What’s wrong with me?

Seeing is believing? Or let’s just say most of the times.

I seem to get to a different state when I see a piece of art. Why that’s a feeling like “tongue tied and twisted … ” . So, it might be  a beautiful write up, a great photo, a remarkable piece of music, a good looking girl or a nifty piece of computer program (eh? Yeah that features as well).

Ok, the point is, i see the other person in awe, and more often than not I become judgmental about that skillful person. But the problem is, I see art in many places, others wouldn’t even consider. A good piece of furniture ,  or that seems to typical, I mean…  a clean room, nicely cut vegetables, good perfume choice, good dressing sense … yea I consider that as art too.

I mean, that would make me a terribly easy target, ie someone who would succumb to smallish things in life.This would definitely qualify as one of my biggest weakness, not that I don’t have any other. But this one’s out in the wild. Let’s see if it gets me some day.

Why am I posting this? Well, I guess I’m not a bright bloke either.

Negotiation techniques . Part 1

Often, unintentionally at times, one finds self in a sticky situation… you know, incessant argument, no conclusion.

You want your point to be driven across, but the other party wants none of it, and vice verse. Well, what do you suppose can be done? Have around  with you a person who’s not as vocal (a person who’s not directly affected by the consequence of the negotiation would be a good starting point, but he/she must be driven enough). He/she should be given certain premises, and well defined parameters where they could go ahead and suggest a compromise on your side.

So the opposing party would automatically presume the ally to be a friend (especially if the talk gets heated), and you as a foe. It’s an instinctive realization. You keep pressing for the important point . in fact, be arrogant about your point of view, even if you are certain it’s not entirely justified.

Keep at it, till any discussion seems futile. Don’t ever let  the guard down though.

Finally, let the ally suggest the same thing as you have been (abit in a toned down, probably, even scaled down way).

It does work . and you get a long way in.

Sorry. Is that really what you mean?

Amongst other categorizations of people,  here’s a rather interesting one. The people in the particular segment are losers, but hey .. what the heck? They continue to be.

Of course people make blunders. There might be few who never seem to, but I call them lucky.

Anyways, people make mistakes. In the process,  some people hurt others, maybe unintentionally. Others have no plans of resurrecting the wrongful deed, which they deem righteous, or admit that their act is dastardly. And , yet, there are types, who’d say … “Oh I’m really sorry”, without even reflecting to what they’re saying.

They are schmucks!

Cholle bathure …. yum

So, today, after like what has been ages, I decided to give my gastrointestinal brain, a breather
For the unacquainted ones .. yes I do believe I have two brains. One that drives me to food, and one normal, logical one, that is pretty well documented in any school’s textbook. I say so, because I have seen the “other” one totally blemish the normal, ever so logical one and take charge of my body.

I daresay it wasn’t the sheer instinct kicking in , cause I was far from the point of starvation.

My friend suggested “why not go for some cholle bathure?” . Now those who know me would understand how important that dish is to me. I mean there’s probably just butter chicken which is a notch above, but I am guessing the abysmal frequency with which I consume cholle bathure lately, had pushed my brains craving for cholle bathure way up . Perhaps more than rational thinking as well.

“But we should go to Shadipur Depot on a metro”, I whined. The shop there supposedly gives out the best of cholle bathure, at least as far as I have had. “All the way from DLF” …, my friend here did not have the extra brain that was taking reigns as i was arguing.

Anyways, we didn’t go to Shadipur depot. We’ve postponed the trip to next weekend.
As for today, we went to Bikanerwala in Gurgaon, had a round of Dhoklas, Cholle , extra helping, and washed it all down with a glass (actually a kullhar) of Lassi.

Delhi food. I love you!

Don’t kid yourself

When was the last time you let yourself be?

When casting an impression did not matter. When you weren’t been scrutinized for all of your smallest, antics. When you know, you’re not being judged for every word you say, and all the people around you are behaving in a similar way.

In the process of being tactful and mature, I suppose, we as responsible adults seem to lose track of it. We know however, it still exists and it longs to be drawn out. I speak of a very important part of you. Your inner kid. The restless child. The unreasonable, uncontrollable being, for which logic is only as much as eyes see, and every action of whose is a fleeting whim of the so called heart. For when he speaks, it’s the pure form of expression, and not quite like the weighted, measured talk that we as adults indulge in. (Even, when we’re being candid ).

Today, I attended a birthday party of my next door neighbor who’s a 6 yr old kid. Well, I’ve attended his previous 2 b’day bashes also , so, it’s not something new for me. As a matter of fact, I enjoy myself, and well, some people scorn and do not quite seem to understand, the joy I get indulging in such activities.

So what’s it about kids that I so adore:

• A kid would never hold back his/her true opinions about you. I would be given thumbs up/down in such a blunt and bold manner that at times I wish I could do the same without being calculative of how my behavior would affect my relationship with the concerned person later on.
• A kid would do as he/she pleases. How it affects them in the long run, who cares. Life for kids is right here, right now!!
• Leave two kids in a dull old room, and only with their imagination, they’d turn the place into a Disneyland. And we grown ups seek pleasures outside, when it’s actually all inside us.
• Worry about tomorrow? Me? My agenda doesn’t even stretch till the next hour!
• Food …. eat what I want, how much I want!

