ThanksGiving - A Planned Chaos !

It has been years, since I was so hooked on to so many tabs at the same time in a web browser, and every boy would get this when I say that. I was sulking in front of my laptop , looking out of the window to see a bright yellow IKEA hoarding . My heart was racing, my mind horse riding , galloping from one tab to another as I religiously hunted the next window where I can 'add-to-cart' and prepare steps for bankruptcy. Thanksgiving is an Online epidemic which causes wallet diarrhea. In other terms, it brings an exclusive season of self pampering by making you feel it is right to do so, cos its Thanksgiving. 

Funnily, the moment I step foot in this place, I was preparing for this very thing to happen. The excitement of searching for a particular product, finding it, looking up the price, and ordering it and the moment the order confirmation comes is an online orgasm for the virtual shopper. Every tom dick and harry enjoys  this whirlpool of emotions in the privacy of their homes. At one point time . I apparently shouted saying, "Yes,Hurray,Ha-Ha" when I realized I was all alone and time was 10.00 pm.  Ever since, I suspect my neighbor cautiously keeps ten steps away from me. The moment you place an order, the next symptom of this disease is when you can't wait to shamelessly boast to all the contacts in your phone that you landed a profitable deal. Boy, for a person, who doesn't eat the turkey and spend a deliberate moment to convey thanks to near and dear, as in the real spirit of Thanksgiving, all one cares about is how they can effectively spend their money and buy the right products at the right place for the right price.  It was an exciting & nerve wracking three days. Adding to our own insecurities in not missing out on cool deals, there will be an inflow of people voluntarily coming and poking your otherwise peaceful state of being into splurging from pen drives to air fryers and what not.  Not to forget , those sudden people in your life who become suspiciously friendly around this period, inquiring your well being until they come up with a request to buy a latest Apple product because it was available at an unbelievable price. 

It's a period of planned Chaos. 

While the online world is a frenzied place by itself, the stores equally present a scene of pandemonium . Have you seen Animal Planet , where wild buffaloes and striped zebras run as a herd, raising mountains of sand and dust into the air when a ferocious prey was at its back trying to take a pound of its flesh? It is pretty much the same scene at these famous outlets, during this period. People, cover themselves up with winter wear, bring toothpaste, mouth wash, power banks and their prized wads of cash and credit cards, waiting to be swiped at the cash counter like a bumbling band of baboons scratching their backs on the barks of trees. No amount of swipe would be enough. Finally, when they got their hands on their product,  they will stomp out with a pride giving them a good night's sleep. Sometimes, the situation gets a bit out of hand, when these retailers deliberately place lesser quantities of a certain product that they know will attract people like moth to a fire. Physical altercations, verbal assaults , loose strands of hair and apathy at the fellow desperado are some of the popular after effects. If the websites didn't do enough damage, they also send notifications through mobiles killing the last nerve of self control. Every first timer will appear like they have had shots of caffeine , during this time. The amateur e shoppers vicariously derive sadistic pleasure out of the first-timers on how they hopelessly keep piling up goods and products, only to realize in hindsight that 'the cart' became heavier than they can pull. These people buy only what they want and watch the whole world burn as they watch the latest movie in the super large LED TV they themselves purchased in the previous thanksgiving.The aftershocks extend into the next week as well, in the name of CyberMonday which is an exclusive period of more online sinning. 

Some websites crash due to the humongous online traffic , causing a flurry of posts in social media spreading aimless panic that a certain website is down. To add insult to injury are instances when our online orders get cancelled due to some internet overload and we have to re-order items, as we double pay for the same product in the hopes we will somehow get it. All this brouhaha finally ameliorates over the week , as people eagerly wait for their online orders to be dispatched and delivered like hens sitting over eggs. Similar to how, I am expecting a product for myself around this weekend. Oh boy, gone are those days when shopping used to be driven by need, and occasions. These days, a click is all it takes, followed by an inflated sense of vanity that they bought something trendy not realizing the hours that went into building up the resource required to buy this product. This tsunami of overwhelming waves of urge to drive in this popular highway to hell tests our mental sturdiness even as the fear of missing out secretly haunts us from the confines of our living rooms.

ThanksGiving, is indeed a period when we 'Cart' the 'Wallet' out of ourselves and is a sinful pleasure everyone commits every year , even as the vicious Internet Shopping Model feeds off on our endless servility.  

The Climate Circus Of Chicago

Ever lived in one of those places where people are glad that the temperature is 0 degree Celsius ? Mamma Mia , the very beloved Windy city of the United States is one of these places, where the Climate Circus is an everyday show for these local residents. Oh yeah , the moment you choose to live in this place, with all the magic it offers, you are automatically enrolled in this circus , where the sun and the skies play squash with your daily plans. 

I have been exposed to an Asian climate for a good score of my life with little exposure to anything cold, except for the ice cream in my refrigerator or the 1.5 tonne AC that works overtime during our typical summer seasons.  That's not the case here and I for one , learnt it the hard way . People so nonchalantly yet so benevolently have accepted the situation and bend their lives according to the weird climate situation of this place. The summer typically lasts for like a quarter of an year and mostly it is the Winter that dominates right from fall . One would often hear how the locals would say their thanks to the stars when they see the Sun shining in the sky. This is not so the situation in the Southern part of India where , the Sun has rented the place for good and only goes behind the clouds when it's Moon's shift for the rest of the night. It comes sprinting towards us in a couple of hours with such enthusiasm as the whole place warms up.

