NOT THAT 50 shades of Grey(5 things - Week 67)

The book, and the upcoming film with the same title, '50 shades of Grey'  has become synonymous with erotic literature. It has given the license to many an innocent nerd claiming to have read "porn". Well, it's not. Like a dear friend of mine had put it to me so nicely, "In matters with regards these, because of their uninhibited urge to perform, the amateurs always churn out the better stuff."

Anyways, I mentioned that specimen of fiction because over the course of the next few paragraphs I'll be trying to bore you with some recent philosophical tinglings I've felt. And I don't want you people to jolt out of your slumber when you see the words "50 shades of Grey" in between. My mention of the phrase has nothing to do with the book.

So, what is this tingling I've had that is currently labouring to be introduced to you? It's something that has been discussed and dissected by people far wiser than us. What I intend to do is channel some of my own personal experience and inferences before quoting what they had to tell us.

The basic premise was laid out when I was torn between deciding whether what I was going to do to be right or wrong? This question of morality lead me to forging the following statement,

"What is morality, but the guilty feeling you get when you are truly enjoying yourself..."

The concept of duality has always fascinated me. We tend to always think in terms of black and white, right and wrong. Everything is fine as long as the elements in our environment stick to these mutually exclusive zones. But when there are transgressions, and there are always transgressions, it is like throwing a spanner into the mechanized machine that is our thought process. We don't know what to do.

To give an example, I was unsure of what to do. The act I was about to perform was always banished into the "wrong" zone by me. So, if I did it, I would either have to accept that it has been shifted into the "right" zone or that I was about to move into the "bad" category of people - both options which I found rather depressing to pursue.

It was then that I came into another branch of thought process, which reminded me of the 50 shades of Grey. Between the demarcated zones of black and white, lies the various shades of Grey. Anything is a combination of black and white, just in different proportions. So, what I was about to do could be termed both as right and wrong, and that would save me a lot of mental burden.

But in the deepest recesses of my mind, I knew that was a weak excuse given to facilitate doing such things. That was when I finally settled into this school of thought - the thought process which does away with the concept of duality and preaches non-duality. And that is where I found peace of mind - in knowing that there's right and wrong, but both are the same.

As someone put it, "The though process of a successful serial killer and a successful detective are the same."

With that, we shall proceed on to the "5 things" for this week.

***

1. Anthon St. Maarten, Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny

“If we never experience the chill of a dark winter, it is very unlikely that we will ever cherish the warmth of a bright summer’s day. Nothing stimulates our appetite for the simple joys of life more than the starvation caused by sadness or desperation. In order to complete our amazing life journey successfully, it is vital that we turn each and every dark tear into a pearl of wisdom, and find the blessing in every curse.” 

2. Ramana Maharshi

"There are neither good nor bad qualities in the Self. The Self is free from all qualities. Qualities pertain to the mind only. It is beyond quality. If there is unity, there will also be duality. The numerical one gives rise to other numbers. The truth is neither one nor two. It is as it is."

3. Sutta Nipata (a Buddhist Scripture)

"Develop the mind of equilibrium.

You will always be getting praise and blame,

but do not let either affect the poise of the mind:

follow the calmness, the absence of pride."

4. Eric Micha'el Leventhal

“To see through the illusion of duality, remember that fear and darkness have no substance in themselves, for they do not indicate the presence of a second universal force, but are only names given to the one Light unperceived.” 

5. The Bhagavad Gita

Yada bhuta-prthag-bhavam

ekastham anupasyati;

Tata eva ca vistaram

Brahma sampadyate tada.

It is when one realizes that all beings and things which are existing separately are living in ‘It’and are ‘It’, and are expanding with ‘It’, then only one attains Brahman [Non Duality].

***

In the above quotes, we have been taught the concept of duality as two polar opposites; the reason why we feel a need for duality in all things - to represent the struggle we call as life; how to break away from the concept of duality - by realizing that we perceive things as dual and that that perception is wrong; and what we shall achieve by embracing non-dualism - Brahman.

