Must It Go On

Fashion must go on,
Gucci, Versace and security cordon.
Lovers galore and posh,
Life risqué and debauch.
Fast cars with leather fine,
Diamonds dazzles and shine.
Fly Paris for no reason,
Stay at Four Seasons.
Pâté and caviar,
Champagnes no bizarre.
Months of cruise at sea,
Best greens to tee.
My life is a big con,
Damn! must it go on.

Tea, Coffee & Mom

I do not remember when I first tasted tea but I do remember my mom trying her level best to wean me away from it. The old trick - dude you would look like what is in the cup didn't work for me. I didn't have affinity to milk at all. My mom had ample supply of it from the Jersey cows which she reared but alas! I was no taker for their milk. I would run away, hide, fake being unwell etc. from that glass of milk. But what I remember most was the involuntary tumbling of the milk glass followed by sever scolding and the compulsory spanking. It almost happened daily and I have a strong belief that it was the milk fiend; he didn't like my attitude towards milk and to teach me a lesson would tumble the tumbler. I had absolutely no hand in it and before I would react or offer explanation my mom's wrath and fury would have taken over.

Then she gave up. And I was fed nectar of tea leaves, sweetened just right with a hint of milk. I didn't mind her warning that I would grow weak and small which unfortunately turned true. I have to confess that I have tried quite a variants (white/green/oolong/tisane) but  I come back to the good old intensely sweetened overcooked tea leaves sometimes flavored with ginger/cardamon/cloves/cinnamon etc. I never cared for health benefits of tea and still don't, I just love if for the thing it do to me.

Somewhere along I discovered coffee. I for a while liked it better then tea and started demanding it. Mom was happy initially as it had milk but she happen to read/hear that it is not good for health - she confused caffeine with nicotine and its supply was limited thereafter. But my love for coffee brewed more through the college days. Today, I swing between the regular cappuccinos, espresso and the exotic ones which I can’t even pronounce.

I have always found it difficult to choose when given a choice. Coffee or Tea and I always end up making a wrong choice and then cringe all along looking at the other person's drink and sipping regretful what I choose. I am not definitely absolutely a coffee or tea lover - my loyalty sway.

I only have ONE rule - Coffee on dates and Tea at home ;).

Love AND Hate

I was waiting for her. The last thirty minutes had been the most difficult of my life in a good way. They were restless but blissful moments; finally she had agreed to meet me and I was not certain if she would be there. I didn’t want to be stood up; I would have so hated it. In these thirty minutes, I had seen and experienced more then what I had in my lifetime. I had never been an observer and never cared how people look, how they talk, how they behave and how they react and moreover how vulnerable they are.

She had asked me to wait for her at this busy street corner. On my right was the tea shop, it was more of a stall with a patched up tarpaulin serving as a canopy and saving the tea lovers from the burning summer sun. The smell of the overcooked tea with ginger was awful and just behind was the stationary shop. I am not sure

why she picked this spot but I heard her say, 'I would see you there at 5 PM. 'Where there?' I said in a meek and shy tone. 'The street cornet near the tea stall' and she walked away smiling; she looked and sounded as happy as me. I gave my college lecture a miss and gave a slip to my friends and was there at 4.30 PM.

I looked at my watch it was 5 PM. My heart was beating fast and my mind racing faster then the subway train. My eyes searched for her in the crowd and while the eyes did the searching my mind practised and rehearsed and re rehearsed what I was to say and how I was to carry on with the conversation. I was happy and never had been in so high spirits.

Then it happened. I heard a deafening noise and the next moment I was on the ground and all I could hear was loud voices all around. I could see the blood gush out of my stomach but felt no pain. I passed out and never ever woke up.

How we hate us?

Finally some respite. I heard it's raining intermittently in the hills. Bless us. Finally! We would see some cheers and hopes. Hopes in the hearts of the farmers and cheers to the habitants of the plains - the sun has been harsh on us this April.