Myth Busted

I have often thought that people with an additional layer of fat aka , the not so skinny ones would do better in Colder conditions, as the fat would keep them warm . Guess what ? It's Pristine Bullshit. What we read in our science books as kids , about Walruses and sea creatures , how the fat in their body helping them in colder contexts , apparently applies only to these aquatic creatures and not the two legged self proclaimed intelligent creatures evolved from Monkeys.  I have a generous layer of fat in my body , dexterously earned from years of rich nutritious home food and limited exercise and it some how gave me an assurance that chilly winds won't deter me from wearing shorts and going out for a stroll. That thought is now no more. 

A Cold Attack

The climate here gets so cold, yet without warning as Fall kicks in and gracefully sets the stage for the Bitter winter. One would see the Sun clearly in the skies, cars veering out on the roads and everything looks like a normal day. But the moment, you step out, you would realize how prickly cold it is,  and how crazily it affects us in no time.  A 5 minute stand outside would hit the nose, hands, legs simultaneously , the cold wind piercing through our skin , making us shiver from within , the skin pressing against the fat onto our bones , nose becoming watery and sometimes even a mild front forehead headache. One wouldn't feel their legs, palms as the cold kind of petrifies us with such hastened intensity that it attacks all the systems of human anatomy impartially. The wonder here is, visually it all looks so normal , but within those clouds and the ground below ,  all the drama happens unscrupulously . The winds, envelope around us so silently, and you will feel constricted like we were held by an Anaconda.

My Personal Experience 

One day, I was waiting in front of a shop after some grocery shopping , counting the seconds for my shuttle to come and pick me up. The moment I came outside, I felt it was cold , but I arrogantly brushed it away thinking that it was just another day. But, as I waited for five minutes, I was frozen in being and in spirit. I rushed to my place of stay , gulped down two cups of freshly brewed coffee, sat in front of the burning flame and after a good 15 minutes , I could sense the blood through my veins. That day still remains fresh in my memory and I replay it whenever I head out , especially when I get lazy to wear all the weather gear such as gloves, head scarf, neck warmer, hoodie and weather jacket . Soon, the skin would start developing scales, the lips would start becoming chapped more often ,  making us hopelessly apply body lotions in all visible parts of our body. Few bother to complain as, they have mentally accepted the situation , weather wise and go about their daily routines as though there is no hassle . 

All this being said, there is still a certain group of people who enjoy the snow. I was also looking forward to my first snow experience, because I have only seen them in desktop wallpapers and videos. One day, it did snow recklessly, much before than it supposed to be. People were baffled, as it was too early to start experiencing snowfall and slogans of global warming started to be thrown all around. I was so star struck, I went out, started scraping my hands through the snow that had fallen all over the furniture outside, made few smiley faces, wrote my name , and one of those "I was here" quotes we all do when we go to scenic locations .I even put some snow into a plastic cup which is still present in my refrigerator, as that was the first snow my hands ever touched. The news channels somehow try to  portray the daily weather in an optimistic fashion, trying to not be a buzzkill for the people , right in the morning. Not everyday can be like Christmas and we can't blame the locals when there is an occasional swear , because it is the weather that makes them talk. One day, it went as cold as the antarctic here, which is why people would be glad when it was 0 degree Celsius / 32 degree Fahrenheit because it is at-least not in the negative series.  Curiosity is not the best virtue in a place like this, where the weather reigns supreme and we all should meekly submit ourselves to work with this scenario. 

Few last words: On the calendar, it is still not yet winter . Imagine how it would be, when the real boss comes...

A 'Plant Eater's' Food experience in the 'Land of Bald Eagle'

If you are one of those creatures that have never let a piece of meat down that esophagus of yours, you can so relate about what's about to come. So, I must confess, my eating life here has provided enough humor in my life than a sitcom. The other day, I so gleefully grabbed a bunch of spinach and orange colored strands of some edible item , which I knew wasn't meat. I open the box at lunch time, only to find I had grabbed an obscene amount of cheddar cheese , which I so naively presumed was grated carrots. I still finished my box, because, cheese is still a luxury for chubby guys like me. They belong to the other army. The army of those lucky bas***ds who never get fat no matter how much they eat. ME ? I walk by a cake shop , I gain a pound. I don't know, I sometimes think, as much I enjoy my food , the food likes my body. Because it comfortably goes and settles down in places in my body, which I didn't even know existed , until when a button popped open when I put my shirt on. Moving on. The other day, back in my early days in this country, I was still warming up to the "Waffles" and the maple syrups. One day I wanted to add some magic to it, grabbed what I thought was brown sugar ,tossed some whipped cream and turned to get a seat only to find a white guy look at me with awe. I rarely am checked out by people, but this dude couldn't control his emotions which was written all over his face. I sat down on my seat, bracing to take a big bite of my roasted tasty waffle only to choke and wince in the huge amount of cinnamon powder I had just spayed all over my waffle. Bloody , I mistook cinnamon to be brown sugar and I looked at the guy who was passing me by, gave me the most sarcastic smile , when I blurted to him , 'bruh, you couldav told me , I was messing up my waffle' , to which he goes 'buddy , I thought you liked it that way' , only to break into a laughter as we ended the conversation with a loud Hi-5.  

