Since I have not been writing for my blogs for long now; I decided to block 'view' of all 4 of my blogs on blogspot. They are, 'artensoul', 'my reel life', 'serious-hilarious' and 'ahuti'. They will be visible to me only as the author. May be I will reopen them when I get into writing again.
I had registered with bigadda about 2 weeks back; but could not handle it. I also did not find it user friendly. Somehow the html also used to get published along with the post. Stupid! So, in just 4-5 days I deactivated it.
I would think 2008 was a very tiring year. It may have been toughest test of my/world's endurance.
It robbed a lot of money from everyone's pockets, starting from rich companies of the western world. According to estimates less than half of the wealth is left on this planet and the rest may have gone to Mars (for a long time). We have come to know that it happened due to companies mainly 'banking' on 'auto' control rather than using their own hands and heads. Crude oil went beyond $147, sending Indian inflation beyond 12. And since now oil is below $40, Indian economy is in control; but 'they' are crying hoarse.
2008 also killed a lot guys all over. Death and huge expenditure is still ON in Iraq and Afghanistan.
A huge earth quake in China shook up the country. Millions became homeless. But world discovered that a communist heart also pumps red blood. There were miracles too, like finding a small baby alive even after 5-6 days of being under the rubble.
A supposedly fun and tourism place, Thailand had people dressed in yellow scattered all over where ever camera panned. They did not like the way Thai government functioned. People slept at the airport making it dis-functional for weeks; in the end bringing down the government.
2008 has credit for bringing more than 60 hours of 'live terror' on our TVs from some of most famous Mumbai landmarks. Due to strong effect of that 'reality TV' show, I had to leave my home to sleep else where for one night. It also gave me severe acidity and mental disturbance made me throw up in the middle of night. War with Pakistan was hyped but soon became an non-option, thankfully.
Presently Israel is pounding Hamas establishments in Gaza with nearly 300 dead. Hamas too has earned it because they had been rocketing Israel for the past few months.
... If this is how 2008 went - can 2009 be any worse? Obviously it will be better.
Untill you try, you don't know what you can't do.
Speaking without thinking is like shooting woithout taking aim.
Aim to perform to the best in your life.
Your success will depend on your attitude to life.
Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiam.
Visions of the future are better than dreams of the past.
The best way to learn to do a job is by doing it.
We went to Pune for Christmas on Christmas day, leaving at 7.30am in Dharam's car. Prateek did not come. We reached Murali's Pune house at 12 noon. I did not go to Manisha's house for lunch. She had invited us because Anisah had stood 1st in her class. She also got a prize from school. I had lunch at Murali's home. Rima, Purab, Yamini and Dizy were there. I went to see the Ishaniya mall with Dharam in the evening. Christmas dinner was at Ima's place. It was good. Next morning we all left around 11am for Mumbai. We had Vada-Pav at a food court and lunch at InOrbit Vashi with Ravi. We also went to see Ravi's house in Vashi. We were home by 6pm.
Well I did not go for lunch to Munnu's house because I have suddenly decided to stop eating red meat. In fact I may stop all non-veg, may be except eggs. Basically the reason is deeper.
After this Bombay terror attacks, I did some thinking on people's meat eating habits. By people I mean the Muslim community. They eat their meat cut in a certain way, called Halal. In this way the animal is given a small cut in its throat and is allowed to bleed to death. The animal or a bird like a goat or a chicken; it suffers ultimate pain and tosses and turns. In Halal system Muslims want the blood to drain out from the body, as the blood oozes out due to running heart.
Well I realized that it is very ruthless way to kill a living being to eat. Sikh on the contrary kill the animal in one shot. Aptly it is called Jhataka. I would much prefer to eat that meat than in which the animal has gone through horrible pain.
