Jaag ke kaati saari raina

I really liked this song from the movie Leela. Needless to say it is in spool mode. Unlike most of Jagjit Singh's songs which primarily have a ghazalish feel this is more Hindustani classical based. In fact I hadn't heard of this movie up until I heard this song and to think, the movie was released in 2002. So based on the song, I saw the movie. The movie was really nothing to rave about. Especially seeing the video of the song spoilt it for me, what was Vinod Khanna trying to do in that song. He is supposed to be this charming poet and singer and in this song he is performing in a typical desi get together (you know 'keep in touch with your kaalcher' types) in the US, but comes across as a monkey on marijuana. Anyhow here are the lyrics of the song:

Jaag ke kaati saari raina
Nainon me kal oas giri thi

Prem ki agni bhujti nahin hai
Behti nadiyan rukthi nahin hai

Saagar tak behte do naina
Jaag ke kati saari raina

Ruh ke bandhan khulte nahin hai
Daag hai dil ke dhulte nahin hai

Karvat, Karvat baati raina
Jaag ke kati sari raina
Nainon me kal oas giri thi

Cool Runnings

Yeah the title is from the 1993 movie about a Jamaican bobsled team and sportsmanship. But this is about my tryst with running. Since I was finding a little more time on my hands given the almost non-existent social life, I thought I would kick the sedentary lifestyle and do something about the weight problem. Started off a year and half ago with very humble beginnings, I was doing a mile in about 20 minutes and I was all out of breath and the shin splints were painful. I asked the doctor about it during the physical and I think the reply was something close to: suck it up, pop some Advil. Fast forward until about a month ago, I was doing about 3 miles in 30-35 minutes, no shin splints, I could almost go about another mile, I'd lost about 40 pounds and for the first time, I'd religiously stuck to an exercise regimen for over a year. Life was good, I could wear all the clothes that I could only look wistfully at, I was beginning to feel good about myself.
But it looks like that was not to be. You see I have been having this pain in the lower back and it disappears somewhere in the butt and reappears as a burning-searing pain at the side of the butt. It's more marked in the mornings and makes any bending at the back really painful. So I gave it a rest for a week and was icing the painful area. But it didn't help, I would think it was gone and there it was back in the morning. The trip to the doctor's didn't help either, he sent me back with 600 mgs of Ibuprofen and asked me to check with my primary care physician if the pain persisted after 2-3 weeks and that will be 15 dollars thank you and who knows how much insurance paid. I am begining to lose all faith in doctors and the medical insurance framework as such. So this week, I said to hell with it and started running again. I remember it used to be such a liberating experience, now I have to be so cautious about exerting myself. I can barely do 2 miles in 30 minutes and I am gasping for breath and the pain is still the same mostly. I hate having to be held hostage by this pain. Am I asking for too much, just want to be able to run again.

Gillette sensor excel and thanksgiving '07

Remind me why I'd stopped using this: for one, it sucks, big time. Really, it doesn't shave well, you always have to shave a second time (who's got time to shave a second time in the morning, your time is better spent watching VH1 Jumpstart or something), it's probably lasted two or three shaves for me at most and it burns like hell. So why was I using this abomination when you have razors with 5 or 6 blades now (what is it, the fusion)? The thanksgiving weekend saw me at a friend's place and I had forgotten my razor (I use a trusty disposable BIC now). So I borrowed his (with a new cartridge of course), which turned out to be a sensor excel. I was reintroduced to shaving hell.
Well about the trip, that's another story. White knuckle driving, 700 miles in freezing rain and snow, reached my friends place at 2 AM on thanksgiving day. Driving on the highway, in the night with snow and freezing rain is so surreal and eerie, almost like a video game, a lone spacecraft swishing through the milky way. Saw a lot of cars that had slid off the highway. I don't know why people drive like idiots in inclement weather. The drive back was not that bad, since most of it was done in the day and there was no snow. So 1400 miles back and forth, not bad, but my back hurt like hell. I don't know if it is the seating in the PT Cruiser that was uncomfortable or if it was me. Anyhow, I don't think I will be renting a PT Cruiser again.

The 2008 Subaru Impreza

...is so fugly. I mean it has always been ugly. But, in a 'I want it' sort of way, not in a 'I don't want to be seen in near it' kind of sense. I think the nose and the grille sort of spoil it. Subaru what's up, I know I want your AWD goodness (actually what I really want is the WRX, but can't plonk another 8 Gs) at an affordable price. But you don't really need to make it fugly to make it affordable. Heck even a Kia looks better.

