Spirit

I see yonder the swaying bold

A blinding magnificent sight of gold

Specs of red with raging spirit

Awaiting the unyielding wrath of cold

As each one flutters to the ground

They grieve the loss without a sound

The spirit they once hath, now stripped bare,

As the silver gloom descends around

With burdened boughs and a glistening crown

They don’t let the dark times bring them down

In the hope that all will be green again

They battle on with a determined frown

As the seasons turn and the clouds part

The rays bring life to the weathered heart

As blossoms spread their fragrances new

The mirth follows where the bees dart

They who live life with high and low

Through deep despair with a joyous glow

A life well lived at the end of the road

On cloud nine and six feet below

-NEHA KAMAT NOV 7TH 2008

“There are only two forces in the world, the sword and the spirit.

In the long run the sword will always be conquered by the spirit.”

-Napoleon Bonaparte

Bollywood Gyan

I thought it would be weird to be back in this space after the long sabbatical that I took..and of course it isn't. I'm back to writing stuff that makes more sense to me than anyone else. People who know me well would call me 'filmi...very very filmi'.( I see the curves of your mouths turning up into a smile) Not because I have an exaggerated reaction to the events that unfold around me, but because I have a song, a quote, a name for every occasion. Anything that reminds me of Bombay ( It will always be Bombay to me), anything that reminds me of Bollywood.

They say most surveys show that Indian kids are some of the brightest, smartest minds on this planet. Of course I am not here to argue with well established facts..I am just here to let the world in on our secret source of smartness, a teacher that we would have even if we didn't know how to read, write or spell ( some cases are hopeless even after a master's degree)...BOLLYWOOD.

Think about it. Bollywood has taught us some of life's most important lessons. For those who are a little slow on the uptake..never fear, Neha's here! Ahem Ahem..follows hidden messages in some of Bollywood's most famous dialogues.

Management Lessons

• "Bhag dhanno bhag..aaj teri Basanti ki ijjat ka sawaal hai" ...MOTIVATION. Dhanno got wise and ran for her life and not Basanti's ..she knew Basanti would whip her death if she didn't.
• "Jao pehele usse jake poocho jisne mere haath pe yeh likha"...PLAYING THE BLAME GAME also known in higher management levels as "FINGER POINTING"
• "Holi kab hai..kab hai holi"/"poonam ki raat ko raat ke bara baje"/"jumme ki raat ko"...SCHEDULING
• "Bhagwaan aaj tak maine tumse kuch nahin maanga..aaj meri yeh iccha tumhe poori karni hi padegi": NEGOTIATION
• "Na gilaaf, Na lehaaf (Na gilaaf, Na lehaaf thandi hawa ke khilaaf sasuri) O itni sardi hai kisika lehaaf lehi leh O jaa padosi ke chuleh se aag lehi leh" :RESOURCE UTILIZATION
• "Aaj mere paas gaadi hai, bangla hai, paisa hai, bank balance hai..tumhare paas kya hai?""Mere pass MAA hai":STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES ANALYSIS
• `Anarkali, Salim ki mohabbat tumhe marne nahin degi aur hum tumhe jeene nahin denge.':TOUGH CHOICES
• "Duniya ki koi taqat humein nahin judaa kar sakti":CONFIDENCE
• "Hum line mein khade nahin rehte..hum jahaan khade ho jate hai wahin se line shuru hoti hai..chup chaap khade raho" :LEADING FROM THE FRONT
• "Main tumhari pai pai lautaungi/Ek ek ko chun chun ke marunga" BUDGETING & ACCOUNTING
  

Science , Literature and Culture Lessons

Now, as true Bollywood fanatics, we can't be inspired by just about anyone..we have specialists to guide us namely these people:

1. Dr. Rajnikanth
2. Dr. Mithun Chakraborthy a.k.a Dada
3. Any tom dick n harry from the Telugu film industry.
4.Mr. India a.k.a Jhakaasssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssssss
5.Bappida


Rajnikanth has led a very unconventional life..his entire life has been dedicated to proving that all laws of physics which the rest of the world knows are in fact bullshit, and that had the world functioned according to the science of his world...we would have been searching for life on Jupiter instead of Osama bin Laden.He could give 007 a run for his money..and Bond is fictional!So u can shoot a gun in the air and shoot the trigger of that gun to eventually kill a person u can't see on the other side of the wall...has been successfully demonstrated. He calls it the "Law of transferred motion".Eventually if some innocent beggar got hit by mistake one can always claim innocence saying that it was the gun in the air that shot the beggar. Sheer Genius!Now we know why they have temple in his name in the South of India. Rumor has it while praying if you have a cheap handkerchief around your neck and wear dark sunglasses even in the shade..you might be the lucky few blessed by Rajni...