The Restaurant Experience

                                             

The Hotel experience is no different. Most of these fancy restaurants idea of vegetarian meal is drowning some tomatoes and onions in pepper sauce and adding some tofu, which I suppose is the life jacket for these poor tomatoes. It's either that or an overdose of cheese flooded over peas and potatoes.  I mean, I am sure the palate of a vegetarian extends beyond tomatoes, potatoes and cheese. I have had the opportunity to dine at some of the finest places here, and my experience has been nothing but a monotonous royalty. Apparently , they have an entree, appetizer and a dessert. Lucky me, I never take much time to decide what to eat, because most of the times, the menu boasts just one item for the herbivores. It's like, the hotel literally screaming at me - "This is what you get to eat. Now stuff this food up your proud vegan arse and get the hell out of here." . I always comply , I can't starve and I go with the flow. These pizzas are also evil. It takes a keen eye to distinguish a chicken topping from tomato circles and I end up gaping at them flat breads until someone took pity on the chaotic voices in my head and guide me on what is what. The one thing I can be sure of eating are these cheese cakes. OMG. The creamy flavor of the cheese and eggs, the sweetness of the sugar and the moistness of the bread and flour, not to forget the other sweet sauces added as topping easily puts a diabetic or a cardiac patient on a highway to hell. It's so delicious, that you feel so full and satisfied, that most of the times, I recover from the quick depression I have from the main course I just had when I eat some cheese cake or chocolate truffle.

                                     

 The Liquids Are No Better

They also have some fancy lemonades, sodas and ginger ales, which unfortunately have more sugar and water than the actual flavor of the ginger or lime, and if you choose to ignore these, you end up sipping some fine wine or naughty beer. The flavored yoghurts are these evil deceiving products, as they also have gelatin, which is made from discarded meat and bones of animals. I am a big time milk/yoghurt/paneer lover and thanks to my habit of checking products and ingredients profile, I am still loyal to my food preferences. The foods out here pose a challenge to one who has a filtered list of what to eat and drink. The place, where I live, luckily has cuisines from  different countries, I had tried some Thai, Japanese, Chinese foods and they were good. Flavorful , light by appearance but surprisingly makes one feel full at the end of a meal. From all these experiences, my knowledge of the carnivorous diet has increased funnily, as I get to see how a single animal can be broken down to different dishes. Take for example, the Pig. Okay, to make it sound better, the Pork. We have the Bacon,Andouille , Loin, Ham . I mean, the only part of a pig that is not a popular dish is probably it's twisty tail or sniffy nose. Or, may be not. Fortunately, I also take egg once in a while, and I can survive with a pepper kissed omelette ,hard-boiled eggs or the good old Scrambled Eggs. But even that, for all the tasty nutrition provides , it comes with a lot of calories and cholesterol owing to which I always do some cycling or go for a walk when I had some yummy eggs. Most of the times, if you find me slurping gallons of Green tea somewhere, you can deduce for sure, it means that I have had some cheesecake, eggs, tofu and calorific food. Green Tea is my trusted Panacea to all the food expeditions I undertake.

Whatever...

At the end of the day, I just laugh at my situation but I still never decline an invite to eat at a restaurant when someone offers a treat or suggest to eat out. Food is food. And I am one foody herbivore and I will continue to graze as much as I can in God's Green Earth ! Until then, you enjoy the food that you eat, cos food is Life ! 

The Niagara I Saw

You have heard about it . So did I . Can you imagine how intense , her attractive forces will be as she already created a desire to be in the presence of her however far one's physical being is ? Hold that thought. The imagination is not far from reality. Travel with me , as I take you through how it feels to be in the midst of her glory. The Niagara falls. The myth. The legend.

"As she draws you near"

It's one of those unexplained human gut instincts, when destiny had me making plans all of a sudden to visit her, overlooking a 10 hour journey by the rails. The arrangements were made and there I was , chugging along the night long journey to reach the lucky station that connects the world with her. As i step foot into the new place, my senses started picking up some intense vibes. Like, I knew something was happening around the place. One of the initial observations a person will make about Niagara is how, contrasting her signals can be. She is silent but she is full of music. She appears to be lying somewhere in the corner of a mountain but the aerial view will clearly tell she encompasses  all over the place. As, one travels into the city from the outside, an obvious thing that meets the eye is the Niagara river. You can imagine a lady , lying down on the face of the earth, her majestic face being the falls itself and her locks of hair , as the Niagara river. Imagine how the wind blows her hair gently , yet persuasively as she coaxes you to come near, signalling you to come further and further, like an octopus will entice a nemo fish. The river lies beside the roads and bridges silently, yet so imperatively as one can pick up the silent waves of water that is swirling from the insides to gain force as it flows down to the actual falls itself. The tension she creates , in the mind of her newest lover,  who is disturbed so passionately to see her and the thought of not having seen her makes him love her more, yearn for her more, overpowering all his human inhibitions. I was so taken in by her. I realized myself breathing heavily, as the winds got colder, my heart beats dancing to her silent chorus of her seductive breathing. Oh , I was so floored. There is not a part of her that is not majestic or unattractive so much that there are  places of attraction  all around her voluptuous frame. It is like ,she is the one and only  there.  