The well dressed desi male...

I have noticed from my daily transit ride, is a very rare species. I know this is going to make me sound all queer (I like my women thank you and I don't think there is anything wrong with being queer, frankly I don't have an opinion and I give a damn whom you bed). It's just that I see far too many desi men dressed badly and with a skewed grooming sense. I must say I commend the desi women on this front, but then, that's always been their thing. So I have taken it upon myself to guide my desi brethren, this is going to be more in a peeve style:

1. Ok this will be long, if you are follically challenged in the head region, like me: there are certain dos and don't s. I think someone came up with this bright idea that a goatee (or frenchie?) will move the attention away from the head. Actually it makes you look balder, law of contrasts you see. So lose that 'cool' patch of hair around the lip and chin region. Besides they are not the 'in' thing now. Also don't try to cover your baldness with long hair in certain areas (think Donald Trump), again the law of contrasts, this makes you look pathetic. A close cropped haircut works best. Also if you are overweight, it shows in your face first and if you have lesser hair it becomes more evident. So it would be helpful if you lost those extra pounds, besides, you have to give some incentive. Also please get a haircut when you are due (the bushy look over the ears is so not cool), I know it gives you a fit every time you compare what you pay here (plus tip) with the pittance that you pay in India, but who said looking good is cheap.
2. Dress wear (or what you call formal wear): what's with all those ill-fitting, drab colors and polyesters and nylons. Also you needn't sport those labels (Allen Solly, Louis Phillippe, Arrow), nobody gives a damn, in fact they haven't even heard of those brands here, except for Arrow, which is a mainstream brand in US anyway. Choose clothes with structure, well fitted shirts and pants, more modern colors and stripes. If you must wear pin stripe pants, never pair it with a busy (striped, checkered) shirt, wear a plain shirt. Also the shoes, should be sleek, lose the army boot and square toed look. Jackets, suits and ties are just hilarious. They are a separate topic altogether, go read one of them men's magazines. I don't do a lot of dress wear anyway, I work in one of those places where you can walk in wearing shorts.
   
3. Sneakers, white, usually reebok or nike paired with jeans and a multi colored polo t-shirt. This is desi-uber-casual. Please, lose the white sneakers, they were cool in college, but not now. They look good only with workout gear. I know you spent a huge amount on that cool brand, but use them for their real purpose.
4. Jeans: usually a wrangler, lee (with the clover leaf pockets) or levis usually tapered leg or the 'Killer' brand crotch hugging and sort of bell legs. Please lose them or use them when doing any house projects, I know they last a long time, I am stuck with a few of those that I have donated to goodwill. It's not a sin to decommission jeans when they are out of style. Don't even think of cut offs. Look around, you needn't go all pricey (7 for mankind?), buy a decent fit (like a bootcut) with a good wash, experiment with dark rinsed ones. Also you needn't always wear polos and sneakers with jeans. A neat pair of jeans, coupled with a dress shirt and dress shoes look really good.
5. Leather jackets/coats: Usually black, an essential gear of the FOB. I know you got them for a fraction of the price in India and your project manager asked you to get one. But please, the thing with leather jackets is that they only look good if they fit well and don't go all the way to your knees. Also why the hood, who puts a hood on a leather jacket anyway, besides these leather jackets do not protect you well in winter. Oversized winter jackets are another peeve of mine.
   
6. Shorts: Denim shorts are not so cool anymore, yes they do last a long time but no and cut offs are a strict no no. Usually a plain cotton- khaki, beige, gray, olive or brown works best. Pleated or not is your preference. I prefer cargo shorts with a rumpled look. Also, you don't always have to wear the Bata leather sandals(quovadis?) or white sneakers with them and atleast not the tube socks, ankle length or quarter length are better and white please. Try loafers (without the socks) or floaters. Also please make sure you have the legs for it, usually we desi men sport very hairy, bamboo stick like legs and I don't think we've heard of an invention called moisturiser. One more thing, while we are talking about socks: the white hanes socks with the dress shoes, not so cool. Invest in some good quality, dark, dress socks, usually cotton or cotton blend (or go overboard, I believe they have socks made from bamboo fiber these days). Not those nylon or polyester ones with garish designs, they make your feet smell bad too.
7. Body odor: This seems to be my bane in the transit bus, please, please wash that shirt and banian. This goes for some of the desi ladies too. Yes it's cold here but that does not mean that you will wait till your next trip to India. Don't even get me started on the smell of oil and food. Spraying your self with that deodorant or 'scent' only makes it worse. Also change the socks and try to alternate the pair of shoes, don't wear the same pair for a week, especially if you have smelly feet like me.
8. Also please get in shape, mostly the married men. You don't have to get all ripped, start with some realistic goals. Just because you are married, does not mean you can get all out of shape and dress shabbily. Believe me it will make you feel so much better when you look at yourself in the mirror in the morning, it boosts your confidence and gives you a sense of achievement. It will make you desirable to your mate and open up this whole new range of possibilities in your wardrobe. Besides, why should only the ladies get all the attention?
   

