My Scratch Pad

To jot down some memorable events in my journey

Tuesday, December 27, 2005

Bindaas Brother

Bindaas: Kewl (The latest way of spelling "cool"!!!)

No prizes for guessing that this blog is about my brother, Sharath. I wanted to name this blog "My brother Sharath" in line with the movie title "My brother Nikhil". However, that dint seem original.

Let me give you a quick formal introduction of my brother. He is 6 years younger to me, studying (hopefully) to be a potential engineer, 6ft 1inch tall and an eligible bachelor (given that the marriageable age of guys in India will be reduced to 18 years now).

Now, comes the informal part.

In our family, there is a tradition of not calling even younger siblings by name (so what if you call them Donkey, Monkey, Piggy, Idiot, Duffer, $*#@ and with much more derogatory titles). My father is addressed by his elder brother as Thambi (for younger brother in Tamil - Language native to the South Indian state). Thankfully my father is the only brother; else he might have been called Thambi-3 !!. So, I had to call Sharath, Thambi. Due to our technological advance, Thambi evolved as follows:
Thambi -> Tubby -> Tuby -> Turbie -> Barbie (Yeah! that's his latest name…Hez going to kill me if he seez this blog).

He too calls me with various names like Dummi (fatso in Tamil), Aaane (elephant in Tamil), Aandalamma(due to my hairdo) etc. My personal favorite has been Teapot (remember the nursery rhyme "I am a little teapot, short and stout.."). I won't deal with history of each of these names coz that would lead to writing an epic and not a blog.

He is a lovable boy-next-door. He is ever cheerful. "Tension kaiku lene ka" (loosely translates to "Take it easy") attitude. Lots of things to do on his ever-growing list of activities. Academics seemed to have been erased with permanent whitener from this list!! Hey, that does not mean that he is an ever-flunking repeater in his club, so what if he is not a nine-pointer. He has immense respect in his huuugggggggggge friends circle (I call him "King in Fool's Paradise"). He has a strange way of addressing God. He calls them with nicknames like pals. For example: Ganu and Hanu (Lord Ganesha and Lord Hanuman).

He loves Tayir Saadam (for curd rice in Tamil) and all those junk food available near his college. Wonder how he maintains his ultra-slim waist line. He loves T-Shirts (no need to press them before wearing). He loves Rajnikanth and Jackie Chan. He loves NFS and all those illusionary car games which he plays sitting on the edge of the chair.

He hates getting up early (early means 8am). He hates taking bath at the time my mom suggests. He hates to keep things clean around. He hates going to college and usually successful skipping college by terming it "mass bunk" or "cultural fest" or "attendance sheet already sent" or some junk like that…

Like any other "normal" siblings, we have had all kinds of fights (in fact, they are minion versions of a war). Fights with cushions, desi versions of kung-fu, verbal fights… My strongest weapons have been my nails and his test scores. We used to fight a lot for the TV watching slots. I wanted to watch some sobbie serials where the "Aunties" waste the edges of their 6 meter long exotic sarees to wipe diluted Sodium Chloride emerging from their eyes. He wanted to watch Amazing Race on AXN, Junkyard Wars on Discovery Channel, American Choppers on Discovery Travel and Living, Travelers on Discovery Channel, Timon and Pumba on Cartoon Network etc etc. This was one fight I WON on losing. I "compromised" to keep peace at home and started watching what he likes to watch. These programs are really cool…er…kewl.

We have talked about technology, Rahul Dravid, F1 (that's right.. F is for formula and not fashion), bikes, gadgets, college life, politicians, movies, science fiction, girls in his college and so on. I don't think there is any topic we know of and we have not discussed.

Ok…let's cut the crap...Too much of good things about him. He may start flying given that he is so light and try to gain some false identity of an angel :D. My brother is one of my best pals and the coolest dude I have known. He has helped me evolve as a person. As my friends Joy and Latha say, it is really necessary to tell people how much you love them. So, here it is …


I LOVE YOU BARBIE!!!


Secret of the moment: I have changed his diapers when he was an infant :D

Next to come: Solitude

Sunday, December 25, 2005

Pandora's Box




Hi All,
I was thinking about blogging for a longggggggg time. Why was I thinking about it? Firstly, I don’t need to shell out bucks to either think or blog ;D

Secondly, I usually do something totally new for the New Year. Early this year, I started wearing western clothes for the very first time in my life. For this New Year, it is the blog.

Thirdly, I needed to bring about a fresh perspective to my life. Of late, people around had started telling that I am ‘serious(in the sense not chillax). In the initial phases, like any other Leo, I used to rebel saying that I am NOT ‘serious. However, I just tried looking into myself and found to have metamorphosed from a bubbly, ever-energetic college student with 16-hour busy schedules a day, to a person, who is very skeptical, over-sensitive and over-cautious. There were a string of nasty and unhappy incidents (which I will not deal with) which had left me lonely (in the crowd), rejected, dejected and at an all-time-low. It was as if some Dementor (courtesy: Harry Potter) had sucked out all the energy and happiness from me. It was as if I was a demonstrator for the Murphy’s Law“When things go wrong, they all go wrong at the same time”. But, what the heck!!!! I am NOT a “Loser”. I need to kick life on its butt and get it running. Yeah! I know that was a cribbo start!! For all I know, it takes a fair amount of courage to speak out and accept in a public forum like this. This blog is an effort to rejuvenate myself. (Effort to rejuvenate – doesn’t that sound like an oxymoron).

So, I first created the Welcome blog when my manager was busy talking to the clients. I need to use the office resources efficiently, you see. Later, talked to one of my close friends Goutham on what to write. He said write a blog on the topic “you donno what to write”!!! Early morning, next day, I woke up my brother, achievement of its own kind. When I asked him what to write, he said “Games”!!!, as though I would think that would be innovative. I would have been rather surprised if he had come up with something else. Then I thought for about two hours and got this piece out. Just looked around to see what I can write about. In fact, lots to write. Books, friends, office, college, hobbies, culture, technology, sports, places, politics, stock market, bad roads, traffic…the list goes on. That’s why named this blog, “Pandora’s box” as it opens up a plethora of things to blog about.

This blog is dedicated to all my pals, colleagues and family members (I left out only strangers, I guess :D). The previous statement would have reminded you of a pep talk by a film star on receiving some award. Yeah!! That’s right!! I am a star of my own right and the precious award I have got is the Beauuutiful LIFE around…..

Merry Christmas to All. Wish you all a great year ahead!!!




Quote of the moment: Nothing is constant, BUT change.



Next to come: Bindaas Brother



Friday, December 23, 2005

Welcome


Hearty Welcome