True heroism - salutations to the bravehearts who did what mattered!

Hmmm... I guess most of the populace around the world has heard about the terror attacks that happened in Mumbai. Staying in the same country, I can't help but feel a little startled. And it's amazing how a band of terrorists could just waltz like that into the city on fishing boats and hold the whole city gripping in shock and terror as they went about killing random people so whimsically!

And at the same time, I want to really thank the brave hearts from NSG for all the help they've done in exterminating this threat! And I feel a little sad when I think of all the lives that were lost in this ordeal... May those souls all rest in peace.

And for once, the focus was on the army! It's sad how they're thought of only when they're needed and the government can be so mean when it comes to giving back to the armed forces! I'm talking of the people who risk their lives to make sure you and I live on to see tomorrow safely! These are the people who don't cringe at the thought of spending winter in Siachen or the summer in the scorching deserts of Thar. They are our real heroes and for once, I was so glad the politicians were not involved....which reminds me... where were they?

I hope the government has some really convincing reason why such a terrible breach of security happened in the first place (and blaming pakistan's all fine and dandy but if we weren't so stupidly negligent about border securityalong the waters bordering our nation, the blames come a little too late and a little too blunt!).

And just so the world knows, we (Indians) aren't intimidated by this incident and for all those tourists and travellers who're thinking if India's safe enough, Please do come again! Fear's their best weapon and let's not give them the satisfaction of getting to use it!

Thoughts in the rain

The rains are all around me now... slowly drenching rick, cot and tree... and all I want to do is lose myself in its steady rhythm... in those myriad shows of ripples as the water drops down from heaven above... like a million celestial maidens drifting down to the mundane dimension...

And suddenly I ask myself.... What the heck am I doing?! And from deep down inside, I get the answer... from a voice that sounds as though it is submerged in the very waters that I now behold outside - I am idle.

There are sayings in every culture of the world that idleness is akin to evil. But I daresay I agree not! Right now, as I am idle, I find that I am in peace! And to ruin this state of such delicate balance with pretentious shows of work would be such great folly!

The cold is slowly seeping into my skin... a refreshing feeling... like tiny bursts of life suddenly awakening all over me. And the sights around me show such beauty that had been asleep in the heat of the blazing sun...

A shade of green hither before unseen! A scent hither before unsmelt... and sounds as ancient as the world around me.

I am gazing at a ritual that has been happening even before the first human took his pioneering steps... even before the first predator stalked his world-ignorant prey... even before the first tree opened her leaves to the would outside...

And as I stand there, the cold spray of moisture dampening my outstretched arms, I realize... I am one with the rain... and I am in peace.

Bag woes!

It happens at times.... you have this one bag that you're so fond of and there's no other bag in the whole wide world that could hold all your junk..okay...stuff as efficiently as that 'one' bag does... everybody has The Bag and they're all so darn proud of it!

And what does one do when that said 'one bag' has a broken zip and you can't use it without it gaping open like a hungry alligator, showing the whole wide world how many electives you picked up this semester? No... you don't howl in a corner and rant on about the injustice of the corrupt 'zipper' industry. You send it to an expert who repairs it! And that is exactly what I did. And I thought I could manage for one day... no big deal! But oh boy! Was I wrong or what?!

Since, The Bag wasn't available, I decided to use another one... one that I really liked (but was never a substitute for The Bag). But just as I finished stuffing three record notebooks inside and my wallet to boot, I realized one important aspect of its design - it was not meant to carry huge lunch boxes. And I had a pretty big lunch box. And so, I ad to make do with a plastic cover and let me tell you... carrying flimsy plastic covers in overcrowded public buses is such a nuisance to everyone around! And it's a wonder the thing didn't spill, giving everyone near me a face full of sambar!

And once I was ready to come back home (I'd given away all the bulky record notebooks by then), I was so relieved that the day was done! And every time I saw someone with a backpack on their back, I glanced down at my messenger bag that was stuffed to the brim with my things and sighed... I would soon get my trusty The Bag back and there would be joy!

But Nay! The supposed 'expert' is probably so intrigued (or baffled) by the mechanism of the zipper that he still hasn't fit one into my bag! And well... I've to wait another day to get my dearest - er I mean, trusty bag back!

Noooooooo!!!!!!

