Reaching There

If you have ever spent hours to prepare a dish you'll immediately know what I am going to talk about next. It's been a while since I cooked but I do remember spending hours trying to perfect a dish and eventually just adding a bit more of 'that' to get 'that' taste (feel free to fill in for the that'). The 'that' that comes to the rescue could be a bit more salt or it could be one of those exquisite Indian spices. Regardless the search for personal perfection is a continuous and tough job. A lot of times people have ended up with bitterness that follows a failure. Some claimed to have found perfection others have just faked it. In any case those who have continued to earnestly pursue the path have lived fulfilling and wonderful lives. For starters, this article is not about food. Someone in a more philosophical mood than I am currently in, compared life to wandering around in darkness. A rather gloomy thought to consider lost under the dar...

Life is all about hits and misses. You win some and you lose some. So what's the difference between those who seem to go through rough times with smile a and those who keep seeking help from outside? I feel there's just one difference, those who like to survive have dug deep into their mind and devised a surviving mechanism. It is their philosophy in life, attitude, and confidence; call it whatever you want to but it is something personal that drives them. Recently I came across two such "philosophies" and this post is simply about sharing these gems without tainting with my opinion. So here are those words by a couple of persons whose name you may not necessarily recognize. John Picarello "If you love something but choose not to do it professionally, it's not a waste. Because, you know, you still have it. You have it forever." Sounds so refreshing and honest, right? To find out who is John Picarello you'll have to go through this...

The Global Recession: A Look Back from an Ex-Non-Immigrant’s Eyes In my second year of undergraduate studies in India I decided to go abroad for further studies. Like thousands of students across India I went through my word lists, brushed up my maths and went to the nearest testing center to give my GRE and TOEFL. At the end of the exams the screen showed me my tentative scores. The minute the number flashed up on the screen I knew my American dreams were on. It was in August of 2006, a week before Indian Independence Day, I landed in the international terminal of JFK Airport. As I scampered with my friends through the busy terminal to catch the connecting flight, we couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment. As we flew over Buffalo I noticed the baseball fields underneath. I knew I was in U.S.A.! However this post is not about my studies, life in school or even my first job. But it is a commentary on the Great Recession that shrouded the country and keeps it wrapp...

The other day I was wandering down some unknown alleys of the brain-land. I was searching for a rather peculiar place known as 'The Nothing Box'. I had been dying to come out of my peaceful apartments located in the distant suburbs; called 'The Complacence' for sometime now.  While wandering through the 'Tough St' I took some time to glance around the surrounding area. It was full of shanties with clouds of hopelessness hovering in the sky; with drops of frustration bent on wetting my peaceful attire. I was on the brink of giving up. Suddenly I heard a melodious tune which was coming out of a small pub with a sign hanging that said 'The Faithfuls'. I wasn't sure whether I should stop in this infamous ' Tough St ' and risk being robbed of my peace (I had only few left in my wallet). I went in through the creaking door and saw a lot of guys like me just blowing out puffs of smoke; with glasses clanking against the wooden tables...

This is my first attempt at writing a review for a musical album. The album is 'Modern Love' by Matt Nathanson released on June 21, 2011. So here I go! When The Beatles gave world a message in 'All you need is love' they were asked for simple words that can catch the imagination of the world. As some say the beauty is in the simplicity, a sentiment that echoes within the songs of the new album 'Modern Love' from Matt Nathanson. It's an album entirely about love and all the things that go around it. Most of you remember the song 'Come on get higher' and all of you remember the rendition of 'Laid' in the movie American Wedding. I won't be exaggerating if I say 'Come on get higher' was a radio hit that brought Matt Nathanson to the world and me. Scrubs introduced me to couple of other songs that immediately made me Google his name and listen to his other songs. I've earnestly followed Matt Nathanson over the past...

Sometimes in life someone or something puts you 'there'. It is difficult to define that place as it exists only in your mind, sans any description. However it is the place you always long for in life. It's a place where you like to go often and while in there hope you never come back.  I was listening to the rendition of ' O Mio Babbino Caro ' by American violinist Joshua Bell . It was a piece of music I had never heard before. But somehow it managed to struck a chord in my heart that took me 'there'. However what is so special about that place? It is the place where I forgive myself and forget about myself. A place where the cord that connects me to the world is pulled off for a few moments. And it seems the moment the worldly cord is unplugged the divine cord jumps in to bring a fresh breath of life.  But why is it so important to forgive yourself? Simply because we're too harsh on ourselves sometimes. The truth is we cannot meet all the...

