Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh, is a great place.
It has some charisma inherent in its culture and in the way people live their life. The "Tehzeeb" of Lucknow and the famous words from Lucknow "Pehle Aap!" are known to everyone. In essence it reflects the gentle and suave ways of people who stay there.
A great joke goes around about “Pehle Aap” phenomenon in Lucknow:
“A Begum in Lucknow got pregnant and to every ones surprise, the kids were not borne for 4 years!!!! On consulting the doctor’s and on doing MRI scans it was found that there were twin ‘Nawab’ kids saying ‘Pehle aap’ to each other”.
Rightly informed by a friend from Lucknow @ “Confusing Musings”:
“Lucknow hum per fida, Hum Fida-ai-Lucknow
Kismein hai dum itna, Jo Humsey Chhudwai Lucknow”
Also
“You can take a person out of Lucknow,
but can't take Lucknow out of that person :)”
One want's it or not, the spirit of Lucknow lives in every person from Lucknow.
Tuesday, August 03, 2004
Buzzzzz
Q: Why do mosquitoes always buzz in your ears?
A: For the simple reason that you cannot hear, except from your ears!
A: For the simple reason that you cannot hear, except from your ears!
Monday, August 02, 2004
From 'Julie-t' to 'Julie'
Last weekend I saw the much talked about movie “Julie”.
A lot has been said all over the media space about the movie and the sex-sational scenes that Neha Dhupia has dared. The words going around, about the movie, are not far from credible.
It definitely has what it takes to call the movie X-Rated. The steaming scenes executed by Miss Dhupia in all but clothes are as good as a love scene in a typical X-Rated English movie. This is not typical of Indian movies.
Reflecting on the idea behind the movie and the maverick content, there are certain distinct ‘things’ that I noticed:
- The movie is definitely not typical of the Indian types as far as explicit sexual scenes are concerned
- The movie definitely conveys a message to the society in general
- The movie depicts how an innocent girl, driven by circumstances, can take to prostitution, this being an eye opener
The movie draws attention of audience only in the second half of the movie when ‘Julie’ decides to air her voice via ‘C TV’. The audience, simply enjoying the steaming scenes of the movie is suddenly taken out of the trance of the sexually explicit scenes and, is forced to contemplate, until the ‘climax’, why ‘Julie’ has taken this bold step of coming live on TV and expose her identity.
The arguments offered towards the end of the movie are bold and enlightening and justify the step of ‘Julie’ as far as the movie and the deep rooted love and sentiments of ‘Julie’ are concerned.
I don’t deny that the situation depicted in the movie cannot happen in real life but the solution suggested in the movie is not an acceptable one, I do not concur on the same, not without reason.
How many people that belong to the masses are like ‘Shandilya’, in India?
‘Shandilya’ is able to take this step because of his position and people are ready to listen to him out of the magnanimity he possesses.
The movie is for the masses and not for exceptions. Reflecting at the Indian social setup, a common Indian accepting a prostitute as his wife is far from credible, exceptions will always be there and we cannot consider exceptions as milestones.
The situation and the solution in the movie are common in western countries, and are a part of ‘There’ social setup and culture. The movie suggests this for India. This is outrageous. We have our own social setup and culture that is far from what western countries have. Such solutions to social problems have the potential to upset the delicate balance of the beautiful Indian system.
The movie has completely messed up with the sentiments, on love, of the masses and the idea of projecting prostitution as a social problem and the rebellious way to resolve the same.
The conclusion of the movie with the maverick decision, of marrying ‘Julie’, of ‘Mr. Shandilya’, reflects the essence of the movie, the rest of it is just to make the movie earn petty bucks.
I have a question for ‘Julie’:
- Why does she have to be a ‘Julie-t’ for every other guy that approaches her???? Which eventually degrades her psychologically and the basic instincts for survival force her to take up to prostitution.
Above question in essence puts a question mark to the making of ‘Julie’. I feel it’s an attempt to create a commercially successful box-office hit.
Monday, July 26, 2004
Hello !
“Hello” is a very powerful word of expression and people seldom realize its value.
Let us get on to its etymology first.
hello - 1883, alt. of hallo (1840), itself an alt. of holla, hollo, a shout to attract attention, first recorded 1588. Perhaps from holla! "stop, cease." Popularity as a greeting coincides with use of the telephone, where it won out over Alexander Graham Bell's suggestion, ahoy. Central telephone exchange operators were known as hello-girls (1889).
"Hello, formerly an Americanism, is now nearly as common as hullo in Britain (Say who you are; do not just say 'hello' is the warning given in our telephone directories) and the Englishman cannot be expected to give up the right to say hello if he likes it better than his native hullo. [H.W. Fowler, "A Dictionary of Modern English Usage," 1926]
Have you ever tried to say Hello to a stranger?