Dada is indeed the baap of all literature. Words spoken by him and heard by any random fool will not be forgotten, in fact will linger around and haunt him.His philosophies on love, life and lust have been considered radical and without doubt Mithun has changed every ideology laid down by generations of so-called thinkers.A few examples for your benefit...beware after reading your brain might stop functioning from the profound impact of the words..this is considered to be a boon..

• On fear: “Mai jis gali se guzarta hoo waha bachcha paida hone se pehle durrkar maa ke pet me susu kar deta hai!!” (Loha)/“Hum aise laashen bicha denge jaise kisi nanhe munhe bacche ke nunhi se pesaab tapakta hain—tap tap” ( Gunda)
• On multiple personality disorders:“Dikhne me bewada, daudne me ghoda, aur maarne me hathoda hoon main”
• On living life in the fast lane: Aami kukur ke biskoot, beral ke doodh aar criminal ke gooli khawai. Tai tara aamar payer kaache pore thake.

  I feed dogs with biscuit, cats with milk and criminals with “goli”. That’s why they always reside near my feet.

Has long been known to contribute to the world of poetry.Wordsworth, Shakespeare and Tagore can go take a hike, here comes dada..

"Munni O Meri Munni...
To tu mar gayee????
Lambe ne tujhe lamba kar diya???
Machis ki teeli ko khamba kar diya?"

They say a lot of people tore up their poems and requested to be hit by amnesia after hearing this..


Has lived by Rajnikanth's laws of applied physics...how else can you explain that , after dodging a bullet and realizing that the bullet is about to hit his widowed mother, he runs faster than the bullet and catches it like a toothpick in the nick of time?Or throws a a knife and splits a bullet in 2 to kill 2 gangsters at the same time. ( Management students please note..excellent example for resource utilization)has inspired a new idiom in Literature : to kill 2 gangsters with one bullet..and one knife.Has been nominated for a Nobel prize for discovering a way to move faster than electricity...has held demonstrations where he saves his ugly heroine from an electric chair.Has been publicly applauded for forwarding a petition to have coolies at airports (Gunda)


Bollywood's southern connection has helped inspire many dance moves. But the sheer brilliance lies in the fact that these dance moves are not dance moves at all , rather are inspired from everyday activities.Like in 'yaar bina chain'..dance was inspired by rock stars playing tennis, so was the costume."anne de anne de paas anne de" from Shola aur Shabnam was inspired by morning walks. Rather a tennis star taking a morning walk.Most films suggest that a costume has nothing to do with the song itself. How else can we explain Sridevi dancing in an 'amrapali' costume, decked in jewellery from head to foot dancing with a apparently mental Jeetendra dressed in ujala white shoes among decorated pots..on a beach????????!!???


Our music is a category in "world music" when actually it has been severely misplaced, the music is "out of this world"..especially the lyrics.

I remember a Sridevi and Jeetendra song which goes like
" mama mia pom pom
pyaar ki gadi..aur badhao..accelerator aur dabao
readdddddddddddyyyyyyyyyy? Stop!
mama mia..pom pom!!!"

Of course some of our southern brothers are way ahead of us:

" If you come today its too yearly......(he meant early)
If you come tomaaarrroo..its to laaaaaaate
You pick the time.....tic tic tic tic, tic tic tic tic
Darling!!!!!!"
reference:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PFURM9eA_Q

In a classic display of antithesis...

