ANOTHER PERSPECTIVE

While attending a family gathering a few days ago, I happened to meet one of my relatives after a couple of years. It had been quite some time since I had last seen him, and looking at him now, left me a little dazed. Who stood before me now, was a young and handsome adolescent chap, dressed in formal clothes, like a perfect gentleman. Looking at him brought back memories of what he looked like when I’d seen him for the very first time in life. I can still visualize the chubby cheeked, round faced baby with fair, almost pink face and spiky hair, dressed in pink woollen clothes when I close my eyes. How he screamed in a high pitched croaky voice as his elder brother and I conveniently changed rules of the silly games we played while it was his turn. As I looked at him now, I could feel a lump growing in my throat. While I was giving a long, blank stare at him, he snapped his fingers before my face and asked me if I was alright. I gave him a smile. Started a polite conversation. Gave him...

When I sit alone, by the window side on a rainy evening, sipping coffee and browsing through old photographs, with my most prized camera in my hand, I think of you. I wish I had this camera with me a few years ago, so that I could capture every moment we shared together and replay them over and over again, whenever circumstances forced me to believe that I am alone. Do you remember the first time we met? I do not remember the details, but I particularly recollect that I did not think much of you. To me then, you were just another person living next door and leading a life on a parallel track as mine. Nothing more. Do you remember the early morning walks we took to school every day? You would always be late and make me anxious as to whether I would be punished for coming late. Or the day we took a lot of courage to walk over to the next block, but came running back because there was a power cut? The day we followed a girl who looked just like one of our old friends and realized it was d...

....Life comes to us in various packages. The best part of it is that it is highly unpredictable. We all have our shares of dreams, aspirations, hopes, fears, expectations and disappointments. We think ourselves as great decision makers and planners. But whether we accept it or not, like it or not, nature has its own games to play. Sometimes despite whatever we do, however much we plan, estimate, arrange matters, things simply do not fall in place. Yet at other times, when you give up all hopes, think it is all over and close the chapter accepting defeat, somebody walks towards you bringing the much needed respite. Some call it heavenly influence, yet others- simple human relations. Over the course of our existence, we come across many people. Some of whom we like, some of whom we do not like. Yet others whom we dislike; but love talking ill of. Some of these people stay on with us through good and bad times. A strong bond forms linking them to us. Some people we think about and wonder...

It was my friend’s birthday. This occasion called for a treat. The big question was, where? After a lot of fuss, arguments, this and that, we finally decided to check out a newly opened restaurant in town. Lunch in a new restaurant at somebody else’s cost has its own merits, like new and clean furniture, a working air condition system, different location and an innovative menu among many others. Amidst my friend’s repeated protests and hesitation, we somehow convinced her to treat us to lunch in this new restaurant. It took us a while to reach this place since none of us knew where it was, nor did the rickshaw driver know of its very existence. On reaching the place finally, we gave the building one long glance and we knew, we had made the right decision. This looked like just the perfect place for a birthday treat. It was quite a long dining hall, with several tables neatly arranged, with the expected new furniture, soft music playing in the background and appropriate lighting. But in...

I came across these popular konkani one liners/sayings/phrases while browsing through a konkani club i'm a member of. I thought I'd share it with you. Here are some of my favourites.... Hanve kasane mashi dolo konklaave ?? Nanka tudiyeri kopu !! Mankdaalo upaasu !! Musu maartha assa !! Jeevaaryaetha !!!! Ghoderi baisunu ayilo ve ?? Jeevu taandunu yethave !? Kappani kalle Toppi dovorche Kansena kurdeka vaata dakkoche Haaggu jatthana gaddo sodduche Ghoder baisunu sooru pilleri matthe laggana Maattheri booth basla Khunte vaingan shi bosche! Ambya rukkaka ambo shivay ponosu jattave? Hanthula ashile titlechi payu sodka Ujjaka toopa rokkoche mashi phattiri paavsu Ujjo nathille Dhuvvoru Yethave? Dabbeka takeetha dhankne Mantharika wakkala kelle manke Jarlena meesha riggaile manke !! chiklantu pathoru uddailyri amgelechi angari ussalltha saatha maheineiri jallalive ? sooryale ujwadaaka divvo dharle manke !! Sagle Ramayana aikunu jathari, Ramu Seetheka kasa javka monu nimgile kain !! Sa...

