We live for such days!

Since last few days, I see myself surrounded with a lot of energy, excitement and inexplicable mirth.

I wake up to the morning breeze whispering greetings in my ears. I feel fresher than usual, get ready in no time and reach my company bus pick-up point earlier than usual. Since last few days, the morning sun shines brilliantly but doesn’t dissipate much heat-just like the firecrackers. The sky is its usual self; white flowery clouds blossoming on the traditional blue canvas. God’s own Rangoli, eh? Since last few days, the evenings come sprinkled with crisp, sweet, wintery breeze and I realize why mom garnishes sweets with grated coconut! I think the trees on both sides of the roads have turned greener since last few days. Traveling to office and back is no longer commuting; it is like accepting the reception of cordial ladies dressed in dark green sarees offering ‘namaste’!

So widespread is the magic that even though I have been spending heavily since last few days, my bank account, like a deity, has never run out of blessings.

It’s amazing how the entire universe has got to know it is Diwali!

Happy Diwali and Prosperous New Year to You and Your family! May the festive spirit stay with us forever…..

Mujh ko bhi tarqeeb sikha....

I love the sea!

I have spent hours simply standing at the shore and gazing into the infinite waters. While looking at the calm, rhythmic waves, I often wonder about the vast secrets that lie below. The various life forms, the debris of unfortunate ships, the undercurrents, the volcanoes, and the tremors--there is so much deep down and still, the sea maintains a saintly calm at the surface! Regardless of whatever is happening within, it always greets me with a foamy, friendly smile at the shore! The sea is (mostly) so well-behaved, isn’t it?

Whenever there is uncontrollable turbulence within me, I try to think of the sea!


PS: The title is borrowed from one of Gulzar’s nazms. It means ‘teach me the trick’!

Hi-tech:1

My dad is techno-phobic. Even a small device like a TV remote is too technical for him. So, when we gifted him a mobile, I was sure it was going to be very difficult for him to use it. So, we gifted him one of the (seemingly) simplest phones with as less features as possible. He has been using the phone for a few months now, and even though he loves to flaunt it, he isn’t very good when it comes to using it. Okay, he can make and receive calls but unfortunately, cell phones are much more than that. What about keypad locks, changing your profiles, keeping the vibrator on, viewing SMS (if not sending)? These are some of the must-know features when it comes to cell phones and he simply refuses to acknowledge their presence, much less their importance!

Recently, he received a missed call on his cell and he wanted to send a sms to the caller. He handed his cell to me to do the needful. I have a cell from the same manufacturer (albeit a different model) and I am reasonably gadget-savvy but I had a hell of a time sending the sms from his cell. That made me think about how really user-friendly cell phones are!

I have tried (to limited success) to make both my parents ‘cell phone literate’ and it has been an educating experience(more to me than to them!). To me, a ‘menu’ is an index of features; to them it is an index of dishes in a restaurant. To me, a ‘message’ means an SMS, to them it can be anything from a short letter to an email. To me, ‘signal’ means network strength; to them it is the traffic lights. I can’t do without a cell phone, they hate having to carry one all the time. I can forget to pay my bills but I can never forget to charge my cell daily. They seem to think the cell is such a magical gadget that it will still work if they don’t charge it regularly.

Cell phones to me are nothing more than phones you can carry. They mean the same to my parents and I am sure they mean the same to a lot of elderly people who love to carry a hand-phone but struggle while using one. Most cell phones are designed in a manner that they require at least little understanding of some of the computing concepts. One needs to know concepts like menu, scrolling, search etc to be able to use the cell phone effectively. For people who were grown up with typewriters, typing a message on a cell phone isn’t very easy! I think there is a strong case for cell phone manufacturers to come out with a radical design of a ‘no-frills’ cell phone meant only for elderly people. So far, cell phones have been designed keeping only the youth in mind (and that trend should continue since cell phone is more of a gadget than a utility for most!) but at least there should be one model that the elderly can use easily.

Currently, the situation is that whenever my parents go out, I worry if they aren’t carrying their cell phones. They worry if they are carrying one! I would so much love if someone put us in the same side of the coin!




PS: There are some more thoughts when it comes to using gadgets and I may publish them in subsequent posts. Hence the numbering in the title!

Bolo na, Kajrare Naina!

Came across two noteworthy songs last weekend. One is ‘Bolo na’ (singer: ‘Sona’, I think the album is also called ‘Bolo na’) and the other is ‘Naina’ (singer: Hidayat Khan, Album: Ziver). ‘Bolo na’ is a soft soothing song while ‘Naina’ is famous classical song ‘chaap Tilak sab chhiin li’ with touch of fusion. Also, pleasantly surprising is the fact the videos of both these songs are mostly non-vulgar!

Talking about ‘Naina’, there is a song with the same name in ‘Omkara’. I have been listening to Omkara’s track since last few days and this particular song (penned by Gulzar, Sung by Rahat Fateh Ali Khan) grows on me each time I listen to it. On lazy evenings and on sleepless nights, this is the kind of song you want!

Btw, I am a die-hard fan of Gulzarsa’ab. Lately, he has received much praise for the historic ‘Kajrare’. My personal opinion is that Gulzar has written lots and lots and lots of more meaningful and lyrically astounding songs. So, it’s very amusing to see the kind of adulation he has received for ‘Kajrare’. Right man to praise but not the right reason!