And dad wants me to take another backpack to college... a particular bright red one. I should say it wouldn't be safe carrying it around campus. I still feel shivery when I think of how I ran the fastest I'd ever run as I tried to out-run two fashion conscious dogs on the streets, a few months ago... the last time I ever took that backpack out! And my campus is teeming with dogs...really huge well fed dogs who can run really well! *Gulp*

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!

As time flies by...

The other day, I'd gone down to my grandmother's house and one of the neighbours remarked how I hardly talked to them properly which is a very weird statement to make as I don't live near her place and I do make it a point to say 'hi' every time I see her.

And then she went on about how her son and I, friends since we could remember weren't talking to each other like before. And as for this, I wonder if she goes out of her way to go talk to people who hardly say 'hi'!

Oh well... it made me realize how we start with certain relationships, thinking they'd last a long time only to find that bonds are broken and faces forgotten.

And strangely, I don't blame her or her son for this. We all grow up... acquire different tastes in acquaintances and well... we drift apart. It is an integral part of every person's life... something everyone has to go through whether they like it or not. If that's the way we choose to look at life, I swear we'll be able to handle heart breaks and friendships gone sour better!

It makes me feel so liberated all of a sudden! And this way, I don't have to blame anyone. It's better this way than to go sulk in a corner over friends moving over and lovers dumping you! (but in the case of a romantic relationship, the person initiating the break-up should also act a little considerate!)

Life moves on... time heals... the mind forgets... and soon the heart follows the mind.

The Ad-sense quandary

The other day, I was merrily sitting in front of my system, posting on my blog when my friend drops by. She took a peep into what I was doing and non chalantly asked me why my blog didn't have any ads in them.

I told her I didn't want to distract my readers with blinkies and other pop-ups and that's why I'd never actually gone for advertisers. She laughed at me, "you're such a fool! You can make tons of money!"

I agree... we can. But do I need to have ads in my blog just for that? And moreover, my blog doesn't cover just one specific field. It's a place where I write what I feel. To let other people put their unsolicited thoughts through it is akin to letting someone walk through my head and muddle with whichever way they please!

If the Blog is for a business concern or if it's like a tutorial site or one where resources are offered, having the relevant ads makes sense. But here, having ads would only lower the personal touch that my writings lend to the blog.

I'm still not sure how many people actually come by regularly to read my blog or if I indeed have any reader-base at all! But hey... I started this blog to please the writer in me. And that person doesn't need an audience to deliver!

So, I know just what to say when the next time, someone asks me if I've placed ads in my blog...

"No. And neither shall I! Not on this one!"

Observations from a sick-bed

I've been sick... and when I say 'sick', I mean a temperature reading of 104 degree Fahrenheit. And there've been many observations I've made during this tenure of sickness that had me bed ridden for a few days...

• It's always better to be sick at home where there are people to take care of you. Falling sick and then realizing that there's no one around to help you would thoroughly distress and depress the invalid! (I'd be distressed and depressed!)
  
  
• The more potent the antibodies, the greater the chances that I'd end up throwing up! (I did it once! :D)
  
  
• Never EVER take up Avomin with your regular course of 'killer' antibodies! I could actually visualize the war going on in my stomach's insides! There were the antibodies that were screaming 'Let the Bile flow, me hearties! AR!'
  
  And there was Avomin... the lone ranger, standing like Superman in his spandex pants and briefs... wedgies hidden underneath a billowing cape proclaiming 'Not so fast, my friends!'
  
  And where does this leave me? Hmmm... I'll tell you - tossing and turning in bed, cursing such profanity that I'm sure even the Devil was covering his ears in modesty! Sometimes... it's just better to let it go...even if you have to bend over the toilet bowl and sound like Gollum's long lost cousin!
  
  
• Never ever should I worry about Lab reports! At least not when I'm sick! The reason - my lab partner is such a prat, there's nothing I can do about it! So might as well shrug and get used to the scolding to come!
  
  
• Constant coughing only tires your abdominal muscles. It does NOT give you a six pack! (I wish!)
  
  
• Sickness is one of those times when I wish they had taste bud transplants! I've completely lost track of what 'sweet', 'salty', 'sour' and all their intricate combination taste like! All I can bloody taste now is 'BITTER'! And *sob* it's getting worse with time!
  
