Lesson Learnt

I learnt a valuable lesson about Journalism today. This blog was all set to be posted tonight. But with events taking place over the past few hours , everything written below is now redundant. A new story is born with each passing second. No need to feel sad over the time spent in writing the article. Will learn from this.

England's Top Prize

This won’t be the first article on this topic you’d be reading and considering the pedigree about the people that you’re going to read about, I’m sure this won’t be the last. There’s still a lot of time for the present to end but speculating about the future has always made for good fodder to write and speak about. May is four months away and with each passing day, stories about these three great men will intensify.

It seems a battle never imagined, predicted or witnessed will commence come August. A three way battle of the beautiful game will be fought at the place where it was invented. What makes this rivalry more intense is the love lost relationship between its 3 contenders fighting for England’s top honour – The Barclays Premier League.

This is no ordinary battle. It has all the ingredients required for it to go down folklore for future generations to marvel at. This story involves The Emperor, A Special One and a New Kid on the block.

The Emperor - Reigning Supreme

This Emperor has reigned supreme in the land for the past 26 years. The journey hasn’t been easy. He too, like the others has faced defeat. But what sets him apart from the rest is his hunger to win and wrestle back what he has lost. Time has been witness to this. Victory was within touching distance the last time he set out to battle but fate, luck and destiny had other ideas. But The Emperor has shown his expertise and his ‘hate to be 2^nd’ mentality in the ongoing battle. The past has certainly taught him an unforgettable lesson, one that has made him wiser and more aware of the threat posed by the enemy.

As things stand, The Emperor is on course to remind the world why he’s still the undisputed champion of the land. Age surely plays an important role in his reign. With each passing battle, talks about his retirement have done the rounds. This summer won’t be any different. Will it be time for him to hand his thrown to a worthy successor or will the King of the Jungle be motivated enough to face the two hungry cubs who have set forth into the Promised Land.

This battle has another very interesting element to it. Should The Emperor decide to call it time, these two candidates are prime contenders to take over his reign. Should The Emperor want to stay, these two will make sure that come August 2013 the world will get to see a 3 way battle to the finish. How this battle will pan out only The Emperor can tell for he holds all the cards to the game.

And here’s a heads up on what to expect from these two.

The Special One - Time for unfinished business

The first candidate is ‘Special ’. He seems to have the Midas touch for whatever he touches turns to gold. When he sets out to battle in foreign lands, he makes sure that defeat is not an option. The Promised Land is not something he has not set foot on. He made the move after conquering his hometown. Such was his expertise and attention to detail during battle that The Emperor was made to look second best when the two fought. It was only when this ‘ Special One ’ left the Promised Land did The Emperor start winning again reminding those watching that there’s only one boss in town.

Despite having won everything one could ask for, this promising contestant is still hungry for more and has some unfinished business to settle. And it seems this will only be achieved if he makes his much awaited return back to the place which he still calls home.

This makes it an interesting angle from the Emperor’s point of view for he knows the threat posed by the Special One. This candidate is seen by many as the perfect successor to the Emperor’s throne. If given a choice, the Emperor won’t get a better replacement to take his place.  The Special One keeps setting higher standards after every victory at battle. Succeeding The Emperor might just be the last thing he longs for. But The Emperor still nurses those wounds inflicted to him by the Special One and would want to stay on and show the world that this time the special won’t be so special.

The Kid Next Door - A New Neighbourhood beckons

Battles are normally fought between two armies. This one has three. Enter ‘New Kid on the block ’. This kid has proved himself in his neighbourhood making mincemeat out of the challengers. Being a newcomer, he has not made his young age be a handicap. Kids grasp things very quickly when they are young and put it to use when the time comes. Mr Kid is no different; he learnt something during his childhood and made it into a philosophy, a style during his rule, one, which the world watched with amazement and awe.  The faith showed in what he learnt was rewarded in triumphs over The Emperor and The Special One. He soon realized that he’d only be mentioned with the greats should he make the move to the Promised Land. The Kid is ready and waiting to strike.

But the land he enters now is unchartered territory. Will his ‘backyard tactics’ work with a different army in a different environment. He’d want to prove that knowledge can be taught anywhere, including the Promised Land.

