इश्क सूफियाना!

दिल्ली-६ फिल्म का गीत "अर्ज़ियाँ" मेरे ह्रदय के बहुत नज़दीक है | प्रसून जोशी ने शायद इससे अच्छा कोई और गीत न रचा होगा| ए. आर. रहमान ने मधुर संगीत देकर और जावेद अली तथा कैलाश खेर ने अपनी मखमली आवाज़ से बेहद खूबसूरती से इसे निभाया है| यह गीत एक सूफी रचना है| दरअसल "इश्क़" और "सूफी" दोनों अरबी शब्द हैं| इश्क़ का अर्थ होता है काम-हीन प्रेम (lustless love ) , और सूफी का अर्थ होता है विशुद्ध, पवित्र |

आज के बिकाऊ संगीत के ज़माने में जहाँ "ख़ुदा", "मौला" और "सूफियाना " शब्द डाल कर हर गाने को "सूफी" बनाने का प्रयास किया जाता है; ऐसे में यह गीत सहज ही उस भीड़ से ऊपर उठता है|

यह कोई प्रेम में डूबे प्रेमी का गीत नहीं है| ना ही ये किसी नाकामयाब मजनू को "Lets Try Again" की प्रेरणा दे रहा है| यह गीत ईश्वर को संबोधित है; अब चाहे उसे खुदा कह लें या अल्लाह, भगवान कह लें या "God"| इस गीत के लफ्ज़ बेहद खूबसूरत हैं और सार स्पष्ट - वो ही सब कुछ है, हमें उसे कुछ बताने की ज़रूरत नहीं, वो सब जानता है|

इंसान की सबसे बड़ी नादानी यह है की वो ख़ुदा को बाहर ढूंढता है मानो वह कुछ और हो, स्वयं से अलग|
निम्न पंक्तिया यही दर्शाती हैं-
                   

                            "एक ख़ुशबू आती थी, मैं भटकता जाता था|
                             रेशमी सी माया थी, और मैं तकता जाता था|"

पर जब वो इस ख़ुशबू में खो जाता है तो उसे एहसास होता है की यह तो उसमे पहले से ही मौजूद थी, जिसे वो जान कर भी अनजान था| वह ईश्वरीय शक्ति (Divine Force) ही है जो उसे स्वयं का खुद से परिचय करवाती है| पर मज़े की बात तो यह है की वो उसमे पहले से थी; देर थी तो बस झाँकने की-

                            "जब तेरी गली आया, सच तभी नज़र आया|
                            मुझमे ही वो ख़ुशबू थी, जिससे तूने मिलवाया||"

हमारे साथ यह बहुत बड़ी समस्या है कि हम ईश्वर की असीमितताओं को अपनी सोच की सीमाओं में समेटने की कोशिश करते हैं| हर मनुष्य, हर धर्म, हर पंथ यही सोचता है कि ईश्वर सिर्फ वैसा ही है जैसा की वह सोचते हैं| निस्संदेह वह वैसा भी है परन्तु "वैसा ही " नहीं| नतीजतन, वह हमारे सामने, बल्कि सामने ही क्यों हमारे अन्दर मौजूद होता है और हम अज्ञानतापूर्वक आँखें बंद करके यह मान लेते हैं कि- "ना जी! यह ईश्वर कैसे हो सकता है?"

                       "जब तू रूबरू आया, नज़रें ना मिला पाया|
                        सर झुका के इक पल में मैंने क्या नहीं पाया|"

दुनिया में असंख्य बातें, लोग तथा घटनाएं हैं और हमारी दैन्दिनी में हमारा सामने उनसे ही होना है| पर ज़रा यह सोचें कि अगर हम उस परवरदिगार को ही अपना प्रेमी बना लें और इस बात को समझे कि वो हमारे अन्दर बाहर, सर्वत्र, हर जगह है तो क्या वह,  हमारे इश्क से बंधा हुआ, हमारे लिए इस माया को नहीं सम्भाल सकता? यही तो इश्क का सच्चा मतलब है|

तो कहिये? क्या आप तैयार हैं? "प्रेम" में डूबने के लिए?ऐसे प्रेमी के प्रेम में  जिसके लिए महेंगे उपहार, गाड़ी पे घुमाने आदि की कोई ज़रूरत नहीं| जो आपसे कुछ और नहीं चाहता सिवाय सच्चे इश्क के| और जो आपको कभी धोखा ना देते हुए हमेशा साथ निभाएगा?
ज़रा सोचियेगा! :)

आपका
--
J

The Good Samaritan

Just Watched Don 2 in the morning. It's helluva an awesome movie..
Get Lost all Haters!! Those who haven't watched it, GO AND WATCH IT. And if you are going with the reviews, then you are doing the same mistake which I did with Jab We Met & MI:4. Both the movies got opposite reviews (bad & great) and based on them I decided to spend (or not) my money. And I regret both my decisions.

Well Don 2 is a thriller. Its a very well made film and a welcome break from all those cheap Inspectors and security guards films. The thriller plot seems cliched at first but the twist in the end is mind-blowing. The actions are AWESOME and all those who find Hollywood action better than ours, will be in for a shock. The stunts are hell lot better than in MI:4. SRK (Shahrukh Khan) as Don looks classy and stylish. Priyanka Chopra is fab as well.

Coming to the point, the movie is "mostly" about evil and double crossing. And that put my heart and mind to thinking. All those gore killings and blackmailing were looking (thought of as) "COOL" & "STYLISH". There were claps and "oohh"s when SRK (the anti-hero) used to smash people and act mean & sinister. Is this what times have changed? That all that glittery and glamorous things, even though they are acquired by acts of crime and ill-will are looked up to, desired & lusted after. People try to imitate who do so.

Its just not about the movie but, its all around us. Just have a look. All the crime rate increasing is less coz of want of food but coz of desires and the flashy lifestyle. I mean where are those good jolly old people whom people used to reflect and adore. But that's exactly what seems to happen. Even on the romantic front the society around us portrays a similar picture. Its a common notion that BAD GUYS GET THE GIRL. The Good people are just "sweet" & "cute" and "just friends"-material.

Imagine A Bad "Santa Claus" :O. Can you think what would happen if all those cute things are rubbished to pave way for the suave badness?