Only God knows who is to be blamed for this change. The favorite whipping boy has been the deterioration of the environment by us - felling of trees, emission of gases etc and then the other view - delay in disturbances.

One thing is destined - we would perish much more before this earth at the rate we are killing each other.

How we hate us?

Spot the LEADER

I have been reading about leadership tonight; the though primarily sprouted by a discussion on the FB group. Google returned 110,000,000 results for 'leadership'. No, I didn't read all of 110,000,000 pages but yes I did cherry pick some and found that almost everybody has a view on leadership. It's sad that we still search for one true great Leader.

Let's learn how to spot the leader (my way). Look for some of these qualities:
-Humility. I am no better or worse and would elevate you.
-Vision . Do I see a clear and vivid picture.
-Integrity. Are my actions and value in sync.
-Competence. I have earned my stripes.


It's baffling how some of us hog the limelight; some avoid it and some sulk as they couldn't get it. I have been the avoiding type with shades of sulking type. Some people shine not because they are born to shine but because they have the self belief and conviction to make a difference (I spot a LEADER there). Also, one can't borrow charisma it has to be build. They say you have to be other minded (trying to add value to others) to build charisma. Charisma would get you audience but the character would keep the audience. Character has to be bolstered by integrity. And what about integrity?

Yes, you right! We live in complex time indeed.

No Sweat

Another beautiful Sunday spoiled. It's in the real sense of HOT, please don't misconstrue HOT for zany, snazzy, lively, sexy and whatever adjective one might use to describe an extraordinary time. The mercury is touching 44 C and inching upwards each day.

I started my day early at 7 hoping to catch some cold breeze while I read newspaper and breakfast. I was in sweat from the heat then the spicy breakfast my grumbling mom made for me; her mood seems to be in sync with the weather these days. And by 8, I wanted to run away somewhere cold and never look back. My old air con seems to be inept in countering the heat (I do not blame him) and my finances don't even allow me to but a new handkerchief - excuse me, let me wipe off the sweat. The coolers are no longer coolants and the heat is getting into my head - I am loosing my cool.

Wonder why nobody is using the phrase No Sweat anymore.

(The HOT picture has been borrowed from the internet. © who cares)

Go fly a kite!

Ouch! It's a rushed one. Yes, I plan to do away with it in flat 5 min and dash off. I still have 4 more. I am very sure what I want to write about; it about me - the landlubber. My brother say that I have a magnet in me that keeps me grounded - I have never flown. Though I have tried the old trick of jumping off the walls and roofs but have met with the fate millions have met. We humans can't fly that the reason why we pay thousands for airfare. I have another 3 min. I am little pissed and I feel its okay to use the word 'pissed' to describe one frustration with the elitism and the attitude of the high fliers. Attitude! where did they learn to talk like that. The unexpected nemesis 'Ash Cloud' has grounded many like me. Ha ha... now who is laughing. I am done. Oh! I still have 20 sec left. Before I fly... cheerio!

(The stupid picture has been filched from internet. What were you thinking AS****#)

Wild Food

There is something strange and unique about the place where I come from (Kotgarh, Shimla). First, the folks are humble and blissfully happy in their small world. Second - they drink a lot of 'sharab'. Third - the folks treat every cut and bruise with mustard oil. Forth - when they give up after being to the best of doctors in the country they turn to 'kul devta', who miraculously happen to fix 99% of their problems. Fifth - we guys eat weird wild delight; blissfully ignorant that some of the stuff we get for free is coveted in gastronomic world and people pay through their nose to eat it. And we love our wild food and celebrate it.

Let me expand on the last one today -
Mother Nature has offered us abundant supplies of Morels, Fiddleheads, Chanterelle and Nettle. Let’s understand them better and enjoy them.

Morels: These distinctive honeycomb-like mushrooms are found in the wild and in abundance but difficult to locate as they blend in well with the nature. Ask any morel hunter and they would concur that the morels are found in the same spot for years and then disappear without a trace and also that they tend to appear in spring in an area of the forest that has been burned. The morel is widely appreciated by gourmets, who savor its earthy and nutty flavor. Morels are always hollow, and this is one of the differences between the morels and the false morels. They complement other fresh spring vegetables and have an earthy taste to them when cooked with herbs and butter.

