Aficionado speaks! - 1

The Story

I am going to write a story .Yes , I am gonna . I always wanted to and today I think I will. Voices in my head are like-  [Hey Nikhil , this urge to write may not be the same later ,so don’t you dare procrastinate.]   The central dogma that surrounded this decision so far was “I can and I really want to” ,but the dilemma is what I am going to write about? Will it be a slice-of-life kinda story or a thriller more likely a hair raising suspense tale …or something from the pot of fantasy to imagine upon or will it be a post apocalyptic dystopian stuff or it’s just gonna be a sci-fi piece. Best would be a mix of all. Phew! Now you see my dilemma . What’s it gonna be ?

Maybe I will just tell you a story about a boy who thought he is in a story written by another boy who thought he was but he actually wasn’t. As confusing as it sounds , I will leave it to that. Yeah , I could simply write something about a girl who knows about a serial killer’s next victim and plans to do something to everything to stop it from happening. No , it is not going to be that. Hmm , “Dream” is something that has always fascinated me. So do we have something to write on or let’s say I write about life in a dream. Or only dreams in our lives. How a guy running…panting ..breathing heavily,,,not knowing how he ended up here. Doing what he’s doing…running…not stoping. Which are these alleys that he’s running into . Through them , out into a new street. What is this place? Why is he running in the first place? Why the heck are a couple of guys running after him ..following him. And one bald guy almost at his tail trying to catch him and as soon as he takes a left there’s this huge guy blocking his way.A blow that came from nowhere. A blow so fast and hard that now there’s only darkness.  Down he is , a gun pointed at him and he just got shot. Maybe all this is just another dream he thinks, just like the one he saw last night where he was a detective doing some deducing , or its just a hallucination coz he hasn’t slept in days. Wait then how come it was a dream the other night. Shit , this doesn’t  make any sense. Calm down it’s just another dream.Calm down. Holy mother of god ..I am bleeding , but if it’s just a dream then why does it hurt so bad. So damn bad. Why does it?

Naah , I should leave that to the experts who know a lot more about these topics. So , What I am gonna write about ?

I could tell you about the infamous adventures about my college days which my classmates never seem to get bored of narrating. How we went on a bike ride during the most chilling night of the year to a hillstation almost 100 kms from my hostel. How impromptu was our decision and how we end up at a checkpost spending our night on the pavements of that very checkpost. Coz 1) The bike we used was not ours  (FYI , wasn’t a stolen one either ..it was borrowed) 2) Neither of us had a license or a helmet 3) And yeah there were 3 of us. Whoa , thinking about it now , the police guys surely had his reasons. No , I am gonna tell you about all that . It would be just another college-days-stuff . Cliché.  So what I am gonna write about?

Yeah , I got it , I will tell a story about an aficionado who wanted to do it all and how he does it all eventually. His need to know stuffs , his need to achieve things , his urge to travel , his want to read all the classic works , his want to lead a life he always dreamt of. Hmm , sounds interesting but not today. Maybe someday I will write a story. Someday I will tell you a story worth reading and thought provoking. Worthwhile reading you see. One day I will tell you a great story or series of stories. One day I will . Oh wait! ..coming to think about it , in a way, I just did.

The Man Without Fear

Not just me but every single person on this earth , who has come across the character or saw the movie starring Affleck was quite skeptical before watching this. And can’t blame them can we? The last outing is still considered as One of the worst comic book adaptations ever , I don’t second that thought to the fullest but ya , I do agree that the character didn’t get the adaptation he deserved. So , after 12 years after that Marvel decides to go for a reboot and to everybody’s surprise this time they decide to bring him to the TV-verse as A Netflix Original series : Marvel’s Daredevil. Man oh man , was that a treat to watch or what.

Netflix released all the episodes (13) which was the whole 1^st season(like they are known to do) on April , 10^th  and I couldn’t stop myself from watching the whole series as soon as it was available and I could finish the whole thing in a few sittings. And I have never ever been so glad , to have finished a thing in one go.

