The fledglings soared - higher, faster, stronger
They lived to 'Succeed', never to wander
But what comprises Success - the query hardly grows old
"Possession of food, and land and gold "
And so the brilliant birds, of glow and feather
Were taught to yearn - for promised lands of Enclosure
The Confined Land - it offered food, land and gold
But - in beautiful cages, of gilded bars manifold
Readily accepting, the birds began Life - in grand confines anon
The promise of regular food, turning whispers down
But Life got funny - it twisted and turned
Forcing birds to think - is it true , that which we learned :-
Is Success about land or is it about gold ?
Or is it Internal - a Fulfillment, to look back from old ?
And so began the longing - to break free and fly
To be just a Bird, sans gilded cage and rye
A chance Moment - door opens, but time is fickle
Two choices - blue, wild sky - closed, safe receptacle :
Crossroads - Zero Hour. Perched with wings spread
Awaits many a Bird.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Sunday, May 1, 2011
‘Suitable’ Boys and Girls (On Why It Is Not What It Is – Or Is It. Not.)
It takes a fair bit of pluck to even attempt to understand Indian marriages. Consider, the fact that it is just not clear, till the very end, as to WHO is getting married. One would think that a marriage between A and B would, principally, involve exactly two people – (the above mentioned A and B). But no, my naive readers – it is much more complex than that. Take for instance, the case when A’s second cousin’s uncle’s grandfather had a show-down with B’s grandmother’s maternal cousin thrice removed -(at a time when a certain white powder was in vogue for dental hygiene). This random sparring of the grand-uncles, estimated to have occurred in circa 1900, if brought to light a mere 100 years later, can potentially damage the matrimony of A & B. So everyone is frantically trying to bury a non-existent hatchet. [ Never mind that, not just the hatchet, even the grand-uncles are already six feet under].
If you just rolled your eyes and looked skywards, then hold your gaze right there. We look up to the skies as well. After all, marriages are made in heaven(ly bodies). Douglas Adams would have called it the Galactic Improbability Correlation. The Galactic Improbability Correlation is essentially a piece of paper written about Mr.A and Ms.B (before either learned to read; and that’s the trick really) - with some Euclidean geometry thrown in for good measure. [Some call it horoscope, but that’s just semantics]. Anyway, this rule requires the planetary positions of Mr.A and Ms.B to have a high correlation. [ The astute reader might have guessed that by its very definition of improbability, the correlation often turns out to be imaginary].
Anyway, it is not all about imaginary worlds. We are intensely practical folks too. How else would you explain the fact that a working knowledge of a machine such as, say, an electric generator can actually help further your chances at marriage. Yes, we have power problems in India and it does help to have a handy ‘man of the house’. Is that it ? Er..not really. I was merely alluding to the fact that an engineering degree is a ticket to marital bliss in India. It is true, an engineering degree with a job in computer programming, will certainly take your stock in the arranged marriage market, north. Now, it is anybody's guess as to what the knowledge of electromagnetism has to do with matters of the heart, but enough said.
But let me emphasize that your humble blogger is merely making observations and reserving judgment. After all the proof is in the pudding: To put 1.2 billion people on the planet is no mean achievement.
If you just rolled your eyes and looked skywards, then hold your gaze right there. We look up to the skies as well. After all, marriages are made in heaven(ly bodies). Douglas Adams would have called it the Galactic Improbability Correlation. The Galactic Improbability Correlation is essentially a piece of paper written about Mr.A and Ms.B (before either learned to read; and that’s the trick really) - with some Euclidean geometry thrown in for good measure. [Some call it horoscope, but that’s just semantics]. Anyway, this rule requires the planetary positions of Mr.A and Ms.B to have a high correlation. [ The astute reader might have guessed that by its very definition of improbability, the correlation often turns out to be imaginary].