Like the Special One, Mr. Kid shares the same credentials required to be The Emperor’s successor. He’ll be at the tip of the mountain with his sights on the things below.

Will he be able to resist the lure should the spot for the throne be vacant? Or will the Special One have taken that place? Will The Emperor still be there come August? If not who will be his successor? Regardless of what The Emperor does one thing is certain, we will get to see these two adversaries fight each other in the Promised Land. Time is going to move at snail’s pace for the next 8 months. But once the holy date arrives, there’ll be no looking back.

In Deep Shit

In Deep Shit

I woke up sooner than I normally do today. It had been dreams for the past few days but the nightmare that I fear the most occurred once again. It wasn't for the first time and I'm sure there'll be sweat around my face the next time it happens.

I have many fears, we all do . What i'm going to talk about isn't exactly ' fear category ' but it's more than enough to scare the daylights out of me.

This dream starts in the morning. I get up , rub my eyes and put paste on my toothbrush as I look at the mirror. Such is man's hectic lifestyle that he's under a lot of stress and tension. But it is this morning time that he feels a lot of pressure. Such is the pressure he feels that he spends minutes waiting in long lines just to attend nature's call. And then we have that unlucky lot who don't have the luxury of privacy. They just got to do it. Man doesn't have a choice. You see them take a dump at the railway tracks , at the sea , behind bushes. Man shits where he wants , when he wants.

I too , at that time feel a lot of pressure and open the door to do what one does in the toilet. What follows is me yelling , shrieking , howling like never before.

Where did the fucking commode go? And anything but this God? Anything but ' wicket-keeping '

What I see in front of me is something that I hate using - The Indian Toilet

Besides teaching the world English and giving us Cricket and The Beautiful Game , the most important thing the British gave the world was the Western Style Commode.

Feels like Heaven , doesn't it ? 

On one hand we have the Commode. The word means "convenient" or "suitable" and it is indeed so. A luxurious and relaxing ' pot ' is situated in a room where creativity is at its peak. One can spend hours thinking about the great mystery called Life. How time flies sitting on that pot? God knows

You have got to be fucking kidding me 

And on the other hand we have ' wicket-keeping ' . If you want thighs like Cristiano Ronaldo or you plan on being the next Moin Khan ( C'mon Saqqi , well bowled saqqi ) then the Indian toilet is the best thing to have entered your life.

Here , you wanna get done with this shit ( Literally ) as soon as you open the door ( not so lucky for some ).

It's not food , music , alcohol or the company that's the most important for me when I go for trips. How do I shit is the number one priority.

But we cannot complain due to us not having a choice. I cry in my head when I see that I have to ' wicket keep ' at a friend's place / trip / you're luck is so bad that there's no commode at the place. You just have to mentally prepare yourself for the fact that the next ten minutes ( you'd really wanna get done soon ) are going to be the most unforgettable ten minutes of the day. The feeling of victory when you step out after wicket keeping is hard to describe , even harder to write. Having said this , I have never taken a dump in a long distance train and I hope that day never comes. Touch wood .

In my dream , God has played a really sick joke. Where did the commode go? I don't know how to react. I call up my neighbour and tell him my problem. I make a dash for his bathroom and I yell even louder than before. His commode has been replaced as well. What in God's name is happening? Is there a person called God I ask myself.

There's no shame in admitting that we look for the nearest mall when we're outside and are faced with such a situation. I run as fast as I can in the hope that I reach before it's too late. While running I see dogs shitting , kids shitting. But there is no way I'm gonna do what they are. Bhag DK Bose plays inside my head.

It seems that I have to reach my destination. The pressure is there but I still haven't shat. And finally I reach the nearest mall. The feeling of having climbed mount everest sinks in and I run towards the male restroom and open the first door. And then the choicest of abuses follow.

Another ' wicket-keeping ' style toilet .

What follows is tears. I have lost all hope. How can this be happening? How can one of man's greatest inventions just dissapear?

My head is in my hands and Im still crying . And then my eyes see the words ' Western Toilet ' written on the last cabin. I think this is some cruel joke but the hope within me helps me gather all the strength to open the door.

And finally , I see what my eyes have been longing for. The Western Toilet. I unzip my pants and sit down to do what I'd come to. I press the flush but there is a sound that I'd not expected. I open the tap and I shout , howl and yell again .