Is this what we have come to??
Think about it.
Ciao :)
--
J

House Under Seige

Well for umpteen times, my house (my room to be more precise) has been my refuge, shelter and sanctuary. Be it my failing health, avoiding relatives & "family friends", or just taking some time off to be my own self, my room has been the uttermost island of sanity in this utter mad & reckless world out there. And now, ITS ON SIEGE. OMG!! OMG!!

I live in a government quarter and I admit it is a nice spacious one. The CPWD has risen from slumber and has suddenly taken to renovate my entire house all of a sudden and all at the same time. They are changing the flooring, laying tiles, smoothing the walls and then painting it as well. Phewww!! Its hell lot of work which is bound to take at least 3-4 days. They didn't even bother to think about the poor soul for whom his room is the only respite from all the hotch-potch and mess he utterly (& often) lands into.. :(
So, circumstances have cruelly thrown me into the drawing room. I absolutely don't like people coming in & out and looking into whatever I am doing. Come on, isn't there something called as privacy. Dunno about others but at least I am very very picky about it.
Secondly, the post is named "House Under Siege", so other aspect which I absolutely hate during these renovations is all the sand and dirt being all over the place. You come out of the bathroom, trying to feel fresh in this biting cold and what do you find, even before you could complete 10 paces, your feet are all muddy and dirty!!
EEEEEK!!
What could be worse start to a morning than this. :-/
Of course now I have braced myself for the comments- "Change is the way of life", "Growing is always hurting," blah blah!!
I know I am whining a tad too much and its just a matter of days but, Well..
Thats the way I am. Leave me or take me. B)
--
J

Greatness, Regale & Inspiration

Recently I undertook a trip to Delhi. The trip was ordinary in most aspects as it was basically for the sake of a family function and the worse part was that two of my excursions had to be cancelled  as I was down with flu. But there were two chief features too, both monumental, on this tour. One of them is a tad too personal to be mentioned here but the second one deserves a place more than anything else

I am not a pollyanna, by this I mean I need some 'inspirations' from outside at regular intervals: some incidents, thoughts or writings that pump me up to action until the 'gung-ho' wears off (and it is time for another inspiration :P) . Often, I seem to rely upon the shortcomings in my life (which, I admit is far better than many others') and try to gain inspiration from the hard work, love and sacrifice of my parents. 

But this time 'twas different. Thanks to dad, I had the good fortune of travelling by air once again.

(for a middle class household, it is quite a deal) Both arrival and departure were from Terminal 3 of Indira Gandhi International Airport (New Delhi)

For those who dont know much about it, let me tell you. It sheer class!! Ranked No.4 in the world, its a newly built terminal and the best in India. It has an awesome design, loads of glass has been used in construction, its really well maintained and has jet bridges for all departures. Sheeer Luxury!! *sigh* 

I saw it in broad daylight and also witnessed it in its full glory at dusk with all its light glimmering and I fell in love  with luxury, the opulent luxury belonging to the lives of those who travel through these airports. Posh Shopping arcades lined with expensive books, apparels and clothes, those exclusive lounges and coffee shops which only the rich can afford. All filled me with a sense of wonder &  awe. A sense that urges me to work hard and become something big in life, to have that lifestyle and even more.

Life's not solely about material things and my soul will never permit me to do anything wrong for the sake of affluence and money. But instead, I use this as an inspiration; a goal to strive and to ultimately achieve it, for me and my family :)

Hope to do so..
Signing off with dreamy & glassy eyes, but a firm conviction at heart
--
J

मेरा प्रथम हिंदी पोस्ट

नमस्कार!
ये मेरा प्रथम हिंदी पोस्ट है|
हिंदी मेरी मातृभाषा तो नहीं है (मेरी मातृभाषा मराठी है) परन्तु अधिकांश समय मैं इसी का उपयोग करता हूँ| इसीलिए स्थिति यह है की मेरी हिंदी मेरी मराठी से बेहतर है :-P

बहुत समय से हिंदी लेखन छूट सा गया. विद्यालय छोड़ने के पश्चात्, हर जगह अंग्रेजी की ही आवश्यकता होती थी| फिर तकरीबन १ वर्ष बाद मैंने हिंदी में एक कविता लिखी. आने वाले पोस्ट में मैं कोशिश करूँगा की उसे आपके समक्ष प्रस्तुत कर सकूँ|
(अंग्रेजी लेखन की तुलना में )हिंदी में इतना अभ्यस्त न होने के कारण मैं यह पोस्ट संक्षिप्त रख रहा हूँ| आपके सुझाव एवं प्रतिक्रियाएं मुझे  सुधार में मदद करेंगे.
धन्यवाद|

आपका
--
J


P.S- To those who are more used to my English posts- I am not switching permanently to Hindi but infact I'll try to be bilingual in my posts from now on.

A Sigh of Relief

It gives me immense pleasure as I update my blog. To all those who still read this, I hope you like the fresh layout. :-)
So finally, my 5th sem exams are over, and it feels soooooo light now. As if almost I had been carrying a burden all this while. I am reminded more of Frodo and his burden as I finished reading LOTR (i.e Lord Of the Rings) for the 3rd time just before my last exam.
Talking about other things, I guess I was taking my life too seriously. Its simple guys, Dont complicate it..
To quote Akon:

I Asked LIFE: Why are You So Complicated? It Smiled & Said - "You Never Appreciate Simple Things"

It sums it up. I realize now that I am just 19 and I am living it more like a 30-odd!! Good for me that I got that sooner than later.

As soon as my viva are finished, I plan to go on a trip to Delhi-Karnal-Chandigarh. A bit of relatives and loads of fun :) :) And ya, halfway through my blog I realized that although I didnt realize (pun intended), I missed my blog a lot. So, I will definitely update more from now on.

Guys (& gals too :P) incase you are still reading this, let me know how are you guys doing. What's interesting in your life? You know what, tell me anything you deem interesting Most people refrain from doing so just because they think that what is interesting to them might not be to other. But please, in my case speak up.. Let me know how's your life going? Whats up in the world around you and all over?

Anxiously waiting to listen from you :)
LOVE

--

J

P.S- My Favourite color is blue :)

Uff Yeh Exams!!

Phew.. Its just been 30 days since my last blog post and it seems an year..
Time has been going very slowly and painfully for me for the past month. Exams, their preparation huge calculations in my mind about strange things and matters..

Its been a real mess. So today when finally I breathed a sigh of relief with my Computer Networks paper faring well, I finally thought to do it now.

