What's in a name

How many times have you been asked “What is your good name?”

My “good” name? It’s Mr. I’m-getting-really-bugged-with-Indian-English; would you like to know my “bad” name as well? By the way how do you know this is not my good name? Were you expecting a better one? Or shall I tell you my worse name, umm actually that was what my teacher called me when I didn’t know who build the Taj Mahal…..I think?? Or was it the one I was called with when my dad found out I gave myself a half-day off from school, without informing the teacher…oops slipped my mind, it happens, you know!! Anyway coming back to the name bit, what’s so good in a name? I mean there is nothing bad about your name, or having a name; it’s just a name, what you are called as by your friends, colleagues and family..and the rest of the 6 billion souls ; if only they met you, and read your name tag, well if you happen to have one on when they met you, of course not all at a time, I mean that would be statistically or physically impossible; and why on earth would you be having a name tag unless you were going for a conference or an interview, in which case, you are more likely to be having a number…like in prison.

And what is this thing called “Surname” or is it “Sur name”? Whatever the correct term is, I can do without it? Me, I have my Name, my family’s name and that’s it. Of course I also got my “pet” names, shortened names modified and sometimes affectionate ones – by which I am called, hollered, yelled at or texted. But, I ask you dear sir/madam, what in the name of…umm…what in the world is a “SUR”? To me, it doesn’t sound very pleasant, reminding me of similar sounding words like “sour” or “slur”

So I ask you again dear friends, what is a “sur”? but then, what’s in a name?

Of black pen, Bullet & "Bai"

There are very few things in life that could give a child a feeling of achievement as that of the transition from using a pencil to pen. The mighty, mighty pen -the symbol of maturity. As far as I can remember, I had been using black pens (black inked or refills, not a physically black coloured pen…duh). Why?I cant entirely explain, but I have been giving it some thought lately. Maybe because I wanted to escape the uniformity of using blue pens which is so cliché. I guess you can say I have a fetish for slightly unusual (not so, but just different) things (or this could be the extension of one’s need to be unique). I remember hanging out with frens who were not so popular – like a lanky Bengali lad, one very dirty boy (he never washed his clothes on weekdays) and another who by now had been convicted. I didn’t play or enjoy football as a kid, which was and still is almost religiously followed in Mizoram. And I still don’t. But I still play active basketball when most guys my age are happy to sit back and watch EPL on TV and call themselves “sport-lovers.” (not to mean a certain wedding planner here). I drive a 2^nd hand Bullet in spite of being very conscious about fuel price and mileage (the Indian effect), cos a Bullet is different and it totally rocks !! After years of ridicule, I am finally enjoying pork but I don’t go ga-ga over it or willing to kill for a piece. In fact, I have always opted for vegetarian food during my undergraduate years (very non tribal-like, I know). I don’t eat “bai” …why? don’t ask me cos I don’t know, I just don’t eat it. I don’t drink tea…tho I enjoy iced tea, and there’s a heaven n hell difference between the two. When my frens cram the whole night for a test or exam, I sleep at ten…..not because I know everything, but because I really don’t think much of last minute slogging.

I guess everyone is unique in his own way and when we learn to appreciate each others uniqueness and difference maybe we'll be better off a a species. And I write with a black pen.

Lessons from the other MJ

Of course you know him, at least if you are under 40 years Or if you remotely follow sports in some way, you cannot not know him. Ladies & gents, I'm talking about "His royal airness" "The best ever?" "?the greatest athlete of all time"....standing 6 foot 6, less than 5% body fat, soaring over guys almost a foot taller than him, poetry in motion ....the greatest Basketballer you would have ever seen -MICHAEL JORDAN.

Ok maybe I overdid the intro....and yes I'm not going to talk ablout him or his life but rather another basketball great....nicknamed The Admiral....the 7foot center of San Antonio Spurs - David Robinson. At the start of his illustrious career, MJ was at his peak, winning the NBA championship 3 times in a row. When Robinson watched that momentous ceremony on TV seeing MJ kissing the trophy, tears flowing down his cheeks, he thought "Something is wrong with this picture", "Is that what I want to be doing in my life?" "Sweat, bleed and give my all...so that in the end I can kiss a piece of metal?"

David Robinson rose in his career to be inducted into the NBA hall of fame, remembered as onr of the best Big Men to have played the game, won the championship and gave a beautiful testimony professing his faith in God in front of millions of TV viewers. He is also a well known philantrophist, an exemplary role model who has donated thousands to help kids finish their schooling.

David Robinson saw the big picture; he saw what many people missed out; saw what really mattered, rather at that point, he saw what DIDNT or WILL NOT matter in the big picture of life. Like many other basketball stars, his biggest inspiration was the great Michael Jordan, but of course, how? quite differently!

Patience - All we need is just a little

On a scale of 1 -10, I would consider myself score maybe 8, if you ask me how patient I am. Maybe bordering on to 9 if you take the subset of the Indian population. Thankfully,over the past 3 decades I have learnt to control my once fiery temper and fidgety mind to what I would now label serene, calm, somewhat still-irritable-but-stable and a little laid back.

