And this is for 2011…

1. What did you do in 2011 that you’d never done before? Changed jobs.

2. Did you keep your new years resolutions, and will you make more for next? I dint have one, but I have one for 2012.

3. What date from 2011 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? August 31st, left Pune.

4. What was your biggest achievement of the year? What did I achieve?

5. What was your biggest failure? Finances!

6. Did you suffer illness? No!!!! Wow, finally!

7. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? Idiots :) Always!

8. Where did most of your money go? Food, Stock market

9. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Hyderabad!

10. What song will always remind you of 2011? The One That Got Away, Fireworks, Rolling in the Deep, Saibo

11. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder? Happier.

12. What do you wish you’d done more of? Playing badminton

13. What do you wish you’d done less of? Eating!

14. Did you fall in love in 2011? Yes. With Roshnai all over again :D

15. How many one night stands? None :|

16. What was your greatest musical discovery? Adele.

17. What did you want and get? Good city to live in, oh, and new friends !

18. What did you want and not get? International travel.

19. What was your favourite film of this year? Shor in the City

20. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I had sushi with Roshnai :) I was 26.

21. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Certainly, a trip abroad!

22. What kept you sane? Photography!

23. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2011. Stop wasting time with people who do not matter!

24. Which new places did you visit in 2011? Purushwadi (Sahyadris, India), Hyderabad (India), Udaipur, Kota (Rajasthan, India), Hampi (Karnataka, India)

25. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year -
Do you ever feel already buried deep? Six feet under screams but no one seems to hear a thing…
Do you know that there’s still a chance for you, ‘Cause there’s a spark in you?

After 5 pm, kids of almost all ages would be playing in the compound, and games could be anything from hide and seek to cricket. Outside the compound, a few street kids would often play marbles, or just make a lot of noise beating sticks on to empty cardboard boxes. Today there weren’t many. He had a few toffies in the pocket of his shirt, that he had got to give to the little ones playing around. Today, they stayed in his pocket, oblivious to the few kids running around.  Ankit, on his way back from school, peeped from the entrance archway of the building and saw him sitting on the porch. He walked gracefully all the way with his heavy school bag hanging down his shoulders, and with a little smile on this face.

“Hello Dadaji, how are you”, he greeted with a larger smile, which was striking against his un-tucked shirt, and open shoe laces. He had probably rolled down a muddy football field in school, and that made his cream coloured shirt look caramel flavoured.

“Shall we go?”,  saying that with widened eyes Dadaji got his back erect with stick ready to walk. That day Ankit was late in coming back from school, he perhaps had an extra hour of sports. It was already getting dark with the sun having gone below the visible horizon.

“Ankit, will you come down to play?”,  one of the smart chaps swinging a cricket bat asked him as they were about to go upstairs.

“Lets play on the floor in half an hour”, saying this he slowly escorted Dadaji to the elevators.

Please note: This story is part 2.1 in continuation of Melody of Life

This post was shamelessly inspired by the The Marriage of Symphonies

I spent a little more than 3 long years in Pune, the city that I had come to love so much. I am definitely going to miss the beautiful monsoon in the Sahyadris, the awesome drives to Panchgani, Lonavala and other tiny places nearby. I will miss the lovely cool climate of Pune, and the lush green cantonment area.

So, how is Hyderabad? Fortunately, it is one big city in South India, where you can do without knowing the local language! Thankfully I can abuse in Telugu, but on a serious note, I am not planning to learn the language this time. I had always created an image of this city in my mind based on my interactions with the Gults in college. But I guess I was wrong. Hyderabad is a very cosmopolitan, and a convenient place to live in. It has the features that any big city should have (except public transport). I like big cities that are not too crowded – and Hyderabad is just that. I have heard it gets really hot here, but summer is still two quarters away!

Looks like Hyderabad is a photographers’ haven. Pune was almost blank, but this city is a historic place – plenty of forts, palaces and other structures in and around the city to click. City lights are good as well :) Hopefully, I will take more than a few months to explore all places within Hyderabad. Having said that, I am a bit disappointed with the fact that there really is nothing around Hyderabad – at a convenient drivable distance. Bangalore, Goa, Vizag are all at a distance of 10-15 hours. Being centrally located, the only option one has is to take a flight from perhaps the best airport in India! I am however looking forward to our drive to Hampi sometime in the first week of October :)

To capture it in short, it is not even a month here for me, and I have already been a part of an adventurous drive in the dark, and Lucky Ali concert – the concert was mediocre, but it was fun and we got free audio CDs too ;)

… All Indians are my brothers and sisters… I shall give respect to my parents, teachers and elders and treat everyone with courtesy…

You have most likely heard the above words at a very early age during your Primary Education. The above lines belong to the Indian National Pledge written by Swami Vivekananda, and is commonly recited by Indians in public events, especially in schools and colleges.

