Laptop Diary

The Wrong Kind of Pandit

2011-11-23T01:00:00.000+03:00

A few months ago, there was a Youtube video that went viral. Not just in the conventional sense. By viral, I mean, crazy viral. It gathered a grand total of about 167 million views. To put that in perspective, one of the leading rock bands in the world, Coldplay, released their latest single Paradise, to approximately 18 million views. A 14 year old girl from California, USA, had done the

The Motorcyle Diaries

2011-11-20T08:00:00.000+03:00

About an year ago, I watched The Motorcyle Diaries. The movie was well made, showing the true story of Ernesto 'Che' Guevara and Alberto Granado's journey through Latin America on a spluttering motorcycle. I watched it, appreciated it, and forgot about it. Today, I visited the wiki page of The Motorcycle Diaries, and felt spellbound. Ernesto Guevara and his friend covered more than 8,000 miles

Searching For The 'Unicorn'

2011-11-16T00:00:00.001+03:00

I lost belief a long time ago. Most around me have. None of us ever discuss about it. It's like the myth of the 'Unicorn'. Dazzling, beautiful...but it doesnt happen in real life. They've documented it in movies, books, music videos. There are entire T.V. shows that capture the feel of the myth. But at the end of the day, you'll never see a 'Unicorn' in your life. It doesnt exist. Whenever

Money, Money, Money

2011-11-10T12:35:00.001+03:00

I wonder if it reflects badly on me as a blogger, when I start my post by quoting the excruciatingly annoying rapper Lil Wayne. But as I watched two friends of mine discuss about whose friend had a bigger house, the words from the song 'Money on My Mind' played out in my head. Which made me think. When did I land up in a Lil Wayne video? Before landing up in Chennai, my family and friends

I Wonder What Dravid Feels

2011-09-06T20:28:00.000+03:00

Wonder what Rahul Dravid feels about it. The countless newspaper columns, internet links, Facebook statuses, and perhaps most importantly, the flattering headlines. The Wall Stands Tall. I guess he'd be smiling. Chuckling to himself, and remembering, very clearly, how it was not so long ago. Odds are, he'll turn off the bedside lamp, say a small prayer, and forget about the praise.

Mallus, Marus and More

2011-07-25T20:37:00.002+03:00

Five Years Ago... "Vivek was telling me that Thursday might be a holiday for all of us," John said. "Whose Vivek?" I asked, as we sat at the end of class. "Arey, Vivek, dude. The short, spectacled guy, in Philip's class?" "Oh, that Vivek." Present Day... "Rohit says there's no college tomorrow. We'll watch a movie?" "Rohit? Who's that?" "Rohit, macha. The maru who sits behind us in class."

Three Letter Word For 'Being Happy'

2011-07-09T21:08:00.002+03:00

It's something that I've been wondering about for the past few days. When did I first hear the word being used? It's like trying to remember the first time you heard about the concept of death, or money, or air conditioners, I guess. It's just something that we grew up with. The word 'gay'. Before you raise your eye brows in suspicion, let me quell any fears. This is not a pro - gay rights

Three Blind Men

2011-07-02T23:56:00.000+03:00

Over the years, many of my readers have asked me about my first article as a journalist. Thinking back to that time, back in 2001, I could tell you the details as though it’d happened yesterday. On my very first day as an intern at The Hindu, I was well on course to being late for work. As I ran down the steps of the overhead footbridge two at a time, the railway platform was drowned in the

The Two Sides of Chennai Toastmasters

2011-06-26T18:04:00.001+03:00

After a break of two months, I got to attend a meeting of Chennai Toastmasters. Comfortably nestled within the 30 plus crowd, I sat back and listened as first timers came on stage and delivered their ‘Ice Breaker’ speeches. For the uninitiated, an Ice Breaker is the first speech a Toastmaster gives to introduce himself to the audience. This particular speaker, Madhavan, started off talking

Winning Back My Laptop Diary

2011-06-24T17:50:00.002+03:00

After six months of inactivity, I finally decided to start blogging again. Which meant I had to revisit Laptop Diary after a pretty long time. Given below is an imagining of that encounter... Me: (Trying to make an excuse for opening my blog) Oh, I -I'm sorry, I - er - I must've clicked on an old bookmark or something. Hope I didnt disturb you or anything. LD: No, no, dont worry. (bitterly)I

Socks, Not Soap

2011-01-28T22:15:00.000+03:00

When did roti-makers become so arrogant? I was waiting in line, along with about a dozen others, watching as two men took their own sweet time in rolling and baking the rotis. I’d been there for over half an hour, and the only way I was going to fill my stomach, was by keeping my temper under wraps. Finally, the cook decided to reward me for my patience, and slowly wrapped a couple of rotis

No. 20, Kennet Lane

2011-01-13T09:17:00.000+03:00

It's funny how life can change in a moment. All it takes is a decision. Yes, or no. And just like that, nothing's ever the same. It was supposed to be a day well spent with Siddharth. After three years abroad, he'd finally decided to return home. "Only for a few days," he muttered. But that never mattered to me. He was here, with me. And I'd enjoy every minute of it. Giselle Faleiro, I

From Boardwalk to Besant Nagar

2010-12-12T07:50:00.001+03:00

I'd always wondered what my college life would be like. What would I be doing? What would happen that would supposedly make it the 'best days of my life'? It took me about five months, but I finally found it last night. Just as I bought Boardwalk. Five friends and I sat on the floor, with a Monopoly board in the middle. For the uninitiated....check Wikipedia. Each of us were busy.