Anyway, it is not all about imaginary worlds. We are intensely practical folks too. How else would you explain the fact that a working knowledge of a machine such as, say, an electric generator can actually help further your chances at marriage. Yes, we have power problems in India and it does help to have a handy ‘man of the house’. Is that it ? Er..not really. I was merely alluding to the fact that an engineering degree is a ticket to marital bliss in India. It is true, an engineering degree with a job in computer programming, will certainly take your stock in the arranged marriage market, north. Now, it is anybody's guess as to what the knowledge of electromagnetism has to do with matters of the heart, but enough said.
But let me emphasize that your humble blogger is merely making observations and reserving judgment. After all the proof is in the pudding: To put 1.2 billion people on the planet is no mean achievement.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
What keeps me awake at night...
The High Court announced its verdict on Ajmal Kasab today. They seem to believe that he deserves some kind of punishment. I am impressed, really. Oh and it took them all of 3 years to arrive at that conclusion and it will take another 7 years before he MIGHT get punished. These guys are exceeding my expectations.
What is justice and why does society mete out punishment to wrongdoers ? These are important questions to ask and answer. (Disclaimer: the discussion here is NOT based on my reading or interpretation of the law, I claim absolutely no formal exposure to these concepts)
Okay, the answer to “why punishment” is not as obvious as it seems. Remember, no amount of punishment can ‘right’ a ‘wrong’. Punishing a murderer does NOT bring back the man he murdered. Period. And yet, as a society, we believe in delivering punishment. Why ?
There are two fundamental pillars underlying punishment : The concept of “retribution” and the concept of “deterrence”. Retribution arises from our fundamental subjective understanding of the ideas of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. I won’t go into morality and its origins, but let’s just say that MOST (=sane) people such as you and me believe that taking an innocent man’s life is fundamentally ‘wrong’. So punishing a man who does so, reinforces our beliefs and provides mental satisfaction. In other words, “retribution” is inextricably linked to the emotional aspect of a human being and it is that, which indeed, makes us human. Take the simple example of two children eating candy bars: Child A snatches Child B’s candy, which rightfully does not belong to him. Now, the parent scolds Child A and punishes her. Child B is served retribution.
The second pillar of punishment is the idea of “deterrence”. By serving punishment to criminals, you deter other potential criminals from committing similar crimes. If a mass murderer is hanged, then society believes that the knowledge/witnessing of the hanging will make other psychopaths to think twice before they embark on their planned executions. In the example of the children, a third Child C, who sees Child A being punished will think twice before snatching a candy bar from any of her peers.
The important thing to realize is that these are not purely ‘logical’ concepts. They go deep into the fundamental idea of being ‘human’ and ‘moral’, so ANY person who does not understand or much less, believe in them, can be considered mentally deranged. In fact, the mind of a criminal/psychopath lacks this very concept of justice. Park this conclusion in your mind because I intend to bring this up later.
Now, I make the claim that DELAYING punishment flies in the face of the very fundamental notions of justice described above. Essentially I argue that if justice is delayed, then the very purpose of punishment is simply not served. It is almost as if, there is no need for punishment any more. Take the case of retribution. In the simple example of the children, it absolutely makes no sense for the parent to punish Child A, a whole YEAR, after her having snatched the candy bar. Think about it. Child B has long since moved on and it is very likely that he won’t even REMEMBER the incident. Since it has been a year , the punishment does not seem to “matter” any more. This is a very important point. We cannot talk of retribution without simultaneously accounting for the TIME dimension.
Now consider the deterrence argument. Since the parent punished Child A after an year, Child C who was deviously clever and observant came to the following conclusion : “ Whoa! So it takes more than a year for the grown-ups to catch up. Nice! In a year’s time – I won’t even BE in this neighbourhood. I can hardly predict what’s going to happen next WEEK, so who knows how things will be a YEAR later. Let me take my chances and snatch that candy bar !! “ Essentially, a DELAY in punishment has exactly the opposite effect. It serves as an INCENTIVE to criminals to take their chances and go ahead with their crimes.
To summarize, justice that is DELAYED serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever and contradicts the two basic pillars of punishment. Lets look at the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Ajmal Kasab murdered innocent civilians in cold blood. That fact is undisputable. Now, Kasab will file an appeal with the Supreme Court and then the mercy plea with the President. It will be 2018 by the time he gets “punished” (will that word have any meaning any more?)
