That was a lousy lob!

Jarnail Singhs lob was so lousy man! Has he never played cricket in his life? Sheh. He needs to learn. Did he not see the Iraqi journalist hurling the shoe at Bush. Now THAT was a throw (two infact!)!

I think all journalism institutes must now have a mandatory session on shoe-throwing included in their course.

What happens when a country crumbles?

People can crumble, go bankrupt. Companies can crumble, go bankrupt. But I actually wonder what happens when a country crumbles? With a government that hardly seems to be able to govern anything*, with the terrorists shooting their KPIs in no uncertain terms, and with blasting success, and with the economic, social, and political pressures it is facing, where is the country heading?

* Opinion based on what I read in papers/ see in news. Ground reality may differ.

How to know you have white enough teeth

While shaving, when the lather has built up, just flash the '32' smile looking at the mirror. If you arent taken aback by what you see, you're doing just about fine :D

Home alone

Staying at home alone, for more than a month, comes with its share of madness, fun, boredom at times, and well goof-ups :p

Now I mean yes, I am pretty good when it comes to doing the household chores. (ahem ahem) But every now and then, everybody is allowed a slip, right?
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When I had arrived from Kolkata, I had about 6 sets of clothes properly washed and ironed with me. So that lasted me a full week, and the Monday of the next week. On Monday evening though, when I returned home, I realized that I didn’t have a fresh pair of clothes to wear, and the prospect of going to office in a sweaty worn shirt and trouser wasn’t particularly enticing. Now I had dinner plans set, and was ready and getting late for that. I needed to put my clothes to wash, so that they can be put to dry by night, and I needed to rush. So, the following sequence followed

· Pick up clothes from following locations: bed1 (my room), bed2 (moms room), floor (only my room), bathroom (on the hooks, sink and floor), and drawing room sofa.
· Shove them into the washing machine
· Switch on the washing machine
· Start washing cycle
· Wear shoes
· Leave.

Now when I reach home, and open the washing machine, a very weird smell greets me. Nothing pungent, Not something that can be classified as a stink. Just a very weird smell. It wasn’t leftover food/chocolate in trouser pockets, it wasn’t some piece of junk gone in with the laundry. It wasn’t anything that had gone wrongly with the laundry. I went through the above mentioned sequence in my mind, and wondered what went wrong.

Any guesses?
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Sunday morning, bordering on afternoon. I’m preparing myself breakfast. The bell rings. Its some bill collection chap. I go fetch my wallet, pay him the bill, and then go back to the kitchen. The coffee water is boiling, and it needs milk. I go to the fridge, open it, take out the doodh ka tasla, and pour milk into the coffee.

The coffee is done, the toast is made. After a decent breakfast, I must now head to grocery store to buy some daily needs.

Have a bath. Change into jeans and shirt.
· iPhone- check
· Handkerchief- check
· Headphones- check
· Wallet- Where’s the wallet, now. I had kept it on the table only yesterday night. Search room, search trouser pockets. sofa crevice. drawers. bag. moms room. recheck all of the above. Nowhere to be found. Damnit! Cheh. Where did I keep it..! Get frustrated, go for drink of water, open fridge. And there, sitting beautifully on the egg-tray, my wallet. Served chilled :D
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Another morning.

· Awesome coffee on the gas burner.
· Watching Australian GP on TV in drawing room.
· Get call
· Go to other room.
· Call goes on for 20 minutes.
· Post call, return to drawing room.
· Smell something burning.
· Remember there was coffee on the burner
· It is not there anymore.
· There is something that resembles a thin layer of charcoal instead
· And the pan. Lets just say it has a new color :p
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Situation 1 strikes again.

Night before office realise that I have shirt to wear to office, but no trousers or fresh set of undergarments. So put clothes to wash. No problems with the washing this time around. Leave them to dry, so that they can be worn in the morning.

Morning, I realize they haven’t yet dried fully. Need a quick fix. Switch on the iron. Iron the trouser. *Aah. Nice crease. Neat pleats* Next is the vest, neatly ironed and kept *Aah. Two done. One to go* Now comes the turn of the trunks. I start ironing. *Yes, its drying. Good* *Ok what is this smoke I see coming out. What is zees???* Switch off iron in damage control. Look at trunk. Look at iron. Turn iron around. See iron plate *Yikes*

Apparently, you aren’t supposed to iron on elastic. Nobody had told me that!, or well, I hadn’t asked anybody. So now the trunk ka elastic has somewhat disintegrated, and the iron plate is now branded JOCKEY! :p

Such are the joys :)

Update:

1. The iron is not working anymore. I dont know how that happened. I swear! It was working for atleast 3 days after above mentioned incident!

2. After 5 rounds of washing with liberal usage of dishwashing liquids, and boiling water, the pan is now closer to usable condition. Not yet there, but close.

3. Most important update of them all ..

*Drumrolls*

Mom. Is. Back!! :) Woothehoo!

...

Whenever I browse through 'The Fountainhead', the thought always crosses my mind. How many people must have ruined their lives thinking they are Howard Roark. How many people would've thought they have the same conviction, the same headstrong'ness, the same mindset, and how many continue to think so..

Another one..

"Those who are swept off their feet in love fall flat on their face." :p

Yes/no? I dont know.

Thought for the day

"One mans idealism, another mans idiocy" :)

I have been out of touch.

I have been out of touch. I feel out of touch. Out of touch with an innocence, out of touch with a sense of ownership I had of the world around me, and a feeling of pride I used to have. I donot however feel out of touch with myself.

The discord is with time. I wish someone could tell me how long it'll last. But would I accept what that someone is telling? And would it be the same as discovering? The questions have changed. I know who I am. Now I want to know What I am capable of doing? What can I do a few weeks, months or years from now. I will only know if I keep walking.

I'm discovering along the way that there is absolutely nobody in this world without insecurities. That everyone has something or the other they worry about. A rule with no exceptions. Its the biggest challenge life poses. To be objective.

Not just insecurity, but even indecision gets to you. Infact, honestly, I feel that I've degenerated after college. The vibrance has gone, I've become more grumpy. Even the pathetic SJs arent that quick, damnit! I can however laugh at myself a lot more, now. Its got something to do with the new environment, which I need to accept and adjust to. But that doesnt come that easily to me, or maybe I just dont want to?

I wonder at times how long I'll be able to keep in touch with those I really want to from college! I feel a tinge of disappointment when someone says they dont have the time to talk, or meet up, or forget to return a call. I refuse to buy the argument that there is no time.

I am also realising that there is a lot of happiness to be found in conviction. Convince yourself of what you want to do, and then have the balls to do it. Sometimes the experience is in just taking the step. It is much easier said than done, I know. But I hope I can do it with everything I do. It all comes back to TIME.
There'll be times where you're absolutely convinced about something and act on it, but it wont happen simply because every action has an initiator and a responder, but theres a beauty to that also. Conviction teaches you patience.

The storm in my head has made sure I have become a complete slave to music. It gives me a sense of reassurance. It kicks me. It makes sure I keep walking. It is an ally to my conviction.

Unreal perhaps, how time flies. It is not without reason that I bow down to it as my only god. Time. It is a beautiful teacher. The best you'll ever find.