I had just lost track of time and felt that I was almost living someone else's life.

But thankfully, I seem to be realizing that I am Jayant Parchure.. Not someone else.

Lets hope this ride goes on. Well! :)

More later

Ciao

--

J

Lest We Forget Them

RIP Steve Jobs. You were really a game changer. Put up for adoption, dropped out of college and fired off your own company and yet became a legend. Your story shall be an inspiration for generations.

RIP Jagjit Singh. Your velvety voice crooning some of the best numbers in Indian music shall be missed forever. The pain of the protagonist of the song was clearly reflected in your ghazals. Hats Off Sir!

Last week was a week of such (perhaps even more illustrious eulogies) and anything I say would perhaps be just an understatement on the sheer genius of these great souls, but this is not the theme of this post. All this while, I pondered upon the question – “Where were all this Apple & Ghazal fans when these two were alive?” They were still respected but on this scale??

In a way, the posthumous deluge of emotions, respect and awe of their genius is parallel to our own lives. Around us, we have people who are an indispensable part of our lives. We might not realize it but these people do little (or even crucial) things in our lives which touch us knowingly or otherwise. But we don’t bother to acknowledge their contribution to us: their love, their endless sacrifice. They are just in the background all the time, letting us take all the limelight. Only when they go away from our lives, do we realize their importance. Sometimes it’s because of our own ignorance, other times (like in these scenarios) it’s beyond our control.

I just wanna thank all those people who have been the Steve jobs & Jagjit Singh of my life: My parents, some of my close friends (whom I chose not to name), and some of my other friends on whom I often bank on for petty favors.

Do you have someone in your life too to whom you have ignored all this while? Go thank them. Or else you too shall be singing eulogies for them saying all that you wished to say but never could.

LOVE

--

J

Happy B'day to me

Yay!! *does a little jump*

I turned 19 a few days ago (on 28 September).. It felt soooo good as for the first time celebrated with so many friends.. My 18th one was a disaster as only two of my friends turned up, but this time 7 of my besty besty friends celebrated my b'day with me..

Ya, 1-2 werent there, but i guess I'm being over-ambitious :P

So, as you'd have guessed already, this one is strictly about the person I love the most... ME :) :)

19 years of existence. Phew! It already feels so much more, something like 23 odd.. But the number 19 reassures me that I am still young yaar :) :) (Stuart little, one of my friends says :P)

So, the transition from 18 to 19, i.e the last year was a real learning experience. One that made me a lot more mature and much wiser. I know, it doesnt reflect in my behavior as for now :P but thats the way it is. Ya, first love, getting over past crushes , proving myself that I havent lost my acumen both in college and GRE.

GRE se yaad aya, 1430 has sadly become my epithet and sometimes it even irritates me. Ya, I know I got 1430 in GRE (highest in my batch) but come on!!! It is not what my defines..

Talking about defining me, I myself have failed to do so, leave others defining me.

The year ahead, I hope to be a much more fun-filled and a bit of learning too. For instance, I need to diversify my sense of humour which is often cutting to some. In terms of looks, I am fine (I hope so :P).

Career.... Naaaaa.. Am in no mood to talk about that. :P

Thats it.

KISS ;)

--

J

(P.S- To those who think the ending was too abrupt: It was intentional)

Man is 'Mitey'

Bill Bryson's 'A Short History of Nearly Everything' is the best book I've ever read in my life. I have just read half of it and I love it more than India loves cricket. It is such a good book despite being from a non-fiction genre and that too SCIENCE, of all things. Any bibliophile who hasnt read this book doesnt know what a book is. Its about well, A short history of nearly everything. Starting from how earth was born to our present state.

But a book review wasnt the sole intention of this post. As I read more and more about our universe, I was just awestruck on how biiiiig it is. The fact that it is millions and billions of light years in size made no impact on me when I learnt them in school. But if you see them through analogies which are related to our daily life objects, it is literally 'Beyond Imagination'. And then, when I look upon myself, or even the human race as a whole I feel we are nothing more than a mite(hence the title). The universe is enormous, gigantic and so huge that adjectives fail to describe its scale.

Humans are bent on destroying this wonderful planet incessantly for what they call is 'technological development', but they forget that even though they may be very' might'y amongst current life forms, on universal scale they are to small to be even a 'mite'. Just a small event some light years away (i.e some billion odd kilometers away) and we'd be wiped from the face of earth, somewhat like the dinosaurs.

Its time we realize and feel humble about the life that has been given to us and our relationship with such a special planet which is our home. The forces of nature, not to mention the universe are too great to be tamed by any damn creation of we humans. All these talks of 'human spirit' and 'grit' are non-sense if there are no humans to tell the tale. The past is a witness of what became of even the mightiest of creatures. I know people might question it saying, what has the universe has to do with the amount of deforestation and mining, yada yada yada. But those who have carefully read the history of universe and the planet will not raise such cynical queries.

The sooner we mend our ways, the better.

KISS ;)

--

J

Till Death Do us Part

I am not a big fan of weddings. My cousins and uncles and aunts often tease me that they'll make sure my marriage will be Hard-core ritualistic event. I often rebuke vehemently giving them some Masala (Spicy talk) to talk about.

But lets leave all that in the closet. Just from a purely objective point of view, I like those British-Christian kind of weddings. All those guests in suits and pretty dresses and the bride in white dress, coming down the aisle. Ya, I know probably its all movie-inspired, but that's the way it is.I dont quite prefer the best man & women kind of things. (The kind of 'cross-connection' they show in movies...)

I am a classy person at heart. Even though currently I might not have resources for that life but one can always dream :)

Anyways, another thing I like is the lack of senseless pomp and show. Marriage is a solemn affair and I see no reason why all of the town should be invited to it. It is consistent with my philosophy of "Keep it simple Silly.." It doesnt mean you dont celebrate.. Why else should there be a grand lavish party at night? ;)

I know the comments shall be- "Are you planning to get married?", "Who's the lucky girl" blah blah.. My ans- Nothing guys!! just a random thought came to my mind. I have no intentions to get married for atleast the next 7-8 years. Am just 18 Yaaaarr!! :)

Just A random, silly teenag-ish post this one. :P

KISS ;)

--

J

Another Strike! Yet Again

So, another terrorist attack on our nation. This time at High Court, New Delhi. They have struck the heart of India and whats even more disgusting that they had carried a similar blast at the same place on 25 May.. What does this suggest?