Ask the families of Ameena Begum or Mira Chatterjee, two of the many innocent women massacred at CST, if they care. Find out if it matters anymore for the kin of Inspector Vijay Salaskar or Constable Yogesh Patil who died trying to save lives. Ask the father of Vinod kumar who lost both his wife and son together in the senseless killings. These are normal people like you and me. And they didn’t deserve to die. They didn’t.
What kind of twisted perverted society do I live in ? To me, a society that condones delay in serving punishment is no different from the dark mind of a deranged criminal because, as I demonstrated earlier, the DELAY represents a basic travesty of the very two pillars of punishment. In effect, it goes against our fundamental notions of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ and finally questions our basic notions of being ‘human’. And guess what ? This inhuman society finds itself going all out to protect and provide for the mass murderer. The Times of India reports that Rs 45 crore has already been spent on the upkeep of his ‘special’ jail. At a daily expenditure of Rs 9 lakh, the tax payer will ‘sponsor’ the killer to the tune of Rs.200 crore by 2018. [Oh, did I mention that the innocent people whom he murdered in cold blood received half his DAILY expenditure as ‘compensation’]
And please please, spare me the ‘eye-for-an-eye-leaves-the-country-blind’ crap. What is the point of having eyes if we don’t even blink in the face of injustice ?
What is justice and why does society mete out punishment to wrongdoers ? These are important questions to ask and answer. (Disclaimer: the discussion here is NOT based on my reading or interpretation of the law, I claim absolutely no formal exposure to these concepts)
Okay, the answer to “why punishment” is not as obvious as it seems. Remember, no amount of punishment can ‘right’ a ‘wrong’. Punishing a murderer does NOT bring back the man he murdered. Period. And yet, as a society, we believe in delivering punishment. Why ?
There are two fundamental pillars underlying punishment : The concept of “retribution” and the concept of “deterrence”. Retribution arises from our fundamental subjective understanding of the ideas of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’. I won’t go into morality and its origins, but let’s just say that MOST (=sane) people such as you and me believe that taking an innocent man’s life is fundamentally ‘wrong’. So punishing a man who does so, reinforces our beliefs and provides mental satisfaction. In other words, “retribution” is inextricably linked to the emotional aspect of a human being and it is that, which indeed, makes us human. Take the simple example of two children eating candy bars: Child A snatches Child B’s candy, which rightfully does not belong to him. Now, the parent scolds Child A and punishes her. Child B is served retribution.
The second pillar of punishment is the idea of “deterrence”. By serving punishment to criminals, you deter other potential criminals from committing similar crimes. If a mass murderer is hanged, then society believes that the knowledge/witnessing of the hanging will make other psychopaths to think twice before they embark on their planned executions. In the example of the children, a third Child C, who sees Child A being punished will think twice before snatching a candy bar from any of her peers.
The important thing to realize is that these are not purely ‘logical’ concepts. They go deep into the fundamental idea of being ‘human’ and ‘moral’, so ANY person who does not understand or much less, believe in them, can be considered mentally deranged. In fact, the mind of a criminal/psychopath lacks this very concept of justice. Park this conclusion in your mind because I intend to bring this up later.
Now, I make the claim that DELAYING punishment flies in the face of the very fundamental notions of justice described above. Essentially I argue that if justice is delayed, then the very purpose of punishment is simply not served. It is almost as if, there is no need for punishment any more. Take the case of retribution. In the simple example of the children, it absolutely makes no sense for the parent to punish Child A, a whole YEAR, after her having snatched the candy bar. Think about it. Child B has long since moved on and it is very likely that he won’t even REMEMBER the incident. Since it has been a year , the punishment does not seem to “matter” any more. This is a very important point. We cannot talk of retribution without simultaneously accounting for the TIME dimension.
