Day 1 :

I would rather stroll into a bullfight in red bloomers than study for Sarathi's course.

There are undiscovered tribes in the Amazon who could teach this course better than Dr. Sarathi.

The last book to come even close to the uselessness of my text book was when "How to read French" was translated to French.

There are more weasels in Afghanistan than people who enjoy Power Systems Practice!

" It's what my heart says that is what I listen to
( I listen to it )
It's what my heart feels it tells me what to do
( tells me what to do )
It's what my heart knows that's the only, only truth i know it's real
All I hear is what my heart says is real "

- Monica (What my heart says)


I apologise for the song above, as I had never thought I would force upon an unsuspecting reader the agonies of senseless, teeny-boppy pop music. But, taken out of context (trust me, you don't want to go throuhg the rest of the song!), I thought it fits the mood of what I wish to spill out!

What is wrong with the Indian rock audience? Why are we still stuck in an age where we think an Indian band playing Metallica is cool?
A couple of years back, Orange Street had visited Madras. They played at Saarang (the IITM cultural festival), at the annual rock concert. They desperately tried to play their own music, and a hostile crowd listened to them trying to rock the Open Air Theatre. They were followed by Moksha (I think that is what they called themselves, but their music doesn't even come close to the name of thier band). So, Moksha come on stage, playing everything from Nothing Else Matters, to Cupid's Dead. And the crowd cheered, and feined appreciation as Moksha sung songs that are quite out of their league.

What is rock music? Rock music is music that comes straight from the heart. It might come out in various forms, the psychedelia of Floyd to the banging of druns that go by the tag of heavy metal. Rock music is a bunch of talented guys singing their heart out. It is pure love for expression through music that pushes one to the limit. It is love for music, not the noise of the crowds. I do agree, that a crowd enjoying your music does help, but that is not the point!
That is where pop music is filtered out from rock! When a band plays music purely to satisfy the crowds, that is popular music! Yes! Pop music! That is why "You look beautiful tonight" (Clapton) and "Sweetest Thing" (U2) are classified in the genre of rock, where as "I want it that way" (BackStreet Boys) is dumoed into bucket of pop songs. Coming back to Moksha, what they did that night was a Pop concert! And Orange Street, rocked!

Noone will agree. People in IIT still rave about how 'sued' Moksha was, but the bottom-line is that they were 'pseudo', more than anything else.

I don't think India will ever produce greats such as Dire Straits, U2, The Who or Pink Floyd. This is definitely NOT due to lack of talent, but us being unable to from a good rock audience. I hope I am wrong, but this is the future that I see to Indian (English) Rock Music.


PS : You should hear Zero! They are very very good! And they play originals!!! Finally, a breath of fresh air!!!!

"My heart says follow t'rough.
But I know, now, that I'm way down on your line,
But the waitin' feel is fine"

- Wait in Vain (Marley)


What is wrong in being serious about a relationship? What is wrong to live in the total belief that you are in love? What is wrong in putting everything you have, risking all you have, to get something that might never be yours?

I plunged into this relationship most happily. I was bloody thrilled. I knew nothing about her, and now, after many months of knowing her, most probably I still know nothing about her. But, I had my expectations and hopes of how she should be. No point denying it! However much we try to come into a relationship with an open mind, a clean slate; the bottom line is expectations are always there!
But three months later, everything is perfect! Life is a blast with her around. Roaming around the city, catching random buses to far-away, unpronouncable places (ask any non-Tam to pronounce Vadapalani), watching plays together, walking ridiculous distances; it all seemed just right!

Do I love her? Well, I have been warned by close friends to be careful when using that word. I have also been told not to get too serious into a relationship, for it might just crumble, leaving you nothing but a shattered wreck. But, what could go wrong here? Isn't this what love is? This state of bliss! This state where everything is just so much fun, that amazing blanket of security that nothing can go wrong! Isn't that what she felt too? Didn't she feel the same way as me about this whole thing?

I did tell her. Told her pretty much everything! How I felt, what I thought... But, she said she doesn't! What? She doesn't feel the same way as me? She doesn't want to take it as seriously as me? How can this be? Where did I go wrong? Something I said... or must be something I did... What?
Well, slowly it does sink in, doesn't it? Like all those things that you never thought would come true.... But, it's still fun! It is still a wonderful feeling. And so what if she doesn't feel the same way? I think I will just have to wait, won't I? But who cares!