"Stunned by passion" 

Everywhere, you can imagine people going "oh my god" in different voices and languages, like birds in a wildlife sanctuary over a tree that just blossomed with flowers. As one goes near her, people frantically get lost for words , everyone stumped by her flawless seamless flow of never ending unbelievable to fathom majestic beauty. The sound of  gallons of water hitting the rocks appears like she is laughing hysterically at her latest catch of homo sapiens who's eyes are stretching beyond their sockets to suck the vision into their deepest memories.  The nearest view of the falls from the 'prospect point' up above the mountains where you can see all of her, as she appears to be spread out between the Canadian and American borders , to the wettest place below on the 'maid of the mists' stuns the senses of the soul that for the first time thanks the almighty for being blessed with the power to see his creation. Life is happening here. Even Rumi and Shakespeare might be restarting their wisdom fountain to describe a place that has birds flying in slow motion, water gorging down at the speed of light as her hopeless lovers stand rooted to their feet gaping at the gaiety she demonstrates. It is like God's own plan to bring in the various rivers of human orchestrated differences in religion, caste, preference,language and culture to a place where all streams culminate into one source, from which we all came from, as thousands of people from across the borders vicariously ogle at her, forgetting where we came from and who we are. Pure magic. She is like the product of Divine music with human lyrics , the song such a euphony to the ears that mentally, physically , spiritually makes us engage in a hopeless pursuit , to try grab all of her into our deepest senses to register that moment of being in her presence. The sight of the niagara river plunging into the deep trenches below sprouting spray of cold magic water as the birds flock all over the place surrounded by a sun that tries to view her as much as possible before moon takes over silences all the noise from our human nonsensical thoughts takes one to the very zeniths of wonder. She is silent , yet musical . She is so well sculpted yet , she is hugely spread all over the place. She appears to go nowhere, yet not a part of her stays fixed as the waters of her enchanting dance never stop dancing to the cries of her lovers who plead with her to never let go off her.  , The Niagara, ladies and gentlemen , is one place where bliss exists. A place, pregnant with inspiration and Naked Life Force for the soul that yearns to reverberate with divine symphony.  A visit to the The Niagara, Ladies and gentlemen, is gift you give to your soul, for you might not know next time if you will be human enough enjoy her.

As i made my retreat from her, my being already started wishing to be in her presence sooner and often  , as a flying water drop came from nowhere and kissed my forehead , as i looked back at her drunk with love thanking her for this blessing.

My Train Ride from Palatine towards Life

                                                           

I made my mind to go that place , after thinking over it and deciding what's the best way . The train came hushing without the trademark blaring horn . I was ready to close my ears with my index fingers as I expected a horn , that will startle the unsuspecting bystander but no. The double decker pulled itself onto the platform gracefully like a water running down a rock. It appeared to be levitating over the tracks that seemed to show no strain in carrying the monstrous object on its back. I have never been on a double decker and before my logical system began ruminating over where to sit, my legs took me to the upper deck and in a blink I was seated in the last seat by the window with a good view of the train. A two seater with no one beside me. Just a late 20s guy , wearing a black jacket and headphones and a backpack to help him sustain himself with some food and resources for that day. I usually get inspirations and deep realizations at the most random places , BOOM . It happened again. I realized how this train journey and my life in general drew parallels. Tens and hundreds of fellow people share my journey to the destination , in a train we are going to be temporarily be seated , making our own plans in our own worlds. Some get in the train ,some hop off , some ride the full journey with me , some sit beside me , while some just look at me but none of this. None of this is "my journey" . Everything around me is moving , revolving, orbiting but none of this is "me". I am an object in time, surrounded by other objects that supposedly , have some effect in me putting my energies in a trance . None of this is real . The music I was listening, the different people with different shades of personalities and belongings , with their own maps to their chosen destinations. I was in my own journey , travelling to a place that made the most sense to me , in a manner that made me feel happy with the resources that I thought will help me reach my destination. But , all this is happening from within me. My own personal enclosure of emotions, thoughts , dreams and fears .The universe tapped on my shoulders just in time, before I became asleep and aloof of WHO I AM , what I am doing here and the like. I realized just like how the various things that was in action around me had no profound personal impact in my journey to my chosen destination , but merely just events that were in place to help me understand my position in this otherwise empty space and time. Everything in my life is like a compass, that helps me understand where I am, but all the journey happens within. I am not travelling on the outside . I am in my own time capsule , my own sphere of realizations , the end of which i will forget that I have an "outside" , as i dissolve into the place where I came from.  Life is a beautiful journey. Sometimes doors close. Sometimes, they open by themselves. But we must never lose sight of who we are, why we are here, where we are going . When a mind reaches this state , it becomes immune from what's happening on the outside. I was lost in these whirlpool of thoughts when I had a sudden urge to look outside and realized I had reached my destination .

The rise or fall of others in their respective journeys cease to distract our own linear journey towards the realization of the self , the moment we realize our own personal coordinates in TIME and SPACE. Discover yourself . Before you reach the end of your journey...  

Life in the US - A wave of a Hand that blessed the invisible marriage between Humans and Machines