I recently watched a movie called Mr. Nobody . It is a movie by a Belgian director but most of the cast comprises of Hollywood actors. It is one of those movies that breeze past you and towards the end you realize you aren't sure about the plot. Although the feeling is to let go a second watch but the mind is still stuck with the 'I have to understand it' feeling. So I ended up watching it again but ended up with a lot more questions than answers. However that is what life is sometimes all about; the amount of unknown far outweighs the known. However this post is not about the movie, it is just inspired from a small scene from the movie or rather the scene which symbolised something far greater.  The scene filled just a few frames in the mile long reel of the movie but it symbolised the dilemma of the main character, Mr. Nobody. Before this scene the mother of the main character had decided to separate from her husband. She is at a station waiting for her train a...

Robert Frost said, "In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life; it goes on". Perhaps he was referring to the cycles of birth-death-rebirth a human soul goes through. Or he was just referring to the journey a human being goes through in his or her life. In either case, the words don't become less significant. Life goes on, no matter whether we feel we are up for the 'now' or not; the wheel of life keeps turning.  Sometimes the wheel turns but ever so slight that the human eyes, although capable of perceiving scores of frames per second, are unable to even notice it. And, the life feels like a marsh where the aspirations are slowly sinking. Yet during these times the patience acts like a stick that keeps you afloat, without you ever noticing the divine intervention. In the world of contradictions here is another food for thought; life goes on yet it is ephemeral. I think you already knew that, but did you realize that? So life is not an en...

The Beatles 'Revolver' 1966 In the August of 1966 The Beatles released their seventh studio album 'Revolver'. It was the album where the musical experimentation and a technological innovation created a surreal experience for the listeners. My favourite track from the album is 'Yellow Submarine'. A song, if I could go back in 60's, I would like to sing with my friends. The lines describe an idyllic setting with all the friends aboard and many more of them live next door! I would live a life of ease and everyone has all they need. With an eternal blue sky and vast stretch of green sea, life couldn't be merrier (Haha!). That is the 'Yellow Submarine' John, Paul, George and Ringo imagined for themselves and their friends. I wish I could be aboard and sail away to the sun till we found sea green. Alas, life is no 'Yellow Submarine'. But life is about hard day's night and work that keeps us busy round the clock like a dog. No offen...

Mahatma Gandhi Julius Caesar, Mbade Nzinga, Napolean I of France, Elizabeth I, Abraham Lincoln, Franklin D Roosevelt and Mahatma Gandhi. Am I being naive if I ask who these people are? Of course, these are some of the most notable names from ancient to modern history. Their lives were subjected to intense scrutiny and their actions were (and are) considered as exemplary. Most of them unified their countrymen and are considered as great leaders, especially in times of crisis. Atilla the Hun, Genghis Khan, Mahmud Ghaznavi, Adolf Hitler, Josef Stalin, Reginald Dyer, Slobodan Milošević and Pol Pot. Some of these names are instantly familiar to most of us. These names are ingrained in the history of mankind, perhaps etched deeper than the names aforementioned. Their lives were scrutinized to greatest possible degree, sometimes in the court of law. Their actions left thousand of lives incapacitated and brought world to the brink of anarchy. Sergio Vieira de Mello S...

Amy Winehouse (1983-2011) It is always tragic when a life is lost. The tragedy is  even more  heartrending and frustrating when a young life is lost. The loss in this case seems to percolates through the realms of human loss and into the premature end to the possibilities. Every life has something to offer to someone in this world. Whether it's just a helping hand or the power to influence millions. But life can at times be cruel and overwhelming, forcing us to go down the alley of disenchantment, a place where not too many often come back.  A few hours back Miss Amy Winehouse , an English singer-songwriter was found dead in her home in London. Although the media is attributing her death to drug overdose but Metropolitan Police spokesman has described the cause of death as yet unexplained. Either way the world has lost a musician and her demise has left her fans wondering what dreams may have come if she had been alive.  Kurt Cobain (1967-1994) Mi...