“You’ve got to feel what’s not there as much as what is”

Based on Frank Miller’s : The Man without fear , this TV series takes you on one hella ride from the word go. Starting from the 1st scene to the last scene of Episode 13 , everything was so beautifully crafted. Matt Murdock , a blind lawyer is actually a masked vigilante who fights crime and will be known as the Daredevil. What’s more awesome than this plot itself. So , the story unravels with proper character development of all the characters involved. The antagonist , who will eventually be called as the King-Pin deserves a special mention for his top notch portrayal as the cold blooded villain who is kinda insane  quite huge but normal in a way. He loves his city so much , that he can do anything to everything for it. 

The best thing about this show is the raw action sequences and the character trying to fight the devil in him. Is he actually a devil in a Man’s flesh or even thinking that is a blasphemy or he is just a guy who’s trying to do good?  Watch the series to know it for yourself. Not only the cinematography was fantastic and crafted to perfection but the whole feel to the series felt so darn right. For some it maybe quite dark but for a viewer looking forward to watch some quality superhero genre defining TV series which is also a crime drama , it doesn’t get better than this. This has got one of the best dialogues , awesome cinematography , jaw dropping raw action sequences and one of the best opening themes that I have come across lately. This is not just the best Superhero TV Show ever but it is one of the best crime drama shows out there with a strong plot intriguing enough to keep you interested till the very end. 

“Some men don't fear death , it is the living that scares the crap out of them”

Interstellar : A journey of a lifetime!

Needless to say , Director Christopher Nolan nowadays is more like a brand that you trust in. For me , he is the only director who assures me and makes me say even before I am about to watch his latest offering : “ I am about to witness a magnum opus” and this was my Facebook status just minutes after I entered the theater for watching “Interstellar” . Man oh man was I right or was I right?

I came to know about this movie post a few months after “The Dark Knight rises” released, and I was so excited to watch this that the wait was becoming intolerable in a figurative sense or way :p The trailers did promise you a intense emotional drama coupled with a Space Odyssey.

And now coming straight to the experience while watching it. The feeling that I had throughout was something I have never experienced in a movie theater. It was something surreal. There’s something about this movie that makes you lost. Lost in a good way (that was quite obvious I know)

The cinematography , the Music , the acting was something that can’t be put into words .You need to watch it yourself to believe and feel it. Mathew MacConaughey ‘s first movie after the one that he won the academy award for , and he stands up to the fame , to the name that he has created for himself in the industry with his absolute back to back amazing performances. He is that emotional factor in this movie that gives this movie the human touch that it requires in the sci-fi world created, crafted and executed to perfection by Nolan. The other cast including Anna Hatheway , Mackenzie Foy(the lil. girl) , Jessica Chastain , Wes Bentley and all the rest of ‘em gave equal top notch performances.

The music by Hans Zimmer deserves a special mention as this is without a doubt ,so far his best best work and when the music begins to crescendo(exactly in sync with how the movie’s intensity quotient proceeds) you are just sucked right in.

I am now gonna say it out load “ This is the most perfect complete Cinema that I have seen in years , by years I would say a release in the last many decades”

By perfect Cinema I meant , this is not only a Space/Human Odyssey but it has Drama , the edge of your seat thrill , the Suspense ( the best that only Nolan can pull of lately)  , emotions , beauty , a lil. touch of humor at times . I mean what more do you want. To put it simply : If a movie with a run time of around 3 hrs can make you crave for more, then you can say confidently that this is some unparalleled greatness of a magnum opus.

To conclude by saying the least …. “Interstellar is a pure instant classic work which is nothing less than a masterpiece. It is an era defining beginning to a new level of Filmography and storytelling that is beyond everything that you have seen so far and this is what Nolan offers in reply to the huge expectations built on him after every single work of his. Stellar , top notch , unparalleled , masterpiece , epic are some words that still won’t come close to justify the beautiful grand Interstellar journey that you tag along with Christopher Jonathan James Nolan."

Interstellar : A journey of a lifetime!

The Stranger/The Outsider -by Albert Camus

Definitely one of those unique books that can throw you overboard and keep you thinking for long. It’s been some time since I have read this one but today I feel like , there’s this strong urge to share what it was like to have completed this well known classic work.