Indians have been used to such attacks now. Someday or the other a blast takes place, a few die..

An uproar for a day or two. Some idiot intellectuals blabber on News shows and we all forget.

News channels always carry taglines -"The spirit of Mumbaikars", "Dil walon ki dilli" and all nonsense..

What else are we supposed to do? We feel so helpless.

Over that, idiot politicians (I dare not use any more adjectives or I shall be served with a breach of privilege notice) come out making the most incredible solemn face and say- "These attacks cant be stopped". I feel like slapping them. Why the hell have we elected you if you cant stop them. Better step down and let someone better take charge.

Secondly, everyone shouts that "Terrorism has no religion". Another very big lie. and thanks to ultra-stupid & criminal members of something called-"Abhinav Bharat", the volume has increases even more nowadays. It's a obvious fact that 90% of the terrorist attacks aren't carried out by Hindus.

This bring me to another point, Minority appeasement. The Congress (& several others too) have explicitly supported minorities and trying to portray them as the innocent bystanders whenever a group of that community has been found involved in such acts. May it be Rahul Gandhi advocating for SIMI, or that Digvijay (Only I know how much restrain have I shown for not putting any adjectives) shouting on Batla House & the prolific factory of terrorists- "Azamgarh". And following the same policy, people have got the guts to ask for pardon to AFZAL GURU? You seriously believe he should be pardoned???

I am not suggesting that all people belonging to a minority are terrorists. But no other community votes on the basis of whether a terrorist should be pardoned or not. Whether they should be allowed to carry out attacks or not? The entire community shouts when a suspected terrorist is nabbed.. Doesn't this cast serious questions on the patriotism of that community..

I am not a RSS supporter, I have nothing to do with BJP or any "Right-wing" organization either.

But the questions mentioned above are not only just thought provoking but also need to be put forward to the media, to the politicos, to the entire nation.

May God bless the nation in these painful times.

--

J

A Topsy Turvy World 2.0

Ya, I know the titles is sounding a bit used up & cliched. You might be thinking that have I run out of ideas?
No, I spent almost 2 days thinking about the title but I could fine none better than this.
Well right now my Life is in a delicate stage. Not that something crucial is coming up but the fact is I have lots & lots of time. Free time, Leisure time, Holidays and a lot more.
The reason I call it topsy-turvy because I am in an absolute state of fix on how to go about it. Every moment of the time I spend will have a hell lot of significant impact on the days to come. Someday I do things well, with considerable utilization, other days are just pure wastes.

Also, its not like that I dont have anything to do. Infact I have more than I could handle. There's CSI, IEEE, College studies, CAT preparation, working hard on my studies, working on my research... You know what's the stranger thing? I just dont seem to enjoy books.. Books were my best friend. I used to devour novel upon novel in a week, and now.. Now, the stage is such that I dont like reading even 4-5 pages..

I am in a real confusing stage right now. When I do something, my mind gets diverted  to other things that I am not doing! I feel like I am missing out on something.. My friend suggested me to prioritize things but its easier said then done.
I cannot hide behind the "teenage behavioural" excuse. Because earlier this year when I was more teenag-ish, I gave my best performance in past 4 years, battling through similar circumstances..

Thats the benefit of venting out, when you discuss the problem you get a solution to it. :) I guess I am expecting too much from myself. In the process I have forgotten that I am 'living'. It seems in all the furore surrounding my existence, I just forgot to live
I must take a step back and take one step at a time. Do what the immediate task is. As Paulo Coelho puts it so beautifully- "When in doubt, just take the next small step." :)

So, let me take a step back and let things sort themselves out :) Perhaps I have made them more complicated than they actually are(nt)
I hope my next post will bring some positive news :)

Ciao
Love
--
J

India & You

As we stand on the brink of the 65^th anniversary of our nation, the overall atmosphere in country is a gloomy & apprehensive one. The only news people hear is either of a new scam surfacing, some acts of protests suppressed by a seemingly oppressive regime, rising prices and an uncertain future.

On the other hand there are partisaned experts who tell us that things are bad, but could’ve got worse. Almost every time loyal to the government, they go on to enumerate the things that are better in India as compared to ‘what could have been’. The cynics, as always, point out flaws even in them.

Virtually , all the slugfest is between the oppositions’ – “What should (& shouldn’t be done.” & the Govt.’s - “What is (& isn’t) being done?”. Both have their reasons, some are valid, others are not.

Hold on! Take a pause. Go into a brief flashback (I highlighted the word brief because I don’t like to linger in the past much). Think of those ideals which were the foundation of our freedom struggle. It was nothing but pure nationalism; putting the country & the society above self. (The cynics who say they are antiquated can close this window & go criticize something else elsewhere)

Now, look at yourself. Not the government, Not the politicians, not the bureaucracy, but you. Try to remind yourself when was the last time you skipped a red light, the last time you used your ‘contacts’ for a ‘favour’, the last time you threw that plastic cup out of the train, the last time you littered around and (in the same stride) complained about the filth around you. I don’t think your memory was strained much. What image of your ‘self’ comes to your mind? I know, a very common reply will be – “So what?”. Nothing, just mentioned

The point I am trying to make is YOU criticize the contractor for potholes and the corruption in roads. That contractor (as an individual) would complain about the Babu at some office for asking a bribe. That Babu would yell at someone for rash driving. That rash driver will complain about the lack of electricity (caused due to illegal usage of it) and the chain goes on. It never occurs to anyone that when we point fingers at others, they point their fingers at someone else and ultimately this circle ends in someone pointing a finger at us. The irony is all of us seem to be very patriotic during national festivals and feel proud of our nation, but do we act in a way to cherish those ideals, cherish freedom? Do we bring in ourselves the change we want to see? Do we make our country proud?

I am not exonerating the government on the weak governance or the massive amount of corruption it has indulged in. They are culpable and should be meted the maximum punishment under law. Neither am I questioning the common man’s right to speak out. The simple point I am suggesting is YES, things are bad, and almost all of us wants change. But our small daily deeds having their roots in the love of our nation and the concern for building a strong and healthy society which is civilized will atleast prevent things from worsening. It will spend a strong message to the corrupt and irresponsible people at the top, that the civil society is in ‘deed’ civil, the problem now lies entirely with them. And believe me these small acts will have a much larger impact than they are (under)estimated to have.