However certain things in life, however silly they may sound, still do tick me off like-

1. Mosquitoes (especially those which start buzzing after u turned off the lights)

2. Child labour and unwarranted beating of children

3. Indians never able to queue for anything

4. Auto drivers cramping the roads trying to overtake other vehicles when it least matters

5. People lighting a cigarette in my house without taking prior permission

6. The sight of all Indian passengers rising up from their seats as soon as the plane touch down ( is it too much for them to comprehend that we all will be waiting together for luggage to arrive anyway)

7. Cruelty to animals

8. Those who treat the whole world as a big dustbin

9. The ever increasing cost of chicken biryani (or the shrinking serving portion)

10. People who think that elevator buttons have a “hurry” sensor which responds to excessive and rapid pressing

Hey I’m not that gloomy or “recess”-ed. Many things do make me happy as I have already posted and will do again. Til then, happy thanksgiving!

It's a small victory

It's a small victory for the common guy like me

1. To check out your old school snaps and realise that you are now taller than the big bully of Class5
2. To find Rs.100 in one of ur pant pockets/in a book/under the matress
3. To cook a full course meal (rice, alu & dal) and enjoy it thoroughly
4. To meet ur high school crush (who gave u the cold shoulder) and finding out she's not all that hot
5. To top-up ur pre-paid mobile phone with full talktime offers
6. To score a 3-pointer in a basketball game OR hit a six in cricket
7. To meet a celebrity
8. To wake up at 6 am and not feel sleepy
9. ...and to have a good "go" in the morning
10. To be able to complete this post knowing that I have night duty coming up, form entries and a seminar the next day and still feel good enough to be able to post this

An Evening Ride

Ol ye Faithful - O'Pooja at the start of the climb of Balumathi Hill, Vellore countryside


One of the 10 hairpin bends on the way to the top


Miles to go


a breathtaker on the roadside


Glazed


Going back


Mansion on the hilltop


Btw, my bike broke down on the way back

UNSUNG SONGWRITERS

Of course pun intended...ur welcome

Last week witnessed the 68th birthday of Bob Dylan, the undisputed best songwriter of all times. When any self-proclaimed music pundit talks about great songwriter, his would be the first name mentioned- respect. And also Lennon, Paul Simon, John Denver, Roger Waters and relatively contemporary-Billy Joel. I would like to portray a few of my favourite songwriters (tho i'm not that into music, jus happy to listen to good tunes...i'm not a fanatic) who I believe deserve a lot of appreciation, hence I call them my UNSUNG SONGWRITERS (list is not exclusive)

1. Björn Ulvaeus - The main lyricist of the world-rocking Swedish band ABBA, his songs (as well as music) transcend all ages and music lovers everywhere. Remember FERNANDO -

Can you hear the drums fernando?
I remember long ago another starry night like this
In the firelight fernando
You were humming to yourself and softly strumming your guitar
I could hear the distant drums
And sounds of bugle calls were coming from afar
..there was something in the air that night......

or OUR LAST SUMMER (from the movie Mamma Mia)
Those crazy years, that was the time
Of the flower-power
But underneath we had a fear of flying
Of getting old, a fear of slowly dying
We took the chance
Like we were dancing our last dance

These songs are pure delight in both music and lyrics department. Of course there is also Slipping through my fingers, Andante Andante, SOS.....i could go on and on. And dont forget, he also wrote music for a few musicals - one such is CHESS; check out One night in Bangkok & The Arbiter, they rock.

2. Jim Steinman (for Meatloaf) - Writer for the trilogy of Bat out of hell albums (the 1st installment being the 4th largest selling albums ever). I don't know much about his hardrock songs but we all know his song -I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) with that horror-cum-love-story-movie style 12min video (yes longer than November rain) and the song I cud listen over and over again Rock&roll dreams come through. And one for the ladies, the passionate It's all coming back to me now (popularised by Celine Dion) goes like-

There were hours that just went on for days
When alone at last we'd count up all the chances
That were lost to us forever

But you were history with the slamming of the door
And I made myself so strong again somehow
And I never wasted any of my time on you since then

3. Babyface (Kenneth Edmonds) - The list of stars he had worked with is amazing - Madonna, Whitney Houston, Bobby Brown, Phil Collins, Brandy, Mary J. Blige, Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, Pink, Michael and Janet Jacksons (whew anyone left?) , TLC (remember the cute Left Eye), Ev Vogue...etc etc.
But I would remember him most for the songs he wrote for BoyzIIMen - End of the road which was the longest #1 on billboard charts and I'll make love to you ........respect

4. Freddy Mercury - One could laud him for his amazing vocals (best ever in my opinion) or stage performance. But dont overlook his (as well as the other Queen members) talent as a songwriter. Why, he wrote the great Bohemian Rhapsody.....need i say anything more?
Check out Good old fashioned lover boy , it rocks and the well known to the younger generation number Too much love will kill you was written by Brian May.

Other notable lyricists include Elton John, Kurt Cobain, Eminem, Neil Young, Van Morrison, Dan Seals, Tom Petty, Bono etc etc...well its a matter of opinion...in this case my blog -my opinion!