This is the week when Susan Boyle happened. She did not get much attention in the Indian press (I really need to write about the Times of India soon, they are beginning to piss me off more and more now) or even on TV, but she looks like swooping over the UK and the US. Google News today had over 3000 stories in the global English language media about her. Her youtube videos have over 35 million views in just under a week.
The clip is a short one - seven minutes - but it is quite a roller coaster. You can click this link if the video above does not load. I found the link on facebook and I had a look. My emotions went from to pity to contempt to shock to disbelief & guilt to joy and wonder I guess.
It is rare that so many find so much joy from such simple things in life. I wish her all the best. I think that there are only 35 million or so viewers (at least) who are tracking her from the world over and rooting for her.
19 April, 2009
11 April, 2009
Wind of change
Delhi has oppressive weather. It is hot from April till October, with the rainy months being very humid. The rainy season is short and the winter months are chilly. Personally, only the beginning and the end of winter, which are the months of November, February and March which are pleasant.
The past 12 months have been better. The rains lasted much longer in August and september. The winters were mild. There was also some rain in April this year (which never happens). I think the weather is changing. (Since it sucks so badly in Delhi, any change is for the better). The weather change is also depressing. I think these are our very local experiences of the global climate change.
I wonder if we will be able to mend our ways in time. The only piece of good news is this - more and more people are scared now about this than ever before.
I do not think that we can ever comprehend how rare and precious life is. Humans are even more so. Actually, I am not sure about that. Humans are definitely numero uno on this planet at this time. However, we are but the latest episode in a gigantic evolutionary soap opera which has been on air for the past 4 billion years on this planet. Can we assume that we are the end of the evolutionary chain? I do not think do. Other species too have been on the top of the ecological pyramid (I have seen Jurassic park), but humans would probably be the only species who are directly contributing to their own downfall. Anyway, humans could and should be just in a long line of species who made their presence felt for some time and then subsided.
Words can't express the irony well enough - 'the smartest species was dumb enough to skin its own goat'
On a lighter note, election fever is here in this country. Envigoman is of the opinion that we had predicted a lot of things two years ago which are close to correct. I need to read that post again.
The past 12 months have been better. The rains lasted much longer in August and september. The winters were mild. There was also some rain in April this year (which never happens). I think the weather is changing. (Since it sucks so badly in Delhi, any change is for the better). The weather change is also depressing. I think these are our very local experiences of the global climate change.
I wonder if we will be able to mend our ways in time. The only piece of good news is this - more and more people are scared now about this than ever before.
I do not think that we can ever comprehend how rare and precious life is. Humans are even more so. Actually, I am not sure about that. Humans are definitely numero uno on this planet at this time. However, we are but the latest episode in a gigantic evolutionary soap opera which has been on air for the past 4 billion years on this planet. Can we assume that we are the end of the evolutionary chain? I do not think do. Other species too have been on the top of the ecological pyramid (I have seen Jurassic park), but humans would probably be the only species who are directly contributing to their own downfall. Anyway, humans could and should be just in a long line of species who made their presence felt for some time and then subsided.
Words can't express the irony well enough - 'the smartest species was dumb enough to skin its own goat'
On a lighter note, election fever is here in this country. Envigoman is of the opinion that we had predicted a lot of things two years ago which are close to correct. I need to read that post again.
05 April, 2009
Stretching coincidences
I am not a superstitious person. For me, a coincidence is a random event which, out of randomness, is linked to past or present events in such a way that causes further thought or excitement.
I am also somewhat lazy and need to fill up some of this time when I am not doing anything with thoughts. I take every excitable coincidence and analyse it to the limit. It is like connecting random dots to see if a picture emerges. The catch is not in how the dots are placed. The catch is in the number of dots. If you have enough dots, you can draw whatever you want.
What happened was this - I met someone (s1) who reminded me very strongly of someone else (se1). The funny thing is this - every time I have something new happening in my life, I experience an se1 event. Usually, it is a dream or an email. This time it was an entire person. It has been quite a while since se1, so I am not sure if I remember things completely/correctly, but still, it was quite close to what I remember.
So yes, stretching it is what describes it completely.
So, envigo.blogspot.com was visiting this weekend along with wife. I got to meet wife's sis envigo's brother. Overall, it was a great weekend except for one unpleasant incident.
The things we talked about included:
1. My life
2. His job
3. His future plans
4. The recession
5. Why I like living in India?
6. The case of two/three Indias in existence today and the overall apathy of everyone involved (us included)
The last topic was depressing, a bit more than I would have imagined. I will definitely have to write more about it.
Recently acquired the complete monty python series and have to go through it. I still have not managed to get the last four episodes of house season 4.
The first copies of my Nana's book got sold - envigo.blogspot.com being the first customer.
I am also somewhat lazy and need to fill up some of this time when I am not doing anything with thoughts. I take every excitable coincidence and analyse it to the limit. It is like connecting random dots to see if a picture emerges. The catch is not in how the dots are placed. The catch is in the number of dots. If you have enough dots, you can draw whatever you want.