The Stranger by Albert Camus is for sure one of those rare books that are quite different to what authors generally offer these days but maybe it’s because of the fact that , it’s about a guy who is quite different from the “normal” chap according to our definition. He doesn’t pretend because he certainly doesn’t feel there’s a need for that. And all we can think about the consequences we may have to face if we decide one day , that whatever the F$@#  happens , I am not gonna pretend a single thing from now on. Like I said , it’s not just impossible but light years away from impossible ,to merely state it on a literal basis.

Won’t give away much about the book , but like the plot says , a man involved in a beach murder which is more likely unexplained in terms of motive. That’s what the book is about. Is dat all? I wouldn’t justify the book’s depth if I say that. Like the author stated “It’s about the nakedness of man faced with the absurd.”

 Certain lines and paragraphs are so deep that you certainly feel like closing the book for a minute and better think about the truth/importance of what just was thrown at your face.

We pretend just in order to stay in the so called “Society” and to avail what comes with it. In that way we certainly no longer remain Original to ourselves.

Don’t tell me , none of you have ever  felt a strong resistance to things…. to behave in a certain way or let say ..react in a way to certain things in a different way…but we abide to norms and stupidity that makes us not “Us”. We lie ‘coz we can’t speak up…we don’t say the truth at times ‘coz that would make us total jerks in front of the “Normal” society. Then you don’t belong to the guild , do you?

We never truly speak about what we actually feel or think. We just say what others want to hear from us. If you do then what you become is a total Stranger to the fraternity or most specifically a complete “Outsider”.

A book which requires deep analyzing and makes us question about our identity. 

The First Book - part 2

I am not sure many of you who are reading this current post right now , are familiar with my previous post entitled  “ The First Book” ,(It was my third blog post) any which ways I will share the link here  and for the people who won’t be checking out that , I will give a brief introduction here itself..right away.

The First Book … basically sheds light on the first book that you ought to pick up of an author , which is most likely his/her one of the best works , so that you still have the urge to read other works after finishing it.

I came across this very idea when I started reading . I used to do a lot of research before checking out a specific author’s work ‘coz the first work to which you are exposed to can turn out in different ways. If you pick up a good piece then a win-win thing and anyhow if you don’t pick up an interesting enough one then you might get deprived of the other better works of the same author, if present. So , I thought “What the heck…I should share this thing so that others get every bit of a worthwhile stuff”

So here I am , trying to put up a list consisting of the “First Book” that you ought to check out by a specific author.

In my last post I shared the books by “Stephen King” “Ray Bradbury” “James Patterson” “Jeffrey Archer” “Agatha Christie” “John Grisham” “Harlan Coben” “Issac Assimov” “Michael Crichton” “Dean Koontz” , So this one should exclude the above mentioned names right…. Okay then ..here we go..

Ø  Raymond Chandler – As legendary as this author is , there are plenty of books mostly in the genre-Noir , Hard-Boiled , Mystery .. that are considered as one of the best books or thrillers of all time. So among his works, it’s fair and justified to start from the beginning ..obviously right?..So “The Big Sleep” starring or let say introducing Detective Philip Marlowe is the first book that I would pick up , if I were you. Laconic Dialogues are my favorite in his works.

Ø   Neil Gaiman – This is one author who has done it all. He has written child books ,screenplays for motion pictures/TV-Series,  epic fantasy novels/comics and amazing fiction works. “Neverwhere” and “American Gods” are the one’s to begin with in the novel category. To be exact “American Gods” should be your first insight. And I wouldn’t feel content if I don’t mention his comic/graphic novel masterpiece which changed the way how people thought about comics. “The Sandman” series is definitely a graphic novel worth checking out. It’s more like an essential reading for individuals who love graphic novel. I would say even if you hate graphic novels , still give “The Sandman”series a try.

Ø  John Sandford – This is one author who most of the people don’t know about. Or he doesn’t get the fan following he deserves. He is more like a lil.less famous when compared to the writers in the same genre like Michael Connelly, James Patterson, Lee Child to name a few. His “Prey” series is just super awesome. I must admit that I like his “Prey” Series way way better than the books by Michael Conelly , may it be his Series featuring “harry Bosch “ or the ones featuring Mickey Haller , the criminal defense attorney . John Sandford’s first in the “Prey” Series ..    ”Rules of Prey” has to be the first book.