"Love me or hate me kiss me or kill me...oh darling please do something to me...tururururu"

Reference:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VzwmcbrLv7Y&feature=related

"Taliban alla alla, Bin laden alve alla" translated it means" Not Taliban, Not Bin Laden, he mbombed a building, I bombed your heart...let there be no misunderstanding" ..sheer inspiration from current affairs.

reference:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pS-mRfpQzTk

And the award for mind boggling lyrics go to...................

Upendra!!!!(cheers cheers)

" Dangerr...................15-20 Dangerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
20-30 Soldierrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
30-40 Hunterrrrrrrrrrrrr
40 came knee begger
50 came male puncture!!!!!"

Reference:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HjVZ7UFzJOE


We have a a lot to learn from Bollywood..

About love:" kabhi hum ek dusre ko kho kar bhi to pyaar ko uncha darja dete hai,juda rehkar pyaar ki unchai ko prapt karte hai,aur pyaar mila to bhi judai bhi to ek pyaar hai....(kisna) "

About Life and death: zindagi aur maut oopar wale ke haath hai jahpanah ise naa to aap badal sakte hain na main, hum to rangmanch ki kathputliyan hain jinki dor oopar wale ke haath mein hai,kaun,kab,kaise uthega ye koi nahin jaanta ha ha ha........ (Anand)

About friendship:Dosti ke do usool hai Mr. No sorry no thank you..dosti ki hai nibhani to padegi hi(Maine pyaar kiya)

About relationships: " Rishte mein hum tumhare baap lagte hain, naam Shehenshah"

About lust: " Yeh dil pyaar nahin janta..janta hai to sirf bhook..jism ki bhook" ( kal ho na ho)

About geography: "Idhar se jao ya udhar se jao..sab rasta god ke paas jaata hai" (Kabhi haan kabhi naa)

About history:Itihas phir se dahurata hai

About law: Kanoon ke haath bahut lambe hai

About winning:" Kabhi kabhi kuch jeetne ke liye kuch harna bhi padta hai..aur har ke jeetne wale ko Baazigar kehte hai!"

So you can see, though illiteracy is ramphant in India, the education never stops. Though the brains may have stopped working, the entertainment never does.
And as put Life here eventually results in " Happys endings", so keep coming back to this space because

" bakwaas abhi baki hai mere dost!!!"

Dilemma

A lonely road I walk alone,

With a wounded heart and conscience torn,

And pray that HE would look upon,

shine that light and bring me home.


Met many a man, friend and foe..

Been lost in a crowd with a weathered soul,

What I seek, I may never know..

Shine that light and bring me home.


With a smile that shines, my eyes aglow

Who knows what pain lies below

I told myself I'll never let them know,

Shine that light and bring me home.


So far I wander high and low,

In my search for love so far unknown

And pray my path HE may show..

shine that light and bring me home....

- Neha Kamat

Food-a-likes

Its raining men... Hallelujah!

Whoever wrote this song must have been in a strip club or a sports bar, for I am of the opinion that men are like parking places..all the good ones are taken, the rest are full of garbage.How does one explain the fact that on a planet where the sex ratio clearly tips in favor of males,its becoming harder and harder to find someone who suits your taste?

Speaking of taste reminds me of some of the other good things in life, thankfully which are available in plenty, like food!Now for a complete foodie such as myself it isn't too unusual to try and relate the two things that occupy prime space in my thoughts..good food and interesting men.Other than the fact that the former can be found perpetually everywhere, and the latter is closer to becoming a myth, the two are not too far apart from each other.All men can be best described by some kind of food and so follows an introduction to this concept for the uninitiated..or the committed.

The Burger:Junk, available everywhere in plenty, run-of-the-mill stuff that does nothing for the imagination or senses.This is the guy who's most likely to come up with the most cheesy pick up lines like "Hey baby, can I buy you a drink" or "I think I must have known you in another life..you seem familiar".This is also the guy who thinks he can charm any woman with Joey's "How 're you doin?".In short strictly avoidable and nauseating.

Popcorn:This is the guy that keeps popping up everywhere..the market, the movies, the univ..no matter where u go he's always there.(Read..the best friend who has a crush on u)..he could never be the main course or the dessert, but he's always good for wherever u might wanna go.He's ur shopping partner, company to check out the latest joint or the latest movie, ur confidant.He also demands a lot of ur time.Could have u begging for a change and some space but then there are always those chicks who never mind having some popcorn around at any given time.