"No Pets, No Blacks....No Beards"

2010-11-20T19:41:00.001+03:00

When I began blogging in 2008, never did I ever imagine my posts would graduate from poems and short stories - and the occasional attempts at sounding funny - and become, what you'd call....'politically sensitive'. Therefore, though I do feel a tinge of anxiousness about the post I'm writing, it's inspired from a few incidents that occured in the past few months. To fill in on the details,

The Dog In Room No. 5

2010-11-05T16:29:00.000+03:00

It began just after the evening prayer. Returning from the mosque within the hostel, I saw a group of men standing near on of the stairs, talking animatedly. What's the matter, my cousin asked. There was a dog. In Room No.5. Now, a dog inside a Muslim hostel is unheard of. Give us cats, rats, even full blown cows and we'll handle them with ease. But a dog? Praise the lord! A few of us were

Letter From The Solitary Reaper

2010-11-02T11:35:00.000+03:00

If you've read 'The Solitary Reaper' by William Wordsworth, you might understand this... Dear Mr. Wordsworth, Never in my eight years as reaper have I been so utterly humiliated and embarresed! I have quite a mouthful to tell you, sir, and I'm afraid it shant be poetic! Last Sunday, the girls and I went up to town for a spot of shopping. I was looking for a pretty little hat when Mary

The Last Caller

2010-09-30T15:53:00.000+03:00

“And with that, we come to our last caller for the night,” said Tony. Adjusting his headset, he added, “Thank God.” It had been a horrible show. None of the callers had been remotely interesting, and Tony would’ve been worried about the ratings, if he didn’t have more pressing matters on his mind. “Alright guys,” Tony continued, checking the switch board for any more callers. Just one. Pathetic

Colourless Snow

2010-09-27T17:58:00.000+03:00

He stood still for a moment, silently surveying the vast expanse of snow all around. The dazzling whiteness seemed to calm him; slowly he walked down the rocky terrain, his army boots trudging through the thick layer of snow. Lieutenant Aditya Mehra had spent the past six years trudging through the snowy hill top, following the same routine almost religiously. Posted as a Border Patrol officer,

A La Masia For Us?

2010-09-21T08:23:00.001+03:00

Chennai at 6 in the morning during mid August, is beautiful. The air is crisp, you feel a gentle breeze pass you by, and something about the atmosphere makes you look up at the sky and smile in content. I was standing on the terrace of my hostel in Egmore, holding a copy of Bram Stoker's Dracula, when it began drizzling slightly. Adjacent to the hostel is a hockey stadium, and from where I was

Sleeping To Death

2010-09-15T09:41:00.000+03:00

June 2010 Looking around the room, I nodded my head and placed my suitcase next to the bed. “I like it, I’ll move in next Monday.” My new roommate Jonathan nodded his head and smiled. He was a simple fellow; never asked too many questions. He didn’t know why someone with such a good job would want a cramped room to stay in. He didn’t know who my previous roommate had been. And thankfully, he

The Chetpet Story

2010-09-02T18:08:00.002+03:00

A rush of wind. Bustling crowd. Screeching rails. That's all I remember of the first time I used the Suburban train in Chennai. Over the next few weeks, my white-knuckled grip on the overhead railing loosened; my posture slackened; I finally took my eyes off the entrance of the compartment. I looked around, and noticed The Chetpet Story for the first time... After occupying a seat near the

Six Years And Five Takes

2010-08-28T13:02:00.000+03:00

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21st Century Wordsworths

2010-08-23T14:45:00.000+03:00

Recently, my English Professor at college held a lively discussion that focused on the theme, ‘The World Outside’. He began by asking us the simple question: When you think of a poet, what comes to your mind? A smart classmate responded, describing an image of someone sitting under a tree, drawing inspiration from the world around him. I wanted to raise my hand and say: “Eminem, anyone?”

'Tamil Mattum Pesungu'

2010-08-19T17:25:00.001+03:00

The following is merely my personal observation, and not in any way intended as a slight against any particular group or community. While glancing through an edition of The Hindu on a sweltering Sunday afternoon, I happened to read a small article. Nothing much, just about how the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, M. Karunanidhi had instructed all the Civil Service officers in the State to prepare

Is This Seat Taken?

2010-08-15T11:26:00.000+03:00

I got my first culture shock within three weeks of reaching Chennai. I know, it was pretty exciting. My cousin and I decided to have dinner, one Sunday, from National Durbar, a restaurant opposite the Chennai Central Railway station. It’s a good restaurant, populated by middle class people, and normally extra busy on weekends. As a result, we arrived and saw that all the tables were occupied. I