The Anvil

I have come too far to turn back,
I know not what I seek, it is neither the light,...nor the dark,
though through each I have wandered.
A fire somewhere deep inside, burns with persistence,
fuelling me forward.
On certain dark nights, it erupts in a fury,
that threatens to set me ablaze, a hammer from the skies above does nothing to reduce the pain,
Every morning after, the flame subsides, but remains....still burning
And as I leap out of the burning forge to face a glorious new day,
blood rushes through my veins with renewed vigour, a heart beats with unbridled passion,
I know...........I am stronger than ever before.

A trophy for life

What is achievement? What qualifies as one..... A job? a promotion? marriage? Lucky for a few, we live in a world where we can define what "achievement" means to us. The world however decides in its own way what achievement means, and those who fool themselves are quietly dropped off the pages of history. Their existence remains as memories within their families for a generation or two, after which their own heirs bury their memories. The true achievers on the other hand attain immortality, earning themselves a rightful and dignified place in history.
Whilst having dinner at Madhu's place this Saturday, we had a revelation, he just happens to be the first Kannadiga to swim across the English Channel. It was only upon nudging further details out of him did I truly understand the magnitude of his accomplishment. The greatest challenge of the swim is not it's length, it is the cold water that bites into the muscle making the swim even harder. Then the shoals of jelly fish, the huge vessels that dwarf the swimmer,.... all factors that contribute to the fear and anxiety in the mind. And that is the biggest threat to the swimmer. The swim is a true test of strength, both physical and mental.

Even more awe-inspiring, was Madhu's calm and composed account of it, not a hint of arrogant pride as he gave an account of his feat. Modesty, a virtue that will capture everyone's heart. As I was skiing on Sunday, many a time I wondered what would have gone through his mind. Did he ever reach tipping point? Did he ever get close to giving up? I'm sure there were would have been times when he came close, but just pure will power would have helped to draw out energy from within him. And that is the essence of an achiever, his success does not come easy, there will be more than a few factors that will threaten to overpower him, to lead him down the path of failure, ....but his iron will supercedes them all.
Salutations to you Madhu, I am proud to be your countryman.

Mid-March frenzy

I am indeed glad to be around folks who share the same enthusiasm for life. Nothing disappoints me more than the realisation that a weekend has passed and my only achievement has been a few hours on Orkut. And which would have been my predicament if it weren't for the FCT boys. Always ready to rock-n-roll, get out and there and get high on life, so weekends have given me tennis, squash, trips exploring the eastern terrain of Canada, rock shows and most essentially great company.
So another eventful weekend rolls by, playing Lazer tag and Whirly ball at Rinx heralds it, skiing at Blue Mountain concludes it. The Barbarians, as myself and my flatmates are known in the FCT circuit, continue their savage run in sporting events. My love affair with skiing continues, the snow-covered slopes allowing me to glide across them with more control and speed. Weather played perfect host too with the sun dominating the skies. Every single time I eased myself off the ski lift and to the edge of the slope, I had a moment, just watching the frozen shores of Wasaga and the blue expanse of the deeper waters of lake Ontario, a spectacular view from the cliff.

Russell Peter

Those familiar with the North American comedy circuit would have definitely heard of Russell Peter. Those who haven't should check him out on youtube, he's quite funny. He has a great talent for bringing out racial differences in a satirical manner. So, I was quite surprised to know that my brother-in-law would be touring with him in India. The tour's over and they did Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi....sell-out shows supposedly. I missed out, brother.

Little Wonders

.. is a track on the animation movie "Meet the Robinsons", heard it on 99.9 last week. Rob Thomas, continues to prove his skill at song-writing, simple yet poignant. Listen to it here.

Love Hurts

I am a warrior, worn and weary,
I have returned from the battlefields of love, defeated,
Shorn of all my armour,
I ponder on my travails.....
so why is love worth fighting for?



Maybe.....

Food

Jocelyn asked me today whether I enjoyed the food, she does know that I have a good appetite always. I told her I like it, and yes I honestly do. However, right now as I reflect upon all the food I've tasted ....from the mundane British and American to the more common Chinese and Italian and then the more exotic Lebanese and Persian, it has always been the Indian that has had me leaving wholly satisfied when I leave the dining table. While I risk being blamed of a prejudice, and such a claim could be partly right as well, my prejudice is not completely without reason.

For humans, food is more than just nourishment, it is more than proteins and carbs required for sustenance, it is about taste. Food has to be such that it challenges the taste buds, it has to be about aroma that teases the mind, it has to be such that it engraves memories like my grandmother's sambar, my mother's coconut chutney or even the samosa at Ramu's tea stall with his masala chai. If one had to judge food on all these factors, Indian food will score high. India being the land of spices, it is but natural that we be the masters of spice.

And which is why, while I will always experiment with cuisines of the world, and I am sure I will love it, but when I am in search of that wholesome meal the Indian cook will deliver. He needn't stand there prim and proper with his chef hat waiting on me, Ramu in his baniyan and towel flung across his shoulder will do just fine, no not just fine .......even better.

Be yourself

The song of the moment, Audioslave's "Be yourself", simple lyrics yet the words ring with truth...every single line

....You may win or lose..

But to be yourself is all that you can do..


This one's for the road ahead.

Into the light

The sunlight streams into the living room, through the wide openings between the curtains. Arkestra One plays "Into the light", on the cd "Den of Thieves'. The melting snow begins to reveal tufts of grass on the grounds below, and I know winter has begun it's slow retreat. The world rolls by, little children running behind their mothers, a Siberian Husky chases a squirrel up a tree, people getting their bread from the Italian bakery....And I sit here with my legs raised one over the other, watching, this beautiful world outside, basking in this moment, nothing could be more apt.