Why do I feel so negative?

People around me, disgust me! Yeah, that’s what this is about. Pseudo-types who pretend to care, but don’t. I wish I could be them, sometimes, I do. Then again, I wouldn’t want to live with that sort of me.
We are so engrossed feeding the myth into society that we are even living it. It’s about that day, that moment – no background check, no follow-ups, certainly no tracking – it’s forgotten just as it was remembered – instantly.
I can’t plaster a smile when I want to punch you in your face. That’s why these days I walk with a frown, that’s as close to being civil I can get.
I have nothing against any one, I have everything against everyone.
We are so worried how good our poker-straight hair look that we spend hours preening in the parlour. Nothing wrong with that, just don’t sit in an A/C room and worry about the less fortunate. You aren’t helping.
Neither am I, and that’s bothering me. Need to get out there and help, any one who needs it, and not because I’m privileged, no because I am human. Because as an intrinsic trait, I feel the need to share – a skill, a joke – anything that brings a smile to those who have far more uncertain lives than you and me.
On a day, when I’m struggling to key-in 500 words, this surprises me. So, it’s not like I’m losing touch – not affected by writer’s block (don’t believe it, anyway!), just that I’m doing lame things that are eating into my time.
Hmm … even watching TV is a task I don’t want to do! Yes, so inspiring it is at this point in time. Time to fix it! Or what’s the difference between the pseudo-types and me? Nothing we are all same, and I guess I’m a bigger loser to let things go by. Okay, need to act and act right. There’s an action plan forming in the head, just need inspiration to follow through.
Calling inspiration? Texting inspiration? Where are you Inspiration?!

Blue's good

Did you wake up from the wrong side of the bed? That's okay. In fact, sometimes it is more than okay to feel crappy. And no, I'm not talking about the Monday morning blues. They are so passé. I mean, come on, if your life is only stressed on one day in a week, I want to know how. We live in bad times, you are getting a better deal than me and it's unfair.

We all seem to want less stress, less pain and yet the way we run our lives, it is more than apparent that we like the life we get. Let's see. For instance, if I want to be successful, I take on more on my plate than I can handle. So, obviously, I'm trying to push the limits. I'm inviting stress. We are doing that all the time. There's nothing wrong in that, except for one thing. We expect everything to turn out the way we want it to be. We HATE failure.

Actually, it is best to make peace on that front. How? Simple — accept it. While failure is painful it is also our chance to learn. It is an experience, we can draw a lot from it. I like failure. Not always, mind you. Why? It keeps me grounded. It is a simple mechanism to control a bloated ego. I fall I pick myself up, look back and promise to not repeat the mistake. And no, it isn't as simple as it sounds. But, with practice it gets better.

I read a poem in class sixth by Emily Dickinson — Success is counted sweetest by those who ne'er succeed. You can google it if you want. For those who'd rather do something else, here's the jest, as I understand — if you haven't tasted failure, you'll never cherish your success. It is true, to an extent. So, are you feeling like a loser? Its okay, next time you get that pat on the back, you'll feel really good about it. Try it!

Election time - remember the rally

This time round when you vote, don't forget the nusiance some parties created. I still can't forget the JD(S) rally that left my sister stranded at school - she walked back home. 10kms that's the distance she covered, 4 hours spent waiting and then finally walking home. Even dad who left home to bring back my sister from school waited in a bus at Hebbal flyover. Thankfully he decided to take public transport. He had the option of walking to the school. I was happily sitting in an auto with a fickleminded driver taking me all over town - he claimed he knew a jam-proof route, sure why not!

Anyways, I wrote this then to vent out. Now seems a good time to post it ... so read on ...


Leading normal lives is not easy. And yet scores of us do just that, without complaining. Who’s listening, anyway. But that’s a different story all together.

Politicians on the other hand are a different species altogether. These ‘people’s representatives’ once in power suddenly fear the very people who they represent and need Z-security. When they are on the move, in the city, people like you and me endure long traffic jams just so our ministers have an easy clearance.

Then again there is only so much we can grin and bear. And seriously, we have ran out of patience. Did you see the madness that ensued on the day JD(S) big wigs decided to have a political meeting on a busy work day in Bangalore?

Silicon city turned stranded city. Five hours of chaos, helplessness and frustration. Not taking into account precious morning hours spent patiently at traffic jams that very morning.

So, in the evening the last thing we expected was to be sucked into a jam that stretched for hours. Our families were at large, this time, thanks to you even our children walked miles to be home as we ourselves were left twiddling our fingers waiting at the other end of the jam.

So, dear Mr Politician(s), please DON”T try to have any meetings at our expense. We — the tax paying citizens of this country, state, city — do not like it. We hate to see you de-face the city space flaunting your party flags. And may be you ought to take lessons in litter management. Learn to clear after yourselves! Don’t leave ugly hoarding hanging, they can kill innocent pedestrians and motorists. Leaving us stranded at the bus stands and at the mercy of autorikshaws isn’t funny either.

We may not be your target vote bank, but with the nasty memories of that day still etched on our mind, we just might surprise you next election season. And don’t forget, you need to use the money we pay as tax constructively — fix the pot-hole infested roads, plant trees to get back the green cover the city once so enjoyed. Don’t use it to fan your ego and for once do something useful, you just might get elected on sheer credit (work credit) and save lot of money as well as paper.

Time for a little reality check — for once lead a life of an ordinary citizen!

Films that I like

May not be the ones that you like. And when I say that I mean it. My friends can vouch for it. In fact, I once was given the good job of writing reviews. Believe me, I did torture many a poor souls. Every time I raved about a film, it managed to bomb at the box office. Sigh! Here. I was trying to save the producer's world from sinking ... giving the film 4 stars and all, but it was of no use. But I couldn't match public opinion. I never do, I should have known it was the wrong job for me! Anyways, lesson learnt :)
I guess, for me criticism is always positive. Yes, it isn't a word I take negatively. Who made the rule that criticism is only negative.? Back in college, my English lecturer drilled it in to our heads that criticism did not mean the wrongs in a work.
I have believed that for several reasons than one. I mean we had to critique Wordsworth, Byron and the likes of them, so it was really difficult to say what they did wrong — apart from their meter, I still don't understand that talk of iambic meter and blah!
Now about film and writing reviews, I don't do it anymore. Okay, listen, not because I gave 4 plus to all flicks I watched, but I changed jobs. So, that is that. But friends and family are grateful that I don't get to impose my likes on them. At least when it comes to films.
About the films I like, Saawariya by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and ... ok, don't frown! I simply adore that film. I know, you hated the blue-green colour scheme and just about every thing in the film. But, I don't want to know.
The other film that I really like is Delhi-6 by Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra. I didn't mind the kaala bandar ... just by the way :)
Well, I have been wanting to write a long really long review for Saawariya and now Delhi-6, and if I get the time (at work) I will definitely write an elaborate one. Yes, with all the space in world wide web at my disposal I'm going to write about every tiny detail in the two films.
All you unfaithful friends who can't understand my obsession with the kind of films I like, well, just skip the space and come back later.