Ø  Gillian Flynn – She is definitely one of the many famous thriller writers present right now. With no doubt , her book “Gone Girl” has to be the first book you pick up and make sure you pick it up before October  2014,  if you are one of those people who either watch a movie adaptation or read the original book. The movie version is being directed by none other than the director mostly known for his killer thrillers , David Fincher.

Ø   Albert Camus – This respected author received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1957. My words won’t even come close to the respect he deserves for the masterfully crafted work done by this great author. There are so  many classics penned down by him , for starters “The Stranger” also known /published as “The Outsider” deserves a special mention. And it certainly becomes our first book that we ought to check out.

I have tried my level best to not be biased here according to my likings .The list is a result of recommendations and research and of course after I have read them . After checking ‘em out only , I decided that they deserve to be the first work any avid reader reads no matter what or let say a book aficionado’s first choice! ;)

Read On!

Old is indeed gold: Rare Old newspaper articles.

“I wish I could turn back time”

That is a common thought which results out of our cogitation on certain events. If we take our thought literally then that would make us go on a never ending search for a time machine or would make us watch “Back to the future “ movie franchise over & over again to find the key essence to time travelling, so that we could be a part of history. Well that is a task that is well-nigh impossible. But practically it is only possible to know a part of historical events and not be a part of it.

I remember the time when my grandfather had a large conglomeration of old newspaper articles . I wondered why he keeps them but eventually I did get the answer to my curiosity when I saw people struggling to find old articles to prepare for some sorts of examinations or interviews. Some keep it for old memories sake & others to refer the great antiquity. In this world of digitalization we don’t have to make n - number of trips to the nearby library or a central library just to have a glance on history. Technologically everything is just a key stroke away.

Today we being in the 21^st century , have a wide range of materials to refer to & the sources available are quite many as well.  Following are some of the available places available on the web where we can find old newspapers & articles related to past events :

Ø  Google : Solution to all problems affecting the mankind today: “Google”. Type an event(Google it as many may say) & you can have all the information. You will be directed to a link containing all the required data if you select one out of many.

 Google Archiving via Google News: Google news per say has old newspapers as a part of it’s   repository archived for easy & simple reading . You can have access to old newspaper articles in no time. Current or old , Google news is definitely one of the best sources available today.         

Ø  Time machine ( The New York Times) : Can  walk you through the time varying from 1850’s via 90’s to this very date. For some, it’s their favorite source and we can’t seem to agree more.

Ø  BBC(On this day) : This section on The BBC website helps you choose the dates starting from 1950 onwards. Very well archived , you can flip through the pages of history in no time.

Ø  HistoryBuff : This is a site archiving some specific important events that happened after 1750. This is a treasure repository for students or people who want to check out the way things were published in old days.

Ø  Trove : Though it is Australia centric but it doesn’t make it less global. The National Library of Australia has all lined up for you starting from 1803. You can choose the dates by year & a select state option is available as well.

Though there are quite many sources available for readers who want to sift the things from the past. The following: Wikipedia link comes up as the top result options when you try searching a source via Google. It has such important resources all summed up at one place.

P.S. - Who doesn't like the feeling of something Vintage , right? For me it's majorly BOOKS , Posters and long time back I used to collect vintage stamps.

Sometimes.....

Sometimes ..I think what is the meaning of life or what is life for starters?..Sometimes when I look out the window , I see people doing the same thing…maybe they are doing it for hours or maybe days or they have following the same routine for years..may it be a corporate level employee or a labor , sometimes there is no difference as such. They all follow life in a way different to the naked eye but same at many levels. Sometimes I get up , plan my day ahead and sometimes I don’t.

At some level , even animals are no different from us. They don’t need money to spend the rest of their lives , so they do what they are supposed to do , just like us. They don’t have to tackle the daily chores like we do ‘coz they are supposedly doing what they are suppose to do , isn’t it?.  We all do what we are suppose to do ..right. Some do and some don’t.

Sometimes , we act like a misanthrope , then we are an altruist all of a sudden. Hence , the “suppose-to” factor acts all along I guess..

