The Letter Never Sent

Waiting for the letter, waiting for it desperately, cause everything later depends on that letter. You might as well call me a letterhead! And in this case, the later the better does not apply;it better be early as its quite late already. Even the Indian Postal Service would be quicker i guess. I have even started to hate that show - the late show with David Letterman - it has 'late' and 'letter' together.
Actually, it's not the letter thats late - well it is late - but someone hasn't sent it. So the sender is late in sending a letter that is waiting to be sent - like suspended in the space-time continuum, lying on the event horizon of a black hole that's present in the sender's mind and body which is not letting him/her send the poor letter (the after effects of "Universe in a nutshell" - Stephen Hawking).
Man I'm impatient about this letter! It's like waiting for the last few mega bites of your torrent, the ETA is 45 secs but it takes forever...

"The batch of '06-08' (rare group photo)"

"Goa!"

Stay Or Leave...

Two years went by in a swoosh. The time was my best time spent in a college (oops..school!). Probably because engineering can really be a bitch...we'll take that up some other time.

It was really endearing to meet so many different shades of personalities. I think that's the reason why the time was so fabulous, for me at least. There is a prevailing sense among some people that the batch as a whole really didn't care about each other! I think there is no point taking THAT with you when you go away from here...I made some very good friends and I made acquaintances and I barely know some people...that's what it boils down to in the end.

I felt ,and have been feeling, quiet heavy hearted that this time was coming to an end. I've been told that I'll meet new people and other such condolences, as if that's a big secret. May be it is because all is coming to an end rather abruptly. I know it is alright to feel this way...I only want to miss what I loved and enjoyed, and nothing else.

The CRP was the crux of activities, the most awaited marathon, a roller coaster... 'Work' will take new meaning for us in a few days.

Well, if it started with an outbound, it's only proper to wish that it should have ended with an inbound!

I heard it through the grapewine...

I have found out something about me! Well it was me who realised it...that I love to gossip! Really! It is hilarious, devilish and so much fun...especially when it is about people who know you know something but they aren’t sure about it and you know that they probably know that you know...!

It is fun to share with your co-gossipers the details of how you unearthed or came across things that were too subtle to be noticed by the other, linear minded people! And when all these leads, yours and theirs, point towards one ‘truth’ and you are like – ‘No way man, really, how could they be doing this! I never thought he had anything for her!!!’ HA HA...that’s the point of nirvana; it IS what you thought it was!

And research (somewhere) has shown that guys gossip more than girls. We are very keenly interested in others’ lives; we just don’t show it that openly that we are. This is the probable reason why there are secret agents and intelligence operatives who usually are men...one should possess the basic curiosity about everything around. For example, a room which is usually not bolted from within being bolted one fine day, two people finding a sack full of reasons for spending time together alone – and reasons which on their surface seem very natural, everyday explanations, but you have to do away the clouds and take a good look at the stars behind...they shine light on everything then!

Ways of the world

Ways of the world. What does that mean? People say I’m too naïve to gauge real intentions behind people’s actions. I think I know what they mean. If someone is being cunning and bad towards me, I don’t think I’m a Forrest Gump not to understand it; what they mean by my naivety is that I may not react to the cunningness the way one is supposed to. All along I’m quite sure of their intentions and I usually just back off. But there are times when I react. The anger is boundless then, and not a very good thing for me. The anger destroys my peace. But I’ve experienced that keeping it inside is even worse. There are people who don’t deserve to be treated with my respect when they wrong me. They deserve hell then, and I give it out to them.

So, does that make me a very worldly, smart bloke? Does being angry and showing off arrogance and outrage signify a man’s coming off age? How does one handle bad company? I should give an eye for an eye, may be. But what if I don’t really care about it? If I’ve been mistreated, can’t I just forget about it? That would be nice now, wouldn’t it? But I usually don’t forget it...