Now consider the deterrence argument. Since the parent punished Child A after an year, Child C who was deviously clever and observant came to the following conclusion : “ Whoa! So it takes more than a year for the grown-ups to catch up. Nice! In a year’s time – I won’t even BE in this neighbourhood. I can hardly predict what’s going to happen next WEEK, so who knows how things will be a YEAR later. Let me take my chances and snatch that candy bar !! “ Essentially, a DELAY in punishment has exactly the opposite effect. It serves as an INCENTIVE to criminals to take their chances and go ahead with their crimes.
To summarize, justice that is DELAYED serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever and contradicts the two basic pillars of punishment. Lets look at the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks. Ajmal Kasab murdered innocent civilians in cold blood. That fact is undisputable. Now, Kasab will file an appeal with the Supreme Court and then the mercy plea with the President. It will be 2018 by the time he gets “punished” (will that word have any meaning any more?)
Ask the families of Ameena Begum or Mira Chatterjee, two of the many innocent women massacred at CST, if they care. Find out if it matters anymore for the kin of Inspector Vijay Salaskar or Constable Yogesh Patil who died trying to save lives. Ask the father of Vinod kumar who lost both his wife and son together in the senseless killings. These are normal people like you and me. And they didn’t deserve to die. They didn’t.
What kind of twisted perverted society do I live in ? To me, a society that condones delay in serving punishment is no different from the dark mind of a deranged criminal because, as I demonstrated earlier, the DELAY represents a basic travesty of the very two pillars of punishment. In effect, it goes against our fundamental notions of ‘right’ and ‘wrong’ and finally questions our basic notions of being ‘human’. And guess what ? This inhuman society finds itself going all out to protect and provide for the mass murderer. The Times of India reports that Rs 45 crore has already been spent on the upkeep of his ‘special’ jail. At a daily expenditure of Rs 9 lakh, the tax payer will ‘sponsor’ the killer to the tune of Rs.200 crore by 2018. [Oh, did I mention that the innocent people whom he murdered in cold blood received half his DAILY expenditure as ‘compensation’]
And please please, spare me the ‘eye-for-an-eye-leaves-the-country-blind’ crap. What is the point of having eyes if we don’t even blink in the face of injustice ?
Saturday, February 19, 2011
A dash of Bertie !!
Not just me, YOU, would have hardly imagined. Yet, recent circumstances in my life have distinctly taken a Wodehousian turn. Yes, the good ol' life, has just gotten....how shall we call it....Idyllic. Indubitably. That's the word. Truly, positively Bertie Wooster-ish.
Although I don't scamper off getting engaged to random-golden-haired-blue-eyed damsels as Bertie does, I undoubtedly share his penchant for faux pas on the romantic front ! My whole experience with the dating scene in our great country (blotted by acts of devouring random variants of a spicy dish made of semolina with caffeine on the side) , has been a tad too Interesting. (consider the deliberate capitalization as a forced attempt at being euphemistic).
And then there is the whole idea of having to work for a living. Bah ! So Bourgeois. My kind employer's extended sabbatical leave (which is sure to drastically end if they chance upon this blog) have so re-organized my day's schedule as to give me enough temporal latitude to attempt reading scary books such as these. But classic literature, does make you say la belle vie, doesn't it ? Some of the recent ones such as this (Sheesh, don't look at me like that, I turned ALL of a tender 29 yesterday) and this were splendid, to say the least.
And the Bertie resemblance doesn't end there. I have my fair share of aunts who's recent calling in life is to get me married ASAP lest they begin to chew-glass-and-make-sacrifices-by-moonlight.
All in all, I epitomize Bertie's fried-egg feeling.
Now, irrespective of how long these 'trying' circumstances of serendipity last, I have made a firm resolution on my 29th birthday (isn't that Bertie's perpetual age?). Witness under oath : Bili, a.k.a fellow Drone.
I intend to get more creative and serious in my not-so-idle pursuits. Writing. Here I come !!!
Although I don't scamper off getting engaged to random-golden-haired-blue-eyed damsels as Bertie does, I undoubtedly share his penchant for faux pas on the romantic front ! My whole experience with the dating scene in our great country (blotted by acts of devouring random variants of a spicy dish made of semolina with caffeine on the side) , has been a tad too Interesting. (consider the deliberate capitalization as a forced attempt at being euphemistic).
