Sunday, March 8, 2009

After those little things in life!

A very warm and heart-felt hello to everyone out there! Now one may wonder as to why I am so chirpy. And the reason is, I have no specific reason to be happy. And nobody needs a reason to feel a smile. Now do they?

It just occurs to me... in the process of nitpicking over the small details, I've been missing the main joy of life. And that is to enjoy whatever I have. And I have plenty! I have a friend who gets angry if he feels I'm being tread over... I have another friend who threatens to kill me if I get myself killed (That, is a loooong story!). And there is yet another friend who consoles me, telling me she'll kidnap a japanese particle theorist for me to wed!

Now all this might seem silly. But then again, isn't the joy of life truly hidden in all these little things? And one shouldn't need many things to make one happy. And I'm glad, I'm still smiling even if I don't get the things I want immediately. It just means that I need to cheerfully work harder or patiently wait for it or something better!

If only we could follow this philosophy wherever we go... whatever we do... imagine what a happy place we'd be living in! =)

And so, in this spirit of goodwill, I present to you some of the things I wish to accomplish before I bit Adieu to this life -

  • Learn the Violin
  • Take a P.hD. in High Energy Physics
  • Go to the Kyoto and visit the Fushimi Inari Taisha atleast once!
  • Watch a Noh Performance in the beautiful city of Kyoto
  • Be a Shinto no Miko atleast for a day!
  • Visit the Stonehenge
  • Learn to play the Biwa
  • Sing in the rain
  • Play in the snow
  • Fish in a waterfall
  • Build a shelter for destitute and old stray animals
  • Write a novel
  • Wear a furisode
  • Watch the sun set from the Alps
  • Camp out in the Kalahari
  • Cuddle up with eskimos
  • Help save Olive Ridley hatchlings
  • Drink Sake
  • Learn to cook the heavenliest payasam!
  • Die at 70!
Hmmm... not quite the complete list if you ask me. But for now, this will do! I'll keep the world updated as I accomplish one task after another from this list!

And strangely, I feel like I'm on the top of the world! =D

Friday, March 6, 2009

Noh dancer, this fall

It has been long! I know... but right now, my life seems to be stuck in this rut and for some reason, it is almost like I am expecting something drastic to happen. But the event eludes me like the plague!

Ah well... things will happen when they do! If people reading this blog don't already know, I am crazy (read rabid fangirl crazy) about Japan and her culture. And it is one of the first things in my 'To Do' list of my life that I go to Kyoto and be the audience of a Noh drama. And yes. I didn't say Kabuki... I said Noh.

I don't know... sometimes I feel like there is a very strong unexplainable bond between me and that city... almost like I have something waiting for me there! It's an eerie feeling at times but I sometimes feel as though it is my destiny to go there and wander around the numerous shrines and temples there!

And as I was in this state of mind, I managed to write down what I felt in the form of verse. I'll say it isn't that great or anything. But hey! I'm not Emily Dickinson! :P

The swirl of the autumn leaves to the ground
The sound of the thunderous applause before...
My feet that lace the wooden stage
A Noh dancer presenting tales of yore.

They see no expression save that on my mask
They hear no lament beneath
The tale is all they'll know for now
But none of the sorrows burried deep.

My eyes may shed unseen tears
My heart may cry out unheard
The unbearable weight of the soul
And the solitude dreaded and feared

They crush my hopes and blow them asunder
They sneer as they back me against the wall
But the applause once more before unseeing eyes
For me, a Noh dancer, this fall.

(I know it has a twinge of melancholy and sadness. But for some reason, I always feel a little sad yet content when I think of Noh... the same way I feel when I think of Shinto priestesses. Ever wondered what runs through an actors mind as he goes through his story telling? The stoic expression makes the performer immune to such guesses... but somehow, I view his heart as an even more vulnerable thing because of this aspect!
Ah well... I know I'm making little or no sense whatsoever! I hope you liked the poem. =D)

P.S. I know the poem is not that great that someone would be tempted to plagiarize it. But just in case you feel like doing it, I'd advice you to draw inspiration from this and write something of your own. Believe me, it gives you such a wonderful feeling!

Sunday, March 1, 2009

Why...oh...Why?

I know it has been long and for those few souls out there who follow my blog, I am sorry! I was feeling a bit under the weather (and who wouldn't if one had to break steel rods and contend with silly professors who go on about something being 100 'degree' Kelvin!).

The other day, my university had this huge fest thingy where people from every other college and university were invited and people were having a splendid time (Apparently). It just happened that the conveners had invited a very famous actor to inaugurate the proceedings. Being in the masters course, I have come to terms with the fact that the main administration views us exactly like how they view an empty class room. Oh well... no big loss there!

And so, I think it's justified when I think that not many people from my class would go the fest. But dear Elbereth's polka dotted babushka was I wrong! Now, I didn't know that one of my classmates was a very big fan of this actor. And well, I don't know why, but recently a lot of text messages are doing the rounds with this particular actor as the butt of their jokes.

And so, as my friends and I sat, a day after the actor had dropped by, how we found the jokes funny and well... how the guy was such a dork at times (in his movies). I mean come on! I despise heroes who carry their hero image wherever they go... put on airs... make an already insufferable life a tad bit more vexing for the general public. So, I joined in with much enthusiasm.

It was then that I noticed one of the girls had a face that looked like she had just bit into a lemon. This girl was the same person who was die hard fan of the actor.

One should've been there to see the way she glared at us all... if only looks could kill! (And thank heavens her's could not!)

And this brings me to the topic of discussion. Why do people follow so madly and blindly after their 'idols'? I mean... come on! That is not real and they know it. But even then, they adulate them and wash their cut-outs with milk and other valuable edibles! And proclaim their love for them by starving sans food if the idol cut his pinky!

It is about time we woke up and looked around. In the end, as we are busy swooning over them, the idols are happy raking in on the moolah! In this fairytale world, only one person has a 'happily ever after' ending, ne?

And for those who are curious, the girl still acts a little coldly towards all of us and plainly, I couldn't care less!