Tuesday, January 3, 2012

2012 - Lets walk now!


So much to hope and so much to dream about! So many moments and so many walks! The journey continues as you smile at your past with love and starts flirting with future. Give yourself a present, live to dream, live to be alive. Today is always new. Relish it! May the best happen to all of you always! Spoil yourself with love! Happy New Year! 2012 is here.

Recently, I watched a wonderful ad of Coca Cola that talks so much about optimism prevailing over pessimism, people fighting for good over bad. Yes, the day may not be smoke free yet but hey! we are still wishing everyone on a new year. We are still wishing and hoping and dreaming about an unknown year. There is a sense to optimism in everybody and that is what makes me feel good about it. Its time for us to walk towards our dreams.

What a better present for self can be other than identifying your right priorities and work out plans to achieve during the year. No, I don't have anything to quit but I actually want to adopt a few. Some good habits I shall try to adopt.

Among them, the most important and wishful is a road trip to Ladakh and Srinagar. I would really love to see this amazing piece of earth in 2012. While I did have some plans to cover some part of Arunachal in the early part of the year, that plan is looking tough now. God help us in that!

Lets walk now.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

A Walk in the Mist!


It looked like a typical chilly Delhi morning as I prepared myself for the last working day of 2011. Time flies that's alright. But it seems now time is cruising at a supersonic speed. I felt a tremendous rush of adrenalin in my body when I had a deja vu moment this morning. As I walked out of the Metro Rail coach, there was a gush of mist that soaked me in. This was incredible. I was never this romantic while going to work. It felt like I am in some remote place of my homeland, the North East India, and I felt a backpack and my Nikon D3100 around my neck. But, alas! That was not the case. It was a moment that I have lived many times but yet I want to live a thousand more times.

The mist is so dense today that it is almost impossible to even guess what it is beyond a certain point. As I walked out of the metro station and out in the open, I walked. I walked through a chilly air and some lovely London music in my ears. They said, "We are the Sultans" and I sang back yes, "I'm the sultan." Suddenly, I glanced around and I saw myself walking in the cloud. All the tall buildings in this business district of Gurgaon suddenly vanished. The mist consumed their visibility and gave me the feel that its an open field.

A gust of chilly breeze swept across the street and the small droplets of mist danced along. I watched them in awe. Am I really going to my boring workplace? Is it the same place that I walk everyday? I pinched myself and I realised that it is indeed. I wish I could keep on walking. I wish I could ignore the watch. I wish it was not a Friday. I wish I had a camera.

I wish it last forever!

Monday, October 10, 2011

Will there be Justice for all?

Music and food are two most intensely loved items in this world. There are very few things in our lives where we can say that we can actually say that we love it or we dont. To me, music and food are those elusive factors in our lives where we can be honest. But, like many other things in our 'constantly' changing lives, these fantastic elements have also changed their intrinsic character. People are confused as they are exposed to a glut of information, comfort and knowledge. A normal human brain like mine can only retain a few things which is almost universal in all of us, I presume. Music is love for live. Food is the passion in life. Music enthralls the mind and kicks in that high. It can be classical music, western music, folk music or just a tune that you were humming since that day when you first kissed her. It can be anything that you love to sing, even in a soar throat.

I am amused at how people can compromise their so called love for music for the sake of tag/ social status and to earn that air of being 'cool'. The idea is that I am cool because I attended the biggest metal band performance in the country. What if I don't know about their most critically acclaimed record, their most influential number and why, there is still an urge for people to earn this coveted tag of 'being cool'. Yes, it is but obvious that people don't want to listen to metal music when they are not in a queue to earn that badge. they would pass sarcastic remarks that why this is better than the other one and how. But will you stilll love to watch some old hands bang their voices and their strings in the most hoarse sound as possible? Yes, you will remember, I used to dislike them and I still do. But I have to bang my head and play the air guitar to show that I love them too.

I don't understand why anything should have a brand value attached to it. If you love it, then you love it for the reason it is. You don't love it for the brand value that it has created over the years. But you love it for it allows you to unwind in that music. You can release your anger, love, compassion or what ever mood that you are in. This can be done only through your inner rhythm rhymes with your taste of music, whatever that may be. But over the years, we have lost our own identity among ourselves. We used to love Bryan Adams but now we dont say it. Why? Oh! This is for kids who want to rock. I am not a kid as I have matured in listening to rock music. I no longer listen to Bryan Adams or Micheal Learns to Rock or even The Beatles or Elvis. I am more of a Metallica/ Pink Floyd fan now. This is superficial. Inside, you still like them but don't muster the courage to admit it. I reason why not. If you love something, you should keep on loving it. And, yes, you can be a fan of Bryan Adams, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Metallica, MLTR, Keb Mo, Miles Davies or The Moody Blues all at the same time.

Does it forbid us to not listen to Bollywood numbers? Yes, if you believe in trends and no, if you believe in test of time. Why do we disown any local band or artist just because he sings more closer to earth he was born? Why is it that it may not be fashionable to listen to a Baul song, or watch a Bharatnatyam or a Mohammed Aziz's number from a Bollywood movie from 1980s? Its alright. You can love it and you dont need to hide it because people may laugh at it. They may think what a bizzare and out of fashion music taste that you have. However, in the course of time, what you will earn, while others keep on running after keeping apace with new trends, that you will become a trend in yourself. And, you will be proud of it.

The idea should be to appreciate what you love. Then, there will be justice for all and you will be master of your loved puppets.

Enjoy the music! Live it!