French fries:This is the guy whom u'd love to have for a long time before u get tired of him. Usually ur childhood sweetheart..b4 u realize that u can now finally distinguish between junk and good food and know what works best for u.But then its also difficult to shed off all those calories it brought with it.

Chocolate cake:This is the guy you can't get enough of.Absolutely delicious and can get u hooked for life...this is also the guy who's bad for u..like all the calories that come along.Makes awesome dessert, but mistaking him for the main course can cause serious repercussions.

Fruit salad:he's the guy-next-door.He's the multi talented guy..he's the guy whom u find very hard not to like coz there's always some fruit in there that suits ur taste.He'll play sport and also play music and he's the one u'll swap interesting stories with, and flirt with every morning.He goes with everything.He's cool, he's conventional and there's nothing remotely exciting about him, but sometimes.. we all need some fruit salad.

Creme Brule'e: He's the perfect dessert..sweet,suave, sophisticated and has the dough for having a really good time.He's the guy whom you'll associate with a fancy French restaurant, the opera, the theater..yummy.However he's also the guy who thinks he's god's gift to women.Can also appear really grand, but when ur through with him, u come out with a toothache.He's the kind of guy that my roomie terms as "All fart,..no shit".U get the picture..sometimes too much dough can give u a lotta constipation!

Bread:He's the guy with no imagination and super dry.The guy who will probably go around like a dork and ask never- heard- of questions like "Do u think if I buy only black T shirts..I might never have to do laundry again??" Oh boy! Cheap and in no way harmful, but then does nothing for ur taste buds.

Jello:He's sweet and can make for yummy dessert..but he's also the guy who's wobbly..don't start drawing conclusions..I meant someone with too much of a wavering mind.He's the guy who's afraid of commitment, can't make simple decisions, and manages to change opinions at the drop of the hat.Can be quite infuriating...

Baked vegetable with white sauce and cheesy crust:He's the man for me..he isn't perfect.u may hate quite a lot of those veggies..but has a lotta shades to him, he's dependable, he'll make u feel spoilt and pampered, would be just dry vegetables without the crust...but he's main course material. He's the kinds whose recipe u can discuss easily with moms..and they approve!

And finally...

Triple chocolate sundae, with whipped cream,completely non fattening..and always available when u need it:Its very simple..He simply does not exist..he's the Mr. Right and Mr. wonderful that we all dream of as naive teenagers.the kind that we think will always be romantic and understand us and will be the kind who will do the dishes..umm what the hell..

As my mind explores the endless possibilities within the territories of take out and make out slowly realization dawns that one is better off eating the baked veggies and surviving happily rather than waiting for some non existent dessert n starving...

"The perfect lover is one who turns into pizza at 4am."
Charles Pierce.

L-L-L-Lies

Why play those games , those really silly games with me
oh no no no no no
Oh why oh why you tell me l-l-l-lies...

I was listening to this Diana King song and I got to thinking how much of importance this particular vice enjoys in our lives to have songs written on it.Whats more astounding is how we no longer classify it as a vice but deem it a necessity.

Here's a universal truth:We all lie, not just at some point in our lives, but every single day..and we're constantly playing a one-on-one silly little game.What makes us still shake our heads in desbelief despite this being a universal truth, is the fact that we don't realise we're doing it, or more so convince ourselves we're not doing it, convince others we're not doing it, or simply lie through our teeth and celebrate the death of our nagging conscience.I guess a couple of my friends must be really struggling to hide a smile to have this coming from me, for I am a self-proclaimed, righteous, extremely 'honest' person.But then, am I really?

This brings me to a point where I am compelled to measure my level of dishonesty and I feel I must enlist my version of types of lies and the repercussions.

*WHITE LIES:Now here's the most common species..what the world conveniently terms as "harmless" lies. In my opinion, they don't get as aptly classified under "harmless" as "convenient".The irony is that with the help of this tool we concoct the most colourful of stories.
Common instances..