And then there is the whole idea of having to work for a living. Bah ! So Bourgeois. My kind employer's extended sabbatical leave (which is sure to drastically end if they chance upon this blog) have so re-organized my day's schedule as to give me enough temporal latitude to attempt reading scary books such as these. But classic literature, does make you say la belle vie, doesn't it ? Some of the recent ones such as this (Sheesh, don't look at me like that, I turned ALL of a tender 29 yesterday) and this were splendid, to say the least.
And the Bertie resemblance doesn't end there. I have my fair share of aunts who's recent calling in life is to get me married ASAP lest they begin to chew-glass-and-make-sacrifices-by-moonlight.
All in all, I epitomize Bertie's fried-egg feeling.
Now, irrespective of how long these 'trying' circumstances of serendipity last, I have made a firm resolution on my 29th birthday (isn't that Bertie's perpetual age?). Witness under oath : Bili, a.k.a fellow Drone.
I intend to get more creative and serious in my not-so-idle pursuits. Writing. Here I come !!!
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
Sanskrit, sans SPIRIT
Had an interesting discussion with Bili the other day. It arose as we were ambling around in Gandhi Bazaar and discussing an upcoming Sanskrit Sammelana (conference) in Bangalore that both of us plan to attend.
Sanskrit always brings back fond memories of Vijaya High School, where I completely fell in love with the language.
As the name implies, Samskrutham = Samyak (well) + Krutham (done) Iti. (A language that is) well done. Period. There is an inherent quality of appeal in Sanskrit that is difficult to explain. You got to experience it.
And hey - like all languages, Sanskrit expects certain rules to be followed. I don't understand why people make a big deal out of it.
That's what Bili and I were discussing. Why is Sanskrit so MYSTIFIED, especially by people who don't know the language ? (I don't mean to sound pompous, I am no expert honestly) Anyway, the talk of Sanskrit, almost always, seems to imply " something to do with religion" ?! I don't understand why people confuse "antiquity" with "divinity". Yes, it is an ancient language but that doesn't make it divine per se.
Back in Vijaya High School, we learnt Sanskrit just as we did any other language. We played around with words and grammar, discussed language intricacies during lunch breaks - I remember a particular incident when our headmaster EAVESDROPPED into our conversation and began sharing HIS opinions! A great scholar of the language, he soon had us hanging on every word of his. And not only that, unknown to us, there was a small crowd developing around the entire flight of stairs where WE were accosted by HIM!
So, that's how our sanskrit teachers at Vijaya High School were. They made the language exciting to learn, simple. No divinity, no mantras, no fear. For us 14 year olds, it was pure play ! I remember we were disappointed that the language didn't have many(any?) abuses and so we even tried inventing a few !!
After all, don't you know namma Sanskrit has its POLI (Kannada for naughty/saucy) aspects as well ? Haha.
I remember a Subhashita that goes : "Durjanam Prathamam Vande, Sajjanam Tadanantharam. Mukha Prakshaalanaath Poorvam ___ ____".
[ Although a little vulgar, the metaphor is good, lets admit it !]
And can 17 year old males (who did PU-II Sanskirt) ever forget that racy dialogue on female underclothing from Kalidasa's Shakuntala ? LOL
OK, if you just felt that I am trying to "besmear" this ancient language, clearly you haven't understood my point at all. Sanskirt is one of our most treasured possessions and any semblance of "revival" can only be possible if we starting treating it like a "normal" language.
Remove the spiritual paraphernelia that is suffocating its existence.
We need Sanskrit, sans(without) spirit.
Sanskrit always brings back fond memories of Vijaya High School, where I completely fell in love with the language.
As the name implies, Samskrutham = Samyak (well) + Krutham (done) Iti. (A language that is) well done. Period. There is an inherent quality of appeal in Sanskrit that is difficult to explain. You got to experience it.
And hey - like all languages, Sanskrit expects certain rules to be followed. I don't understand why people make a big deal out of it.