THERE IS NO WATER . FUCK MY LIFE .

Children of Heaven

For those who don't know, I am currently pursuing my Masters in Communication and Journalism from Mumbai University. It's a 2 year course. The first academic year was just how any course should be, lectures, assignments, deadlines and the usual.

The second year has been a joke to say the least. The month of June was such that I was so engrossed in studies; I had to look for free time. If it wasn't for Euro 2012 I would have died of boredom. Whatever said and done about how hectic June was, I was happy about one thing. I always had something to do to keep myself occupied.

Post July, I was on one long vacation lasting till November. There were times in this vacation where I couldn’t remember the last time I had a lecture. There’s a limit on the amount of time one can be on Facebook and watch movies. What’s the point of going to college when you’ve got nothing to do there? You can talk to the same people on the phone/online that you meet in college so that was one problem solved. I can get bored very easily and I needed something to do. Badly.

During the course of this ‘vacation’, I thought about the ‘important’ things in my life. To be more direct, I over thought about these important things. I was so engrossed about what I thought was important that I’d forgotten about what really happens in the outside world. Stuff that should really matter to me.

A lot of time was spent and wasted in my over thinking. I couldn't go back in time and recover those hours I wasted. But what I could do and did was utilize the time that I had at my disposal by doing something worthwhile. Something that I should have done a long time ago.

I finally woke up and realized that there are much better things in life to look forward to. After a long time, and I’m glad this time arrived, the blinkers around me finally came off.

Such is man's nature that he is never satisfied with what he has. He always feels the need to want more. Some want new shoes, a new car, new clothes, etc. Over the past few weeks I've realized what it is to have everything and have nothing.

What is the point of desiring new shoes when people don't have feet to walk? What is the point of finding out how much those glares cost when many haven't seen the light of day? I want those headphones so badly but I forgot that people are deaf. There was only one thing I wanted, but I realized that there are people who are worse off than me in this department.

One thing was common on both sides - we both needed love, and we knew we would find love in one another. Knowing where I would find this, I set out on my journey.

I now am teaching English in 2 NGO’s. One is with 11 orphaned boys in 4th standard and the other is a group of 20-30 kids in a municipal school in Santacruz. I was so hell bent on finding something that I forgot there are many who don't even have the parental love that I am blessed with. The most basic form of love is something that these kids don't have. There is absolutely no one to show them the way.

My first class was on the 7^th of October 2012. I don't know why I didn't cry when I saw those 11 boys , the age of 10 sitting on the table waiting for ' Bhaiya ' to come and teach them the English Alphabet . Why didn't I do this before? Where was I lost that I forgot that these kids need someone to show them the way? Why was I so eager to find something when there were these ' children of heaven ' who were looking for the same?

I felt like shit for the first few minutes. But at the same time, I felt reborn, that this is my second chance, a chance to do what's right and what I should really be doing. The time had come to put others before myself. For the people who really needed and deserved it.

 I might not have done anything worthwhile in my life thus far. But if even one of these kids goes into the outside world and makes a name for himself, I will feel that my efforts didn't go waste. I teach at these two NGO's thrice times a week. I wish I could see the smiles on their faces every single day. I don't feel like saying Goodbye to them when it's time to leave. Their faces are now etched in my memory. They are the students, but I feel that I am learning something from them, something that cannot be expressed in words. I am gaining something that cannot be measured or described. That feeling stays and belongs to you and you alone.

And I say to my self. What a wonderful world.

Talaash - Music Review

Delhi Belly belongs to that small list of movies I’ve seen in the past 2 years where the music played an equally important role as the film. A man named Ram Sampath came into the limelight giving us the unforgettable Bhaag DK Bose ( Why don’t people like Saigal Blues is beyond me ) and once again he teams up with Aamir Khan in his upcoming film titled Talaash – The Answer Lies Within.

The album kicks off with Muskaanein Jhooti Hai. Picturised on Kareena, Muskaanein belongs to the girl singing in the bar category of song. It’ll take some time for the song to grow on you. Not that bad a number. But give me Tinka Tinka and Kaisi Yeh Paheli over this one any day. That said , I must listen to Tinka Tinka again ( love that song ).