It might seem inappropriate to people but still, I would end by quoting JFK -

“Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country”

--

J

Breathe In

Breathe in a bit of fresh air,

Of Sylvan scent and pines.

Take a whiff of nature's bounty,

Away from cents & dimes.

Breathe in a bit of morning dew.

Of lilac and scarlet rose.

Lose yourself in the glory of dawn,

Beyond all poetry and prose.

Breathe in a bit of placid sea,

Of seagulls on the dock.

Bask your soul in the distant horizon,

Sans any watch or clock.

Breathe in a bit of rainy earth,

Drops of perspiration & toil.

Bury your fears in earth's cradle,

Of quarry, grain and soil.

Feel your breath, In and Out,

The palpation of your heart.

Take a step back from all the world's strife.

And breathe in a bit of...

Life.

:)

--

J

Life Plugged 1.0

Well, the title is one of my latest ideas. As I have always said earlier, this blog is all about zany things in life. But under this title "Life Plugged" I am gonna give just little updates about my otherwise mundane life. Often, this post will feature reasons why I wasnt able to post for a long hiatus.

So, Its been almost 20 days since I last posted on my blog. The reason was that I had been preparing for my GRE (Graduate Record Examination) for higher education abroad. Appeared for it at ahmedabad on 13th of July. Just FYI, my score was 1430/1600 :) I must admit that I had been too critical of myself over this score..

Now when I look at other people and have talked to experts, I found out that I fared very well :)

Also, as per my current status, I am preparing for CAT 2012, a back-up plan incase things dont turn out well. I wanna tell everyone that I was so desperately missing my blog that as soon as I got time I decided to post it. Since I had taken a 10 day break from the college, had lot of pending work, which still needs some attention..

Those who expected some spice or new things, sorry to disappoint you. And also, a warning.. All posts under this title will be of similar kind.

But all's not lost my friends!! :) I have a lot to share with you which I will do in the forthcoming posts... An account of my ahmedabad trip, some rainy insights.

And lot more..

Thanks for hanging by this blog :)

KISS ;)

--

J

Busting the Brand-IIT Myth 4

First of all, thank you so much for your support & precious feedback that helped me go on.

What I tried in the previous post was basically to clear the illusion, which lingers among thousands of very talented youngsters, who for some reason, couldn't get into these "Champion" institutes. These posts were an attempt to make everyone (Even the IITians) realize, that although IITs are indeed very good when it comes to Undergraduate engineering studies, they are not the greatest thing in the world. There are greener and better avenues that lie beyond the IITs. Ask any working professional and you'll get a unanimous reply that the stamp of IIT, though proving a deciding factor initially, wanes away after some time. You'll then realize that after spending half a decade in the industry. what matters is not the institute that you come from but instead the quality of skills you possess.

I am sure, to many, this all still seems preachy and unconvincing. To them, my advice is-

"Go ahead then. Spend the rest of your life crying while others with a lower calibre move ahead and earn an enviable lifestyle."

This topic is very vast and has many areas which I might not have covered. But you know its very hard to put the entire sea in a bottle. Moreover, this topic is very close to my heart and there was always a danger of adulteration of this piece by some emotionally charged writing. I have restrained myself and have tried to be as much objective as possible by backing everything with logic.
Once again, I request you all to provide me with your valuable feedback.

Just a last word (especially to those who still have a sense of disappointment of not getting into the IITs)-

"सीढीयाँ उनके लिए बनी हैं जिन्हें छत पे जाना है,

जिनकी नज़र आसमान पे हो, उन्हें तो अपना रास्ता खुद बनाना है "

KISS (Keep it simple Silly) ;)

--

J

A Topsy Turvy World

(Have been highly prolific this week, 3 posts in 3 days and I feel like more)

You can call this the creation of a queer, slightly off balance yet creative mind.

Human Behaviour is innately ambivalent. Out of the numerous emotions that we experience in our lives, Love & Fear dominate them all. Where there’s love, there’s always a fear of losing it. Love too, is either self-love (which we experience when in danger) or love for others (including but not limited to our family, friends and partner)

The reason why I chose to post this is because right now, I too am experiencing similar feelings. There’s not much evidence of love while I am busy doing my routine work, but when some link to her appears, I suddenly pine for her. Even then I know, this is not love. But its the fear of losing her and that too to someone who is much lower than me when it comes to personality or the virile masculinity that I know I possess, that renders me insecure at times. My heart constantly reminds me that all these fears are baseless and nothing more than apparitions.

I tend to agree, it is nothing but a basic pessimistic mentality deeply entrenched in the human mind that he is not perfect. That there’s a lack of love for him and he shall never be loved. (It stands for women too so, no gender bias here)

I am sure, eventually, as I take my mind off these things, I’ll be back to normal. But this incident, recurring in nature, gives me food for thought.

Maybe, I did succeed in striking a chord with a one of the hearts reading this.

KISS (Keep it simple silly ;) )

--

J

The Litmus Test of Higher Research (Busting the Brand-IIT Myth 3)

The positive feedback over the last two posts of this series just inspired me even more. That's why, it took longer as I poured myself even more carefully on this one to make it even better.

So, back to the task at hand. One of the major criticisms that the IIT is subjected to is in the area of higher research. Despite boasting such an experienced fleet of lecturers and professors, IIT lacks the cutting-edge research that make an institute stand out on the global scale. MIT's Engineering department itself produces more research papers than all IITs combined.. Then how do you expect these institutes to be world class. As per the HEEACT – Performance Ranking of Scientific Papers for World Universities, no Indian university, leave alone the IITs, feature amongst the top 50 Engineering institutes. After all, if the faculties themselves are not the pioneers in their fields of research does it not affect the overall quality of the institute?

However, you cant totally blame the IIT's for this thing. The funding they receive, despite being lavish by indian standards, does not suffice enough to encourage more and more research..

What's the result? The Post Graduate degrees given by the IIT's dont count for that much of a value on a global level. Secondly, leave alone international students, they fail to attract even the brilliant undergraduate brains from the IITs themselves to pursue higher technical studies in the same institutes. Its no wonder that most of them either shift to management field (read IIM) or fly away to earn their fortunes abroad.

(Once again, the social scientists and heralds of "Indianism" jump on the stage and cry over this "Brain Drain". Such people blame the students for 'ditching' their nation. Great!)

