Music and Life

Alan Watts got it right:
(turn up volume, it's a bit soft)



(watch it again!)

Life is a musical. Not a Start -> Finish goal. I wish *some* people would try and understand that.

Ecosystem

There's this place in Ahmedabad. It's an eating joint. Toran. "Cafe Toran" as I incorrectly keep calling it. I came across this place...

Aside: incidentally what do you call it when you discover a place, but only because you were led to it by someone who already knew it? "I discovered the place"? Too full of yourself. "The place was discovered unto me"? Too Ancient english-ey ... :-/

Anyways - Toran. Chaos in '06 thanks to Bolli, et al. It is a veg place. But it is a brilliant place. As Giddu put it "If you're eating veg, eat this stuff. Or else just go kill an animal". It's infinite food for some 80 bucks. And I mean *infinite*.

The service is awesome. And at the end of your meal, you hear stuff like "Sir kyaa sir.. Aap toh kuchh nahi khaye.. Ek aur roti sar.. Ek aur." And when fat people ask for "Normal rotis" (without ghee), the server gheefully (forgive the bad pun) replies: "Ghee ke bina kya maja aayega?" And proceeds to pour an inordinate amount of fat onto the puny roti.

Fast forward 2008: The place has become freakishly popular. And why shouldn't it? But here's the thing: There's a whole set of shops that thrive off this place.

Whilst waiting to be seated (there is *always* a waiting line), one shop guy sells chai and sutta. Another shopkeeper next to it serves little edibles like chips and sandwiches. Basically, their only reason for selling stuff is Toran.

And you also find autorickshaw drivers parked just outside, waiting for passengers. And what about the big hoardings around the place? What choice do you have but to look at them?

So, the essential point is: There is this whole ecosystem of stuff built around this one successful joint. Seems so cool na?

Or perhaps I'm too much into the "economics" mood these days.. Either way, Toran rocks :)

Counter-Strike

I've just come across the perfrect CS map: It is (wait for it... wait for it...) IIMA Campus! Seriously no kidding - the layout of the place, the brickey red feel, short buildings. Archways, big round holes, seedy spots to snipe from.

Windows overlooking courtyards, quick confusing exits to dart in and out of, curving stairwells. Brilliant I say.

And to top it off is the dusty, grimy atmosphere. It feels like de_dust with a slight tinge of de_aztec.

This Really Happened At Work...

Person 1: (Supposed to take a flight to Chennai) So I should go to the airport by train right?

Person 2: You can go to either Santacruz or Vile Parle.

Person 1: (With a big question mark on his face) How can a single flight go from both places???

:-/

Just before Sharingan

Naruto Manga is seriously *brilliant* :D ... Go Sasuke! Go!

"The Horror... The Horror..."

This is the end, Beautiful friend
This is the end, My only friend, the end

Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
I'll never look into your eyes...again

Words from The Doors' dark poetic verses. Never have they fit a movie more perfectly.

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning…It smells like…victory."

A paradox of madness and thought. "The bravest, most honest account of the futility of war ever filmed"

"I watched a snail crawl along the edge of a straight razor. That's my dream. That's my nightmare. Crawling, slithering, along the edge of a straight... razor... and surviving. "

"He likes you because you're still alive"

It's about the Vietnam war. Apocalypse Now.

A Dream

If I were to say:
I miss you today.
Invisible: your way,
Yet only a car crash away.
Would you let me feel your hand?

I totally agree

If you wind up with a boring, miserable life because you listened to your mom, your dad, your teacher, your priest or some guy on TV telling you how to do your shit, then YOU DESERVE IT.

~ From The Real Frank Zappa Book by Frank Zappa

Encore!

Mood Indigo 2007. Was the most fun I've had in a long time. We did so much! Here's a quick roundup:

Begging - Yups. The best staccato begging session *ever*! We earned some 150 bucks apparently! We also came on TV and on the net! Long live the buttscratchers!

Unicycling - A one wheel cycle... And we (sort-of) managed to ride it! The dude was teaching us. Nice fun :) Must do this more!

Treasure Hunt - Came in 2nd. Damn you Jose!... More phones again :-/

Kp sang - At LIVEWIRE elims and at this chilled out "Sultans of Strings". It was this sort of impromptu jam-singing thingy that only KP can pull off. He started reading advertisements as lyrics!

Dancing to RD Burman - Okay, this was cheesy. I shan't elaborate, but just that a small bunch of us inspired the whole convo to come out and swing around!

Pronites - LIVEWIRE and Pop Nite. I think Pop Nite was better... No.. really!... TAAQ were damn good too :)

Jam - lol lol lol lol... (as usual)

sms clear 40 - congos Arvind :)

Nikita won - a VIAO and an XBOX 360! Lucky bitch. I'm jealous. Yeah.. she cracked off at MI Most Wanted. Great job you!

Met old friends - All the MI punters, GIDDU!!!, Sahil, Mahesh et al, Grish, Nidhi, Nikita. Great to see everyone again :)

And new ones - :)

Loads of drinking all round (I actually drunk *very* little this year :P)

Broken toenails. Sigh.

Happy New Year

The first Sunrise of the new year :-)

Wishing everyone a really great year ahead. May your resolutions last longer than last year! :-P