My expectations went up a notch when I read Vishal Dadlani’s name besides Jee Le Zara. Ever since heard Madari from Coke Studio (listen to it at least thrice a day), I have fallen in love with the Pentagram singer’s voice. And I’m saying this without any bias but Jee Le Zara has taken my love for the man to a higher notch. If there’s a song that you listen  again and again after hearing it for the first time , Jee Le Zara is that song. Kya Gaaya Hai Boss , Maan Gaye .

For the first 40 seconds , Jiya Lage Na gave me an indication that the song would be a slow number . But from that moment on , Sampath takes the song to another level completely. Good vocals by Sona Mohapatra and Ravindra Upadhyay . Pay closer attention to the lyrics and I liked the song even more . For some , Jiya Lage Na would seem orthodox and in some cases loud . The thing I'm looking forward to most here is the picturization in the movie. 

Going by the trailers of the movie , Talaash belongs to the crime mystery and thriller genre. Using the lyrics that reiterate this , Sampath gives us Hona Hai Kya . A ' telling the theme of the movie ' kind of song. If that's what the music director was paid to do , he's done well I must say.

I knew Laakh Duniya Kahe would be a song I'll end up liking just after hearing the first two lines. And with each passing second of this number , you'll love it even more. Mr Ram Sampath ( who has sung the song ) , why don't you come out with more music . I should be asking this to the directors and producers who make the movies for there is a man waiting to be explored. A good romantic track after a long time. Mr. Sampath , wherever you are . A very big thank you for this song.

The last song in the album is the remix version of Jee Le Zara . I was still in awe of the original number. This number will play in a lot of gym's and parties ( I DJ at both venues ) . Given a choice between the two , I'd pick the former. 

Just 6 songs , but boy is the music of Taalash good . Ram Sampath has just earned himself a new fan. If I had to get over the music of Jab Tak Hai Jaan , Talaash was just the thing I needed.

Songs that you will download - All of them .

Songs that you will download and tell others to listen to - Laakh Duniya Kahe , Jee Le Zara . 

I'm going with 3.5/5 for the music of Aamir Khan's upcoming movie . These 6 songs have surely created the hype/buzz that the movie needed. Good Job , Mr Ram . 

Jab Tak Hai Jaan - Music Review

Jab Tak Hai Jaan

The words gap and return have a lot to do with Yash Raj Film’s latest flick called Jab Tak Hai Jaan. It marks Yash Chopra’s return to direction after 8 long years (his last being Veer Zara), the king of romance Shahrukh Khan returns after playing a mafia kingpin in Farhan Khan’s Don 2. But since this is a music review, I cannot ignore the magician from Madras who makes his return after Ek Deewana Tha (in case you thought it was Rockstar). As soon as I saw the trailer for this movie in the cinemas it wasn’t SRK, Katrina or the locations that are so well known in YR Films. It was Rahman, who I knew would be the prime reason why I’ll shell out money for Jab Tak Hai Jaan. Realizing that Gulzar has teamed up with Rahman, my expectations were even higher. 

Considering Rahman was back after such a long time the wait to hear the first song of his latest movie was killing me. Challa starts off well with the guitar strumming but as soon as I heard the voice I said ‘Hey wait a minute, isn’t this the Bulla ki Jaana dude singing? ‘. Like most of his songs, Challa too is sung in Punjabi. I didn’t understand the lyrics (looked them up later). For a song that I heard the first time Challa didn’t disappoint. But I didn’t get the ‘Rahman is back ‘feel. Also the thought of Rabbi Shergill singing for Shahrukh didn’t turn out to be that bad an idea after all. A decent title song but there’s something missing. Most of you will like this song but will somewhere feel disappointed.

Shreya Ghosal has sung for Katrina Kaif in the past and sung well. I have heard most of Mohit Chauhan songs and I like the way the man sings. After Rabbi, it is the man who gave us ‘Jo Bhi Main ‘who lends his voice to Saans. I shall comment on this in the final paragraph of the review. There is a lot to say. Coming back to the song, Saans is that slow romantic song every movie needs these days. I’ve heard better songs than this. Saaiyara from Ek Tha Tiger sung by the same duo as a matter of fact is one for example ( not a great song but anyday better than this ) Is this the same man who gave us hits like Dil Se , Taal , Rang De Basanti , etc ? A very mediocre song to say the least. Getting an indication of what is going to follow, I prepare for the worst.