Add to this the fact that no Indian ever since C.V Raman in 1930 has ever won the Nobel prize for any of the Sciences.

Those who once again shout their lungs out with the names of Dr. Khurana, S.Chandrashekhar and the newer V.Ramakrishnan should shut up, because all of these did their research work in Foreign universities.. I know it wasnt in Engineering, but IIT also have courses in core sciences.

On the other hand Harvard University and Columbia University boast of 45 and 96 Nobel Laureates which were associated with them, respectively.

It takes nothing but a glance at facts to establish the pathetic state of research in our country.

Even more so, when we observe that the so "prominent" IIT's fare no great deal better.

More to follow..

Waiting for your feedback.

KISS ;)

--

J

Busting the Brand-IIT Myth 2

Picking up from where I left.

(For more details, just check out the post below)

So, lets first discuss what this Brand-IIT is made up of. That is , what makes it so formidable?

The Basic foundations of such fame and prestige of IIT lies in its extremely challenging admission process. Lakhs of students compete for roughly 10,000 seats in a tough MCQ(Multiple Choice Questions) format exam, based on class 11-12 syllabus of Physics, Chemistry & Science. This is intended at squeezing out the cream of India's young & raw talent.

The first inherent flaw spawns from this incipient step itself. A student, who has been consistently performing since grade 6 to 12 has no better chances than a mediocre student, who simply studied for 2 years almost like an automaton in some premier coaching institute of India. Moreover, if the former is unable to qualify, the society tags him/her as 'incompetent' and often 'inferior' to the one selected.

I mean, whatever happened to regular schooling, consistent performance and a solid conceptual foundation which forms the base of a sound educational background. The Joint Entrance Exam (JEE) has a figurehead eligibility criteria of 60 % in class XII, does little to incentivize the consistent performer, who obviously performs well in his XII boards as well.

Compare this to the admission system in foreign universities which not only have an aptitude test as the qualifying examination but also lay out several stringent academic criteria, eliminating all one-night bloomers. Their penchant for quality with consistency is obvious. Moreover, they also take into consideration, any Extra-Curricular achievements by the student thus encouraging and admitting a well-rounded student into their institute..

Its left for you to decide, which one's better? The one which admits a student who has studied for 2 years, 20hrs a day, or the one which admits a student who has put in 10 years of his life in consistent academic toil, accompanied by other accomplishments?

Next time we'll talk about a crucial factor regarding why the IITs are just vernacular heroes: The Litmus test of Higher Research..

Once Again, please do leave in your comments and responses on both the posts..

They will help a long way in improving the quality of future ones..

KISS ;)

--

J

Busting the Brand-IIT Myth

Indian Institute of Technology - IIT. These words bring a sense of pride and respect amongst most of us. It is considered a prestigious institute and every science student hopes to get in there.

Its more than obvious fact that the hype of IIT's and getting into them has increases manifold in the last decade, more so in the past 4-5 years. And of course, not to forget the hardships or the "Rat-Race" that has expedited to produce human machines that study 15-20 hours a day and crack the world's toughest exam- IIT-JEE. I myself was a part of it a couple of years ago. So, The point which I discuss is simple - "Are the Indian Institutes of Technology worth it?"

Now before even I finish the sentence I'd be flooded by numerous doubts by the cynics who prefer to call themselves "intellectuals" and "preservers of our constitutional fabric" and hence proclaim that everything the govt. does (or has done) is consitutional and hence word of God which cant be challenged. Anyways, I wish to take a couple of FAQs (or FAC, C-Comments)-

1. "You are just a loser and you are writing this simply because you didnt get into the IIT's and hence shouting - 'The Grapes are sour' "

A- Anyone who knows me personally, knows it very well that I don't study for accolades or marks. Though I am not Rancho of 3 idiots but neither am a whiner who scores 98% and still cries that he couldnt do well. I do my studies as per my likeness. So, I am not venting my frustration of not getting into some IIT.

2. "If IIT's are not good then how do you explain the 48L package @ IIT Madras"

A- Just take a break a guys. Not all of the 10000 students have been showered with a 48L package.

Moreover, the salary package is not the sole criterion of quality, even though in our country it may trend in such a way.

So, coming to the point. IITs are (in)arguably the best colleges in India for education in Engineering & technology. But when it comes to the global scale, they lag far behind the premier institutes of the world. IITB ranks 47 followed by IITD ranked 52, in the global ranking for top engineering institutes. The nation which boasts of a rich "demographic dividend", (a euphemism for population explosion) has just 1 university in top 50?

After all, why should such great institutes lag behind when their alumni are placed at the top (regardless of the field they venture into). May it be entrepreneurship, high paying jobs or even research in foreign universities..

This is gonna be long post, so I'll elaborate more in the next installments..

Please Please do lend me your feedback..

It matters a lot :)

KISS ;)

--

J

The Night Walk

It was just another one of my regular night strolls. Not those 'just-after-dinner' ones, but the ones I undertake somewhere around 10-10.30 to take a break from my mundane and hectic life.

But that night it was different. Very beautiful, very lovely. I don't think words could ever portray that feeling but I'll still try & sketch the surroundings that engendered it.

The weather was really lovely. There was a cool tinge to the air accompanied by the cloudy sky. The moon, though partially hidden by the clouds, was radiating a soft luminescence.

My campus (residential) has a lush green flavour to it. It's dotted with numerous trees with the tall eucalyptus dominating them all. And just as I stepped out my house, a lovely song came up on my playlist -"Tu Bin Bataye" from Rang De Basanti. Its a very sweet romantic track. :)

Madhushri's (the female lead) voice was sounding sweet as honey and in such surroundings, it really struck a chord with my soul.

I am not too much into romance but that night what I felt was very close to love. Sheer bliss. The feeling of being united with my beloved. Not in some earthy terms (i.e a crush or gf or something) but something beyond, truly transcendental, Subtler than the subtlest.

Even now, 19 hours later, the very thought of those moments drift me into a surreal state, Yet Again.

Love

--

J

Hot N Happening

Just 10 days since I blogged last time and it seems like eternity.. And why not? there has been soo much that has happenned last week, both on personal front as well as around us.