The United States of America, Land of Technology . Or , in other words, the land where we don’t sweat. In the eyes of a non-citizen, the country entices the newbie with all the cushioning that one needs , to live a life of super comfort and convenience . Nearly everything is automated , such that the humans’ hands are restricted to just tapping the switches on-off. As much tantalizing this posh lifestyle is , of all the things an Asian would notice and be alarmed is that, they don’t sweat any more. The concept of ceiling fans, table fans, which are such a common sight in homes all around, is actually an “optional” commodity here. All places, from restaurants , from homes to offices one gets enveloped in a carefully maintained air conditioning , such that the sweat pores in the body would have retired to eternal hibernation . Nearly all essential human activities are supplemented by technology enabled set ups . One would conclude that , people here must have a really really important task to do, to use up all the time they save from being assisted by these devices. From brushing teeth using battery operated toothbrushes ,to easy-to-use dish washers and hand dryers and tissue dispensers, it is funny that the rate at which human civilization is improving here is that we don’t need to even operate switches and simply just wave a hand here like magicians do. Everything is so organized and set in order . Everyone seems to conduct themselves in a common agreed set of disciplinary standard that everyone respects. The etiquette at the restrooms and elevators, even at the waffle machines are impressive , so much so ,”excuse me , I am sorry” is almost an ice breaker - conversation initiator here. People behind the wheels , are largely aware of how jumping a red light or the stop sign can drown them financially through fines . It is not a joke, to see a mother and son drive their own cars here , one behind the other, and still have a solid gap between them on the road, even though they can easily exchange burgers through the window. One might conclude, that each person puts an invisible pressure on each other here, to behave in a certain manner, and the pressure to “not be the one who didn’t follow rules” is apparently yet invisibly on a large majority here. In a way, that is impressive. From buses and trains carrying cycles , to escalators carrying a trolley full of goods down the rope in IKEA, from the single button fancy drinking water fountains and hand sanitizers stationed at random places , from a smorgasbord of impressive food outlets with delicious processed foods to fitness enthusiasts jogging in sweat pants in the side walks,  from the lack of hand faucets in lavatories to bathtubs sitting beside each other , from the palpable tense in everyone’s minds if the person behind is going to blow up the whole place to ultra strict law enforcements , the place will never fail to seduce with all it’s ironical contradictions , the new unsuspecting soul  who got propelled in a flight over the oceans to land in this beautiful federation of a totally different set of homo sapiens to be in a set of trance, thanks to the tentacles of human driven magic machinery that drives this whole place . Life in the US , is indeed an invisible marriage, blessed by a wave of hand that gave them the benison – “ I now pronounce you Man And Machine” …..

My Maiden International Travel Experience

"Throw away that Tee shirt , hand towel and that scarf and keep this one . I don't need the cooker ,it's not like I am going to be making dainty dishes like a Michelin Chef". I yelled at my mother . Reason ? The last 5 hours of the day of my travel was not just nerve wracking for me , but for my dresses too, if they had a soul. My dresses came to know my true feelings for them, as I had to make choices on what to take and leave. Obesity is bad , even for dresses. Yeah . We have all been there . Packing those mammoth trolleys, brings out our finest organizing skills, so much so for the weight restrictions on them.  It is not just the selection of what's needed, but all the labeling ,the packaging and whatnot. . Woof. Moving houses was simpler than moving bags beyond oceans. But, every traveler's first time would have been an unforgettable experience of sorts without a doubt .

Candid Human Emotional Scenes

Check,Check,Check, the various formalities imposed on the souls waiting to board the flight at odd hours is another funny one. Well, I am not taking out the importance of these ritualistic security check-in,bag weigh-in, scanning norms, but you will find some tangible tense in the air with various emotions plastered across the faces of people. Me ? I kept pinching all the zillion pockets and folders every once in 5 minutes to check if I have not left anything behind . Also me, trying to be cool and confident when internally the thought of parents,family, home country cushioning began its trance on me. I realized one thing though. Why the heck will  I be nervous. I am a law abiding , harmless citizen and none of these protocols whatsoever should not bother me . Lesson number one - "if you give yourself a reason to be scared without a reason, give yourself the need to feel confident without a reason". My trip had officially began as my mind transformed into an airport of thoughts as they came and went.

The Trance of The Lady in Red

Hop,hop,hop we go through the tunnels of human civil engineering marvels until we lock eyes with her , standing with hands firmly held , with a smile that reached my bedroom back doors , as she goes "Welcome aboard". The riveting "Lady In Red". I had to avert my glance , for if I stared at her any longer, I might land myself in a lawsuit. These "air hostesses" are a work of art. With tons of makeup , incredible pressure to be fit and attractive, at the same time not appearing needy yet so enigmatically inviting , they manage to go about their routine with such finesse.These women confused me big time. Every time my gaze met one of these dolls, I found myself losing my calmness as she smiled ear to ear and turns away the next second. Woman, why the hell are you doing this to me. You don't give me smiles like that but appear so poise and rigid. I almost imagined myself in Starbucks with these gals, when the pilot announcement brought me to reality as she flew away to the captain's call.

When Time Loses its Memory

It is weird thing that most of us go through as we wrap our minds thinking  if we were part of time machines. What an incredible thing it is, if you realize, that we travel around earth , cheating his watch as we reach the same time of the day twice. Thanks to our super fast Boeings and Airbuses, even the Sun would think at us - "you want me to go up or down . Am i a joke to you ?" , as we tend to go back in time and live a day that already started before. Beats me !.  I found myself responding weirdly , my sleeping patterns took an instant hit, the coldness of the bowels of the aircraft, that sudden homesick flashes , the intense moments with the "Lady In Red" make a maiden trip of the aspiring debut flyer an experience of a lifetime. It is just amazing and scary , how all the locked up thoughts came out in the light, as one realizes things are about to change and our system needs to reorient in almost every aspect of its design. As I was ruminating on such enlightened moments,she came with a platter and shot that sarcastic grin again and asked me what I would like to have for lunch, as I silently whispered "With you" ....

The Rainbow Shade of Love - When Like Poles Attract

                             

There was a gentle breeze as she checked the time of her watch , only to be distracted by a woman approaching her with confidence and a perfume that shook her nasal nerves . She came and asked her which way to go to the supermarket . As she gave her the directions, she grasped the hands of her boyfriend so tightly that he dropped the phone on the ground and locked eyes with this riveting woman who was standing before him. Both the man and woman stood enamored by her, her svelte figure, her confident feminine demeanor and her enigmatic presence on the whole. An entire minute passed by as the lady took as much time describing the direction so that she can finish recording the image of the woman in front of her , even as she was distracted by the sweaty palms of her boyfriend who was equally jittery and disturbed. 