.

Since time immemorial people have been chasing the shadows of non-duality in search of salvation. In my search for wise quotes on non-duality, I came across this gem of a message. Read it thrice and start living in the moments.

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future; Live the actual moment. Only this moment is life." - Thich Nhat Hahn

***

Well, that's all for this week.

Hope you have a great weekend.

'til next week.

H-A-B-I-T (5 things - Week 66)

Once in high school, I was taught about that wonderful thing people like to call HABIT. I was taught that you should always try to develop good habits and try to avoid from cultivating bad habits. The main reason against the latter statement was the obvious persistent nature of Habits. She explained that nature as follows..

"HABIT.

Remove the first letter from it. A-BIT remains..

Remove the first letter from it. BIT remains..

Remove the first letter from it. IT remains.."

As you can see, it's very hard to get rid of an habit, and it such a situation all football lovers find themselves in right now.

The usual national leagues shut up shop for the season in the middle of May. In most summers, that means three months of no football as the next season starts only by August. But this summer, we've had the World Cup to bring us footy junkies some much needed action. But the rest days they have given between the rounds are making the withdrawal symptoms prominent.

Counting the time to the next kick-off (2 hours, 35 minutes), watching the replays, fighting online over what has been the moment of the tournament so far, or worse, indulging in transfer gossip (if you don't know what that means, you are one lucky $*^@&).

The only good thing about the rest days is that it prepares us for the next one month of no football following the final whistle at the Maracana on July 13th. There will be the occasional warm up matches for the clubs, but until the season begins in the middle of August, we'll never be satisfied.

And that's the thing about habits. It starts of as something small, a cue - a moment of weakness, a moment of indulgence or a moment of imagination. If the result entraps you to perform it again and again, then it becomes a routine. The result or the reward that you get depends on what you are actually doing. But it reinforces in you the need to keep going. These are not my words, but a widely accepted fact. See they even have got flow charts on it.

Anyways, for the five things for this week, we'll be looking at five such habits that I seem to have developed over the years.

***

1. First thing I do on opening my eyes

Check my phone. This must be true for most of us, I guess. While our forefathers checked the direction to face while getting up, we now grope around our bed trying to find the phone, and then continue on to check the notifications in all our social networks. I got a mobile phone in the 18th year of my life, and this is a habit of mine only since. The reason for this habit must be the urge to keep up-to-date with all that's "happening".

2. Charm

My house is right behind a temple, which I visit often. There's a banyan tree at the temple. If you have to reach the banyan tree, you've to climb three steps. And I always touch the topmost step at the exact same point with the index finger of my right hand. Why? I haven't figured that out myself. But I can tell you that I'm afraid of not doing it for the consequences. It's my charm.

3. Double Checking

If you were to stalk me, and I know some of you do that quite religiously, you would find me parking my bike, locking my bike, walking away from my bike, come back to my bike, check if I locked my bike, and walk away again from my bike. I know the reason for this one. I wouldn't call me absent minded, but I do "zone out" a lot and start thinking about stuff unrelated to what I'm doing. Hence, I end up double checking.

4. Matchday Colors

If you didn't know, most clubs and countries have a minimum of two, a normal of three matchday colors. That is they have two or three kits to choose from on what to wear for a particular match. And whenever Arsenal play, I wear the kit top that they are wearing for that match.

This started off a scathing comment from a friend who noticed that I was wearing the same thing as the team on the tele. At that time, it was just cos of the fact that I tend to have a lot of Arsenal tops and I tend to love wearing them. But something changed that day, and wearing matchday colors became a good luck charm for me and my team.

5. THIS!!!

If this isn't a habit, what else is?? I've been here, every Friday for the past 65 weeks, making these posts. There was a cue, there was a routine and there has been a reward. Thank you all.

***

P.S. This is the 100th post on this site. I write around 1000 words per post. That puts the number of words sown over here to be an estimated 1,00,000. Over two years before, I decided that I would think about writing a book only if I can hit that number. Well, I think I should start dusting off my "celebrated author" dreams.