Forgiveness is a virtue often taken as a man’s weakness, but it is that quality in one which will make matters so easy to resolve. At the same time, a tough and sharp mind will make sure you are not in a position where you have to compromise your position for the benefit of someone else

And as I have pondered over this with my friends, I realized everyone has a problem with it, either one way or the other. They snap too quickly, or they just keep it inside and let it seethe

Confront or avoid? Sustain or shoot it out? Maintain or manipulate?

Creepy, cryptic, haunting, crisp, jangling, stream-of-consciousness, southern, college, alien, mumbled, arpeggio, post punk, jittery, random, deep...shallow...in between...and so on... words aren't enough to describe R.E.M.'s music. I can't pinpoint the reason why I like them; it's just that it appeals so rightly to my ears...this is THE music for me...it has a personality, a free spirited one; it's like a light and warm summer day, which just wraps around you so naturally. It is difficult to open the songs and look at each element separately. Many a mortals have tried that and failed gloriously! Well you don't need to dissect the songs. They are so open already! Take it the way you want to be. Like Peter Buck said, they are the doors to another world- open them, and see if you like what you find. If not, you are not forced to stay...



When I was young and full of grace and spirited
A rattlesnake
When I was young and fever fell
My spirit, I will not tell
You're on your honour not to tell
I believe in coyotes and time as an abstract
Explain the change, the difference between
What you want and what you need
There's the key, your adventure for today
What do you do between the horns of the day?

I believe my shirt is wearing thin
And change is what I believe in

When I was young and give and take
And foolish said my fool awake
When I was young and fever fell
My spirit, I will not tell
You're on your honour, on your honour
Trust in your calling, make sure your calling's true
Think of others, the others think of you
Silly rule golden words make practice
Practice makes perfect
Perfect is a fault and fault lines change

I believe my humour's wearing thin
And change is what I believe in

I believe my shirt is wearing thin
And change is what I believe in

When I was young and full of grace and spirited
A rattlesnake
When I was young and fever fell
My spirit, I will not tell
You're on your honour, on your honour
I believe in example
I believe my throat hurts
Example is the checker to the key

I believe my humour's wearing thin
And I believe the poles are shifting
I believe my shirt is wearing thin
And change is what I believe in

"I Believe" from 'Lifes Rich Pageant'

"You can't stop what's coming"

The movie is called ‘No Country for Old Men'. Weird title. For me, it's the most gripping story I have seen unfolding on screen since The Usual Suspects. The acting is brilliant. The script is crisp, tight, one major reason to compare it with Suspects. Coens were never so good. But it’s the cinematography that is the jewel of this crown.

The movie presents the themes of death, fate and the changing times. It presents the incomprehensible nature of mindless violence, especially the inability of the law to even understand it.

I’ve used the word ‘presents’ because there is no comment made in the movie on these issues. It does not dissect the topic by making its characters preach. That is left to us. One might look at it just as an intense thriller, without looking at all these themes I mentioned. But doing so would greatly undermine the source material, the novel by the same name by Cormac McCarthy.

The movie is not the typical good vs. evil drama. Why, by the end if it, one is not so sure if being on either side is enough to survive.

It also examines the randomness of death, represented by the cold blooded assassin (Javier Berdem). He is always dressed in black and not a muscle on his face flinches when he puts someone down. But it is not that he is unbeatable. An equal conviction from the opposite side is what is required. Barring one character, no one seems to possess it.

The movie is about a man (Josh Brolin) who stumbles upon a lot of cash while he is hunting in Texan outback, at a place where a drug deal has gone bad. He runs with the cash, and is chased by people who want the cash back. One of them is our psycho- killer. A Sheriff (Tommy Lee Jones) and his deputy are the third group of people, going through the crime scenes and trying to put the pieces together.

This is a landscape driven film, shot in Texas and New Mexico, Very nice cinematography, I can’t praise it enough.

It’s not to be missed.

Ellis: Whatcha got ain't nothin new. This country's hard on people, you can't stop what's coming, it ain't all waiting on you. That's vanity.