I think adults who drink to get a high, or use other mind altering substances, are just trying to let their inner kid be.

Or say, a lose talking pair of lovers. Or a bunch of old buddies. You could be a kid around someone you absolutely trust, only that the ‘being kid’ feeling has to be reciprocated. If it works, well and good. Why pelter your brain with a rack of chemicals, that may have other side effects.

On a more serious note:
Many children in India are being robbed of their innocent childhood. It hurts me to see the small, tender ones being made to work. There was a regulation last year, where in it was a punishable offense to employ someone under the age of 14, for any sort of work (domestic or commercial). How much of it has been enforced? I still see little ones cleaning utensils in dhabas, serving tea, and what not! Please don’t encourage such businesses, and learn to use your right to vote.

Look for a party whose agenda revolves around nurturing kids, and not providing you freebies like low income tax, and cheaper food grains.

was JM philosophical ?

Ah keep your eyes on the road,
Your hands upon the wheel.
Keep your eyes on the road
Your hands upon the wheel.
Yeah, were going to the roadhouse,
Gonna have a real good-time.

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“Road house blues – Jim Morrison”

Early to bed, early to rise …. there’s more to it than meets the eyes!

There’s something quite spectacular about the break of the day.
I mean, I do get up early, and am the most productive in the morning, but that’s not what this post is about. I guess people have their own “best times for the day”.

Oh. and for the record, the late night (with easy calm, and glitter of lights) is certainly a sight to behold. Such things linger around, when I close my eyes. I love them too.

So, now a days, I don’t wake up by an alarm clock. I depend on the light coming in from a window that I intentionaly leave open, just before hitting the bed. But I think it’s more to do with my body clock . Anyways, I might have slept a little earlier than ususal, or must have been uneasily sleeping, but when I got up, it was still dark, and very quiet. The time must’ve been 4:45 am.

Also, it wasn’t as though I was woken up by a bad dream. It was very normal, and when I got up, I felt fresh, and ready to go. After deciding I had nothing to do at that time of the hour, I decided, I’m going to watch the day break. So, I climbed up to my terrace, and made for the most comfortable position (It’s over the water tank).

Well, I have done such a thing in the past, but that’s usually, when I’m out, travelling to a place where horizon is visible, and I do love watching the sun rise. However, around my home, the place is filled with tall buildings, and houses, that I can only see as far (but it is not bad at all, trust me, even in Gurgaon).

So, it was very dark, I could not even see where I was stepping. I had to feel my terrace (since I haven’t been up there lately, and thnigs change ). I managed to find a spot though. It was also very quiet. I could hear the leaves rustling, and the slightest of the sounds made when I tiptoed over to the other end. There was also this pile of bricks I managed to hit, and when that fell, it made quite a racket .

So I concentrated on the part just over the horizon, thanks to the skyscrapers. It was dark, much the same everywhere. After a while though I noticed some activity among the birds. Initially, it was the big dark birds (I’ m ignorant of their names) which fly without flapping their wings so much. More like effortless gliding. There was this spot in the sky, which was looking quite different from rest of the dark sky. It had acquired a dark bluish tone.

In a while that point started getting brighter. I could tell the difference, every passing moment. Soon enough, there was a small band of colors at the spot. It was as if some one had stacked a blue strip over a white strip over a orange strip. The rest of the sky was dark. The coloring scheme I saw here looked marvellous. Pretty soon, this band started to gain in size (width wise, as well as length wise).

The birds decided to join the party at that time, and I could hear different kinds of chirps in the air. The affect was of an orchestra with people tuning their instruments. When it became a little brighter, the big birds had started to circle right over my head. It felt great. This was the best moment of the experience. I wish I had a camera there, but I guess mega pixels wouldn’t suffice to capture what I saw. Anyways, I noticed some sparrow type birds (ones who flap wings vigorously to stay air borne) circling the perimeter of the circle big birds had made over my head. The affect was more than what I have words to describe. It was the fusion of amazing colors, happiest of sounds, and a nice breeze, which was like a cherry on iced cake

I hopelessly wished “if time could freeze …”

So, if you haven’t seen this yourself, people, let me tell you …. you’ve missed something. And also, each sunrise is a different experience. Some leave you feeling humble and small. Other times, you feel peppy and charged up. But you never feel down.Today, I felt like roaring, and rearing to go!

Human behaviour

We (myself emphatically included), never seem to learn, when things are going nice and easy. It’s in a way suggestive that through hardships, and struggle, can one grow (or even think) towards a better life. Very recently, I was involved in a life threatening situation, which made me realize how much I value life. I feel the urge to celebrate every single day from now on. Had it not been for that incident, I would probably be cribbing for some other reason or two, and bitch about how life is unfair, and people don’t care. But anyways, I’m alive, and have so much to share (notice the silly rhyme?).

