. And if we could define love, predict it, it would probably lose its power."

Star Trek Voyager
Season 4, Episode 22
The Unforgettable

Eternal Question

What came first, the chicken or the egg ?
An eternal question.

Here's another...
Do men like to chase women or do women like men to chase them ?

The debate rages on...

WebWard Ho !

People spend a lot of time thinking up their children's names. It's justa pity they don't always think as hard about their domain names.

Firstly there is 'Who Represents', a database for agencies to the rich and famous: http://www.whorepresents.com

Looking for a pen? Look no further than 'Pen Island': http://www.penisland.net

Need a therapist? Try: http://www.therapistfinder.com

And there is an Italian Power company: http://www.powergenitalia.com

Finally we have the Mole Station Native Nursery, based in New SouthWales: http://www.molestationnursery.com/

Weekend Blast

Last Sunday, a friend was getting married in my home town, Lucknow and till Saturday evening I hadn’t quite made up my mind to go. Suddenly at 9:00 PM when guilt pangs struck, I rushed to the railway station to catch the last train home. I even managed to secure a confirmed reservation. Luck I thought was on my side (for once). But hell it wasn’t not. The birth allotted to me was a side upper in an AC 2 tier coach which in itself is an extremely crampy affair.

Sharp at midnight as if it were an ominous sign a salty stench reached my nostrils. It was overpowering, nauseating and absolutely disgusting. Somebody had farted!
I nearly choked. The AC compartment may be a blessing in summers but it becomes a Nazi gas chamber when people blow their bottoms.
Surviving such incredible odds I reached Lucknow.

Since I had booked myself on a red eye back to Delhi the same night I was in a hardly holiday mood. The day past quickly and soon it was time to head for the wedding.
I really hadn’t been having a great day and I wasn’t really expecting much as well. But hell I was wrong! And this time pleasantly surprised too. The wedding in itself was a short, sweet and a quick affair. The food was what made my head go round. Believe it or not, there were actually 35 different dishes of non vegetarian food!!!

For a foodie like me this was straight out a fairy tale (bad example but it felt like that). There were heaps and heaps and heaps of Galawati Kababs, Kakori Kakabs, Reshmi Kababs, Kalmi Kababs, three different kinds of Biryani, 5 kinds of fish and list goes on… Boy it was some feast!

Good things don’t last forever and neither does the space in my stomach. So at midnight while trying to avoid belching loudly in public (as gracefully as possible), I decided to head home, pick up my bag and get straight to the airport since my flight was at the unearthly hour of three in the morning.

Now Lucknow airport is very unlike other airports. It’s a small port and it’s also international. The whole place is a paradox in itself. Employees there give the impression of being really busy, as if they have the pressure of handling 30 flights an hour (they walk that way). The problem is, they are not that busy and flights land there only once in three hours. Secondly it’s horribly sad on infrastructure. So there I was at the airport trying to check in and look awake at the same time. The only people present were passengers who had come in on the last flight from Jeddah two hours back and were wrapping up their haggling with contemptuous Custom officers.

Ting Ting Dong : Sabhi Yatre krirpya dhyan de, Dubai se aani vali Indian Airlines ki udaan IC 884 char ghante se vilambhet hai… and went on about how truly sorry they were about it. Now since this was an international fight that would turn domestic and then carry us to Delhi, the delay actually translated into five hours. 4 hours late + one hour for paperwork.

I sat on a not very confidence inspiring recliner and watched as a fat lady who sat beside me snored loudly and guffawed at the same time. I hated her very sight for she dissipated any chances that I had of possibly dozing off.
Slowly the sky started lightening as the heaviness of the night lifted. The fat woman still snored heavily.
Mercifully a while later IC 884 landed. I spent the next hour pacing. Two reasons - I knew I’d be late for office and secondly the fat oaf had me on fire.

Finally the flight was announced; we boarded and took off. The Lucknow adventure I thought was over. BUT Murphy’s law. How could I ever forget that?

A salty stench reached my nostrils. …Again! It was overpowering, nauseating and absolutely disgusting. An idoit in the seat ahead had farted!
I choked... While the oxygen was being restricted in my lungs I had visions of picking up the delinquent who burst his tank, opening the emergency exit and chucking him out and then watching him as he plummeted 25,000 feet. (perhaps his internal compressed natural gas might have rescued him)...
I guess I must have passed out (it was that bad) for otherwise I think I might have actually just done it …

Freedom at Midnight !

Monday morning. The time of the week when it’s toughest to wakeup, get out of bed, drive to office and spend an irritating day while putting up with workplace tyranny. The whole affair is nothing but a pain. A pain with 52 cycles in a year, except on certain merry occasions. Such merry occasions don’t come often, but last Monday, it happened.

It started off like any other Monday; newspapers screamed the usual headlines - x killed in y place, politicians alleging conspiracies, Al Qaeda’s fanatical warnings … A typical beginning to a typical Monday. Without hope I drove to office through an equally chaotic late goers’ rush hour traffic.

As I pulled into my usual unlawful parking spot, mentally preparing myself for the day ahead, something clicked in my head... something… was wrong. The office parking attendant (yes! we have one even for the illegal place) was actually smiling. I mean, he looked positively happy.

At the gate another jarring sight greeted me. The Guard. Usually a morose spectacle today presented an animated sight.
“Good Morning Sir!”
A little taken aback for I’m used to a practiced ignore I wondered if the recent solar eclipse had a lasting effect on the two.

I entered and walked through the corridor to approach the reporters section. Something was amiss.

Most chairs were empty, people were lazing around, animated chatter wafted through the basement air … the atmosphere seemed almost surreal for a Monday morning.

I guess my completely foxed expression must have been noticed, for a concerned colleague came up asking if I was Ok.

He said, “... don’t look so stressed” It’s a holiday!”

I gave him a nasty look … holidays are a touchy subject. (we’re open 365 days)

He replied “Well its kind of a holiday, the boss is on a business trip for the whole week. He left last night”