Geele kaagaz ki tarah he zindagi apni, Koi jalaata bhi nahi aur bahaata bhi nahi Is kadar akele hain raahon me dil ki, Koi sataataa bhi nahi, koi manaata bhi nahi.......... Of course I didn’t compose this piece myself. I’ve tried my hand at poetry, but haven’t been successful at all. I’m not depressed either. It’s just that these lines probably get the closest to describing my state of mind in certain situations. I began my day by getting into the college bus and waiting for it to move (it takes a while to get going, till everyone settles down). I decided to make use of the time for my leisurely, early morning philosophical thinking and began putting all my energy in trying to pry open the window – for some fresh air and of course : a glimpse of nature’s beauty. My eyes caught sight of something else instead. It wasn’t anything unusual ( not in my college premises at least), but it left me with a mixed feeling of disgust and (I don’t know what to call it) some feeling which made me wan...

It was that time of the year again. Spirits were high. Each one wanted to give his/ her best performance. My turn was approaching. I walked up to the line, read out the lines as required and joined my friends on the other side of the room. I had just given my audition for a role in the school play for Playfest 1998. Playfest is an interschool drama competition conducted every year in the month of November, by The Times Of India in association with the Newspaper In Education programme. My school was a part of the programme and an opportunity to take part in a fest with participants from different schools all over Bangalore thrilled me. I desperately wanted to be a part of it – somehow – with whatever role. I was a member of the school Dramatics Club. That meant special preference would be given to me over non-members. It was considered a privilege to be a part of the Dramatics Club. We met officially every Thursday evening, between 4 to 6 pm (after class hours) under the guidance of a d...

Every doll I’ve ever had My first day at primary school Winning the first prize in the frog race The magic show Pappa took me to Evenings in school days Long walks with a friend Secrets Weddings in the family Singing competitions in school Boredom in summer holidays Dramatics club and Playfest Learning to ride the bicycle Early mornings in class ten Birthday treats, movies and eatouts with friends Diary entries Sunset at the beach Rainy nights

A bad ending to a detective novel, deplorable, low marks for an apparently well written exam, a monotonous lecture on an empty stomach and people smoking on others’ faces were what I considered the most annoying things in the world. Well at least until recently, when I spent a night at the airport. I wasn’t exactly in an elated state of mind. The most awaited, month long vacation was finally coming to an uneventful end. It was during the never ending, tormenting study holidays before the dreaded university examinations that I spent most of the time dreaming of vacations. I had made elaborate plans for the holidays with the subject text books lay open before me, behind closed doors, while the rest of the world enjoyed the freedom. Freedom of sleeping and waking up at the time they pleased, among many others that I envied. Now, after a whole month of sleeping and waking up late, movies, books, an unending appetite for food and spending hours doing nothing (without the feeling of guilt), ...

Have you ever wondered what the word ‘geek’ means before you used it to illustrate the naïve, unsuspecting or uncomplicated person/s you detest, because you are outright jealous of something they are/you are not? If you haven’t comprehended the substance of the question above, I would request you to re-read it. If you still haven’t understood - I would advise you to visit your nearest psychologist and get your IQ level checked. According to a little ‘research’ I conducted on the background of the word ‘geek’ – the word was originally used to describe certain performers at circus and carnivals. It gradually assumed a wide variety of meanings and lately has been used synonymously with the term ‘nerd’. It is supposed to be a derogatory term for one with low social skills, regardless of intelligence.While being described as a geek tends to be an insult, the term has recently become less condescending, or even a badge of honor, within particular fields and subcultures. Let me give you an in...