***

***

Well, last week's matches were a drag. More often than not, I was praying for the match to get over within the regulation time. We've eight more matches before they pack up everything at Brazil. I sincerely hope that those are better than what we got in the first knockout stages.

In a few hours, the two teams I support at this tournament will kick off, trying to kick each other out of the tournament. Germany vs France. Whichever way it goes, it's heartbreak for me. But I guess a German victory would hurt a little less.

***

Well, that's all for this week.

Hope you have a great weekend.

'til next week.

It's shaving Cream (5 things - Week 65)

Well, I used to think it’s shaving cream. But apparently, it's called, rather imaginatively, the "Vanishing Foam".

Just in case you missed out on the question (from last week’s blog), it was “What is the foamy stuff the referees at the World Cup are using to mark the location of the ball and the human wall during freekicks??”

It is good that it ain't any shaving cream brand on the market. I've found that these said markings on the pitch disappear in a minute or two. Not the best advertisement for any brand. Before we leave the subject, and I know the following is highly sexist, but it's really funny.

And just in case you had a doubt, the topic for this week will also be Football, specifically the FIFA World Cup that is being held in Brazil (see pic below).

I had remarked last week that I’ll be milking the imaginary teats (no pun intended) of this World cup cow. Well, if I had to compare this imaginary cow to another imaginary cow, it would be the ‘Kamadhenu’, the mythical sacred Indian cow. Like its mythical counterpart, this World Cup is turning out to be a gift that keeps on giving.

Last week, we talked about the spectacular goals, the really stupid red cards, the improbable results and the last gasp finishes. It was more of the same, and some more this week. As the first round drew to an end yesterday, and as half the teams got on the flight back home, we'll look at five major incidents from the first round.

***

1. The goal of the tournament so far

Okay, there can never be an unanimous decision on this. So, I’m just going to punt for a personal favourite – THAT Tim Cahill goal against the Netherlands. Though Australia must have already left Brazil after their exit, they did themselves no harm with some spectacular, albeit unsuccessful, performances.

Many contenders have already put their names in the hat for the goal of the tournament, and you can expect more as the competition progresses into the latter stages.

2, The save of the tournament so far

Talking about hats, how’s this for one??

The Brazilians must have really felt that such a hat was blocking their path to the inside of the Mexican goalpost. Frustrating is never a compliment, unless you are associating it with a goalkeeper. And the Mexican Goalkeeper, Guillermo Ochoa earned his frustration badge, as he helped his side to a 0-0 draw with Brazil.

3. The pass of the tournament so far

If I’ve to be totally honest with you, neither did I watch the match, nor did I see this pass until like one minute before. From the match reports and post-match discussions on the social forums, I knew this pass was good. But deep within, I just felt that it was hype. But it ain’t.

This pass from Joel Campbell of Costa Rica to set up his teammate Marco Ureña score against Uruguay was, for a better word, AWESOME. And the Costa Ricans have been the story of the tournament so far. Drawn in Group D with three Top 10 FIFA ranked teams, a group the media was quick to term the “Group of Death”, the minnows Costa Ricans have come out of the group in the first place, without tasting defeat at the hands of the giants.

A “David vs Goliath” story is always an attractive preposition and the story continues as they take on Greece in the next stage of the World Cup.

4. The best defensive unit so far

Again, if I’ve to be honest with you, I like to watch games where both teams are attacking – it gives the match an edge we all like to see. And when I sat down to watch the Argentina vs Iran match, it was basically to see the Argentine attacking quartet of Messi, Aguero, Higuain and Di Maria, take apart the minnows from Asia. Well, it was not to be.

Even though they fell to a brilliant Messi strike in the added minutes of the second half, the Iranians held their fort against the Argentines and was more than a handful when they counter attacked. Another team which left the World Cup with pride in my opinion.

