I saw some school kids wearing my old school's uniform yesterday
I felt sorry for them
Wasting away their lives and minds absorbing irrelevant information.
If each child concentrates on developing one skill thoroughly for about 2 years, he/she would have achieved a decent enough level of skill to make it a source of monetary income. And it is said that human beings have the fastest learning in their teens and early 20's.
What a waste school life is. The time spent to actual learning received is too high to be ignored.
Ah, what the hell. GM.
Gokarn: The Travel Guide We Never Had
So here's the deal. 11 of us decided to go to Gokarna (Its Gokarn, actually... the 'a' at the end is why the rest of India mistakenly pronounces it) because it was the last time we would all get to spend time together. Mainly because people would have to leave for their final year internships, and some would have just finished theirs. Anyway, Gokarn....
We left Madgaon station in the early afternoon and after a 2 hour train ride (going by bus would take you about 4 hours) we reached 'Gokarn Road'. Don't be afraid when you see the word 'Road' after the place's name.. that really is the place's name. On reaching the place we luckily made the correct decision of taking (2) cabs to Kutle/Kudle beach. If you are planning a 'trip' to Gokarn to have a 'good' time, avoid staying in town, because its .. well... boring.
On reaching Kutle beach,
which is where you trek to, after the cabbie drops you off on the top of a deserted hill, try to find accommodation before it grows dark. Just like any of the more exotic places on the west coast, finding a place to stay for Indians (that too 11 of us in this case) is a very hard task to accomplish. There is an international resort (which is really just a slightly more advanced shack) there, but the prices are really high.. even for the foreigners.... So after much searching we stayed at the Sunset Cafe .....
which again is still essentially a shack. The modest accommodation that we got there were in straw huts at cheap rates, but no one really complained, for after all, we wanted to experience the 'feel' of the place. Oh! and the food there.. simply bloody brilliant. From Mushakas, to Pizzas to Israeli food, every dish served at the Sunset Cafe was of high quality and at modest prices. One word of advice though, you don't get too much of the all important B except for beer at any places/beach in Gokarn that too at 'non-goan' rates. Goa, being just 2 hours away, bringing along a bottle or two of your favourite drinks would increase the enjoyability factor a 100 fold. And if your looking for stuff over there, its better you ask some foreigner to buy it for you (they are pretty friendly really...) for again, in some places in India, the Indians are the 'foreigners'.
One thing you musn't miss on any of the nearby beaches is the breathtaking sunset..
The serenity of the place is truly unique and is one of chief reasons why people keep coming back. Apart from the sunset, many of the residents on the beach take to practicing Capoeira (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capoeira), rolling crystal balls all over one's body, performing beautiful acrobatics with ropes who's ends are on fire and what not, are a site to see in itself. But all this stops at sunset for it seems to be a sacred part of the day. Another interesting part of the culture on the beach is the late night bonfires. These usually start at about 11 PM and go on till 2 in the morning where the entire community gathers around the fire and people contribute to some form of live entertainment, provided they want to. This again ranges from cracking jokes, singing, playing musical instrument and acrobatics. No one is judged, nor is anyone compelled. Its all about being a part of the community, sitting around the warm fire and watching the waves on the sea in the pale moonlight in good company. Heavenly.
The next day we made a trip to OM beach....
which gets its name from being shaped like an 'OM'. Its just about a 15-20 min trek from Kutle beach with a some breathtaking views on the way. A good place to eat there is the Namaste Cafe which serves decent food and at decent rates. You can also get some semi-permanent tatoos done there and there are always the ever popular boat rides to help you pass the time. Of course you'll have to bargain a lot, with the tatoo guy coming down from Rs.200/- a tatoo to Rs.50/- (which in itself is too much) and the boat rides to not cost more than Rs.20/- to Rs.32/-perhead depending on the beach you want to go to (again, there were 11 of us). Connected to OM beach is the Half Moon beach....
and Paradise beach, which are really small, but exotic in their own right. A short boat ride away is the Sangam beach and the Barka beach which are completely deserted and an ideal place to enjoy the stuff that you have (Smoking and drinking on the main beaches are banned, and if you are caught the fines could go up to Rs.20K).