Song number three, Ishq Shava is a lively and peppy number. Shilpa Rao is one singer who over the past few years has slowly made her name in female play back singing in the industry. Once again she manages to be the only reason why you’ll hear this song. Three songs down and I’m still looking for AR Rahman.

Heer is a simple but at the same time soothing number to listen to. 4 songs down and this is the closest I felt I was listening to the music composed by the man with curly hair. You may not like it at the start but there might be a selected few who will.

We come to the livelier Jiya Re. I wasn’t that gripped the first time I heard it, Neeti Mohan’s voice being the only thing that was stuck in my head. Hear it a few times and you’ll keep this in your mobile phone. That I assure you. The music of Jab Tak Hai Jaan has some hope.

Turns out it’s Jab Tak Hai Jaan and not Challa that’s the title song of this film. The song has a versatile feel to it as Rahman’s combined multiple individual tracks into this one. Javed Ali doing equal justice to the song.

Saans (Reprise) is a slower and the solo female version of Saans. Was too slow for my liking.

Rahman goes instrumental by giving us Ishq Dance. I don’t go to dance classes nor do I dance well but I’ve heard much livelier dance numbers, Hindi ones that too.

And last but not the least we come to Jab Hai Jaan – The Poem, recited by Shahrukh himself and written by Aditya Chopra, the lyrics of the poem leave a lasting impression. The Hindi used in the poem is not that tough to understand. Yash Chopra’s last Veer Zaara too had a poem towards the end of the movie (which was a treat to listen to). This time is no different. The best has been saved for the last. 

Songs that you will download – Challa, Jab Tak Hai Jaan – Poem , Jiya Re

Songs that you will download and end up liking eventually – Heer , Ishq Shava

Song that you will delete – Jab Tak Hai Jaan , Saans , Saans ( Reprise )

To cut a long story short, I am very very disappointed in the music of JTHJ. I’ll come to Rahman later but the thing I found most surprising were the choices of male playback singers that were used. Yash Chopra’s last directorial venture , Veer Zaara had too many songs but each one was one that is still heard today for one prime reason – When you closed your eyes and heard the song you felt Shahrukh was singing. We’ve seen this trend right from Raj Kapoor and Mukesh, Mohammed Rafi and Shammi Kapoor, Kishore Kumar and Rajesh Khanna/Amitabh Bacchan. People of my generation have grown up listening to Udit Narayan, Sonu Nigam and Shaan giving their voice to countless number of Shahrukh songs. The trend with all the examples mentioned above is that you always thought the actor was singing when it was certainly not the case. Such was the voice in the playback singing.  If I were given a choice I would have stuck to the tried and tested. Rabbi was surprising but he did justice to the song. But Mohit Chauhan singing for Shahrukh? Something went wrong there.

Rahman fans have waited long for his return and most of us will be massively disappointed with the music that he has given us. Besides Hosanna, I doubt any of us heard another song from Ekk Deewana Tha. Most of us think it was Rockstar which was his last movie. Music the likes of Dil Se, Taal, Swades, etc cannot be made again but at least give us the assurance that yes it was the same man that composed those tunes. Rahman’s next Hindi movie releases in 2013 (when I don’t know) but I hope the music lives up to the name that I have grown up listening to.

If you want me to give stars I'll give the music of JTHJ 2.5/5 . And that's being generous to say the least ( gave one star just because it's Rahman ) 

P.S. - Should have done the music review for Barfi :(

We gotta fight

Been a while since I blogged. I haven’t been busy, but yes I’ve spent too much unnecessary time over a book that I should have never written in the first place. Not leaving anything complete, I have finished what I regret starting. We shall discuss that some other day. You and I can finally look forward to more blogs from me.

Fight for the right thing – it might not be there tomorrow.

I am disappointed at the world I see today. I see people who are sad, who are angry, frustrated. There is a look on their faces which tells me that they’re looking and hoping for more than what they currently have not knowing there are people in situations far worse than them.

These humans, I see are always fighting. Maybe, I think the reason is because they aren’t happy with that they have and perhaps they feel and in some cases know that they deserve much more. The world is not a fair place they say.