• "I was late because the train was late..so ideally it wasn't me who was late"(We conveniently forget to mention that the earlier train had been on time)
  
• "I was late because a cow ran onto the street and caused a traffic jam"(You forgot the papers you needed for that meeting and went back)
• "The alarm didn't ring"(You were out partying all last night..and switched the alarm off and went right back to sleep)
• "I am sorry honey..my friends just wouldn't let me go"(You couldn't let go of the TV or the game that was on..alternatively..you tried on a million dresses but didn't want to sound like a fussy puppy)
• "I am sorry mom/dad I was out with friends/I was too busy at work"(I don't wanna know what happened on the latest sitcom and YES! I AM EATING & SLEEPING RIGHT)
• "I was sick"(I was bored/I was lazy/I didn't give a damn)
• "I was busy"(I didn't have a god damn thing to do..I just wanted to avoid this)
• "Tell them I'm not in"(And wonder how many more times I have to tell them before they get the hint and stop bugging me)
• "We'll think about it"(Never gonna happen)

*REFLEX LIES:These are the ones that flow from our lips as easily as water from a tap.In my vocabulary, can be defined as "saving my ass".

• "Of course you deserve that promotion"(Get real..we all know who's the real brains ..ME)
• "Thats funny"(No its NOT..but you are my boss and I HAVE to laugh)
• "No mom I wasn't smoking/drinking"(You know I was..and it ain't gonna change so drop it)
  
• "Its all healthy competition"(Felt great kicking your ass..LOSER)
• "You look fantastic"(I wish you'd change..but we're already late)
• "Of course you don't look fat"(I am not falling for that)
• "Of course he/she is not better"(Not dumb enough to say otherwise!)
• "Its delicious"(I'd rather eat this than cook on my own)
• "I love you"(..and the couch..and the TV..and my side of the bed..and..my space and....)

*MORALE-BOOSTING LIES:These are dangerous..they lead us to delusions.

• "I haven't put on..its this outfit"(Whom am I kidding???)
• "I wasn't at my best"(I got my ass kicked)
• "I think each person is unique(I am sooooooooooooooo jealous!I want to be him/her so bad!)
• "I am gonna be okay"(It will take two more hrs of telling myself this bullshit before I even come close to being okay)
• "I think I'm getting better..just need practice"(I suck!)
• "I think I should do something more creative"(Anything is better than this job)

And of course there are those which CANNOT be classified at any point:

"I saw a UFO and I was so busy promoting universal peace that I couldn't do my homework"(??!!???!??..I know what you are thinking..who'd be dumb enough to say that right?Unfortunately I know some people who are capable)

OR

"WE WILL FIND OSAMA BIN LADEN"

It seems that the whole universe is conspiring to cloak the fact that lying is a vice.Even the English language is a partner in crime.
"I am not THAT good"(I am better than you!)..we call that modesty.
"Miracles can happen anywhere anytime..you can make them happen"(I have spent a hellava time on you and you had better perform even if you suck)..we call that"prep talk".
"God is watching over you..he'll make sure you get your due"(Quit crying you baby, and do something about it)..We call that "instilling hope".

It seems that we spend an awful lot of our extremely short lives, and a lot of energy on thinking 'what not to say' rather than just saying it.Are we really that comfortable hiding under this cloak?

This whole exercise has left me feeling not so honest and not so good about myself.I guess the postulate is:For every occasion , there is a wonderful, totally befitting lie.You just have to have the 'talent' for it.And believe it or not this is a perennial game we play.And since thankfully I have reached the end of my stream of thoughts,(you can heave that sigh of relief)..I know what we all will do..we will convince ourselves that the past five minutes of reading have been completely wasted.Lying is neccessary..its survival..the world is not a friendly place.So lets just smile and appreciate the futile thoughts of this weird chick and get on with life.And as I speak..the clock ticks..and the game continues..

“Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it”

-Adolf Hitler

The "Wonder" years

Ever wondered why is it that the teenage years were called 'THE WONDER YEARS'...when actually we don't really spend too much of our teen lives wondering..we mostly spend those years making horrific mistakes which we regret, try not to recall and 'wonder' about in our tweens.