We did also make a quick trip to the main Gokarn town, which looked like a 80% Hindu place with about 20% hippie influences much unlike other places in Goa such as Anjuna which are more like a 80% Hippie place with about 20% Hindu influences. Some good advise here would be to simply make a visit to the temple and leave. Have all the fun at the beaches, for the main Gokarn town is a very religious place. Oh, and please don't disturb the Sadhus.. rumour has it they get offended easily especially if you ask them for advice about 'stuff'.
On the whole, the trip was a really memorable one. Gokarn is a gr8 place to holiday in, especially if you are bit of the adventurous kind and are really curious to find out what the foreigners find so exotic about India.
To sum it up , here's a pic that says it all ..
We left Madgaon station in the early afternoon and after a 2 hour train ride (going by bus would take you about 4 hours) we reached 'Gokarn Road'. Don't be afraid when you see the word 'Road' after the place's name.. that really is the place's name. On reaching the place we luckily made the correct decision of taking (2) cabs to Kutle/Kudle beach. If you are planning a 'trip' to Gokarn to have a 'good' time, avoid staying in town, because its .. well... boring.
On reaching Kutle beach,
which is where you trek to, after the cabbie drops you off on the top of a deserted hill, try to find accommodation before it grows dark. Just like any of the more exotic places on the west coast, finding a place to stay for Indians (that too 11 of us in this case) is a very hard task to accomplish. There is an international resort (which is really just a slightly more advanced shack) there, but the prices are really high.. even for the foreigners.... So after much searching we stayed at the Sunset Cafe .....
which again is still essentially a shack. The modest accommodation that we got there were in straw huts at cheap rates, but no one really complained, for after all, we wanted to experience the 'feel' of the place. Oh! and the food there.. simply bloody brilliant. From Mushakas, to Pizzas to Israeli food, every dish served at the Sunset Cafe was of high quality and at modest prices. One word of advice though, you don't get too much of the all important B except for beer at any places/beach in Gokarn that too at 'non-goan' rates. Goa, being just 2 hours away, bringing along a bottle or two of your favourite drinks would increase the enjoyability factor a 100 fold. And if your looking for stuff over there, its better you ask some foreigner to buy it for you (they are pretty friendly really...) for again, in some places in India, the Indians are the 'foreigners'.
One thing you musn't miss on any of the nearby beaches is the breathtaking sunset..
The serenity of the place is truly unique and is one of chief reasons why people keep coming back. Apart from the sunset, many of the residents on the beach take to practicing Capoeira (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capoeira), rolling crystal balls all over one's body, performing beautiful acrobatics with ropes who's ends are on fire and what not, are a site to see in itself. But all this stops at sunset for it seems to be a sacred part of the day. Another interesting part of the culture on the beach is the late night bonfires. These usually start at about 11 PM and go on till 2 in the morning where the entire community gathers around the fire and people contribute to some form of live entertainment, provided they want to. This again ranges from cracking jokes, singing, playing musical instrument and acrobatics. No one is judged, nor is anyone compelled. Its all about being a part of the community, sitting around the warm fire and watching the waves on the sea in the pale moonlight in good company. Heavenly.The next day we made a trip to OM beach....
which gets its name from being shaped like an 'OM'. Its just about a 15-20 min trek from Kutle beach with a some breathtaking views on the way. A good place to eat there is the Namaste Cafe which serves decent food and at decent rates. You can also get some semi-permanent tatoos done there and there are always the ever popular boat rides to help you pass the time. Of course you'll have to bargain a lot, with the tatoo guy coming down from Rs.200/- a tatoo to Rs.50/- (which in itself is too much) and the boat rides to not cost more than Rs.20/- to Rs.32/-perhead depending on the beach you want to go to (again, there were 11 of us). Connected to OM beach is the Half Moon beach....