The lady left , as the girl and the boy looked at each other even as they tried to hide their sudden tsunami of human lust that shook the shores of their conscience. The effect of the phenom that just left almost rattled the bond they shared between their hearts. 

Welcome to the quirky world of Humans where even love has acquired a race and color of it's own.

In line with this blog's foundation , to harness the power of 'word' to give the readers a good whiff of a reading experience, here I am, finding the confidence to write about the world of Homosexual people , the world of the Rainbow Sapiens in the eyes of a man who believes his love life can be more satiated by a woman .

Physical attraction is not love 

It is surprising and alarming how we react to the concept of beauty and how often, pathetically we misjudge the whirlpool of emotions triggered out of physical appearance to be the sacred emotion of love between hearts. It is normal to be attracted to someone, when they tick the conventional or perhaps accepted parameters of beauty/handsomeness. The right sharpness of the nose,the right fullness lips and the right eyes , the right complexion and the right figure/physique. These days, thanks to the amount of exposure, celebrities are given a run for their money as the common man and woman have access to all products and information to present themselves like super models. But at the end of the day, love between hearts is different from the beauty that catches the eye. Beauty is a limited variety. It is because a majority of us are normal , that we find the gifted ones good looking. But this is not Love. On this premise, read further. 

What is the 'the right kind of love' ? 

People , however smart or dumb , can understand certain emotions such as hunger , fear . Also , love...lust and the ability to find someone good looking . But one hits turbulence only when they fail to interpret their own natural mental yearnings. In an "ideal" world , we are all raised to embrace the concept of a man to be with a woman , only because of their undefeated ability to consummate their marriage and beget progeny . It is as raw as I can describe. These days , we can be made happy , by anyone or 'anything' , if you get what I mean.  But, to show someone how much they love the other person, by using nature's power to create an extension of their own body by copulating and begetting a child is beyond words and can be made possible only when the masculine and feminine energies meet.  Well , there is adoption, test tube, surrogacy and what not , but I am talking about the 'standard' route here. The problem arises, when a person's heart misreads the beats and assume the recognition of a physical attraction of another person to be 'love' and digress from this 'standard' route and sail for pleasures with someone of the same gender.

   

No Judgements - Simply CoExist Effortlessly

Families go through such mental hell fire, when their children 'come out' or when they get to know about it accidentally, the avalanche of quagmires that one goes through , is beyond the grasp of human mind and emotions. I used to wonder, what made these people make the choice they had made, but I couldn't get answers. And I left the urge to investigate further, as one can't decipher how the human brain and heart is wired. It is so unique and so similar , a paradox of it's own. I used to be mentally aghast, confused, but came to terms that at the end of the day, people live and the die the same way and there is no point reading between the lines, when each person's journey is a book of its own and each person is a different author, though their genres may match. While, I have found the moral fiber, to  respect a person for their own choices in religion , food and clothing, I am still yet to come to terms when one exaggerates this particular choice of theirs and is too desperate to flaunt it. More precisely, in my personal opinion , if one recognizes themselves to be one of the 'rainbow' brigade, be a sport about it and live your life gracefully without guilt. The need to display it as though it is some kind of rebellious force of nature , is what makes it a taboo and people on either sides of the camp get offended .  Let the campfire burn on its own circumference even as the waves come and leave the shore . Exist on your own boundaries. Men who gift a diamond to a woman will never understand the reason or emotion of a man , who sees his love for another man out of the spectrum that is emanating from the same diamond . Some men see the diamond, some see the rainbow. It is ultimately the light of love that determines the vision. It is absolutely normal , as long as choices are not being forced upon vehemently , in a desperate need for existence.

Appeal to Mankind 

There is enough for all of us to live as the world is a big place. In this day and age when machines and Robots have started controlling our lives, amidst human presence, the need to preserve the 'human' in ourselves is of paramount importance. While the thought of someone making a choice such as this might be disturbing to near and dear, one should realize one thing . No one forcefully turns gay/lesbian . It is a natural reaction of their mental and physical state of being , and as humans we have to embrace our evolving spirits. In more direct terms , I am stating that there is no gain in evaluating that being a homosexual is a right thing to do or not , just because it has crossed one of the fundamental preferences of the human race. Let people remain in their own shades, and not be too obvious about it. As,we are still grappling to build a world where people from different religions and castes , find it a challenge to live in a single society , let us not further keep diving the human ecosystem due to such kind of deviations which is an outcome of the unstoppable evolving human race. In this month of pride, I am showing my support to those men and women out there, who found love in the rainbow shade with a simple request to people on both sides of the concept of Love - Live and Let Live.  