The life of a twenty-something is much harder than a teen's.Its a time when you are no longer as stupid as you were, or maybe you are..you just have no excuse for it now.Its as if you have been stripped of the title of 'teenager' and with it have gone the perks like bumbling idiotic acts,lack of judgement,irresponsibility and the ever so desirable "I give a damn" attitude. Its a time during which one becomes more of a spectator in life, resorts to retrospection.Too afraid to commit mistakes themselves anymore, people try to learn through others.Though you may get a big kick out of watching foolish acts committed by those who still haven't learnt the tricks of survival in the tweens, the realization that some others have already learnt the tricks, and have attained complete mastery in them, leaving you looking like the idiotic novice whom everyone ignores...is able to cause long lasting misery.

The adaption process is long and painful..can be likened to baking a perfect apple pie.While some struggle to get the ingredients in place..others get tired mid way and leave it half baked.Of course, to make you feel miniscule, there are always those god sent hateful souls who cast u pitiful looks and gloat over the golden crusted creation.The outcome may be full of shocks and surprises.Snottiness, isolation,travelling,'meaningful' movies,unherad-of clubs, multi-coloured hair, biker weekeneds,spiritual awakening and a liking for all mystic things, however ridiculous they may be...experimentations with alternative lifestyle, and reading some of the most god-foresaken books, all as a part of the 'self discovery' process.

It is a time when you are legally allowed to drink..so of course after a while, it just loses its overrated value.No more of those 'sneak-away-and-drink' nights.We try being sophisticated about drinking,and conscious of our dietary needs..all as a part of the tween package.And while we all try to trick ourselves into thinking that we've grown up, that there's another dimension to our personalities now, the truth is we never really do.Here's some of the things that people always think about but rarely divulge...

*When do I have sex next??
*What the hell am I doing!???
*Where am I going with my life!?!
*Am I the only one without a life?
*Am I the only one who is not getting married?
*What the hell was I thinking saying "yes" to marriage!??!??
*Can I be in love with two people at once?
*Am I the only one who does not know what the f*** they talk about at work??
*When is Friday coming along?
*Do I really HAVE to work out?
*Does anybody know I'm sneaking free drinks away from work?
*Has my life come to such a point that THIS is what I'm thinking of?
*Does there have to be a Monday after a Sunday?
*Is there someway we can work around the "Don't drink and drive" rule?
*Is it true that men are from Mars and Women are from Venus?
*Would I be alienated if I admit to still listening to teen pop???
*Who says Harry Potter is for kids??
*Could I really be preferring cherry flavoured Coke to beer!??!??
*Do they know I am watching the game in my cubicle?
*When is the next free breakfast/lunch/anything...?
*Will I get up in time for work?
*Am I losing a day of my life each day that I work?
*Have the rules of courtship changed?
*Have I aged instantaneously??
*If I walk in in a Hawaii shirt will people stare?
*Do I have to wear a tie???
*Wonder how I can take off without my manager noticing!
*How much time before they realize I know nothing?
*How much time before I understand something?
*How much time to go for 5 o'clock?
*How much time before I hit the ill fated 30's?
*Whatz the time!???
*How many weeks before I have some real plans for the weekend?
*How many days more can I go on without doing the laundry?
*Has life in the 20's lost its glamour?
*Is it still okay to think that video games are the coolest thing on this planet?
*Is it still okay to enjoy jumping up and down on the bed???
*Is it okay to sleep with a teddy bear in bed!!??
*Am I still only 'OK' in bed!???
*Is this who I really am?


And..
WHEN DO I GET TO HAVE SEX!??!

There's a part of us we leave behind; a safe haven we often retreat to.. because the bygone insecurities instill a false sense of security in present day, and it makes us feel good about ourselves,and gives us hope that we may actually be able to make it.And yet unknowingly..we try to rid ourselves of this haven, because we think its time to move on.But I wonder..why on earth would we want to do that??Surrounded by bitchiness, back stabbing, fierce competition,politics, and a complete lack of understanding about who we really are...one is more likely to go over the cliff than under it.So perhaps we should unashamedly save this part of us, maybe it will be the only innocent, innocuous and pure part of us that will save us in years to come...

Growing old is mandatory..growing up is optional