and Paradise beach, which are really small, but exotic in their own right. A short boat ride away is the Sangam beach and the Barka beach which are completely deserted and an ideal place to enjoy the stuff that you have (Smoking and drinking on the main beaches are banned, and if you are caught the fines could go up to Rs.20K).We did also make a quick trip to the main Gokarn town, which looked like a 80% Hindu place with about 20% hippie influences much unlike other places in Goa such as Anjuna which are more like a 80% Hippie place with about 20% Hindu influences. Some good advise here would be to simply make a visit to the temple and leave. Have all the fun at the beaches, for the main Gokarn town is a very religious place. Oh, and please don't disturb the Sadhus.. rumour has it they get offended easily especially if you ask them for advice about 'stuff'.
On the whole, the trip was a really memorable one. Gokarn is a gr8 place to holiday in, especially if you are bit of the adventurous kind and are really curious to find out what the foreigners find so exotic about India.
To sum it up , here's a pic that says it all ..
ॐ !!!
In Support Of America
Granted, America is Evil
I say, ALRIGHT ALREADY.. AMERICA IS EVIL.
Guantanamo Bay, Terrorism Initiaters, Oil Price Manipulators, Economic Destroyers, Imperialists, Britney Spears and the list of other evil things that America does goes on....
But....
Siberian Gulags, The Holocast, Nuclear Weapons, Domestic Food and basic necessities shortages due to exports, No Economic Growth whatsoever, Murders and Rapers, Guess Britney is the only exception here... :P
The above is what the Nazis or the Communists would have done...
Don't you get it? America is the best bully the world has ever had. It is thanks to American policies and the overall victory of Capitalism that the smart and hard working at least have a chance to make it in life, irrespective of where they are born or the colour of their skin. Its thanks to America that something as open and liberating as the Internet exists today. Of course its true that America is the cause of many country's poverty, but that is mostly due to the greed and stupidity of the country's rulers. Look at the case of Taiwan, Singapore or Dubai.. do you think it would have been even remotely possible for small island nations to become prosperous if there was no America? Wouldn't Soviet Russia or the Nazis simply have taken over these small island nations?? Lets face it, American rule at least provides an individual or country the opportunity to break the shackles of poverty and have a fighting chance to stand on its own 2 feet.. if they choose to do so by playing it smart and working hard. At no other point in history has this been even remotely possible. The American experiment is definitely is a success, even if it has its faults.....
The Thing About Driving and Soccer
or basketball, rugby, hockey or any other team game that requires players to be spread out in a random fashion (ok, there are strategies and positions(midfielders, strikers, defenders etc etc, but what the hell...) but at any given time the distribution for a particular direction of ball travel is pretty random)Now, say you are a midfielder who wants to take the ball all the way to the rival team's goal, how do you choose the best path?? All good players are able to spot gaps in the enemy's defense, and take the ball through those gaps to reach the goal. Some of the more advanced players are able to even create these gaps by tricking the rival team members and some of the even more advanced players even use other teammates to create openings.
Is it not kind of the same thing in peak hour traffic? The driver strives to find that little gap through which he/she can squeeze through so as to make it to the next traffic jam (:D) Its really the same skill as that what footballers use, only this time its like a free for all football game where each player in on his/her own, the ultimate 'goal' being getting to your destination on tyme!
Rollback Nightmare
Ever heard of a rollback nightmare? Nope?? Neither have I. Until now, cuz I made it up.
My first day at home, in my old room, on my familiar bed .. and I had to wake up at 5:30 AM thanks to the rollback nightmare. Ok, let me explain.