Go ahead, judge me now, tell me I am shallow. That's what I get for doing a favor.

the bansuri - indian flute

I am in awe of the bansuri. It's just a piece of bamboo with holes burned into it, how someone can come up with such soul stirring music from such a modest musical instrument is beyond me. I have been listening to these fusion pieces here. I am usually wary when I see 'new age', 'fusion' and 'upcoming artist' in the same sentence. But these are really great. Heck, I actually want to go ahead and learn how to play it. But then again, I have seen how these impulsive urges go, besides I don't have any inkling of hindustani music and I don't think we have any gurus here in midwesternia.

desi women and cell phones

You'd think they were born with that device attached to their ear. Now that we are gracing the local metro bus with our august presence. Case in point:
1. Lady in the first seat shouting in desi language at the hapless cell phone, all the way from the start to the end of the 45 minute bus ride. Actually she was considerate enough, she'd ended the call 5 minutes before the stop. Also she had this really loud frustrated tone, I did understand the language incidentally, which was why I realized it was casual talk. I mean any louder and she probably could have done without the cell phone.
2. Desi lady trying to balance a cell phone with her neck and shoulder, pulling a pullman with one hand, a lap top bag slung over the other shoulder and trying to get the pre-paid ticket to scan with the other hand. WTF. Can't you ask your friend/fiance/husband to hold on for a bit. I mean come on you are not only killing yourself out there but also holding up the line with your gymnastics.
3. The other two desi dames playing you hang up with their boyfriend/fiance/new husband whatever.
4. Then there are these other desi women who are constantly updating their husbands with geopositional information. I mean why don't you just stick a RFID in the wife dude.
It might sound like I am exaggerating, but really I am just seeing a cross section of the desi women in this city and almost all of them always seem to be stuck to their cell phones on the bus. I know it is a 45 minute bus ride, but, whatever happened to old fashioned book reading or catching up on sleep or even bobbing your head to your favorite tune on your ipod.

Maine tumse kuch nahin maanga

I have been listening to this song from 'Katha' (1982) - an off beat movie by Sai Paranjpe (Naseeruddin shah, Deepti Naval, Farooq Shaikh, Malika Sarabhai and a host of Marathi stage actors - regulars in Sai Paranjpe movies). Kishore Kumar's lilting voice is great as usual. Current mood not withstanding, it is in repeat mode. Especially the last stanza: 'kab talak dor kheenchigi mujhko, chod do, mera abhimaan dedo'. Here are the lyrics and a somewhat rough tranlation by yours truly.

Maine tumse kuch nahin maanga
Maine tumse kuch nahin maanga

Aaj dedo, Aaj dedo...
Sau baras se jage in nainon ko
Neend ka.. vardaan dedo, dedo

Maine tumse kuch nahin maanga

Gherti khushbuyen, Phir wohi aahate
Barhan chaunkna, Phir wahi karvate
Wohi baahon ke gheron me bandhna
Wohi nazron ke saaye me tapna

Kab talak dor.. kheenchigi mujh ko
Kab talak dor.. kheenchigi mujh ko
Chod do mera abhimaan dedo, deo

Maine tumse kuch nahin maanga

I have never asked you for anything
But today, give
These eyes that have been awake for a hundred years
The boon of sleep

The fragrances surrounding me, the familiar sound of your footsteps
Getting startled everytime, the same restlessness in the night
The bond of your arms, the burning passion in your gaze

How much more will the bonds of your love pull me?
Leave me, please give me back my pride.

Vizag beach road 2001

This, so much reminds me of an evening on beach road in Vizag. I think it was the day after the wedding. It's either the pillow or the sheets when I reach out tonight and I am thinking it's a bad substitute.