Nocturnal Colorful Experiments

I am putting a few pics which I painted late last night, and considering I had ten others things to do- filing my tax returns, chief among them- I was happy to digress from the usual routine and let my baser instinct take over me. The results are not great. Blame it on camera or the paper I used ( I still haven't been able to locate the art supply shop in Def Col), but it surely looks better on paper. Since I have started dabbling in colors again, I will keep posting my experimentations..

On the subject of my inspiration, I like doing flower or landscape in watercolor. A landscape would have taken 2-3 hours with all those washes and detail that I chose flower over it. Anyway, painting flowers puts me in cheerful mood. I like the bright colors. So here I have. Carnation and Narcissus for all my readers ( and non- readers as well)

In which I give my thanksgiving speech

Nine comments on my last post!! I have finally arrived on the blogging scene। Where does this lead me? Am I going to fret over what my next post is all about- the way rambws suggest in his post, or I will write random stuff?

Thank you guys for reading whatever tripe I post here, and taking time to comment on it. ( Do book reviews get more comments?? I must do a few quickly to boost readership)

I think I am little charged now. I have give my Blog a 'Make better'. But, trust me, I am not gonna be flamboyant. Understated, classic elegance is more like my style. However, before all of this I have to figure out how to get these embellishments for my blog. I need a new "skin" template ( I think they still call it skin, no they call it template..I desperately need to know the way I can cross Skin )

I will put link to all my favorite blogs and will basically copy everything from flygye. I think I have made pretty much clear that I am not an original. I like smart work and don't believe too much in hard work, so I can lift off ideas from hear and there and make nice potpourri.

But before all that happens, I am gonna do something. As I have never mentioned anywhere in my blog that I am an art lover and aspiring painter ( among other things)..I will put a few pics of my work. No, Flygye.! You don't get any prizes for goading me to paint at 11:30 in night so that I can put those images in the morning. Though, you can be little lenient about my claims of being an above average painter and criticize my work mildly.

Do I have anything else to write। Yes, a few lines in hindi. hehe.
आज शाम को जब हम काम से वापस आ रहे थे, तब हमने बहुत अरसे के बाद एक जादुई शाम देखी। जादू शायद हमारी निगाहों में था, याफ़िर थकान हम पे हावी हो रही थी। पूरा आसमान बैंगनी, गुलाबी, नारंगी और कत्थई रंगों से लबरेज धीरे धीरे रात की काली चादर ओढ़ रहा था। हम सब कभी कभी जिंदगी की भाग दौड़ में इस कदर मसरूफ हो जाते हैं की अपने इर्द गिर्द हो रही चीज़ों की तरफ़ हल्का सा भी ध्यान नही जाता, वो सब एक ढर्रे पे चलती हुईं तस्वीरें बन जाती हैं, जिनका कोई ख़ुद का वजूद नही होता। वोह सिर्फ़ बंधी होती हैं एक कड़ी से, जिसका एक सिरा बीते कल में और अगला सिरा आने वाले कल में होता है। एक ऐसी कड़ी जो हमें बांधे तो हैं, पर वोह किस से बंधी है , इसका अंदाजा नही है। ना हमें, ना उस वक्त को! आज की इस शाम ने हमें फ़िर से याद दिलाया की जिंदगी में खूबसूरती बिखरी हुई है, ज़रूरत है तो सिर्फ़ इसे अपने जीवन मेंभरने की! शायद ये कोशिश जारी रहेगी! इंशा अल्लाह !!

Enchantress of Florence

I just finished reading "enchantress of Florence" by Sulman Rushdie. It was my first Rushdie book. Though I had started reading "Moor's Last Sigh" a decade ago, I couldn't go beyond first few chapters. The language was too complex for me, and I had a terrible ( still do) habit of knowing the full meaning of every word before moving on. Ostensibly, at that time, I used to do this with every written thing that came my way especially the film glossies that were my staple read those days. It did help me while I was preparing my the MBA entrance exams and needless to add vocab was my favorite section. Now, I don't think there is anything left to say about the style magical realism, baroque style of Rushdie. However, I needed just three evenings (2-3 hrs daily) to finish this book.
The plot was revetting with so many literary devices thrown in that after a while I stopped paying heed to it and started enjoying the book. There was too much history thrown in, History of medival Italy, Mughal India and Turkey Ottoman empire. A few referances to sexual practices in those times did make it more engaging reading experience. And come to think of it, Rushdie writes that two third of florence was gay. Umm, Oliver Martinez!! where are you ??I am coming to you. ( Though, a quick google check tells me is he is of french spanish descent...oh never mind, I don't mind them either)

if any one of you ever reads movie reviews by Taran Adarsh, he has a line that he uses in every reivew. Classes vs Masses. Before I fall in the trap of reviewing this book, let me just say I found it an interesting read, somewhat pacy unlike other books I often pick up and it certainly have class for masses.

This post doesn't make much sense!

I was writing a message to an old friend turned foe, turned friend, turned 'somewhere in between friend and foe' guy and I wrote a line which made me realize how ignorant we sometimes become to our own emotions.

I can never hurt a person deliberately except me.

This line may sound as if I think too highly of myself, or I am some psuedo saint who wants to wallow in his own glory but this is so true of I have been living my life. Actually, there is another way this line can be interpreated and which when I analysed, to my horror, was so true as well. ( I mostly leave myself while psychoanalyzing the whole world for their motivation, action, inspiration)

We all have our dark sides, negative sides where we feel good about something bad, something nasty happening to someone we don't like. How happy we become when we learn that the colleague we were not so fond of was not promoted as well, the girl who was topper in our graduation batch has not done so well. I think German's have a word for this feeling which has slipped my mind. I will add it

For want of suitable targets to project my envy/ frustration/ disappointment what I do is turn it on myself. Therefore, I hurt myself knowingly because either I am incapable of hurting anyone or I have nobody to hurt that I care for. Yes, I don't believe in hurting people just because the crossed my way, said something nasty about me, made fun of me or simply if they hate me.

Am I a masochistic moron??

In as much I want this to be false, it turns out to be true.
I have a big ego. I get hurt easily. I am too sensitive for the prevailing negativity around me. Then why can't give it back to the people???
Initially, I thought this was because I was too soft, too mellow and good hearted. In other words, GAY.
But, hey, most of gay guys I have come across are more than capable of hurting you like you have never been before. Why do I have to this self ingratiating person trying to be loved and like by all. I don't know if these two things are related I do see a connection.

I blame myself. ALWAYS.
Not others. Always trying to rationalize their behavior with something that I might have done to piss them off. I know there are not many. But this process, I tend to think enables me to identify my weaknesses and improve me as a person.

Improvement, but for whom and what??
why do i have to be get depressed every time somebody acts like an ass and I end up blaming myself.

Shocking but true

This is not new news, but it's shocking to say the least. We think that things will be different outside India but they are not. The more things change, the more they remain same..So no matter how many 'Will & Grace', 'Gossip Girl' and " Ugly Betty' we have, it's still a touchy subject..Read on

http://www.newsweek.com/id/147790