The nightmare went something like this. There's this character in the TV show L.O.S.T called Charlie (Now, the last time I saw the show was almost 3 months back, but it still came in my dream O.o) and he was explaining to the Indian military, what he was doing in some jungle in Sri Lanka and why aliens had come to kill "us all". It was like Charlie was in some jungle and the military suddenly descended on him. I unfortunately was like a ghost hovering around this entire scene pissing in my pants. Then suddenly Charlie starts singing the "You are everybody" song and that's when I decided that all this must be a dream and I had to wake up. So.. wake up I did!! Only to find myself in an exam hall writing an exam for God knows which subject. Fear gripped me like never before, panic and confusion all around.Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap!! Then I realized that I am somehow beyond this stage... hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm... Ah! the warm bed, the mosquitoes, the street light poring in its orange glow... my room... home... holidays \m/ \m/
Can't one just wake up from a nightmare into the right stream of consciousness??
Mentalist
I'm dumb
Because I have nothing to write about. I need a topic to write about of course, but there is nothing to write about. Of course there are many things I COULD write about, but I have NOTHING to write about.
So I decide to write about searching for a topic to write about, for isn't that what I am doing right now? But then again, I realize that this still keeps me dumb for thats an age old ploy. Its like trying to choose a number really, like a good old 2, or a 7, a 99 or 49 but then realizing that you don't really want to choose a number and you choose nothing, but since you HAVE to choose something (say your life depended on it) you would probably choose 0. But zero is still a number and your back to square one.And that still makes me dumb.
Or maybe its all about growing old really, for you see, a kid who has just 'discovered' the trick of writing (or speaking, or enacting-whatever it might be) about the indecisiveness on what topic to write about would be elated at his/her unsurmountable achievement. But not me. For I am older.
Its like how old(er? maybe) people tend to not go against the system. They accept its nature and move along in life- living, crying, laughing and dying. The seem so sure about the eventuality of things and have accepted it all. But not the youngsters. The youth are always the backbone of any revolution or radical movement (Gandhiji spent most of his youth 'experimenting' on ways and means to break the system, so yea, whatever) and it takes some time for them to accept the existing system. Oh, but occasionally they succeed of course, and thats what leads to WW III's, Communism, Terrorism, The Red Cross, Astronomy, Physics, Microsoft Windows and what not. But I guess these are just outliers, freak accidents of chaos that help the Romantics extoll the greatness of the human mind and spirit. This, however is never the case, for your average Ram or Lakshmi (and Joe as well) whose's most significant contribution might be the writing of the text for a web page that helped a large number of senior citizens learn how to use the iPod, don't get to experience the greatest that a human being can be. Ah! but maybe you could count the first time they have sex, or see God, or when they hit the pavement at a 100 kilometers per hour as being significant high points in one's life, but those are things I cannot be sure of - yet.
So I guess, it really is ok to write about conventional topics, like love, your exams, your dreams, your family, your culture, your hobbies and the website manual that you might have to write in order to get that bonus, for however mundane they might be, at least they are true and relevant. In fact their very mundaness arises from the fact that they are true and relevant. So, for me, the search for something to write about was never really real, it was just a figment of my stubborn mind trying to be smart, act cool and show off. But in the end, if you've noticed, I did in fact succeed for I have written about searching for a topic to write about (Remember 0??) . The child in me is gloating over my victory (Clever aren't I ??) And this is what it means to grow older. I am old, for I got what I wanted, yet.. you think I didn't (But now you do because I told you for I do still need to show off.... because I'm still a child).
Because I have nothing to write about. I need a topic to write about of course, but there is nothing to write about. Of course there are many things I COULD write about, but I have NOTHING to write about.
So I decide to write about searching for a topic to write about, for isn't that what I am doing right now? But then again, I realize that this still keeps me dumb for thats an age old ploy. Its like trying to choose a number really, like a good old 2, or a 7, a 99 or 49 but then realizing that you don't really want to choose a number and you choose nothing, but since you HAVE to choose something (say your life depended on it) you would probably choose 0. But zero is still a number and your back to square one.And that still makes me dumb.