Sometimes the cacophonies around us seems so quiet and yet there are times when the cacophony in our heart is mind numbingly unpleasant.

Sometimes people fail to realize that, maybe rich or poor there is one thing that remains the same for all : Time. We all have Time as a common factor(same for all)which is never a constant. Irony!

And then again , I ask myself the same and the most common question being asked for centuries now : What is the meaning of life?... Sometimes I dig a lil. deep to this current thought of mine and sometimes I don’t. Sometimes I just let it go ‘coz I have heard “Letting it all go is good”. So I just “Let it go” and I conclude with no such proofs or justifications to my conclusion with : “Sometimes you feel all this(Life) is real but it is nothing more than just a dream. Similar to the one that I just had”

I lazily open my eyes and gaze around the room. And All I can recall is:“Sometimes….??”

True Detective

Season – 1 (No Spoilers for sure!)

Normally  , I don’t do reviews or recommendations until and unless the series has reached it’s Finale , but me doing this thing right now.. definitely has reasons attached to it and those reasons are…trust me..worthwhile. I couldn’t stop myself from sharing the awesomeness with you guys , frankly put.;)

I never thought I would watch a TV series as soon as a season is out , I usually wait for a couple of seasons at least , coz yeah , I have a tendency of “not-able-to -stop” myself from getting enough of the stuff I like. So , yeah I am definitely choosy when it comes to a TV-Series , not like movies. Everyone sometime in their lives has a head on collision with a crappy movie ….and God save those Poor souls, who undergo this collision quite frequently than the others. Seriously , God save ‘em!

So , yeah enough of the  this & that stuff , In straight simple words without much use of some real tough words selected pretty selectively from the “Damn-is –that –even –a-word” section from the English Dictionary, I would with no hesitation , simply like to state “ True detective is a purely class defining masterpiece , from HBO”.HBO does it yet again!.. ‘ coz I don’t know it’s just me or there are others who believe/think that most of the shows being aired on HBO are nothing less than pure Gold .

After the Oscar fame , Mathew McConaughey has just nailed it. His performance as Detective Rust Cohle, his lines , even the look or stare he has in eyes in various scenes are just Top-Notch and crafted to perfection. Man , he is a fantastic actor. He is definitely one of the best Fictional detective characters for sure. Then comes his partner Detective Marty Hart played by Woody Harrelson , and his acting skills are no news for us. As usual he makes us believe that there’s no one suited for this role than him.

And this show is about the lives of two Detectives who are in for a hunt for a Serial Killer for 17 years and their lives being affected by their duty. The creator Nic Pizzolato is just brilliant to come up with this masterpiece. The complete cast of this show are so well chosen and they stand up to the expectations as well.

Rusty(McConaughey’s character) is so believable and a complete detective material , he is miserable yet disciplined and determined to catch the Killer. Marty (Harrelson’s character) is not exactly opposite to him , but lacks a lil. control over his needs but then again he is a great detective and takes his job pretty seriously. And the way these two get along throughout is simply a treat to watch. Watch it to know and feel ,what I am talking about.

So to conclude , “True detective is sleek , hardcore ,engaging ,suspenseful,  dark , nasty and for most of the viewers it is gonna turn out to be a definite instant masterpiece/classic. And yeah it’s a murder mystery too..:p”

P.S. – Right from the opening titles you are hooked ‘coz the theme song has a thing that sets your mood right away. Dark and a deep kinda feel to it. And there’s the characters and the plot which is going to suck you right in. Looking forward to the next season with a never before felt anxiety and hope.

Season 1 – 8 episodes – Each episode with a run time of 60 minutes.

#DARKNESS BECOMES YOU

Being thankful maybe the key!

Note : Though the title suggests that there must be nothing new that this guy has to offer and that maybe true to some extent. But the way I see it & jot it down or the way you read it , does make a vast difference. “Perception can change anything to everything”

Are we thankful enough for the things we have?

