Of pearls, biriyanis and more (5 things - Week 70)

Hello and welcome to a brand new weekend. This time from Hyderabad. Yours truly, in the course of the flow of his life, is being temporarily accommodated in the city of pearls. Being a part of a top secret mission, I'm not at the liberty of discussing the purpose and aim of me being here. Though I think the fact that I've already mentioned my location would be detrimental to my mission.

Leave that all aside. Here are some of the stuff I came across on my wanderings around this city.

ok.. it might just be another flower market. But it has such a vibrant feel to it.

that is by some distance the BIGGEST chandelier I've seen..

who doesn't love an old style Royal Enfield.

Let's talk about this city now. First off, this is not my first time in the city. I was here some five years before as a part of the "industrial visits" that are part of our B.Tech curriculum. I can't for the love of God remember which company we visited then. But I do remember the main tourist places of the city we went to. Surprisingly, I don't have any residual impression of the city. So, arriving here now and taking in the sights, it felt like I was here for the first time.

I'll have to say that even though I was impressed by the multitudes of flyovers and underpasses and an under-construction metro (these imply heavy traffic which is a sure sign of progress), and the phelotra of brands having multiple outlets across the city (these imply that the people have more money to burn than is necessary), I was a bit let down by the general level of craziness that is enveloping the city.

Believe me, I know crazy. I had been at Delhi far too long to not know proper craziness - the tangled roads, the long stops at red lights, the rule breaking auto-mobiles, the unkempt roads, the mix of people from a variety of ways of life, etc etc. But then again, it was proper craziness. That means that it was within a limit.

I don't know whether it's specific to the locality that I'm at, but Hyderabad is yet to show that it is of the proper craziness type. And I remember that this was my first impression of Delhi. Heck, it is the first impression I have of any city than my own.

P.S In case you are wondering, I'm yet to find a city as good as my Thiruvananthapuram.

So, I'm going to give this city what I gave Delhi. A second chance. Over the weekend and beyond, I plan to go around the city, visit more places - tourist and other-wise - and then I'll pass my judgement on where this city comes in my "List of favorite cities".

So, where am I going to go?? Well, those places are the "5 things" for this week.

P.S. I'll be using the words from wikipedia to describe the places I haven't visited before. So, a thanks in advance to the many unseen hands spreading knowledge throughout the world.

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1. Char Minar

The Charminar, built in 1591 CE, is a monument and mosque located in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. The landmark has become a global icon of Hyderabad, listed among the most recognized structures of India. The English name is a translation and combination of the Urdu words Chār and Minar, translating to "Four Towers"; the eponymous towers are ornate minarets attached and supported by four grand arches.

2. Snow World

I've been here last time around and what an experience it was. For a reasonable price they let you into a room which will be kept at around -5°C for the next hour or so. If in the September of 2009, someone had told me that it would be a good training programme for braving the cold winters of Delhi I would have to face from December 2010, then I wouldn't have got out of the room a good twenty minutes before.

3. Golkonda

Golkonda, also known as Golconda or Golla konda ("shepherd's hill"), a ruined fort of Southern India and capital of medieval Golconda Sultanate (c.1518–1687), is situated 11 km west of Hyderabad. It is also a mandal of Hyderabad District. The region is universally famous for the mines that have produced the world's most famous and coveted gems, including the Hope Diamond, The Eye of the Idol (aka the Nassak Diamond), the Koh-i-Noor and the Darya-i-Noor.

4. Ramoji Film City

Well, what can I say about this magnificent place. I could write a whole post on the things I saw at this place when I visited it last time around. You'll feel that much closer to the glamour and inner workings of the movie world. Last time around, we were oblivious to the photo opportunities at the place. But equipped with better equipment and more intent mindset, we'll be setting out to get enough profile pictures to last the year.

5. Dum Biriyani

I typed those words and I'm already salivating. After having lots of "imitation" Hyderabadi dum biriyanis - from Trivandrum to Delhi - I'm hoping to have my first taste of the real stuff in the city of its origin. Hopefully, it'll be worth the name it has.

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Hopefully, next week, I'll have first hand pictures from all these places. Of course, it'll be all be selfies. I'm going mad on selfies these days. But that is for another post.

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So, we were roaming around this city and we came across this. The BIGGEST MEGA SUPER DUPER BLOCKBUSTER HIT in Malayalam cinemas in recent times, "Drishyam" was recently remade and released in Telegu. And here's one theatre showing the same. Don't be mislead by the lack of crowd - we arrived at the premises after the evening show started. Don't ignore the superlatives I used for the movie - I know it might have come across as sarcastic. This movie is that good.

P.S. You can always watch the movie it was "inspired" from - Perfect number.

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All pictures of the city are courtesy of Roshin's Photography. Go on. Visit the page and view the visual treats he has to offer. He clicks the most beautiful of clicks using just his mobile's camera.

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Well, that's all for this week.

Hope you have a great weekend.
I'll be here missing my lovely Thironthoram.

'til next week.