That's what Bili and I were discussing. Why is Sanskrit so MYSTIFIED, especially by people who don't know the language ? (I don't mean to sound pompous, I am no expert honestly) Anyway, the talk of Sanskrit, almost always, seems to imply " something to do with religion" ?! I don't understand why people confuse "antiquity" with "divinity". Yes, it is an ancient language but that doesn't make it divine per se.
Back in Vijaya High School, we learnt Sanskrit just as we did any other language. We played around with words and grammar, discussed language intricacies during lunch breaks - I remember a particular incident when our headmaster EAVESDROPPED into our conversation and began sharing HIS opinions! A great scholar of the language, he soon had us hanging on every word of his. And not only that, unknown to us, there was a small crowd developing around the entire flight of stairs where WE were accosted by HIM!
So, that's how our sanskrit teachers at Vijaya High School were. They made the language exciting to learn, simple. No divinity, no mantras, no fear. For us 14 year olds, it was pure play ! I remember we were disappointed that the language didn't have many(any?) abuses and so we even tried inventing a few !!
After all, don't you know namma Sanskrit has its POLI (Kannada for naughty/saucy) aspects as well ? Haha.
I remember a Subhashita that goes : "Durjanam Prathamam Vande, Sajjanam Tadanantharam. Mukha Prakshaalanaath Poorvam ___ ____
[ Although a little vulgar, the metaphor is good, lets admit it !]
And can 17 year old males (who did PU-II Sanskirt) ever forget that racy dialogue on female underclothing from Kalidasa's Shakuntala ? LOL
OK, if you just felt that I am trying to "besmear" this ancient language, clearly you haven't understood my point at all. Sanskirt is one of our most treasured possessions and any semblance of "revival" can only be possible if we starting treating it like a "normal" language.
Remove the spiritual paraphernelia that is suffocating its existence.
We need Sanskrit, sans(without) spirit.
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Games !
As I walk in front of my street, I hear kids playing cricket with a good measure of, what is most essential to gully cricket, Screaming.
Yes, be it fighting over who gets to bat first (because the ball is invariably lost before the end of the game) or over a misfield ("thoothu!") - screaming in gully cricket is the highlight of the kids' evenings, as much as it reminds home-owners of their dear glass windows.
Back in 5th grade, I remember playing endlessly in the hot sun on weekends. Too bad the ground I used to play in, has been converted into a park - 'keep off the grass' - Blah!
Vinay, Me, Amit, D.T, Asim, Junaid, Baddi, Vaadi and Chunts. (Hmm..Who am I missing?) We had a team of 11, and we fought cricket battles every weekend with the formidable "Scouts" and the quite-beatable "Korag-ers"[ LOL did you get that? 'Koragu' is Kannada for 'Crib'. They were notorious for cribbing on wanting to bat]
Good times.
So the culture of gully cricket, replete with all its expressions, has passed intact to today's kids.
" BOWLED'IM !!" probably made sense but, it took me a loooong time to realize what "AWZAAAAOUT !!" meant back then or how one should spell 'SCREEEZ' !! LOL.
So, that's the good news about cricket.
But what makes me a little sad is that I hardly see kids playing BUGURI these days. Buguri is an expertise game, where you spin wooden tops with metal tips using strings of ropes. An advanced players can hoist those tops anywhere - make them spin on their palms, for example (ouch). And then we had contests where we break the opponents' spinning Buguri with ours. Very skillful I must say. I wonder if shops even SELL buguri's these days.
And then there was LAGORI. Yet another amazing game. You pile up stones of different sizes and make a pyramid. There are two teams with opposing goals - of 'making' the pyramid and of 'breaking' it. The team making it must dodge the attack of the opposite team, which uses a ball as its projectile. Highly recommended when you have a big group.
There was CHINNI KOLU and there was TYRE ! The latter was totally a no-brainer. Meant for kids of the AATAK-UNTU-LEKKAK-ILLA variety. Essentially, those who were too young to understand any rules. You just give them a stick and find an old discarded vehicle tyre lying around somewhere. (We couldn't afford the whole vehicle you see!) And off you go speeding tyres and maneuvering them with sticks. Gosh ! I used to get so black and dirty playing with tyres :)
I wonder if kids today get out and get dirty as often as we used to.