I am not sure if every Indian thinks that way, or if he is even proud to call himself Indian. What happens when a car behind yours slightly touches the bumper of your car? What happens when an auto-rickshaw wala denies to ferry you to your destination? What happens when the girl you like rejects you? Is your integrity questioned at that time? Do you forget the respect you ought to give others? Don’t the car driver, the auto wala, and the girl have the right to make their own decisions? Don’t they even have the right to live, let alone live peacefully?

Does your blood boil and your head get devil’s horns? What is it that gives you this aggression -  is it the fact that one of your relatives is some bigshot in the government or in the police? Or is it the fact that you are a hefty man who drinks alcohol and eats meat? Is it justified that you run your car over someone who slightly scratched your car? Is it justified that you rape a 75 year old lady just because she argued with you over which route to take her by? Is it justified that you pull out your knife and stab the girl at the bus stand just because she does not want to marry you? Is it justified that you kill your daughter just because she had sex with your servant?

Are all small incidents balanced when you return the favor by taking someone’s life?

Can you take a step back and keep a tab on your aggression? On the road, in your home, in the school, at work, in the metro… everywhere? Young kids are picking up this aggression from what they see at home and pouring it out on their friends and enemies in school. Is this what you want to teach your kids? Are you failing to pass on basic values to your kids? Provide them with an encyclopedia instead of a Pulsar and a Swiss Knife!

Can you take another step back and bring the peace and harmony Indians have been known for? Aren’t both of us equals? Aren’t rules uniform for both of us? Then why this aggression, why!? I, from the lower half of India, am scared to come to your part of the country. Not because it does not belong to me, but because I am scared that I might fall prey to your aggression. I feel unsafe in the territories you breed. Invite me and make me feel comfortable. Not by showing me news of rapes and murders every few hours. Look at the following news headlines coming from Delhi -

Schoolboy murdered
Man stabs parents
Killed over mobile phone
DU girl shot dead
Pilot runs over man
Life lost for a screwdriver
Murder over chicken tikka

I almost laughed in disbelief, but aren’t you ashamed?

As a small request, I would be glad to see cars in cities without the symbol that says “ARMY”. What does that symbol mean? Does it mean that you are an Army officer? Or does it mean that one of your family members is an Army officer? Even if that is so, what do you want to show to the car driving behind you? Do you want to claim your supremacy on the road? Or do you want to stop anyone from honking at you and overtaking you on the street? Or have you put it so that the towing van does not tow your vehicle from a no-parking zone? What is it that you want to show? It simply points to the fact that you want to exhibit your supremacy and take advantage in any untoward situation! Go ahead, remove the sticker from your car and scooter today, and feel proud that you are only as privileged as everyone else in this country!

I love your cities, I love your food, I love your traditions, I even find your girls very pretty (prettier than girls down south – let them survive birth!) but not your aggression! That does not make me holier than you, but these are things we can together think over!

- Your concerned distant relative

These are purely my own thoughts and not inspired by any one particular person or incident. It is not directed to the whole North Indian / NCR community but certain bad patches that have scared me and many Indians like me. I am not saying that Indians in other parts of the country do not have aggression, they do, but there is clearly more aggression in the NCR that is leading to more rapes and murders each day. Aggression leading to murders and rapes is not just another thing, it is something very serious and something gone terribly wrong in a civilization. This claim is substantiated by studies. According to statistics released by Delhi police, 15 per cent of the killings last year resulted from spur-of-the-moment provocations.

If you wish your comment to be replied back to personally, please leave your email ID.

http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/delhis-brash-new-middle-class-behind-violent-crimes-experts-91727

This continued everyday. If he would be playing around at the time of my arrival, he would repeat the same exercise! Days passed and so did months. Nothing changed, at all. Sometimes he would follow my Activa till the garage and then stand by waiting for me to talk to him. But I would get scared, as usual. I never realised what he was trying to tell me. As days went by, he got lesser playful, and would sit in that corner all day and scratch himself.

Few months back, she became an official member of my family and moved in to my place. He would follow her as well, but only till the elevator. He never followed her up till the door. She was a bit scared of him too, and she did not like the fact that I admired him at times. I would always say “hi.. what’s up” in my usual style and he would respond by a smile, or so I thought. We both felt that he needed to be taken better care of.

Yesterday morning, our maid came home to work, and told us that he was having difficulty in breathing. While on our way to the picnic we saw him in his corner, lying down, breathing really heavy. He looked sick. He looked as if he was breathing his last. I suddenly got a very strange feeling within. It is difficult to explain, but I have never seen anyone breathing his last. I almost felt a vacuum inside, of having to face a loss. We went for the picnic and forgot what we saw. When we were back at around 4, I tried to get a glimpse of him even as I was trying to park the car. All I could see was his rear covered by a sheet of cloth. We got down and inched a bit slowly to be able to look at him better, and what we saw, was a very sorry scene. I just stood there, like a stone, not understanding what was wrong. My heart skipped a beat as I realised that he laid still.  His mouth was open wide and his head was tilted backwards. I watched his stomach, it was not going up and down. I knew that was it. We lowered our heads and walked back to the elevator, with a very strange and sad feeling in our hearts. As we entered the elevator, we looked at his favorite spot at the end of the foyer.