First, some updates about me (of course I am a narcissist ;) ). Got myself a new Dell Inspiron, and obviously I am posting through it. Excessively indulged in it for the past 10 days or so, which is a partial reason for my absence from the bloggers' arena. Its black in color and has a very good configuration (as per my needs)

Another big thing that my 4th sem result was out last week, and that was another reason to smile for :) Am back in business with 84.1% and 5th rank in my branch.. That was a super punch to silence my critics, who thought that I was done.. NO guys, I am not done.. Infact this is just the beginning. But more importantly, I proved it to myself that I still have that potential and capability to perform and to make things happen. That self confidence is something that I was desperately missing.

Coming to the broader scale, even though I so desperately wanted to rant on the ever-changing and political and social scene around the country which has an unprecedented revolutionary and positive tint to it, I restrained myself. Infact, I had to go through some phases of disappointment-oriented depression as well related to it.. The things and the spirit behind them, despite heralding new form of governance and public response had a dampened look mainly 'coz of the so called "Champions of democracy and the INDIAN CONSTITUTION" as they say.. Bah!! Humbug!

Anyways, that was just a brief account of what all had been going on in Life.. Would be posting about something less mundane soon.. ;)
Desperately waiting for your replies and suggestions and views about anything and everything.. :)
Love.
And as I like to say
KISS (Keep it Simple Silly ;) )
--
J

Just Groove It

So, Whats up guys??

Ya, know the summers are quite boring.. Just thought of sharing the songs, that are currently faring on the top of my playlist (on my Nokia X6).. Here they are-

5. Bhaag D.K Bose (Delhi Belly)

Fresh track from the upcoming movie Delhi Belly,

This one's quite a peppy track. The lyrics are nonsense.. But It's got a nice Zing!! Just found that cool. And Ofcourse, Imran Rocks!! \m/

4. Rock God (By Selena Gomez)

Once again, another zippy track.. Selena sounds lovely in this one, with some grey shades.. Lovely... As she says in this one..

"I cant stop my hands from swaying to the sound of the drum"..

3. (i) Crazier (Taylor Swift)

A Not-much-heard of song from the Movie Hannah Montana, this was (until recently) my favorite.. I love Taylor Swift crooning this song, over and over again.. This is one of the top songs of Taylor Swift ever

(ii) Tonight I'm Lovin' you (Enrique Iglesias ft PitBull)

Ok. I agree this one is a bit lascvious ('coz even the soundtrack of this one has a vulgar title) but mind you, take no credit away from Enrique.. The Song is again groovy which you cant listen without shaking a leg or two.. An Ultimate party mix, brings out the Dirty side in you..

After all, its about how you control your grey side ;)

2. Who Says (Selena Gomez)

This one's fresh out of the baker's. Its the sole number released from her upcoming album "Selena Gomez and the Scene" and is LOVELY to say the least.. The ultimate Feel-Good song for all those "beautiful queens" out there :).. Having said, that the audio is very pleasing to hear and a must-hear for a music connoisseur.

And The Numero Uno is...

1. U Smile (Justin Bieber)

You can't have these two love birds apart :) <3. In this case what if this one's a pretty old song (by today's standards atleast) I heard it about a month back and am enamored by it (not to mention also by the one, whom this song reminds me of ;) )

Some very sweet lyrics, set to music on a very fine ballad tune.. This one's arguably the best song by JB (ofcourse alongside 'Baby') I listen to it 10 times a day, and I feel like I am actually on the dance floor, waltzing with My One in my arms and losing self in each other.. If you are romantic.. Then You gotta hear it.. And even if you are not of those mawkish types, this will be a indelible experience for your ears.. Go 4 it.

I am anxiously waiting for your choices and ofcourse, your suggestions :)

Love. KISS (Keep it Simple Silly ;) )

--

J

New Flavor with some Zing!!

So, Finally finished refurnishing my blog.. Just gave it a face-lift you know..
The previous one was a somber one.. This one seems to have more Zing to it..

Hope to change the flavor of contents too.. There were some serious ARTICLE kinda posts.

Will now post more of that "interesting" and "personal" kinda stuff.

There are still few minor changes that have to be made..

Please Do Give me your feedback..

I am anxiously waiting for your response :)

KISS(Keep it simple silly ;) )

--

J

Mit Jaaye Ghum!

All right! This has nothing to do, with the song or the movie Dum Maaro Dum..

But ya it has something as pain alleviation without adulterating yourself.

It just happened that I had plugged in my headphones and was listening to "U Smile" by Justin Bieber.. Even though I am not a "belieber" I seem to kinda lyk his songs :)

So while I was crooning it myself, I envisioned myself dancing with my ...

Ahem! Ahem! Never mind the identity.. ;) and believe me it felt sooooo good <3

Maybe it was the effect of that someone special, but really listening to songs and letting go of all the emotions, all the while allowing yourself to flow away in those intense emotions (even in a peppy track number like Baby or even a remix song) has a real therapeutic effect..

Its a great stress-buster guys... No matter how you are feeling, just put on your headphones and start playing a peppy track you love, preferably a dance number and let your feet free.. All thatwithout even having to leave your room ( you can close the door if you feel strange being watched by someone) Let go..... Dance like no one's watching.. Do that silly belly shake, Jump in the air & let those hands sway to the beat of the music..

You'll see all your troubles fade away to the background of the music..

IT feels so exhilarating, just check it out :) And let me know.

So HIT THE DANCE FLOOR

Love

--

J

Welcome Summerz!!

Just returned from my trip to Delhi and Karnal.. So, that explains my absence from the bloggers arena all this while..

Its unbelievably hot nowadays. The mercury soared to 43 C. Most of you would be wondering that why then, am I asking you to welcome summers..

Its just seeing the sunny sides of things.. Summer means less of the biting cold and sweaters.

It means less of those puddles and sticky weather.. It means more of icecreams & cold coffees..

More late night outs.

Yes, days are bit hard to cut by, but if you have a cooler or AC in your home, what difference does it make??

Just enjoy the time and ofcourse then there is the good old TV & social networking sites, which keep us occupied...

Enjoy the summerzz (& for many, vacations too :) )

Ciao

Love

--

J

Lazzzy Days!

There couldnt be more apt title for this one.. After a month long carnival called exam. Its finally back to ground zero. Once again, its the traditional teen vacation scenario.. Aaj yeh karenge, ab wo karna hai, time to get serious (Seriously?? :P :P :P), yada yada yada.