Let me analyze this. The animal is being killed to eat. So longer it suffers pain, the longer it curses its killers. If you are killing a human, the longer you make him suffer or torture him, the longer he will be cursing the killers. In fact if there is a bad relationship, the offensive stronger person will get curses from the suffer. And I am sure that is a phenomenon which can not be wrong. It is a cause and the effect. Entire Islamic world is on the edge. They are the most unsettled and violent people. I feel cutting their meat in Halal way may be the reason for this. They cannot change it. Religion is the most important segment in a Muslim's life; higher than family, country or humanity.
Well after the terror attacks I took this this decision to give up non-veg. So now I can not eat non-veg at any Muslim's place. I am any way not fond of it, otherwise I might have looked for a Sikh meat shop. But that is not the case.
People stumble not on mountains; but on small pebbles.
A happy marriage is a union of two good forgivers.
Some cause happiness where ever they go; others, whenever they go.
The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra.
My best friend is the one who bring out the best in me.
If you believe in yourself... then what others think won't matter.
The key to leadership is to accept responsibility.
The possession of knowledge does not kill the sense of wonder and mystery. -- Anais Nin
It is common sense to take a method and try it. If it fails admit it frankly and try another. But above all try something. -- Franklin Roosevelt
When men destroy their old gods, they will find new ones to take their place. -- Pearl S Buck
Love measures our stature; the more we love the bigger we are. -- William Sloane Coffin Jr
An optimist is the human personification of spring. -- Susan J Bissonnette
As long as people believe in absurdities, they will continue to commit atrocities. -- Voltaire
People grow through experience if they meet life honestly and courageously. This is how character is built. -- Eleanor Roosevelt
The greatest minds are capable of greatest vices as well as greatest virtues. -- Rene Descartes
Where all think alike, no one thinking much. -- Walter Lippmann
Not feeling well today too. I have taken a few Seumol Plus since yesterday and today, 1 Coldarin and 1 Cetzine. Right now i am feeling better. but i am afraid I may not be able to attend my karate class tomorrow. it is a setback. i don't like to miss it.
Washing machine is running. The new one. it has very soft running sound. The alarm of 'end' is too soft.
kishu is too busy. she replies to my mails in very short. she did not answer my phone the other day becuse she was on the microscope. I wrote to her to do some stretch exercises. she may fall sick if she working just sitting. i am sure she will not have time for that too. i hope she has read the mail fully. she is in a spot actually. she has to submit her thesis by April and rush to Haridwar for her wedding! ...ufff such a busy woman.
yestreday sushila went to Goa with Ima by train. she had asked Murli's driver to drop her. nice of Murli. she will be back on 23rd. in the meanwhile dharam is back from Kenya. he called in the morning from home.
i am alone right now at home. machine is runnning. India's inning has ended Dravid and Gambhir made centuries. i am happy for Dravid. He is so classy, cool and sober. it showed in his gesture after getting the ton - so relaxed. Even Sachin reacts much loudly than him, although he has achieved so much more.
Sumit wrote to me today. he says he has sent 2 of my works to TOI. so let me see how it moves from here. i told him that as far as my first publishing is concerned some author has to push me. no one throws a glance towards a new writer. there are thousands of them all over. actually i have been told that things in my life are supposed to be better from November 2008 onwards. I don't find a change; but i do feel mentally more calm and at ease. best of luck arun.
I came to know about the calligraphy exhibition through news paper. For the past any days I have been under stress of various small matters, like mechanic not coming for demo of washing machine, water flow becoming a trickle in the toilet side. The machine couldnt be run in such little water. And I have always been vary of water continuously leaking in the flush tank. On Dec 17, everything fell in place. All my little problems got sorted out. So on Dec 18, I decided to take a day off, as I do often.
So I left home for J J School fo Art by a VT train. Got there by 12.30pm. It was a very nice exhibition. I had never stepped inside JJ School before this. So that was very good. After completing the shoot, I had lunch in the canteen. Then I walked to Sterling to see if ''Burn after reading' was running. No luck. I walked ahead thowards Churchgate through Azad Maidan. I shot a lot of footage of the cricket there. Then at Cross Maidan too I covered more cricket. I think I will make a short film on cricket crazy city.