I know many people (even I am one of  them at times) who keep repenting on things that they don’t have. Why having regrets when you haven’t committed a sin?. Regrets…like What if I had this? What if I would have grabbed that opportunity?. Trust me , it wouldn’t have made a difference .Won’t change the fact that you are such a cry baby all the time. Even If you finally did get that , then you would want something else & something more later.  Whatsoever we currently have, will always be less for us & that’s good in only one way ..we tend to strive for more ..we work a lot harder…we have a goal to achieve more!. That’s it! That’s just it! Other than that , no point in wanting more if you are not appreciating what you currently have.

When we get up every day  …are we thankful for yet another day that lies ahead of us? When we have our breakfast , thinking about the delicious meal that awaits us for lunch , are we thankful for the daily bread?. On your daily commute to and from the workplace where you have enough  time to think , when you pass by a slum , we aren’t thankful for the wonderful homes that we live in (Not house , I did mean “Home”). Are we thankful enough to our family members who make us realize the difference between a house & a “Home”. Your current life’s a boon mate, so cherish it. I can’t even start to state the things that we have & others can’t even dare to wish.

Thinking about the future …planning things…feeling happy about the things that we are gonna have in the near future is nice..very nice…but what’s the point in that if that’s just a transition for a next distant future just like our present. If we are today thankful to the things that we currently have ..appreciate the current feeling that makes us feel alive today, then & only then the future cravings or the needs are worth it. So ,being thankful right here right now maybe the key to our life ,to our happiness that we always urge to achieve. Have that amazing feeling now …Live that amazing feeling now!:)

P.S – When you have so much to get you through each day , please think about the one’s who pray “God , give us this day our daily bread” and still don’t have much to meet their daily obligations.Let us all think about them & be thankful.

There’s a saying: “You need not have more to be thankful , you just have to be more thankful”

Peace out!

Were you always like this?

“Were you always like this Nikhil or all this is a recent change?”

And my reply to this was…. (Wait for it…will tell you later in this post)

A couple of days back, to be exact it was yesterday that I was having a conversation or more like a discussion (a serious one this time :p) with one of my dear friends. She was all addled and said “I am sick of  this coding stuff & I am in a dilemma ..and very much confused with what to do next “

And frankly speaking most of us are( & that includes me as well). We all at some point or the other in life tend to think about “What’s next in store for me?”. And that’s ok. Not everyone enjoys what they are currently doing with their life. After a while of doing something new you ought to get this feeling eventually. If you love what you are doing then you are truly a lucky person, mate & keep doing it with the same zest & zeal.

“Were you always like this Nikhil or all this is a recent change?”

I replied “ I have always been like this ….I maybe self boasting…but what do you think gal…always or recent??”

To this she says “ How will I know re..I mean always being positive & enthusiastic ..dreaming the same dreams..wanting the same thing …with some it dies over the years ….and for some exceptional cases it’s always the same”

At that moment I thought being an extrovert has it’s  own advantages too ;) It can lead people to think awesome things like this about you. :p. But yeah jokes apart.. I felt really happy when she said that .That she thinks I am a person with the qualities of an optimist. But it is not cent % true. I do kinda act  naive at many situations.  At times life can really piss you off & all you wanna do is stand on the highest possible point around (accessible to you :p) & scream your heart out “F@#$ all this sh*@ & screw you life”. But yeah that is just a passing thing & sooner or later that phase just fades away.

Dreams do change & that is not a wrong thing. But make sure the dream that you have been dreaming for a long, long time now ..is at least met at some crossroads in your life.  Make sure to live it for at least a day or even for some moments  & then moving on is all okay! Dreams do change but believe me you.. it better change after you achieve at least a part of it, is what I would say.

I sure doesn’t say achieving 100 % of your dream is not possible, for some it is & for some they just move on eventually forgetting about it. So this is for the other folks “Dream on….. At least try achieving a part of it….move on & then again Dream on you dreamer!”

And my friend, who’s actually the source for this post…her what’s app status reads “ Someday all your dreams & all your nightmares will be a reality…be prepared to embrace both of ‘em with the right attitude” ;)

This post is truly dedicated to people like us who wish to Dream On…On …and On! J

P.S. – And specially to the person who made me think about this & this post is what resulted when I pondered the question of what exactly the future has instore for us?….Don’t you worry gal…Eventually you will come to a decision which will change your life for good. Kudos to dreams…Hold on to ‘em ….you ought to achieve ‘em….Kudos to life!!!