  
• I can lord over my parents when I'm sick! (It would help if I wasn't so sick and I could still do that! Hehheh....eheheheh... *sigh*)
  
  
• I get drunk over two tablespoons of *cough* cough syrup. ALRIGHT! I can't hold my liquor in! It's not like I actually drink! So *BLEAH*! But I do remember (vaguely) that I made a total ass out of myself, messaging silly poems to a friend! I guess death by antibody overdose isn't that bad an idea now!
  
  But seriously... I can imagine myself being the pretty young thing in a red sequined dress, sitting in a lonely bar... the bartender walks up to me and asks for my order and I smile mysteriously and reply, "A shot of Corex with a dash of Benadryl... stirred not shaken." Hmmm... Not bad! I might just about start a new trend here!
  

So there you have it folks! I know this is a little random. But what the heck!

Thoughts from a writer's diary

I'm an avid reader and writer (ahem... you can hide the sniggers there, people!:P) of Fan-Fiction.

And before people go tutting away to glory telling things like Fan-Fiction is so un-original, I'd like to tell them this; It takes a heck a lot more of creativity to actually write a good fan-fic. That's because there are greater number of constraints on the writer to stay true to the orginal writer's canon. (And no... it's not something that blows things up! Oye Ve! :D)

And well... ever since I started college, I'm finding it extremely difficult to actually update my stories on a weekly basis! But I do manage to sneak a chapter up every three weeks or so... And since I'm really particular about the way I present my story and how it unfolds itself, I tend to take my time in reading through the draft and making a million changes before I actually post it! And well... I was doing this when I came across some of my creations from the past (read: 'ancient' past) and it suddenly occurred to me how I have evolved as a writer!

Some of my oldest stories strike me as such immature ramblings of a child fantasizing about a world she so dearly wants to be a part of... a world where she doesn't have to sit alone and wile away her time to nothingness... a world where she's surrounded by her idols and they're actually her friends and treat her as their equals (I would positively die if Hotohori were to propose to me! Ai Eärendil!).

And so, it's understandable that some of that unbridled enthusiasm leaks onto the story like how Orange juice stains your old Polaroids in a weird tone of Sepia.

I hope there are many other similar writers out there... and well... this post is dedicated to all you folks!

And for those who're about to let the world in on your first fan-fic, congratulations! It doesn't take much guts to actually start a story. But to actually publish it online, where the whole world can give you a piece of their mind... it's plain scary in the beginning! And it takes a helluva lot of courage to actually attempt this leap!

And here are some tips for all aspiring 'fan-fic' writers out there! (Please note that I'm no expert in the art of writing... I'm learning this art as I go. And well... sharing some of my pointers does NOT make me authoritative in judging other people and their writings!)

• Don't worry too much about your chapters and how it sounds... if the english is appropriate enough! The main objective is to present a story and what's the fun in doing it if nobody understands what you've written! Sure that doesn't mean that typos and spelling mistakes are okay... but hey! Writers are human beings as well! And a couple of typos is not going to bring about the end of the world! But... when you write a story on Tolkien's Lord of The Rings completely in SMS language, believe me... unless it's a parody and a sarcastic dig on the present generation's dependence on the Mobile phone, you're not going to fool anyone!
  
  
• Get the whole scene preplanned in your head. This is not the same as getting the whole story planned. You can have a skeletal plan all made up. And you can add interesting flourishes to the bold strokes. This really helps if you have a vague idea and are not sure where you're heading. You can always come up with brilliant sub-plots as you write! But the main plot has to be thoroughly thought out and should not be weak! And yep! That means you don't end up in some weird parallel universe and every single hot guy there falls head over heels for you - unless there's a greater plan!
  
  
• A writer's journey as a...well...writer is quite akin to how a tree grows. The bark still has the rings from the past. And in the same way, each of the stories is a remnant of the past. And one should never forget these remnants. In my case, I marvel at how childish my plots have been and how my style of narration has evolved over time.
  
  
• Never write stories for the sake of (positive) reviews alone! Sure! Getting reviews that praise you is always such an encouraging factor. But that's not the reason we write stories! We write to make ourselves happy. And well... nobody's going to spout out a classic on the first try. Criticisms are meant to help the writer. And as for the flames (read harsh feedback that hardly points out the mistakes)... no 'real' good writer/critic would flame another writer's work. So, if you were to get 'flames', you can always ignore them!
  

And if there's still doubts gnawing your mind, do let me know! It takes a lot of courage to publish one's works online. And doing that is always winning half the battle! So, go for it, my fledgling writer friends! Ganbatte!