Or maybe its all about growing old really, for you see, a kid who has just 'discovered' the trick of writing (or speaking, or enacting-whatever it might be) about the indecisiveness on what topic to write about would be elated at his/her unsurmountable achievement. But not me. For I am older.
Its like how old(er? maybe) people tend to not go against the system. They accept its nature and move along in life- living, crying, laughing and dying. The seem so sure about the eventuality of things and have accepted it all. But not the youngsters. The youth are always the backbone of any revolution or radical movement (Gandhiji spent most of his youth 'experimenting' on ways and means to break the system, so yea, whatever) and it takes some time for them to accept the existing system. Oh, but occasionally they succeed of course, and thats what leads to WW III's, Communism, Terrorism, The Red Cross, Astronomy, Physics, Microsoft Windows and what not. But I guess these are just outliers, freak accidents of chaos that help the Romantics extoll the greatness of the human mind and spirit. This, however is never the case, for your average Ram or Lakshmi (and Joe as well) whose's most significant contribution might be the writing of the text for a web page that helped a large number of senior citizens learn how to use the iPod, don't get to experience the greatest that a human being can be. Ah! but maybe you could count the first time they have sex, or see God, or when they hit the pavement at a 100 kilometers per hour as being significant high points in one's life, but those are things I cannot be sure of - yet.
So I guess, it really is ok to write about conventional topics, like love, your exams, your dreams, your family, your culture, your hobbies and the website manual that you might have to write in order to get that bonus, for however mundane they might be, at least they are true and relevant. In fact their very mundaness arises from the fact that they are true and relevant. So, for me, the search for something to write about was never really real, it was just a figment of my stubborn mind trying to be smart, act cool and show off. But in the end, if you've noticed, I did in fact succeed for I have written about searching for a topic to write about (Remember 0??) . The child in me is gloating over my victory (Clever aren't I ??) And this is what it means to grow older. I am old, for I got what I wanted, yet.. you think I didn't (But now you do because I told you for I do still need to show off.... because I'm still a child).
Baldism: The Ultimate Absolute
[NOTE: This entry is absolute crap. Read at your own risk. Hmmmmm, is my blog balding?]
There you have it, my first new religion and I christen it.. no wait, I 'bald' it 'Baldism - The Saving Grace of Humanity'. Baldism is, will, and forever be a truism on our beloved little planet for as long as human beings are alive lets face it.. baldism is what there is. Hmmmm, absolute crap you say? Let your beliefs be questioned more dear reader for I can prove to you the sureness and infallibility of baldism. Lets face it, baldness all around.
The earth is going bald. Yes, mother earth - Gaia herself is balding. With the millions of trees being cut down, don't you think the world is losing most of its Mojo (except of course if you compare her with Sinead O'Connor, which I'm sure you wouldn't, so why do I worry?). With the environment dying, and the earth's resources depleting, it isn't going to be long before we see a completely 'bald' earth.
The economy is balding. Many question whether it had any 'hair' to begin with, but what the hell, lets give Adam Smith some credit shall we. The paper money that you carry, was initially based on the gold standard. You could, in theory, walk into your neighbourhood reserve bank, shove a Rs.100/- note into a bankers face and demand an equivalent amount of gold. But no longer!! Now all you can do is ask for another Rs.100/- note because the previous note 'Promised to pay the bearer a sum of Rs.100/-' . The basis on which the economy was constructed is now... well... bald... No wonder we have a financial crisis on our hands, ever tried to balance a comb on a smooth bald head???
The modern spirit is balding. Where is the love, asked the black eyed peas.. thats what I want to know as well.. Where is it? It's being plucked right from under our very noses (no pun intended) only to be replaced by mind numbing mass entertainment, advertisements, greed, selfishness and of course coffee.