Things only an Indian Will Understand - Everyday Indian Stories

You don't need to be brown skinned to understand this, first things first. Uff . Of all the things that greet the Indian eye , somewhere on top of the list is the skin tone. In spite of the repeated calls of wisdom from various religious texts that attachment to a gross physical body is pointless , the advertisements where people magically turn white , as if they have been dipped in wheat flour rules the aspirations of a helpless majority of the subcontinent. While the Western folks have found a way to use their skin tone to their advantage, still the desire to appear mayonnaise skin toned is a hidden ambition among many. Ironically, our dusky skinned celebrities themselves endorse these skin lightening products sending a message as though being white means being attractive. While , I fully agree attractive things are indeed bright, and being fair skinned does grab eye balls, it doesn't call for this much reverence.  Let me make one thing clear y'all , India being one of those places where the Sun constantly keeps blowing kisses, one does get warm and the skin does appear like a roasted pappad , but that is indeed our natural shade. Imagine a whole world full of fair skinned homo sapiens. Then us Indians will also be trolled like the chinese 'ming tongs' and korean 'ding dong lees' , where everyone looks the same.  We Indians, who take pride in diversity , should come to terms with their appearance, the way God intended.  

I was wondering how much humor was present in our lives, that we tend to ignore like the nose between our eyes, one must take the effort to tell the world , some of the funny yet everyday traits of us folks. Take for instance, when a cousin or someone who lives outside India visits our place, one does get cranky on what they will be getting from there.  This is an acceptable trait, but funnily , families go into Wars in Indian households when an outbound person brings home the local sonpapdi or mixture , instead of foreign chocolates, perfumes. I am not brazenly alleging that Indians are cheap , but one does hear a story or two of how fights happen within families, where the unsuspecting foreign relative made the grave sin of not having brought anything foreign when they visited their home. Things become deadly if they didn't buy even the standard sweet-spicy snacks and they  bring a packet of fruits. On the other side, assume one does bring the foreign purchase, guess what the first thing our folks would say - " darling , why take this much strain, you could have just come just like that" , even as their eyes grapple to focus on each other as their hands were checking out what's in the cover. 

From the homemaker queen running to cover herself with a dupatta when she is wearing a nightie, when someone rings the bell , to the oblivious tired man-of-the-house who displays his man-parts while wearing a dhoti , one will be surprised how certain behavioral patterns are so common across our households.  Oh these things do crack me up big time . I have literally seen how hawk eyed some women scan the lady in front of her, to assess what new gold ring or bracelet she is wearing. The lips talk, but the eyes literally scan each other , to the envy of body scanners in USA airports. The obsession with jewelry , and how it is seen as an unparalleled parameter of judging one's prosperity is another innate Indian dubious trait. This is in fact even observed among men, but not to the extent of their female counterparts.Nearly all localities will be having jewel shops, with banners of successful actresses adorning gold, silver , platinum , diamond jewels all over them that is almost alien like. And there will be some of those, who wear all possible malas on their necks, showing their deep affinity towards religion. Some people go to such an extent, that I wonder, when these people walk , and it rains, they will turn into a human tree, thanks to the seeds of different plants that they sport as malas. One does find extremes as they breathe some air in the subcontinent. 

From bus drivers and jaywalkers openly spitting on the roads to men covering themselves as they sneak a leak on corners of roads, and some curious pathetic people who creep up on them to see if "they were doing better than him",  to cows raining shit on roads and car drivers literally pressing their asses on horns , a foreign national who had been accustomed to a certain set of rules and cultural ethics will find the typical Indian landscape so disturbing . Funnily, we are the ones who claim to be culture champions , as we mock at the West for their lack of culture, when merely they were just sporting more skin publicly , drinking more often and questionably getting into numerous physical relationships just for the sake of it. Being Indian , doesn't have a standard definition and no scholar of sorts can define the Indian fully in a single sentence. From food habits, where North Indians literally eat, sleep , walk and cover themselves with Roti , and South Indians blow themselves up with varieties of Rice,  to dressing styles where women up the north have mirrors on their dresses covering their heads with sarees and women down the south have bangles on their hands and sarees that flaunt their waists, the differences in preferences in everything create a world of their own. We are a world of worlds . All this being said ,there exists within the country,  a group of morally relieved folks who don't like to be pinned down to any custom just because they belong to a clan and they do more of what makes them be comfortable. They do what appears logically right and morally comfortable to them and unfortunately these people get judged for their non adherence to popular values & customs and for being culturally nonchalant. This creates a rebellious attitude in them as people fail to see their good hearts, altruistic gestures, pragmatic ethics and merely judge them for not mimicking their tribe's expected standards.  And the list goes on. 

It takes a certain level of maturity and mental acumen , to be cautious of one's own identity, as one tries to not overdo their identities, even as they accommodate people with their own self imposed certitudes . This is precisely what adds impetus to the statement , when I proclaim that , being an Indian does harness one's mental assets more than the larger population across the globe. If you are an Indian, you will be smiling and nodding as you give yourself a pat on the back of how nice an "Indian" you are. If you are a Non-Indian, I am confident, you will be constantly kept on your toes as you wade through the country during your travel. Nevertheless,  we have a tangible level of humanity and values left in us , and thanks to our smorgasbord of identities, there will always be someone out there to help you just because you are their "clan"  ; and some  , who simply will lend a hand because you are an Indian first, and even some special ones, who recognize you as a human before your national identity. India is a country full of such richness in everything , and one day our people will also be rich by the coin, a country free of poverty and challenges to food, shelter and Education.

Jai Hind !

From Braces to Bravery - A Satirical Take on my Surgery

Nobody wants to get injured or have surgeons, practice their art of medicine on their mortal bodies. But , when it happens , the experience is redefining at so many levels. Given that, I have my own private nest in this online jungle , (my cherished blog) , I wanted to put to words my experience and the 'lessons' that dawned  on me out of this knee surgery i had - I have ensured to make it a light read. Do not assume it will be sympathy seeking sorrowful one, but rather, an eclectic usage of words to describe an experience satirically :) 

Warning, there will be some graphic descriptions, however encapsulated with some humor for the benefit of the reader.