5. The ‘Oh my GOD!! How can he be so stupid?” moment

There was this stupid headbutt from Pepe on a Muller sitting on the floor.

There was then this punch from Song on Mandzukic on his back. (graphics might be exaggerated).

But, like you must have heard, Suarez bit Chelini. Again. For the third time in his career in fact. That's right, Ladies and Gentlemen. A grown man, a professional, playing under the watchful eyes of the entire world biting a fellow professional.

That takes the cake (again, no pun intended).

***

Well, there wasn't any match today. So hope this would have sated your football hunger. I know this ain't no World Cup, but at least I tried..:D ;)

***

Well, that's all for this week.

Hope you have a great weekend.

'til next week.

Spherical thing which has 20 people running after it (5 things - Week 64)

For the uninitiated, that means Football.

Still can't believe that we had to delve deep into the world of nothingness to get something to talk about last week. The week in which the leap year-ish ritual of watching football began again. The week which saw the peak of "what female counterparts should do during world cup" and "what you should do to come off as an intellectual football fan" messages.

*** While we are on the topic, read this article on why there's an "Unconscious bias" against females in football. ***

The week that passed saw my fellow nationals supporting other countries - usually, one after the another depending on who gets knocked out first with many already on their second team, thanks to Spain's early exit. By the end of next week, they would be left with a small pool of 16 teams to choose from.

Last week saw even the most casual of sports fan take a second look at the channel showing the matches. Why? Well, because it is the World cup. It's the biggest stage, which has the biggest stars vying for the biggest honour in the world of Football.

Even with such high credentials, regular football followers had expected a dour group stage as most of the teams would play cautiously to ensure a safe passage to the knockout stages. That has not been the case.

"Gung ho!!" seems to be the mantra that the coaches are whispering into the player's ears. Everybody's attacking. Not to say that anyone's complaining though. We've had last minute winners, spectacular goals, stupid red cards and thoroughly engaging games on the whole. There hasn't been a winner in only four of the 23 matches so far.

Even though the venue of the event ensures that the kickoff times are almost entirely ungodly, there has been no dearth of audience for the matches. And with the bounds and leaps social networking has gone in the past four years, I'm enjoying the match sitting at home, while actively discussing the events and tactics with friends scattered far and away.

Last time around I was on my way to my new job, when the World cup started. Being a novice, I asked my more knowledgeable friends which team I should say I support. Someone said "Spain" and that was it. But over the past four years, I've grown from a passive, casual football fan to an active, "give me more" kind of person. It's a change I've come to love.

And this world cup I didn't have to ask anyone before pledging my allegiance to Die deutsche Fußballnationalmannschaft, or the Germany's National football team as they are popularly known. And , going back to the topic of inherent sexism in football, it's nice knowing that there's a female friend who supports the same team as mine.

And it is on this enriching experience that we'll have a short post on for this week's "5 things".

***

1. First winner of the World Cup??

Uruguay. (in 1930)

2. The team to have won the most World Cups??

Brazil. (five times)

3. The only team to have retained the trophy??

Brazil. (in 1958 and in 1962)

4. The latest defending champion to bow out in the group stage??

Spain (Winner of 2010 World Cup).

2006 winners Italy did the same in 2010 and 1998 winners France did the same in 2002.

5. Where the next two world cups are going to be held??

In Russia for the 2018 World Cup, and in Qatar for the 2022 World Cup.

***

There has been much furore over the decision to let Qatar host the world cup for the year 2022. For a governing body associated with such a prestigious, global game, FIFA aren't covering themselves with glory following the various allegations coming up against them. John Oliver has a lot of things to say about FIFA and the world cup and he needs just 13 minutes of your valuable time.



I'll also be asking for a few minutes of your time next week, as we delve further into the controversy that is becoming the FIFA. Yup, that's right. I've decided to milk the virtual teats of the cow that is Football for a topic until the World cup is over.

And since you are such an ardent reader to have kept reading till now, I'll let you have a sneak peak on the next week's headlines.