Engineering is balding, but with one tight tuft refusing to disappear.And that little tuft is called IT. Where are all the Mech dudes, EEE shockers and Chemical alchemists running away too? (Bah, I'm not completing this paragraph)
The amount of real baldness is on the rise, the world over, thanks to the UV rays from the sun.
I could quote many more examples for your sadistic pleasure, but I sincerely hope to have made my point clear. Baldsim is THE thought of the future. Scarcity is an absolute and unless we switch to a resource based economy, the future is bald. So as usual we do nothing about it and pass on the buck to the other person... no wonder baldism will never die out. Thus dear reader, let us embrace baldism and let its advocacy of excesses and carelessness sweep us through the depths of time...
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!! I actually wrote this crap. I'm really growing bald :(
There you have it, my first new religion and I christen it.. no wait, I 'bald' it 'Baldism - The Saving Grace of Humanity'. Baldism is, will, and forever be a truism on our beloved little planet for as long as human beings are alive lets face it.. baldism is what there is. Hmmmm, absolute crap you say? Let your beliefs be questioned more dear reader for I can prove to you the sureness and infallibility of baldism. Lets face it, baldness all around.
The earth is going bald. Yes, mother earth - Gaia herself is balding. With the millions of trees being cut down, don't you think the world is losing most of its Mojo (except of course if you compare her with Sinead O'Connor, which I'm sure you wouldn't, so why do I worry?). With the environment dying, and the earth's resources depleting, it isn't going to be long before we see a completely 'bald' earth.
The economy is balding. Many question whether it had any 'hair' to begin with, but what the hell, lets give Adam Smith some credit shall we. The paper money that you carry, was initially based on the gold standard. You could, in theory, walk into your neighbourhood reserve bank, shove a Rs.100/- note into a bankers face and demand an equivalent amount of gold. But no longer!! Now all you can do is ask for another Rs.100/- note because the previous note 'Promised to pay the bearer a sum of Rs.100/-' . The basis on which the economy was constructed is now... well... bald... No wonder we have a financial crisis on our hands, ever tried to balance a comb on a smooth bald head???
The modern spirit is balding. Where is the love, asked the black eyed peas.. thats what I want to know as well.. Where is it? It's being plucked right from under our very noses (no pun intended) only to be replaced by mind numbing mass entertainment, advertisements, greed, selfishness and of course coffee.
Engineering is balding, but with one tight tuft refusing to disappear.And that little tuft is called IT. Where are all the Mech dudes, EEE shockers and Chemical alchemists running away too? (Bah, I'm not completing this paragraph)
The amount of real baldness is on the rise, the world over, thanks to the UV rays from the sun.
I could quote many more examples for your sadistic pleasure, but I sincerely hope to have made my point clear. Baldsim is THE thought of the future. Scarcity is an absolute and unless we switch to a resource based economy, the future is bald. So as usual we do nothing about it and pass on the buck to the other person... no wonder baldism will never die out. Thus dear reader, let us embrace baldism and let its advocacy of excesses and carelessness sweep us through the depths of time...
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!! I actually wrote this crap. I'm really growing bald :(
A Pervert's Guide To Cinema: The Tulip Connection
When on a lazy Saturday Afternoon
"My Relationship with tulips is inherently Lynchian. I think they are disgusting. Just imagine aren't these some kind of, whaddyacallit, vagina dentata, dental vagina, threatening to swallow you up. I think flowers are something inherently disgusting, what a horrible thing these flowers are! Basically it is an open invitation to all the insects and beasts to come and screw me. I think flowers should be forbidden to children"
Now this is a Tulip.....
O.f'cking o
"My Relationship with tulips is inherently Lynchian. I think they are disgusting. Just imagine aren't these some kind of, whaddyacallit, vagina dentata, dental vagina, threatening to swallow you up. I think flowers are something inherently disgusting, what a horrible thing these flowers are! Basically it is an open invitation to all the insects and beasts to come and screw me. I think flowers should be forbidden to children"
Now this is a Tulip.....
O.f'cking o
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