I look around and see the things for which people fight. This is exactly what my blog will speak about.

Wars are being fought throughout the world. Some with guns, some with hands and there is that select few that venture out to battle not with arms but with peace as their weapon. Men go with the sole aim of killing the person in another uniform, women spending days in hope that their husband may return, victorious and alive. Children of these men who are too young to know the difference between right and wrong are dragged into this for no fault of theirs. What are we fighting for at the end of the day is what I ask myself.

In earlier times and even today looked at land / territory has always been one of the main reasons as to why one fights. There are more and more people thus leading to less space per person. This naturally leads to suffocation, frustration for he feels that the space given to him is not enough. Such is man’s greed for territorial possession and power that words like greenery, environment and pollution have come into existence. There will come a time when we will have no place to go. This is why we are making the most of it and taking what is available. It all looks good from the outside, but we will pay a heavy price for this. And this day is fast approaching.

The other things I see as to why man is so ‘pissed off ‘is because he doesn’t have enough water, enough electricity / light, money and enough love. For many, the word enough is placed by no. There are people with no land, no water, and no light, no money and most importantly, no LOVE.

I see people living on the road spending nights in the chilly cold, others lining up for hours in front of one small municipal tap. Children much smarter and intelligent than me study in groups under street lights to pass their exams.

Money is not everything, we don’t realize its value when it’s there , we do when we don’t. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. But one thing is common in both; no one is satisfied with what he has and wants more. Family disputes over property and wills seems to be the ‘in ‘thing today. With available resources being used by more people, prices of commodities will skyrocket. There is no denying that.

In the end, we all manage or the word that we Indians love to use, adjust. Things seem to be heading from bad to worse, but we do just fine. We need to wake up and realize there will come a day when the man on the road has no place to sleep; there will be no water from the tap, no light to guide us and no money to spend.

And now coming to my favorite topic, LOVE (Pyaar Gazab ki Cheez Hai ) . This is one department where one cribs when there is too much of it and he certainly sulks when there is no love at all. There are individuals who feel lonely despite being surrounded by huge numbers while there are some who find happiness even with one person who will be with them through thick and thin.

We fight in love, we fight to love, and we fight for love. Why do we? I don’t know. We don’t seem to reason in love, do we?

So at the end of the day I see people fighting, quarrelling over land, water, electricity, money and Love. These 5 are reducing with each passing day due to people demanding much more than what they deserve. We need a big wakeup call. We need some binding force for us to stand together. If you ask me, we are fighting too much, and for the wrong things. The way I see it, there is only one thing in this world worth fighting for.  And it is not Katrina Kaif.

It is a combination of land, water, sunlight, money and most importantly Love. These 5 are diminishing, and fast.  We are so busy fighting amongst ourselves that we forget by asking for more of these 5 elements we are putting an end to this one thing that the world is possessed by.

I am talking about CHOCOLATE, the only thing in this world fighting for.

We have dealt with space problems, water problems, load shedding , financial problems and all of us have spent a lot of time , effort and money on getting over Love (alcohol drinkers take note).

But can you imagine a world where Chocolate is no longer available due to there being no land to grow them on , water is all dried up , due to the damaged environment sufficient sunlight is not achieved . The rich are too involved in things much ‘important ‘than chocolate and for the poor, chocolate isn’t exactly top priority. Plus there might be a time where we might have to think twice before spending money on something as good as chocolate. When we come to love we see people are so engrossed in beating the hell out of each other that there is no love anymore. So how will the world get more chocolate?

If you want to fight, fight for Chocolate. Because there will come a day when there won’t be this tasty little thing to eat and savor. And since we are fighting for land, water, light and money and love you might as well fight for the thing which has all these five combined. Chocolate is more precious than you think.

So the next time you leave the house, just make sure the tap is not running, the switches are turned off. You are making a small contribution to the big picture - that is the world getting more and more chocolate.

But you won’t. And this is what will happen some years from now.

A person sitting in the bus ahead of you takes out a chocolate from his pocket. Before he can eat it, the entire lot in the bus rushes towards him for that one piece. Within minutes, I see his shirt torn and bruises all over his face. I doubt how many pieces of chocolate everyone managed to get. What a delightful sight. A last man standing battle just for a piece of chocolate. We don’t realize the importance of chocolate, one day we all will beg; beg for a piece of chocolate.