Then got in a train from Churchgate. I did some snack shopping at Merwan's.
I guess I was falling ill. I have been getting this feeling since my karate class on Wednesday. I had to start taking Seumol Plus from last night.
Last night I completed my 'Callifest' film and uploaded it today morning.
This post is meant for the Sunday last (Dec 14)
It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. – Albert Einstein
If your heart acquires strength, you will be able to remove blemishes from others without thinking evil of them. – Mohandas K Gandhi
Religion is the human response to being alive and having to die. – F. Forrester Church
An invasion of armies can be resisted, but not an idea whose time has come. – Victor Hugo
The world is but a canvas to the imagination. – Henry David Thoreau
There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you that it is going to be a butterfly. – Buckminster Fuller
Creativity is a type of learning process where the teacher and the pupil are located in the same individual. – Arthur Koestler
Courage is going from failure to failure without loosing enthusiasm. – Winston Churchill
Persons who lose their conscience have nothing worth keeping. – Izaak Walton
It takes a great person to be good listener.
Opportunity rarely knocks twice.
The best way to solve a problem is to solve it.
A quitter never wins and a winner never quits.
Success is the maximum utilization of the ability that you have.
Only those who do nothing do not make mistakes.
Someone to love, something to hope for.
Yesterday on Dec 15, India won the 2st cricket test match against England. It was a very good game. Sachin got his 41st century. And the best thing was that he completed his 100 and India's victory happened with the same shot. India needed 4 runs to win and Sachin was on 99. The ball went for 4 as he guided it towards fine leg.
But before this I would like to extend my sincere compliments to English team. They showed a lot of courage, concern and spirit to come back from home to play the test series after Mumbai went through the 60 hours of terrorist carnage.
In my opinion they are the real winners of the game. Congrats England.
I have in talk with Vinod Ganatra for working in his Gujarati film for CFSI. I realized I was not getting my price and I was given any assurance and schedule for the payments to me. He agreed to pay me 10K before leaving on 18 Dec. But eben that was not happening. No talk about it. So today at the holy hour 5.30am I SMSed him, "Not able to attend ur shoot. Sorry. Many reasons. Gudluk." Vinod replied at 5.45am, "Thank you sir for informing me at the last minute" I did feel a little bad for the arrow that he shot, but just for 5 mins. I was fine then.
We bought a new washing machine on 13 Dec from Chroma. I was delivered on 14th. May be it will get commissioned today.
So many things were testing my patience. The computer went blank. The guy came and changed the RAM and its ok now. The laptop was npt configured for internet. The Airtel people came and did it.
Finally we have not been getting proper water in our toilet taps. The plumber is supposed to do it today.
Too many hitches in day to day life - just because I am at home?
Got a call from some Ranjan ICICI Bhagalpur branch, confirming my story on my account embezzlement. He told me that Rajesh Kumar alias Raju says that I have actually sent him the money. I obviously denied it, filling him how the phish mail came asking for verifications, money vanishing next day, complaining to bank's helpline, submitting writen complain at the Bandra branch and finally going to cyber cell for the FIR. I guess they are working on the episode.
Today may be last day of work on the sliding window work in the balcony.
Yesterday our washing machine performed its last job. We are going to replace it today.
Vinod Ganatra has not been in touch for his film shoot. I am sure my 'quote' did not suit him. I did spoke to him a few times after that, but he did not mention it. In fact I was excited that Bhupender Patel too was coming down to India and might visit his shoot in Bhuj. They are supposed to leave on Dec 17. Let us see. f I go for this shoot, I will miss cyber law exam on Jan 11, 09 and the 15 day karate exam also in Jan.
Even Ghazala is OOT. She SMSed me on 11th that she will get in touch next day; but nothing.
My karate classes are going fine.