Yes! The waiting feelin's fine!!!!

"The sun is in the east,
Even though the day is done.
Two suns in the sunset,
Has the human race, been run?"

- Two Suns in the Sunset (Waters)


The bomb blasts rocked Mumbai. Killing many people. Why, o! Lord, why?

I grew up in Mumbai. I spent a large chunk of my childhood in this wonderful city. Although I schooled a couple of hundred kilometers away, Mumbai was home.

Memories of the scent of hot, steaming vada-paav, as the rain lashes against a road, uneven due to years of neglegence. The bhelpuri-wala at the corner, mixing bhel as he wipes sweat off his brow in the summer heat. Running to Nana Chowk a day before Sankranti, without telling mum, to buy a kite for 25p! Meeting Mr. Shivaji, a bus-conductor on route no. 85, and chatting with him as if he were a long lost friend.
Yes, that was Mumbai. That was Bombay. And I swear, she was glorious!

RDX has spread terror in the city now. Seven, or was it eight, bombs ripped through the trains running down on the Western Lines. Mumbai was paralysed! Bandra, Bhayander, Mira Road, Santacruz; stunned!
And whatever little was left of the Bombay that was, that has been robbed by the corrupt set of politicians. Politicians who force Mumbai to a grinding halt, at a time when she is required to stand up! Politicians who suck out funds out of a city that is bearing the brunt of over-population and depleting resources.

May be, her time has come. May be, Mumbai has reached its end, just like the rest of the world.
May be, the human race has been run.

Has the sun finally set on Mumbai?

"Money, get away.
Get a good job with good pay and you're okay.
Money, it's a gas.
Grab that cash with both hands and make a stash.
New car, caviar, four star daydream,
Think I'll buy me a football team.

Money, get back.
I'm all right Jack keep your hands off of my stack.
Money, it's a hit.
Don't give me that do goody good bullshit.
I'm in the high-fidelity first class traveling set
And I think I need a Lear jet.

Money, it's a crime.
Share it fairly but don't take a slice of my pie.
Money, so they say
Is the root of all evil today.
But if you ask for a raise it's no surprise that they're
giving none away. "

- Money (Waters)


There is an event happening, and just when we thought everything was going well, guess who barged in to spoil the party.... MONEY!

Initially, we had none. We were desperate, we were a good 25k short! And then, one fine day, suddenly 50k lands on our lap. Now, we just don't know what to do!

Why the hell is money so important in our lives? Do we have to live our lives, the slaves to pieces of printed paper? Is this what the earth moves around the sun for? One more day, in quest of the bill.
As a school boy, I always dreamt of a life not governed by money. I really thank my parents and school in this regard. They did a great job in shielding, and more importantly, introducing us to a life where 'cash' was a word, more than a force controlling our lives. I guess that was innocence!

I am really sick of money. I know it is important, and yes, as long as I live in this system, it will be governing my life. I want it. I want a job that pays me well. I want to have those wads of papers sticking out of my wallet. I want to take the girl I like so much to a movie, to a play, to dinner, or probably, pongal for breakfast! But, will my whole life be like this?
Somewhere, deep in the trenches of my heart, there is still that little belief, fighting for existence. The little things, that is shouting, trying to make me see beyond that Gandhi! One day, I'm going to find this world; a world where it doesn't matter who has a six-digit pay, a world where noone cares about how much that car costs...
I guess, I'm just in quest of that innocence that we lost somewhere along the way.....

The north is to south what the clock is to time
There's east and there's west and there's everywhere life
I know I was born and I know that I'll die
The in between is mine
I am mine

- Eddie Vedder


Shockingly true.

Suddenly, after eighteen years of existence, I have suddenly realised that my life is going absolutely nowhere. I mean, NOWHERE! Everything I wanted to do as a child, I see I haven't done.
I wanted to grow up to be a bettet person. Well, I am not! Can I undo all that has happened? O! Wouldn't I give a million dollars to go back in time, and undo all I haven't done. And just my life was about to continue in the doldrums of complacency, I hear the words:
"I know I was born and I know that I'll die
The in between is mine
I am mine".

Yes! I am mine! This is my life, and I am going to do as I please with it. You can't stop me! Please, don't even try. I love them I love, and will always love them; I will continue hating all I always hated!

And from this verry moment, I am going to get behind the wheel, that has unsteered my life to the static shit it is in........