It all started that bright sunny day when I was engaging in some sporty activity ,an organizational effort in an extension of promoting bonding among colleagues outside the confines of the otherwise mundane office interiors. The inevitable happened, at the least expected time when I injured one of my crucial ligaments carefully hidden between the complex knee bones. I understood something was amiss , but thanks to my mental composure, i didn't throw a fit. I realized , this was not one of those things i can carelessly dismiss as "i will be alright , imma superman" etc and relieved myself from the ground to directly visit a local ortho hospital near my home. The doc assessed to my relief that it was not a bone fracture but a muscle injury which should heal itself , given that I didn't do any stunts with my legs. While the news of a non-fracture was gratifying , the unknown muscle injury , the suspense and the pain, the occasional buckling of knee made my mind lose my peace and the logical me was back in the hospital to put this to rest. The Doc said, only an MRI could confirm the injury , its extent and further action though he correctly identified the root cause. An ACL injury. It's sheer genius and miracle of the larger force, how aesthetically constructed our bodies are, with all the blood, bones and muscle each holding the insane human mind in a mould of flesh meant to be around just for a 100 years. 

Some official mail swaps, requisitions, financial planning and other formalities were underway when the day of the operation came. Thankfully, I was positive and undeterred by the fact that a trained surgeon will be drilling holes in my bones and practicing medical tailoring of my muscles that gave away due to fate.  The support staff came and started prepping me, firstly the operation gown. Whoa. it dawned on me that I was a patient . The medical gown is a strippers dress basically , giving a good glance of your body to any curious eye.The pressure of being prepped , wearing this semi-nude gown and being on a stretcher imposed on me the will to be more patient, when i was a patient already. I swallowed my pride, climbed onto the medical bed covering some pride i had left, and was being rolled out to the Operation theater to be greeted by an insanely cold antarctic atmosphere. For medical reasons, usually the theaters are maintained at cold temperatures. But, you can imagine how it will be for a Chennaite who literally can make omelettes in the air due to the heat, to be rushed onto such a cold place. I didn't know I can do snake dance so gracefully as i lay down shivering, the entire body from top to toe , thanks to my glamorous outfit. The anesthetic surgeon administered an injection( i must say , if i was a water balloon , i would be leaking all over the place for the amount of injections i endured in this experience.) , post which the lower half of my body became numb in seconds. I was stumped both by the medical marvel of how that happened and freaked out when i realized i will have no idea what was about to happen below my waist, given that i was still lying in a stripper gown. I am not mincing words here, but i was literally made to feel like the Christian God Jesus. My hands were outstretched to the sides, my legs apart and my body covered with some shoddy clothes , with needles at random places, people holding my feet and bright colorful lights blinding my eyes, but good enough for the docs to operate on me. The humor trait in me , is what keeps me going , as i was mentally blessing the doctors from the uncomfortable position i was lying down to perform the surgery successfully. I tried to not listen to what they spoke, but I heard every sound, and my heartbeat skyrocketed when I heard the surgeon once say 'somebody check the flap, it's not working'. It was a circus of emotions and realizations. While i lay there, with all medical instruments latched on to my body, i realized how all my acquired identity out of my daily life was snapped. My gold rings, my religious threads, my body hair that was shaved for not contacting infection . It dawned on  me that, eventually I am just another mortal human being and none of the various identities that i added on myself due to force of birth, habits,lifestyle, choices or circumstances  will last long when the last breath escaped from my body. 

Anyway, as much deep that was, let me re-shift focus back to the snake dancing semi nude young man who was at the mercy of the trained medical souls. The surgery happened for like an hour or something, various instrument sounds,medical gossip between the surgeon and the support staff, my own heart beat and body dancing to the cold temperature not to forget that my eyes were covered by a see through cloth and nose by an oxygen mask. I have never felt so powerless and weak as i was at the mercy of my own karma, power of my prayers and the skill of the medicine studied by the surgeon. I didn't feel a thing, as all the magic happened, and finally my knee wrapped up with medical bandages and braced by a tight but comfortable support brace. I was being rolled out of the theater as i heard the surgeons speak about the next incoming patient and almost felt insulted that my send off was not being recognized. At least wait for me to be out and taken care off yall ! Ha-Ha. Jokes apart, the team was very careful, skilled and trained and took good care of me, as the nurses who took a big liking for me kept plugging sachets of medical fluids every once in a while through the injected needle on my left palm. 

I lay there back in my room, unable to move my right leg, as my left leg was asking me to go out for a walk. I was physically dependent on my people for supporting from food  that went in to the body and food that went out of the body. I was humbled , grounded and administered a good dose of reality as I realized that, indeed just like anyone else, i am just another person and everything disappears immediately when my time comes . And that all the physical and worldly yearning were up to no good and that what matters is how effectively i am putting the life force inside me to its best use , that helps those around me through my existence. Merely, any one can make use of a gross physical body , taking pride in its gifted physical appearance and taking pleasure out of it's capacity to enjoy pleasure , but the universe didn't blow life into our mortal vessel just for riding through life across a span of 100 years.  We are alive for a reason and while we are alive, it only serves its purpose when we realize what matters most in our life and fulfill the same, instead of chasing success, sex, name, fame, glory , pride and all acquired parameters out of this existence. 

Now you all wish me a speedy recovery and let me also wish everyone reading this article, a life full of good health and purpose :) !

Until next time !