Slyness is written on his face
For he showers you with umpteen praise
His actions will leave you in total maze
For he is from the unreliable race!

Don’t ever ask me who is he?
For he can be seen in AnyboDy!

Shades Of Love

Love, thy has many names
When a guy is besotted with a girl, you are called infatuation
When a mother showers her attention on her child, you are called affection
When two strangers care for each other, you are called friendship
When a soldier dies for the country, you are called patriotism
When an artist shows his creative prowess, you are called the muse
When a person shows dedication in his work, you are called passion
When there is a mark left on the platform, you are called lust
Love, you have many facets
Which one suits you the best?

Binding Laws!

When I was born, I started to cry
I followed the laws of birth!

When I turned one, I started to walk
I followed the laws of growth!

When I turned three, I started school
I followed the laws of learning!

When I turned twenty one, I started working
I followed the laws of earning!

All the while, I led a life of discipline
I followed the laws of society!

Appeasing others, not at peace with myself
I gained no friends, just avoided animosity!

I wonder
Was the rule not meant to broken?
Was the extreme obedience worth it?
For I have lost the real me!

Irish July & Singaporean August

I had a chance to trot from the west to the east or rather north to south of the northern hemisphere in a quick span of time which left me completely tickled as well as throttled. It was a rare opportunity to spend July in Ireland and August in Singapore, the only common factor in both these trips was that I was neck deep with work. However the variegated experiences in both these countries, the good ones and the not so good ones, were enriching and elevating. It helped me evolve as a person with more maturity and poise.


Dublin matches a lot with India especially in terms of the freedom struggle that it had to endure. The Irish flag resembles with Indian one, horizontal stripes are replaced by vertical stripes minus Ashok Chakra. The city is well maintained and well connected by Luas tram services and buses, people quite warm and friendly, the only turnoff being the cost factor. Cathedrals, museums, parks are the major tourist attractions like any other European counterparts.

City is famous for its literary heavyweights – James Joyce, Bernard Shaw, Oscar Wilde, Jonathan Swift, W B Yeats… can find books at very cheap prices. Another must to do is to taste Guinness and Baileys! Luckily, I visited Dublin at the right time of the year, around July – August when the sun never sets before 10pm.

I thoroughly enjoyed the short stint during July in Ireland but was extremely let down with my long stay during August in Singapore. May be it’s because Dublin and Singapore are on the extremes as far as the climate and citizens are concerned. Heading straight from Dublin to Singapore was not a good idea at all - from severe chills to humidity that kills! It took nearly a week to adjust to the tropical climate and the stinking odor of the oil used to prepare food. While in Dublin, one get to see most of the fellow travelers quite engrossed in books, in Singapore, they were quite engaged with the high end phones, laptops and other gadgets. As for working environment, I prefer Dublin to Singapore, for Dubliners know exactly how to separate out play and pleasure!


Singapore has mixed population – Chinese, Malays and Indians, settled in well defined regions. Since each section represents the different cultures of its inhabitants, it’s good to travel to places like Chinatown, Little India, Paya Lebar and experience the diversity! The various parts of the country are well connected by MRT as well as buses. It just takes a week to cover the entire country!

Singapore Zoo, Night Safari, Jurong Bird Park is worth one time visit. River cruise at night is quite invigorating – cool chilly breeze, illuminated elevated buildings, magnificent marvelous Merlion statue! The man made island Sentaso is a huge tourist attraction.

Now as I enjoy the Indian September, I recollect these beautiful lines brilliantly penned by Robert Frost

The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

How true! The cities abroad are good in their own way but home is where my heart is and it is known by the name India!

Homage

There! She lays lifeless and dead
As numbness gradually grows from toe to head
Her countenance still holds the charm
Expressions of less turmoil and absolute calm!

She was born with a golden spoon in her mouth
Prosperity favored her throughout her growth
Lived like as a princess, died like a queen
Born lucky, does that mean?

She lived her life on her own term
Standing by her decisions, tall and firm
In others lives, never did she interfere
Whenever they needed her, she was there!

She had her favorites, one or two
Yet she showered love on others too
Still can sense her smell and hear her sound
Running through me in vale profound!

For, I saw this world because she bore my mother
“I will miss you deeply”, my loving grandmother!

Politically Correct!

Raajneeti could be hailed as the casting coup of 2010, the best character actors (Naseeruddin Shah, Nana Patekar, Manoj Bajpai)sharing the screen space with the younger brigade (Ajay Devgan, Arjun Rampal, Ranbir Kapoor, Katrina Kaif).



The movie is a modern take on Mahabharata – belligerent brothers (cousins), illegitimate offspring, shrewd manipulator caught in a war called "politics". The ultimate winner has an ulterior motive which forms the twist in the tale.

As far as actors are concerned – Shah is wasted, Patekar at his usual best, Bajpai stands out, Devgan sails smoothly, Rampal shows improvement, Kapoor steals the show, Kaif comes up with new expressions but that doesn’t guarantee her a National Award! Prakash Jha has captured the mode and mood of elections substantially well.

In short, Rajneeti rocks. What’s your opinion on this decent take on a dirty game?

A Pack of Lies by Urmila Deshpande

Latest book that has joined my shelf is "A Pack of Lies by Urmila Deshpande". The book has nearly 300 odd pages which should have ideally taken max of 3 days to complete but instead took nearly 3 weeks. The question is, why so? The answer is simple – A Pack of Lies is nothing but a bundle of balderdash!

The book is written in first person and highlights a journey of a girl who yearns for her mother’s attention. She wins it eventually when she becomes heavy with a fatherless child.

There is an overdose of sex, smoke and booze, and if coming of age is all about these activities, I rather not grow up! There is not a single instance in the book that caught my attention.

Ms Deshpande, truth is bitter, no wonder you came up with a pack of lies! I would be lying if I suggest A Pack of Lies as a good read to other fellow readers.

Do you want to enjoy true lies?