Random five (5 things - Week 69)

This week we'll have a very short post with almost no prologue or epilogue. You all have been pampered with long posts in the past few weeks. As I'll be out of town starting this week, with no specific date set for my return to my "thironthoram", I'm not in a situation to churn out 1000 words for your consumption. Rather, I'll be using a mix of already composed work from external sources (when have I not, right?? ).

And most importantly, this is going to be a random post. I checked, and the last time we had one of these was way back in week 63. So, without further ado, let's get into it, shall we??

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1. Sex education in India

Now, this video was going viral last week. Though there wasn't any sex education class when I was in school, I can imagine them being something very similar to what's portrayed here. Have a look, if you can handle the word "S-E-X".



2. Epic 404 page

HTTP 404 is an error code indicating that the web server was unable to return the page/link we are trying to access right now. Usual 404 pages look like this.

Well, the people at Association for Computing Machinery, University of Illinois decided to make something more interesting than that. They came out with a poignant web server which dumps all its emotional baggage onto you. Check it out at

http://www.acm.uiuc.edu/404

3. Photobomb level - QUEEN

The following photo was taken at the XX Commonwealth Games which is currently taking place at Glasgow. And in case you don't know what photobombing means, I'll explain. It is when you have an unexpected intrusion (human, animal or object) into the photo that you were taking.

If I have to explain this to you, NEVER MIND!! :-/

4. HARI SADU

An advertisement I hated because of the naming issues I had with the main character. But still a great ad nonetheless.

5. Inch-by-Inch

There are all kinds of speeches. Well, the next four minute video that I've for you is one of the best I've heard in all my life. Facing an uphill task to overturn a deficit in the crunch game, the coach gives a speech, a team talk at halftime. If you don't get goosebumps at the end of four minutes, you were not paying attention. The movie is "Any given sunday". Oh!! The coach is played by some guy called Al Pacino.



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Just one more question before I let you get back to your weekend. How close do you have to be with someone to ask them what they do with their nose pickings?? I'll leave you with that thought.

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Well, that's all for this week.

Hope you have a great weekend.

'til next week.

Observation Skills (5 things - Week 68)

You must have read a crime novel? A movie based on a crime novel perhaps? A TV series based on one? "Yes" to any one those?? Very good. That means that I won't have to explain too much about what I'm going to say next.

In a typical criminal investigation, you'll be paying close attention to all the minute details - just as any competent detective would. The thrill of going through the fictionalized account of any crime investigation is the quest to solve the case by yourself, before all is revealed. And for this a keen sense of observation is required.

But that is not the kind of observation I had in mind. In that scenario, the detective (as well as the you) knew that you had to observe. It was your duty to observe. But what of the eye witness, who in the fictionalized account, willingly provides a near accurate description of the convict?? Would you be able to do that in real life??

Would you be able to describe the person you met in the elevator today?? I set the date to today to make sure that it is recent. I set the location to an elevator to make sure that there aren't that many distractions. I set the number of people in the elevator other than you to be one to make sure that you would remember at least the gender of the person. If you didn't use an elevator today, you are welcome to change the situation to any you came across recently. Just try to visualize that person.

So, how well did you do? What will be your reply to "Can you describe him to a sketch artist?" ?

I don't know about you, but I would reply "NO". More often than not, I'm never paying any attention to such details. I would make a very bad eye witness (that is not an invitation for the criminals among you to take advantage of this trait of mine).

Thus we come to the topic for this week's 5 things - "Observational Skills". Here are the common and not so common observational skills that I've come across in my life.

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1. Vayinottam

If you know Malayalam, you would have understood where I'm going with this. "Vayinottam" [pronounced wa-yin-nno-ttam] is literally "looking at mouth" and it is anything but that. This is an art form which every guy (and even though they'll never accept it, every gal) knows - the art of appreciating the opposite sex. And what better way to appreciate than to observe. Observe them at the bus stop, at the park, at the movies, at any public place. If it goes beyond that though, it becomes the next thing I'm going to describe.

2. Stalking

When you extent your observation's focus into the private moments of an individual, it's called Stalking. But when we talk about stalking, we only think about the physical act of following a person around. In those circumstances, the stalked usually files a case and the court slaps the stalker with a restraining order, making it an arrestable offense to be within a certain distance of the victim. [I don't know if anything like this exists in India - the restraining order, not the stalking. Please let me know if you know something about it.]

In this digital age, there's another kind of stalking. This stalker will be at his portal to the internet, following whatever the stalked is doing in their online incarnations. Tell me how you stop that kind of stalking??

3. Songs

We automatically pick up the songs we like from the chaotic audio waves that reach our ear drums. That is one incredible ability to observe in all human beings.

4. Rear Recognition

How do you normally recognize a person? From their face, their voice, their body posture, their walking style, their fashion style or something unique to them, right? Such uniqueness leaves an imprint on our mind, which helps us to recognize them the next time we meet them. Well, I have a friend, who is as good at rear recognition as face recognition. If you don't get what i mean, then you are probably PG-13 rated.