P.P.S - Lines from the movie , The Pursuit of Happyness: “If you have a dream , go for it! Period”

It's been a long time.....

It’s been a long time since I wrote something

Since we’ve  talked

Since we saw each other

Since I have felt my existence

Since I have rested  but I am not tired

It’s been a long time but I am content with something inside

It’s been a long time but still the time just flew by

It’s been a long , long time coming

It’s been a long time but I did realize

Deserted maybe my soul

It’s  been long  because it’s been a long travel.

 

Traveller : Haiku # 2

                                                                    Left another place
                                                       quite blurry when I look back

                                                                 Tear’s  thicker I guess

Sometimes a “NO” works just fine! -> Part-1

So I guess we have a hell lot of “Yes, Man” & “Yes, Woman” around us. Would add the “Yes, Boy” & Yes, Girl” as well just so that, they don’t feel left out. :p

In our heads, most of the times we are like: ’You seem to be talking to one of my other personalities …can’t hear you..nope ,still not a word…say what? :p

So , yeah …we all have this terrible terrible habit of saying “Yes” to everything even if in our mind we are like “It’s a Noooooooo…….go away for god’s sakes”. We can’t say “No”. Damn it , I am definitely one of those people too. It’s not like I want to say “no” to anything to everything . I am happy to be at your service whenever “possible”. Reason behind me writing “Possible” in quotes is that , we happen to say yes to things even if we know it’s gonna screw up our things  & will be coming right back at us ..as a bad timing thing. So these are the things that we should say “No” to.

‘Dude, I know you are in the middle of a TV-Series , but can I have your laptop for my trip? I’d be really bored!..you can continue once I get back.’

What do you expect I do… Hmm..( Note: the one asking is not even a friend..some friends’ friend that I happen to bump into)..maybe a friend borrowing it when I was in the middle of it..won’t actually happen/bother ‘coz they actually are sensible enough to understand….most of ‘em are at least :p.  I say: “You can have it” . But trust me when I say this , I was miserable throughout the week guessing what happens next & when I got it back , I sure got over the point where I am even vaguely interested in watching what happens next.

Let say , your colleague asks for a favor knowing that you are already overloaded with work. One time thing..ok..Help the poor soul..Second time..Ok let’s do it for him/her for one last time..One more time….what the…?

 Say “No” not in a way that can get your ass fired right away but in a way that sounds polite, reasonable & convincing.

Never say “Yes” to others when you are actually saying “No” to yourself.

P.S. – In the next post will let you know about some ways(funny or serious..it’s how you take/give it) to actually say “No” to things that you would love to avoid.

Look ahead to...

Traveller : Haiku

                                                       “ Backpacked and all set

                                                     Felt as if I missed something

                                                       Maybe spirit’s enough “

Camaraderie

This is a total impromptu post.  Like they say “One fine day , while I was looking out the window , a thought struck my mind:What a wonderful day it is! What is today's date by the way? – “Shit , I forgot my friend’s birthday..AGAIN”…I am dead meat now”.

As usual the call went the same way as it goes every year..

I say “ Where are you busy these days?...ssup with your life lately?”

Reply “ Dude! Come straight to the point”

I respond with Many many happy returns of yesterday. Belated Happy birthday!

Forgiving is a quality that easily&naturally comes when you are friends with someone. If  you don’t believe me then try it on a stranger . You can never forgive a total stranger if he/she  really pisses you off some way or the other. The first immediate automatic reaction is “Wht the…” . The reaction maybe the same when it comes to a friend but it still is a passing one & specially a cool ,casual and an at ease one . You really don’t mean the words but with an unknown you actually do.

To this particular day , I strongly believed that jotting down how you feel is lame. Writing or acknowledging someone via a post or a status update is a bit cheesy but that is definitely not the right case. It is ok to express some things or let say most of the things. Things are never better left unsaid. Things left unsaid is just not correct and  that is actually lame. So yeah , it’s absolutely ok to acknowledge the one’s who make your day/week/month/year/life  free of anguish.