(ONLY FOR YOUR EYES)

ON HERE NEXT WEEK :

What is the white, foamy stuff that the referee is spraying on the pitch?

husemeplz investigates.

***

Well, that's all for this week.

Hope you have a great weekend. Meet you in the comment sections, if you are interested.

'til next week.

Random?? (5 things - Week 63)

There's always a pattern to the way I do things in my life. If given a target to achieve within a specific time period, I would start off in all earnest - planning, thinking, prioritizing and what not. But soon the initial drive will decrease, and I would start doing something else just cos I can. By the time the halfway point of the time period says "bye bye" to me, I start getting jitters and start working on finishing it, and mostly, finish the work by the 80-90% mark so that I can cruise to the finish line.

Such is not the way this blog gets written though. An idea is born everyday, an idea dies everyday.So, what you get is mostly what I think about on Fridays. There are the odd ones from other weekdays which make the list, but the net result of all this is that you tend to miss out on most of the stuff I would like to write about.

After the festivities of the month before, the past two weeks have been pretty dull with no special topics getting posted here. It's at times like these that the words of a senior of mine rings around in my head - "Don't try to force yourself to write. Write during a week only if you feel that it's worth to be written about." But the problem I would face in following that philosophy was the reason that most of my previous articles had an average of months in between their publishing here. 

Recently, someone advised me on the fact that trying is as good as winning. As you would expect I agreed with him 100%. But the problem was he was talking about things which are mainstream - things which people will applaud you for if you try for it.

We all remember the story of the king/general who fought an enemy army 7 times, and failed. But he was inspired by a spider to do it one more time, and eventually win. Now this story gets talked about a lot because it was a great job done by a great person, nameless though he may be. What we tend to forget is that there are people, who tend to love the non-mainstream. I won't ask you to go about singing about their conquests, but don't begrudge them with "Pffts" and "Mehs" if you can.

Anyways, RANT OVER.

For this weeks "5 things", we'll go through the five topics that came to my mind through this week.

Let's begin, shall we??

***

1. Monday - Facts??

Did you know that there are two kinds of twins - fraternal and identical. Fraternal twins means that they began with two eggs and two sperms. In identical twins, there's only one egg and one sperm, but it splits into two later.

Well, this series was originally intended to be a "Did you know" series comprising of the things I learned during the week. And since it has been a long time since we had one such post here, Monday was spent thinking of what other similar/interesting facts I could dig up.

2. Tuesday - Nothing??

This is what I feel would be a grand post by itself. A blog about nothing. I end up thinking about such a post at least once every week, but all my ideas for it have failed to excite me till now.

3. Wednesday - Migraines??

Started off as a slight headache concentrated on the right hand size of my head. In the end, it became too much, and ended my day early. Migraines was the topic too, but I did not get much time to think about it.

4. Thursday - "Mom & Me"

See the above video. That is the call for a new reality show, set soon to be aired on a prominent regional channel. So, what the difference? It is calling for mothers and their newborn children to take part in it. During that video, the actress says something to the effect of

"if your kid has brains, beauty, and/or the capability to respond intelligently to external stimuli, and if he/she is between the age group of 1 month to 3 years, ..."

Tell me how a child of 1 month responds to external stimuli. And what skills is a child of 1 month going to show off in front of the camera. There has been very less research on the effects of reality show pressure on people (young and old), but I guess no doctor will advice a mother to take her child on something as stressful as this.

This was supposed to be the main topic of this blog, but I need to get my ideas in order before I can release it. Expect a full post on this soon.

5. Friday - THIS!!!

***

Well, a few minutes spent on the beach side in the evening, swarmed as it was with crabs and rats, was well spent indeed. A few minutes alone should be made compulsory every week for every individual. To just sit there and count the waves was nothing short of magical. And a lot of thinking gets done in between too. ;)

***

Well, that's all for this week.

Hope you have a great weekend. Meet you in the comment sections, if you are interested.

'til next week.