Fiddlehead ferns: Unfurled fronds of a young fern found in the moist place near a stream. Fiddlehead ferns are a good source of vitamins A and C and should not be served raw as they have a slight bitterness until cooked and may cause stomach upset if eaten raw in quantity. Sauté, stir-fry or steam briefly to retain their crunchy texture and bright green color.

Chanterelle (Mushroom): Another wild delight and the efforts to cultivate Chanterelles have never proved successful.
The chanterelle is considered to be one of the best wild mushrooms in the world. Mostly they are orange or yellow, meaty and funnel-shaped.

 

Stinging Nettles:  Nettles are covered with tiny, nearly invisible stinging hairs that produce an intense, stinging pain, followed redness and skin irritation - ask someone who has had an accidental brush with it. The sweet discomfort it put one through is remembered all the living moments. But the best way to tame it is to use it as a medicine and food. Nettles usually appear in the same places year after year. Look for them in rich soil, disturbed habitats, moist woodlands, thickets, along rivers, and along partially shaded trails. You can replace the green in your food with it and get out your favorite soup with nettle. Nettles contain the highest plant source of iron and it is an excellent source of vitamins, minerals and protein. It is literally a “super-food” and FREE!

Bonum appetitionem! latin for Bon appetit!

What a rip off?

We live in strange times. Each of us rip off other and the vicious cycle continues. Each party in this vicious circle pleads to be innocent and a victim at the same time. I have been over changed by Private Hospital, Taxis, Autos and the restaurant this week - I did put up a mild protest but in vain. I might move into the hate zone soon where I would perceive provider of any services for money as an enemy. Does it make sense to say thank you to people who rip you off your hard earned money?

There seem to be no place for an honest man today.

Saturday. Damn it!

A brand new day. It’s as saturated with goodness as a Saturday could be. It has been a while since I have been home on weekends (the buggers schedule me for work on weekend and most of the time for the night shift) and the best way to start it was to slip from office early. So I did slip and after a hearty breakfast I am tapping away at my crazy lappy. I call it crazy because it should have been dead by now but my finances and unwillingness to let it go has made me patch it up 4 times in 3 yrs and that has really made it unpredictable - now it work  & now it gives me attitude.

Oh! This post is absolutely not about Saturday and crazy lappy it’s about friends at work. I have labeled them basis their ability and they range from very ordinary to extraordinary. There is one who should implant the phone so that he can coo sweet nothing at even the most serious of the meeting into the phone while the sweetheart murmurs appreciation and then their is another one who is hardly seen at work and then their is one talent who has talent for goofing up. They also come in all shapes and sized and each has a talent and it is matched with their utility. One has a fabulous network and is the first to have the inside news - he is my man. And then there is one who has a perpetual smile but feels that he has been victimized, very confusing.

Come on, whatever they may be but they make workplace a delight to be at. I hate to be at work on weekends but love the bunch. Don't miss to say thanks to your colleagues and team mates - I do not care when the freaking Colleagues Day is.

Don't miss to read the newspaper today where an able man (HM) has offered to resign taking responsibility for the Dantewada incident.

My Horoscope

I have not put some ink into this blog for long. For sometime, I have been scratching for something serious. Time to move on and put mind over matters. It is a turning point in the life history of my blog; I am not going to be funny any more and the stuff I am going to write might not even be palatable to many but surely would be interesting. One has to think and write - I am because I think.

I am going to write for myself. Maybe an old friend might stumble upon this someday and say that the old bastard left us memories. You can read my later entries at you own peril (seriously).

My Horoscope for today. It might be the tipping point.

April 9 Libra

A number of great ideas either for new creative projects or enhancing ongoing ones could pop into your head during the day, Libra. If you don't write them down immediately, they could just as easily pop right out again, never to return!