While writing this post I am reminded of the poem "Leisure". Read it somewhere in my primary classes. A sweet poem. Moreover I am also listening to "The lazy song" by Bruno Mars. It has an awesome video.. (Just google it, its really cool)

Alright, the summers are really turning out the heat. I mean the afternoons seem as there's molten glass in the air. And above that cruel teachers set the time as 2 Pm for the viva! Grrrr!!

After returning home I feel as if I have just escaped an artillery attack from somewhere. Its soo soothing (yaawwnn!)..

And finally it feels like just laying down in the nice pleasant cool air of the cooler and..

zzz

zzz

zz!

Love

--

J

Out Of Focus

Deeply Moved by the current developments in the media and the political corridors, I couldnt stop myself from posting even though I am in the thick of my exams.

What started off as a very optimistic month, with India winning in the World Cup after 28 years and the massive public support to Anna Hazare's anti-corruption campaign seems to have lost course. All the politicos would be extremely happy as the focus has now shifted from anti-graft to face saving for civil society members of the JanLokpal Panel. The corrupt forces, showing extraordinary solidarity, took out a pseudo-maligning campaign and assisted by an irresponsible media have succeeded at creating doubt. By impugning the members of the civil society in the drafting committe against corruption, they have generalized it. The media, instead of understanding that the aim of such smear campaigns is only to weaken the fight against corruption, has played into the hands into such forces. Cynics continue to roar at top of their voices, none of who have a better solution. Just sticking to "law of the land" wouldn't do in changing times. The timing of IPL has assisted to divert the attention as well.

Unneccesary and irresponsible comments from all 3 sides of the society viz. politcos, media and the intellectuals, who are responsible for fighting corruption, have weakened this movement considerably. Digvijay Singh continues to spit out venom as an ongoing move to appease his masters. Also, the entire clangor over Narendra Modi was irrequited. I mean what's the point of mentioning someone, when he is nowhere related to the issue in hand (It just doesnt matter what Anna said). As far as the opposition is considered, BJP is playing safe by not issuing any comments at all. People are now used to the silence from 7 Race Course and 24 Akbar Road. Whether they say something or not, a miasma of feebleness emits from them.

Hopes of people which had lit up during Anna Hazare's campaign are fading, and there better be done something about it. Or else it would be very hard to save the country from the abyss of doom and despair.
--
J

Little Things Mean a Lot

Now, I just dont know from where did the thought of posting this came, but yet I am doing it!! Its a song by Kitty Kallen with the same name as this post. Please dont bombard me with - "Have you fallen in love ?" or "How did u suddenly post this?" and all funny questions (which, frankly, even I cant answer). Just some inspiration came from nowhere.( and I always respect my intuitions)

Here it goes-

Blow me a kiss from across the room

Say I look nice when I'm not

Touch my hair as you pass my chair

Little things mean a lot

Give me your arm as we cross the street

Call me at six on the dot

A line a day when you're far away

Little things mean a lot

Don't have to buy me diamonds and pearls

Champagne, sables or such

I never cared much for diamonds and pearls

'cause honestly, honey, they just cost money

Give me your hand when I've lost the way

Give me a shoulder to cry on

Whether the day is bright or gray

Give me your heart to rely on

Send me the warmth of a secret smile

To show me you haven't forgot

For always and ever, now and forever

Little things mean a lot

Give me your hand when I've lost the way

Give me your shoulder to cry on

Whether the day is bright or gray

Give my your heart to rely on

Send me the warmth of a secret smile

To show me you haven't forgot

That always and ever, now and forever

Little things mean a lot

Love

--

J

A Generation Awakens

Well, I had predicted this to happen(Read my previous posts). But at such pace, no. Anna Hazare, a social activist who hails from Maharashtra has begun a fast-until-death for the Jan Lokpal bill @ Jantar Mantar in New Delhi. He was supported and backed by well known activists such as Arvind Kejriwal, Kiran Bedi and Swami Agnivesh to name a few. What the activists demand is a simple drafting commitee with equal participation from executive as well as the civil society. The Government already neck deep in corruption and scams can't bring itself to accept could be the final nail in the UPA-II.

But what has taken (not just the govt.) but the entire nation by surprise is the humongous public support that has come forward for the 72-year old veteran Gandhian. And more hearty to see is the extensive pariticipation of the Indian Youth. They are the same people who, a few says ago, were celebrating India WC win. They have been criticised harshly for their callousness and their lack of patriotism. But what's showing up at Jantar-Mantar is a fitting answer to all critics. Youths, from all walks of life, may they be college students, businessmen, even Software engineers & school students have turned up in swarms to demand for the civil participation in the drafting of the Jan-Lokpal bill. For those who call us (the youth) impatient, a final word, You dont call someone who waits for 42 years as impatient. It might be perhaps premature to term it as an Indian Tahrir but the signs are definitely ominous. If all Indians and especially the 45 crore strong youth of india storms the streets, the government will have a hard time staying in power, leave alone a simple legislature.

For more introspective commentaries (and even otherwise). Please Please visit this link

http://indiaagainstcorruption.org/

--

J

Go India Go!

So Finally, after withstanding one and a half months of grueling cricket, and about a week or two of excessive media hype, Dhoni & Co. have done what Kapil Dev & his pack did 28 years ago. They Have won the World Cup.

It was a really emotional sight to watch all the tough guys - Yuvraj, Harbhajan, Sachin and even Mr. cool Mahendra Singh Dhoni getting emotional and letting those tears run through! Its a sight that every Indian(and the players, of course) would cherish for his rest of their lives. The courage and determination shown by the Indian captain, not only in the last match but rest of the tournament too is admirable. And whats special about this cup is that it was a team effort and not a one man show like it usually is.

Well, I was just adding a drop to the ocean to all that already has been written and said. But whats the catch. Where do we go from here? Before answering this question I would just ask you to think about the headlines splashing the newspapers a couple of months ago. They were full of scams- The CWG, the 2G spectrum, the WikiLeaks and what not. But amidst all this turmoil and difficult times, we have got something to smile. Something we can cheer about. It is something regarding which we can hold our head high and say WE are the champions! :)

This is a refreshing change brought on by the youth of a country who has rich demographic dividends just about to break water. What is required is to carry the momentum generated with this win forward. And they way cricket is treated in India, its not a wishful thinking that the Feel Good effect may just rub off to other fields and not just sports. I am eagerly looking forward to a new India, the onset of which has been heralded by the Men in Blue.

Go India Go!

Love

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J