5. My favorite thing

That would be football. I'm sure you have your own obsession too. And it would be no surprise to see us picking the subtle things that happen with relation to our obsession. I for one enjoy to observe, dissect and appreciate the delicate nuances that gifted footballers showcase on the pitch. I'm sure that you enjoy something similar with respect to your favorite thing.

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Are you wondering about the cause of this blog?? Well, I've been going to the temple in front of my house continuously for the past 146 days. Yet I failed to notice the new three foot picture of Ram, Sita & Lakshman. That was kept right at the entrance yesterday. But I noticed it only on my way out today. Apparently, my observational senses kick into action only in specific circumstances.

Well, I did some research online and found a few sites which try to help you to develop your skills of observation.

http://www.wikihow.com/Sharpen-Your-Powers-of-Observation

In case you are interested to become the famous sleuth from 221B Baker Street, visit the following site.

http://lifehacker.com/5960811/how-to-develop-sherlock-holmes-like-powers-of-observation-and-deduction

So, let's test your observations skills now shall we?? Look at the below picture and evaluate yourself. Hope you didn't have to read to observe properly. :P

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Well, that's all for this week.

Hope you have a great weekend.

'til next week.

Football !!! - Week 3

So I didn't write much this week. Fortunately, a glance through the drafts section gave me what's below. Written during July 2014, it describes my life long passion.

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My affair with her is the classic illicit story. Even though it was short lived, what we had was spicy, lusty, beautiful and more, up until the last moment, when the roof fell over our heads, reminding us both that we were never meant to be together, at least in a physical sense. That doesn't mean that we are not flirting anymore.

To avoid any unnecessary assumptions or presumptions from your part as to who she is, I would like to let you know that "she" here means FOOTBALL - the one true love I have now (then).

My legs zombie walk towards a football on seeing one; I still watch from the sidelines as those more fortunate than me knock around the ball, and show some skill for a good measure; I FOLLOW a football team to the little bits of news that come out from it. To say the least, I still wish I hadn't done that simple turn on that fateful day - then maybe, I could have still played today.

That was just the trailer. Let us now begin the show. From the begining.

I was never a sports fan. I never had the stamina/desire to play any game, in which you have to run around the place over and over again. That meant badminton doubles and cricket were the only games - here games means those "fun" activities in which you have to stand - I even tried to play. This is on top of the customary basketball matches I had to take part in because of my height factor. Oh!!! How I loathed having to play in my school days, and how I wish I had the sense then to not to.

I still remember the first time I "played" football. I put played in quotes because it was not actually a match, but a training session, and the Physical Education Sir, Mr.Vincent chose me as the sacrificial lamb for that particular day. The task before me was pretty simple. Put the football a yard or two in front of you, roll it back using the tip of your foot, and as it rolls towards you, use your foot to flick it up. Simple, right??

Well, that day, to the 12 year old me, it was the single most, physically challenging task that I had to complete. Sadly, no matter how much I tried, in my attempts to flick the ball, all I could achieve was to kick it further away. Thus ended my first tryst with the football, which can be termed as nothing, but a failure.

Now, when it came to following football, I was like any other blue-blooded Indian - only Cricket. Football is a leap year-ish tradition here, wherein the FIFA World Cup is watched with much awe and passion, which fizzles out at the final whistle of the final game, only to come back again in four years.

And so we arrive at the summer of 2004, when I had finished my 10th grade, and was idling at home. I happened to come across the football game FIFA, and that changed the way I thought about football.

Like a misguided missile reaching its target, a few simple push at the "Enter" button in the starting menus of that game left me with ARSENAL FC as my chosen football club. It wasn't a concisous choice, but one I thank myself for making anyways. I started playing football on the computer with a dedication I always showed only in lazing around. And I came to like the team, I was playing with - Arsenal FC. The team had pace, power and flair, I unconciously started following the team.

And thus did Football reappear in my life. It was a slow start - it took over 6 years for it to grow into something significant. The grip that the game of cricket had on me waned, and I was becoming a football addict. And the transistion from an addict to a fanatic was complete when I started playing football, in real life, again.

I will never claim I was any good at it. I was too sloopy to be a keeper; was clumsy in tackles to be a defender; lacked any skill to take on a defender like a midfielder; and didn't have enough power in my legs to frighten the opposite keeper with my shots as a striker. I could go all melodramatic, and say what I had was love for the game, and all that crap. Even though the said crap is true, it wasn't just that.

I, like most of the other people like me, had a knack to pick the incapability of the street football players to apply the offside rule properly in our matches. We would hang around in the opposition half, mostly close to their goalkeeper, in search of long balls from our team, or stray back passes from the other. We wont finish off every chance that came our way, but our inability in other aspects of the game forces our teams to play us so.

And so in the winter of 2010 did my footballing days begin again. I was just settling into my life at Delhi, and football became my addiction and my passion. But the rest of the story is for another post.

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Until next week.

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.

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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].

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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.

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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

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Well, that's all for this week.

Hope you have a great weekend.

'til next week.