I am sure most of us have not done this. But I am sure if you did “Hello”, you have won a smile from the person receiving it. It has the power, inherent in it, to open a new channel of communication, a new road towards co-operation and a new area of collaboration for you. It helps to acclimatize you to the new situation.
In this age of communication and information interchange there is no time that you can spare exclusively for fostering relationships and developing contacts. It has to be dynamic and spontaneous and of course an offset can be “Hello”.
In India I have noticed that people are more than often reserved and do not open up easily to neighbors, co-workers, etc, the list goes on. It takes considerable time for a person to open up and communicate. The most common assumption being: “the person next door is no good”.
It is also an observation that when two strangers start to communicate they start associating the information exchanged to there own life-sphere, and many a time they are able to foster a new relationship and collaborate to the advantage of each other. I have observed this mostly in the Trains, in India. I must say Indian railways must be a fertile ground to many new deals and relationships that are based on a simple “Hello”, what if the “Hello” done was to feel good in the journey.
Why do we find it so hard to say “Hello” and beam a smile to a stranger?
I claim a “Hello” has the power to make life easier and a rosier place.
Start to “Hello” today!
Let us get on to its etymology first.
hello - 1883, alt. of hallo (1840), itself an alt. of holla, hollo, a shout to attract attention, first recorded 1588. Perhaps from holla! "stop, cease." Popularity as a greeting coincides with use of the telephone, where it won out over Alexander Graham Bell's suggestion, ahoy. Central telephone exchange operators were known as hello-girls (1889).
"Hello, formerly an Americanism, is now nearly as common as hullo in Britain (Say who you are; do not just say 'hello' is the warning given in our telephone directories) and the Englishman cannot be expected to give up the right to say hello if he likes it better than his native hullo. [H.W. Fowler, "A Dictionary of Modern English Usage," 1926]
Have you ever tried to say Hello to a stranger?
I am sure most of us have not done this. But I am sure if you did “Hello”, you have won a smile from the person receiving it. It has the power, inherent in it, to open a new channel of communication, a new road towards co-operation and a new area of collaboration for you. It helps to acclimatize you to the new situation.
In this age of communication and information interchange there is no time that you can spare exclusively for fostering relationships and developing contacts. It has to be dynamic and spontaneous and of course an offset can be “Hello”.
In India I have noticed that people are more than often reserved and do not open up easily to neighbors, co-workers, etc, the list goes on. It takes considerable time for a person to open up and communicate. The most common assumption being: “the person next door is no good”.
It is also an observation that when two strangers start to communicate they start associating the information exchanged to there own life-sphere, and many a time they are able to foster a new relationship and collaborate to the advantage of each other. I have observed this mostly in the Trains, in India. I must say Indian railways must be a fertile ground to many new deals and relationships that are based on a simple “Hello”, what if the “Hello” done was to feel good in the journey.
Why do we find it so hard to say “Hello” and beam a smile to a stranger?
I claim a “Hello” has the power to make life easier and a rosier place.
Start to “Hello” today!
Life is about living it!
Life is about living it!
Just look at how the time, you have at your disposal, in your life span flies away and you never realize it.
One third of life is gone sleeping, half of it is gone working away from your family. What remains is a mere fraction of your life that you can spend with your loved ones! These are not exaggerations! Just reflect upon it and you will concur on the similar figures!
These figures really put you to re-consider the way you have been living your life!
A mere one part out of six is the amount of time you have in your life to spend with your loved one. So make the most out of it, live life to the fullest.
An apt saying from India goes like this, “Samay ke baal aage hote hain, peeche nahi”.
[Time has hair only on the front of its head and not at the back]. Time once gone never comes back.
Life is all about living up to this minimal time, to the fullest extent possible, we have at our disposal! Don’t ever forget to tell your loved one that you love them and you care!
So live it up!
Wednesday, July 21, 2004
Blog and Colors
A passing thought .... Just in Time !
Blog is like a water color balloon used in "Holi" festival in India!
Every one blogs with "colors" that the life has bestowed upon them!
Holi: The religious significance of the festival of Holi is to mark the burning of self - conceit, anger, selfishness, greed, lust, hatred, ego and pardoning or forgetting any grievances against any one and to restart afresh on a clean slate. The victory of righteous forces over demoniacal forces.
Blog is like a water color balloon used in "Holi" festival in India!
Every one blogs with "colors" that the life has bestowed upon them!
Holi: The religious significance of the festival of Holi is to mark the burning of self - conceit, anger, selfishness, greed, lust, hatred, ego and pardoning or forgetting any grievances against any one and to restart afresh on a clean slate. The victory of righteous forces over demoniacal forces.
Tuesday, July 20, 2004
An Excuse
Dear friends,
I have removed your member entries from Just in Time blog.
Watch out for this space for a new blog dedicated to friendship !
Till then keep blogging !
I have removed your member entries from Just in Time blog.
Watch out for this space for a new blog dedicated to friendship !
Till then keep blogging !
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