What happened was this - I met someone (s1) who reminded me very strongly of someone else (se1). The funny thing is this - every time I have something new happening in my life, I experience an se1 event. Usually, it is a dream or an email. This time it was an entire person. It has been quite a while since se1, so I am not sure if I remember things completely/correctly, but still, it was quite close to what I remember.
So yes, stretching it is what describes it completely.
So, envigo.blogspot.com was visiting this weekend along with wife. I got to meet wife's sis envigo's brother. Overall, it was a great weekend except for one unpleasant incident.
The things we talked about included:
1. My life
2. His job
3. His future plans
4. The recession
5. Why I like living in India?
6. The case of two/three Indias in existence today and the overall apathy of everyone involved (us included)
The last topic was depressing, a bit more than I would have imagined. I will definitely have to write more about it.
Recently acquired the complete monty python series and have to go through it. I still have not managed to get the last four episodes of house season 4.
The first copies of my Nana's book got sold - envigo.blogspot.com being the first customer.
21 March, 2009
Couture chai
We finished a year and after we finish March, we will be able to do our first YOY comparison. Things are looking up with some big boys speaking with us for the first time and so on, and work is exciting.
I got to watch a fashion show for the first time this week. I did not expect much but I thought that it was something worth capturing in a post.
It all began with SS. She was shocked to find out that I had not ever seen a show, while I was shocked to think that something like this was shocking. I claimed (correctly) that none of my friends had watched one either. So there I was, at the Delhi fashion week which was being held quite close to the office.
You need to be a designer, a model, a member, guest, staff or hired help of the FDCI to be allowed in, or you need to know the right people (unless of course, you are one of the right people).
We waited for a bit for the show and lots of people seemed to know each other. Air kissing was the norm. In some cases, they also had stuff to say to each other. We entered and managed to get decent seats for the show. They were two rows away from the ramp and located just about midway from each end.
I noted/wondered about the following:
1. All of us who have seen tonnes of fashion TV know that models walk with their legs crossing over to the other side. I also found out that all models walk at a 10 degree backward slant to vertical. Apparently, this is called walking like a horse and this pose 'pushes your chest out, tucks your ass in' and gives a good form/shape to the clothes you are wearing.
2. There were often two models on the ramp - one going back and the next one just walking in. Personally, i thought that it was very distracting.
3. The hall was well lit. I realised that a lot of the audience were checking out the audience more than the models on the ramp. So was I.
4. The man to woman ratio here was amazing. It was better than expected. I have come such a long way from KREC. Amen.
5. There were almost no straight men.
6. 4 and 5 make such events heavenly for all straight men lucky enough to be there.
7. All the shop owners were standing in the corridor. All of them. Not a single one was inside. They were all just standing there looking at the crowd throbbing past them.
I even made it to the lounge which was like a small vip area with complementary snacks and beverages (yes, even the good stuff!). SS never fails to impress. Anyway, so we had a cup of tea there.
I felt like a child reaching a big city for the first time. Everything was new and not familiar. Every one was full of energy. Every one was pretty and well dressed. The air smelt mysteriously of grass every 20 yards or so. I loved it.
Ps: Someone asked me for recent pics. Please add me on facebook.
I got to watch a fashion show for the first time this week. I did not expect much but I thought that it was something worth capturing in a post.
It all began with SS. She was shocked to find out that I had not ever seen a show, while I was shocked to think that something like this was shocking. I claimed (correctly) that none of my friends had watched one either. So there I was, at the Delhi fashion week which was being held quite close to the office.
You need to be a designer, a model, a member, guest, staff or hired help of the FDCI to be allowed in, or you need to know the right people (unless of course, you are one of the right people).
We waited for a bit for the show and lots of people seemed to know each other. Air kissing was the norm. In some cases, they also had stuff to say to each other. We entered and managed to get decent seats for the show. They were two rows away from the ramp and located just about midway from each end.
I noted/wondered about the following:
1. All of us who have seen tonnes of fashion TV know that models walk with their legs crossing over to the other side. I also found out that all models walk at a 10 degree backward slant to vertical. Apparently, this is called walking like a horse and this pose 'pushes your chest out, tucks your ass in' and gives a good form/shape to the clothes you are wearing.
2. There were often two models on the ramp - one going back and the next one just walking in. Personally, i thought that it was very distracting.
3. The hall was well lit. I realised that a lot of the audience were checking out the audience more than the models on the ramp. So was I.
4. The man to woman ratio here was amazing. It was better than expected. I have come such a long way from KREC. Amen.
5. There were almost no straight men.
6. 4 and 5 make such events heavenly for all straight men lucky enough to be there.
7. All the shop owners were standing in the corridor. All of them. Not a single one was inside. They were all just standing there looking at the crowd throbbing past them.
I even made it to the lounge which was like a small vip area with complementary snacks and beverages (yes, even the good stuff!). SS never fails to impress. Anyway, so we had a cup of tea there.
I felt like a child reaching a big city for the first time. Everything was new and not familiar. Every one was full of energy. Every one was pretty and well dressed. The air smelt mysteriously of grass every 20 yards or so. I loved it.
Ps: Someone asked me for recent pics. Please add me on facebook.
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