We socialize in this hustle bustle world full of cacophony because that is how we human beings are. That is how we roll :p.  We are definitely not our best left alone. Camaraderie solves all our issues. May that be social, personal, official or anything. You pal has got all the solution. They somehow are able to release you from your agonies.  We all have plenty of people around who are there for us whenever we need ’em & we are there for them as well.

Long story short : Friendship…companionship….camaraderie … keeps us all alive and going. You fight , you argue , sometimes you beat the living hell out of each other, sometimes you forget to show him/her the care he/she deserves but all is well & back to normal  when you just “Hug it out!”

Small chunks of camaraderie at some phase or the other is what composes our complete life. Some smaller ones eventually &unexpectedly turns out to be larger than life.

Charity is serving others …naah, it’s Self-serving

Confused….or I think, you got it.

The title may seem confusing to many …rude to some…lame to few..but I’d say I meant each & every word & it does make perfect sense. Each & every one of us in some way or the other have for sure helped someone. Remember giving that poor guy few bucks or  remember how you were there when he/she needed you the most or remember how you helped a friend by running some errands for him/her . We all have in a certain phase of our lives in some direct or indirect way  helped out a person in need . I mean the one’s who deserve your help & feel  the satisfaction that you get once you see them happy , that feeling is simply something which can’t be described using any possible combination of words from the English dictionary .We all have been there . I am nobody to question the people who are generous & I am no way saying something which can be taken as offensive .

I always tend to say this to the one’s around me , may sound rude/mean but I feel this is the very truth “People don’t help others for the sake of others, they do it for themselves..to make themselves feel good about it” & trust me either ways the output is what that matters.

You do that for them or for yourself ,somebody definitely is getting helped. So , that is what eventually matters right .Your extent of liveliness is directly proportional to the extent of your feeling to help others. A few days back I read something somewhere but can’t remember the exact words or the person who said that , but I really liked  the idea behind what he/she said . It somewhat goes like this “ There is only one way to feel hopeful in this hustle bustle, not that good world .You have to take the initiative & do something. Don’t you wait for the happy things to happen to you. If you go out there , do something nice by making someone happy then you feel there is some hope left in this world & that is how you can be hopeful yourself.

So the bottom line is let’s not be a fine addition to the world’s gallery of  people who are grotesques from within as it only good to encourage it in modern art not modern world. Let’s make sure we serve others still knowing the above title ‘coz eventually doing that would help two not one.

Aficionado for life!

Hey guys ,

The best way to start my blog is probably this or let’s say most likely this.(I never could distinguish between the two usages, so thought of using both :p) . We all are aficionados in some way or the other . Most of us are Movie / Art/ Food/ Travel  aficionados , some are crazy about books  -  bibliophiles or readers or  the one’s who are both . I may be one of those who love books, movies & travel.That being said , coming back to the title. The above mentioned title may sound different to different people. It all depends on how you read it . English is a tricky language indeed. Perception can change everything.

Aficionado through out your life or a life aficionado . What are we ?… Maybe none , maybe one or maybe both. By the way that’s not the point behind me writing this , the whole point is either ways “Life is definitely worth living & that too.. to the fullest “. So why not let’s appreciate or be  enthusiastic  about life. After all it’s all that we are gonna have eventually "all to ourselves".

I never understood how when asked about their greatest fear people respond with answers like :facing a large crowd,  public speaking , rats , spiders or anything which acounts for minor terrors. How on this very earth living this very life could you fear anything more than death?? . A paralyzed man could still read Dickens  , a person in the grips of dementia could still remember or have flashes of some absurd beauty. We should have the very zest & excitement for each and every moment that we live & to each & every thing that we come across. I myself know  that saying it rather than doing it is an easy task . Who said i do it..i try.. :p :p . And again since childhood the one’s who guide us to our aim / career may or may not be pursuing the same . So i just like to share what i feel is worth sharing. I hope you find it  worth reading as well. :p

Life is freaking short, so if we do love life let’s not waste time  ‘coz time is what life is made of.

What i always felt is people tend to take life for granted . Let’s not do that. Apart from loving books , movies , travel , food , art ,antiques,languages etc etc .. let us be “Life aficionados”.

Let us all be aficionados for life!