I told her – “I will miss him”
She replied – “Me too”

Today morning, his corner was clean and washed. It was however, empty.

We will miss you, Moti…

And this is for 2010…

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before? A lot of things, but most importantly, swam (snorkeled) in the middle of the sea! 

2. Did you keep your new years resolutions, and will you make more for next? I dint have one.

3. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why? December 9th! Got married :).

4. What was your biggest achievement of the year? Let’s take it offline! 

5. What was your biggest failure? Health. Again!

6. Did you suffer illness? Yes.

7. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed? Idiots :) Again!

8. Where did most of your money go? Travel and Living!

9. What did you get really, really, really excited about? Marriage, Travel and Figo!

10. What song will always remind you of 2010? Bad Romance, Fireflies and Waka Waka.

11. Compared to this time last year, are you happier or sadder? Happier.

12. What do you wish you’d done more of? Working out!

13. What do you wish you’d done less of? ?!

14. Did you fall in love in 2010? Yes. With the sea (But now I am out of it)!

15. How many one night stands? None :|

16. What was your greatest musical discovery? Lady Gaga.

17. What did you want and get? More travel!

18. What did you want and not get? Better health.

19. What was your favourite film of this year? Inception, undoubtedly!

20. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you? I do not remember what I did. I was 25.

21. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying? Certainly, better health!

22. What kept you sane? Photography!

23. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010. When in doubt, Travel!

24. Which new places did you visit in 2010? Diveagar (Konkan, India), Goa (India), Denver (Colorado, US), Vail (CO, US), Steamboat Springs (CO, US), Phuket (Thailand), Phi Phi Islands (Thailand)

25. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year - 
You’re a good soldier,
Choosing your battles,
Pick yourself up, And dust yourself off
And back in the saddle

I remember the late 1990s and early 2000s, when I was addicted to MTV and Channel V. After coming back to school and sometimes even early in the morning it was a tradition to switch to these channels to get a taste of the latest Western pop music. After that I went to college and stayed in hostel for 4 years, away from the crowds of a city and away from television sets. I yearned to go home and watch Channel V or MTV. Unfortunately, whenever I would go home during vacations, and put those channels on, I would only see shows like Roadies or some crappy Hindi film music. Staying away from TV, and these music channels playing lesser and lesser English music, put me in a state of limbo. I was stuck with the same songs for all four years of my college years. I would say, till last year, 75% of my music collection comprised of what I had put together way back in 2003/2004. Of late, it has come to my knowledge that MTV and Channel V have completely stopped airing Western music (You may say there is VH1, but whatever!).

What set me rolling were a few trips abroad. I would say, every trip I make abroad opens me up to tons of awesome new music! Trips to US would anyway do so, because radio stations in the US play only the latest and most popular music. Like, my discoveries during the trip to Korea were Canon in D Major (thanks Yunseong for this), and Katie Melua; during my trip to the US in 2008, I was introduced to Katy Perry (thanks the cab drivers of Chicago); during the Smoky Mountains road trip Dave Matthew’s Sing Along was the only thing on my ears (thanks to Ranga and Patrik da); 2009 was introduction to Coldplay (thanks Sudeep; well I had heard Coldplay’s Yellow way back in 2004 but remained stuck at that, did not even know about the existence of Viva La Vida and The Scientist!); 2010 was to perhaps the largest collection of awesome songs, but particularly Beera (thanks Patrik da – you literally planted that song in my head). 

So coming back to the point, what am I currently listening to? My last trip to Chicago was very fruitful in opening up a huge number of awesome songs to me. But I would think it also has a lot to do with the fact that a lot of awesome songs have released this year! I definitely think so! Thanks also to iTunes, I can now tune to hundreds of radio stations from almost all over the world, listen to music from any genre, and even switch channels if I don’t like what they are playing: Mozart to Yanni, Sleeping music to Soundtracks, Pop to Rock, with Jazz, Blues and all that and much more in the middle, or just Top 40 Billboard songs! I am loving it :)

Here are a few songs I am currently listening to, and they are in no particular order (and yes I know, some of them are not latest any more):

Lady Gaga – Bad Romance (this song became the most watched video on Youtube for a while)
Shakira – Waka Waka
K’Naan – Waving Flag
Ke$ha – Tik Tok
Fireflies – Owl City
Jason Derulo – Whattya Want
Train – Hey Soul Sister
Timbaland feat. Katy Perry – If We Ever Meet Again
Raavan OST – Beera
Justin Beiber – Baby (this song’s video is currently the most watched video on Youtube)

This actually sends me back to Q4-2008, when me, Rashmi and Ramya had that wonderful run of watching some excellent movies in Chicago!

And this I recommend to all of you, if you have iTunes and broadband internet, go to the Radios section, and play from one of the hundreds of music channels, especially Absolute Top 40 (1.fm). If you don’t, you could still visit www.1.fm and play one of their tens of music channels!

Enjoy!