Admitted, life is ironic, but you’d rather be alive than be rich, or famous (or substitute your personal fantasy). You, all love life, and you probably realize that once you even get a fleeting glimpse of death approaching. Anyways, my point is, each new day is a invaluable treasure. Do cherish it. Do things that matter to your heart. Live it up. And never waste time sulking.

Also, as much as I thought, I’d be scarred for life, I feel like I have learnt my lessons in good time. Here’s a very positive thought “There are no mistakes in your life. Your life is made up by connecting the innumerable decisions you’ve taken, like dots. Own up to them. Retrospection is good, but over doing is not so good”

How it affects me?
For all the bad memories in my past life, I used to have sort of tape replaying over and over in my head. I would visualize the same moment, re-imagine the scenes, and would wonder, what if I hadn’t done/said that? Nothing consequential was achieved doing the futile activity, except for a odd realization at times, which would make me want to go at the replay more, and the cycle repeated. Turns out I wasted more time brooding this way.

Then, I heard this. “Why worry about something you know you can do. Just do the deeds and get it done! And, of course, for the things you know you cannot do, why worry?” Simple as it may sound, I feel that most of the problems we face are classifiable in the two categories. Then there are those for which one tends to be uncertain. I say, break it into parts. Ultimately, those smaller parts will either be doable, or un-doable , or depend on some one else’s contribution. Remember, you can motivate others, only to a certain point, but you should not have expectations.

Too much for a simple blog like mine? I agree. But some times, pensive mood gets this from you Anyways, I’ll conclude on this thought:
I might be down, but I’ll bounce back
wandering down the road, I’m lost, but soon I’ll be on track
I do not know how it’s going to look like
But I see hues, not just white and black.

how does it feel?

I thought I knew it all. I am a simple guy, easy to be with ….. am I?

People can be judged, by their actions, and their words ….. can they?

Time flows, has been flowing, and will continue to flow ….. does it?

People appreciate blunt honesty ….. do they?

Life does not give you a second chance ….. (it does) … what about third ?

Many people can talk the talk. How many can walk the walk?

Everything happens for a reason, or does it?

“I haven’t gotten it figured out just yet” – Thanks Alanis. You make most sense now.

Choice is good, but with a reason

Well, this post is going to be rant.

I am a gadget freak… I have realized it off late. As much as I try to convince myself otherwise . That being said, let me also re emphasize . If a brand comes out with a new product (say apple, and their iphone 3g fiasco, for the sake of example), I’m not interested, till I find a use for it. I do not swear by brands.

Well, nonetheless, I also have realized, that I am an audiophile. Good sound delights me in a way that snazzy interface would probably affect mac users. We all have our poison. If you are beginning to think this one’s against apple here, lemme clear it out, no I am not in a position to crib against them. Not a single apple product till date. They just make a good example of “obsessed people”, and crazy marketing.

Now, well, back to business….

So, I like good audio. I have lots of products from sony. (Naturally, you might say). O sony .. why must you do this to your users. The headphones are great. I’m loving it, even as I type out this post. But there’s a string (or shall we call it the sony proprietary connector …. eyuuch ) attached to my phone. What a totally useless piece of engineering. I mean look at the number of exposed pins( and the size). Looks like a recipe for disaster, as compared to plain old USB B mini.

So, I used to think, sony must’ve got it wrong, you know back in the ol’ days, of lesser standards, and days of experimentation. Look at the picture now. There have been more and enough people who crib about the same problem. Connectors of Sony Walkman phones go bust (aren’t they bound to). My second set of headphones are giving problems, and never have the plain ol’ 3.5 mm stereo connectors suggested anything to those lines. Not even the usb mini ones. Some of the design should be based on experiences, you know, they aren’t kidding when they say that time is the best teacher. The standards are based on the usability, and not due to a desire to capture the market. So who seems goofy now ? Go take a look at the newer lines of Sony phones. They have only one probable line of reasoning … backward compatibility (yeah, with crap).

Sony, when, most of the products are talking nicely of convergence, and well they also put their dollars where there mouth is. Yea I’m talking of memory cards. Nokia, motorola , and a lot of cameras, couple of other gadgets use a SD card. Seems good. Why must Sony products use a MS pro … I have a PSP, plays well with my other sony stuff, but very recently I bought a Nokia product(I am not a brand driven person) . Quite naturally, it won’t be allowed to exist in my Sony device ecosystem. So then, I have slowly come to a realization … Sony is not as sweet as it once seemed. Well, if only they could give me a reasoning for:

SD card has open specs as opposed to Sony MS crap.

SD card is generally cheaper around the market. go check yourself.

So, does MS pro offer any technological advantages? Not that I can think of.. or know .

Well, so all of you people, snared in Sony world, I urge you to reconsider your next Sony purchase?Is it worth it.Audio stuff from Sony is good, no doubt, but clearly, the company has decided that it does not intend to play around nicely to others, which I feel is a very bad policy, in today’s market.

So, what are the alternatives for common sony products, like walkman phones , PSP, and PS3, good headphones?Baah… must go out  and buy a new memory stick.