So the next time you go and eat a chocolate, think of what I just said. This chocolate was planted on land, given enough water and sunlight for it to end up in your hand. You are lucky enough to afford it. A lot of time and effort has been spent in that chocolate being produced. You might be eating this lovely thing. But you’re children might not be lucky enough. If there is no land, water, light and love, something as common as chocolate even though available might burn more than just a hole in your pocket.

So don’t think about tomorrow. Enjoy the chocolate while you eat it. What you can do is start from the present.

Chocolate is the only thing I never share and rightly so. There might not be a Dairy Milk, Kit Kat, Perk and Milkybar tomorrow. If Adit, on those very rare occasions gives you a chocolate, just remember you really mean something to him and have done something good.

And for the sad lot who say no when I/someone offers you a chocolate 

Fuck You Too !!!

The Green Dot

Today’s blog talks something that most of us can relate to, online chatting. We spend hours glued to the computer typing line after line building conversation talking about things we like and things we don’t. We chat with our friends, sometimes enemies and even the category of friends who are now no more than strangers who come into this list.

I shall be talking about the exact same thing, but as is the case with me, I shall do it in a different way. I’ve been on both sides of the fence so I won’t take sides. Chatting online is an important tool to help build conversation but at the same time making inroads in a face to face conversation is key. This online-offline setting is different with each relationship a person has. What is my stance regarding her, I shall discuss someday else. Not today.

What separates chatting from other modes of conversation is that it isn’t face to face so it gives people that are shy a better chance to open up. This is something we see a lot around us; people who can’t open their mouth when it comes to a face-to face conversation are the kings of the online world when it comes to chatting.

Calling/messaging the person are the other options one has. But in these cases the person might be busy, sleeping when you try to get in touch. But this is not the case with chatting. You see, there something that tells you the person is ready. 

Yes my friends, I am talking about that small green dot you see besides your friend’s name on Facebook. If you ask me, it’s much more than a small green dot. That green dot is the difference between a good mood and bad mood. Do I think about the conversation I just had with her after shutting down the computer or is my mood fucked since she wasn’t online. Everything depends on that one green dot.

This green dot tells you that the person is not busy, not sleeping and is on the computer/device wanting to talk to someone. Are you that person, well that depends on one click of a button. This is exactly what I’m going to talk about.

Be it at home or college (thank you Mumbai University for the Wi-Fi) I spend a good 5-6 hours online every day. This time is spent tweeting, listening to songs on Youtube, and checking email. But majority of the time is spent on Facebook where I post jokes (will get better and better), comments on certain groups. This Facebook time is further divided into ‘Facebook chatting time ‘which takes up more than 80% of my total time spent on the computer.  

I spend hours chatting with people the entire day. But I don’t see that green dot besides her name. This if you ask me is the reason why I spend so much time online, because she isn’t online and I am waiting, waiting and waiting. Due to this I pass my time chatting about the most basic things with my friends. This goes on and on and has to because should that green dot appear after I turn down the computer then the entire ‘effort’ goes waste. No gain, no pain (Daddy pays electricity bill). This is the power of that one green dot.

You want that green dot to appear next to her name . You want to chat with her . She , at that point of time means everything to you . You will give anything for that dot to appear besides her name . There is so much inside that you want to tell her . She might not be online now but there is that uncontrollable urge to talk/type with her is what makes you stay. You know you want to talk , sometimes much more than talk , and thus you know you have to wait . You have no choice . This is why I love , love . 

So the entire day is spent just waiting for that green dot to appear besides her name. If you’re having one of those days, you’ll give up and shut the machine down.  But that moment when you see the green dot on the right of her name is what makes up for all those hours of waiting. All those hours of waiting and frustration goes out of the window just by seeing that green dot appear now . The girl you like is now online. Let’s have a fucking conversation now !!!

And it’s due to this, you spend hardly a second clicking her name and typing something (girls, this is exactly the reason why guys initiate Facebook chats, because they have been waiting) thus starting a conversation.

And then there’s me – I sometimes wait the whole day waiting for that green dot to appear. After hours of waiting, that green dot appears, and I go offline. Pyaar Gazab ki Cheez Hai .

Have a nice day …