Actually, today's kid prefers a WHOLE car to play with. Not just a tire. Hmm, evolution.
Yes, be it fighting over who gets to bat first (because the ball is invariably lost before the end of the game) or over a misfield ("thoothu!") - screaming in gully cricket is the highlight of the kids' evenings, as much as it reminds home-owners of their dear glass windows.
Back in 5th grade, I remember playing endlessly in the hot sun on weekends. Too bad the ground I used to play in, has been converted into a park - 'keep off the grass' - Blah!
Vinay, Me, Amit, D.T, Asim, Junaid, Baddi, Vaadi and Chunts. (Hmm..Who am I missing?) We had a team of 11, and we fought cricket battles every weekend with the formidable "Scouts" and the quite-beatable "Korag-ers"[ LOL did you get that? 'Koragu' is Kannada for 'Crib'. They were notorious for cribbing on wanting to bat]
Good times.
So the culture of gully cricket, replete with all its expressions, has passed intact to today's kids.
" BOWLED'IM !!" probably made sense but, it took me a loooong time to realize what "AWZAAAAOUT !!" meant back then or how one should spell 'SCREEEZ' !! LOL.
So, that's the good news about cricket.
But what makes me a little sad is that I hardly see kids playing BUGURI these days. Buguri is an expertise game, where you spin wooden tops with metal tips using strings of ropes. An advanced players can hoist those tops anywhere - make them spin on their palms, for example (ouch). And then we had contests where we break the opponents' spinning Buguri with ours. Very skillful I must say. I wonder if shops even SELL buguri's these days.
And then there was LAGORI. Yet another amazing game. You pile up stones of different sizes and make a pyramid. There are two teams with opposing goals - of 'making' the pyramid and of 'breaking' it. The team making it must dodge the attack of the opposite team, which uses a ball as its projectile. Highly recommended when you have a big group.
There was CHINNI KOLU and there was TYRE ! The latter was totally a no-brainer. Meant for kids of the AATAK-UNTU-LEKKAK-ILLA variety. Essentially, those who were too young to understand any rules. You just give them a stick and find an old discarded vehicle tyre lying around somewhere. (We couldn't afford the whole vehicle you see!) And off you go speeding tyres and maneuvering them with sticks. Gosh ! I used to get so black and dirty playing with tyres :)
I wonder if kids today get out and get dirty as often as we used to.
Actually, today's kid prefers a WHOLE car to play with. Not just a tire. Hmm, evolution.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Liberal Bull
This is an advertisment. Not for a soap, nothing tangible. I want to advertise an idea. I chanced upon this very well-written piece (Facebook has its uses after all !) and felt totally compelled to advertise it. Here you go :
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/clicklit/entry/don-t-pity-us-arundhati-not-yet
It is amazing what Arundhati Roy manages to get away with. Don't get me wrong. By 'get away with' , I am not saying she got away with not being 'jailed' or 'punished'. She gets away with insulting your intelligence. I mean, her arguments are so supremely dumb : "Dalit" soldiers - ROFLMAO !! Even people born yesterday know that the Indian Army doesn't have a caste system.
Btw, I found "God of Small Things" boring and even kind of disgusting (couldn't even complete the book)...Really I don't know why she is what she is.
Well, feel free to disagree with me and the article above. I am probably "liberal enough" to allow comments. Whatever.
http://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/clicklit/entry/don-t-pity-us-arundhati-not-yet
It is amazing what Arundhati Roy manages to get away with. Don't get me wrong. By 'get away with' , I am not saying she got away with not being 'jailed' or 'punished'. She gets away with insulting your intelligence. I mean, her arguments are so supremely dumb : "Dalit" soldiers - ROFLMAO !! Even people born yesterday know that the Indian Army doesn't have a caste system.
Btw, I found "God of Small Things" boring and even kind of disgusting (couldn't even complete the book)...Really I don't know why she is what she is.
Well, feel free to disagree with me and the article above. I am probably "liberal enough" to allow comments. Whatever.