I've (We) seen many events across the world that sometimes makes you to wonder if some people on top of order in certain organizations or even country hierarchy for that matter actually, do use brains and are qualified enough to be who they proclaim to be- leaders. And this is much more prominent in the alleged 'Third World' countries, a term that simply doesn't please me to any kind of extent.
Well, I shall drop my political views of global economical stability and balance here- this is not the place to make those arguments. But, just to think, that there are really incompetent leaders in some underdeveloped countries holding important positions is scary. I'm not talking about dictatorship or mass murders- those are acts of those in power greed, but instead the acts of some law executives that borders of plain stupidity at times.
A couple of days ago, at Abidijan, Cote d'Iviore (known popularly as Ivory Coast), a panicked crowd in a packed 50,000-strong capacity stadium caused the stadium wall in one side to collapse, resulting in the tragic death of 22 people (numbers still counting, official counts are not yet revealed). And I would also have to mention here all the big newscasting channels certainly did not carry this news with any primary importance because its just another event of despair in a region which is, by large, perceived with great disregard or lack of respect in a global scale. And luckily, those who died are people who came to watch a football game- and that is exactly the reason why I've managed to get hold of the news with a big headline in soccer websites.
First of all, could you imagine the blatant lack of organization that the country leaders have placed in a country which is the home for six Barclays Premier League footballers and is highly regarded as the rising football power of Africa? Not even having a proper ticketing system installed so that the fans could get into the stadium and take proper seats inside the very same stadium which the government had just recently built and upgraded to its current size is an insult to the way in which the hierarchy works, or even for that matter, thinks.
Fine, I shall excuse them for such shallow thinking. But the police? Imagine a situation when such a strong crowd begin panicking in a stadium that doesn't have a proper ticketing system and people have to literally qeue long hours to attain their seats from outside the stadium; what should the well-placed police force (just as they are placed as security measurements in all the stadiums across the world) do? It doesn't ever enter a little drip of my logic or even a hypothethical beyond-logic thinking that how, in such a situation, the police deemed it fit to fire TEAR GAS into a panicking crowd? Just how did they come up with such a brilliant idea?
1. Do they know what a tear gas is?
2. Do they know what it does to people?
3. Tear gas is used to clear a crowd, then how will you clear a crowd if you stand at the very exit of the stadium and fire tear gas on the crowd?
4. Where are the fans supposed to run? On the pitch?
5. Are they even trained policemen?
6. Did somebody tell them they can use tear gas at anytime they feel fit?
7. Ultimate question- do they have brains?
I have no clue how the policemen of this state even became one if they think they can take such a drastic, inexcusable action. Blame has to squarely land on their feet, of course, because it is their tear gas that caused an already panicking crowd to go hysterical with people literally stamping each other, and if a stampede causes some casualties already- it was exarcebated as the fans, desperately trying to escape their gas, ran to the wall of the stadium, causing it to ingraciously collapse and kill 22 on the spot and severely injure many more others.
Where are the brains, any enlightening?
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
I'm looking at the man in the mirror
People have said thousands of things about him. They have hailed him a legend and dragged him down the mud as a pervert. But I am completely aware of the very fact that we live in a society when a man seems to perfect to be true, there is always a couple of heads roaming around wanting to prove that he is human after all. They may be right. They may be wrong. But what they will not take away from me is my Michael Jackson. A man, who is, for me, well and truly a legend, not only for his music, but for everything that he had done in his life. For MJ, music wasn't a profession, it was well and truly him, his own self. It was a gift planted and seeded in the body of this humble man,and here was a man who knew how responsible he had to be in order to share that gift with the whole world, share the gift with those who need it, and a man who has given back to the world so much of what he took from it. Today, I realize it has been 21 years since MJ and written 'Man in the Mirror', a song which embodies everything that MJ was all about- an inspirational figure, and if you still had doubts in your mind as to why he is the king of pop, this video might answer it:
This was much more than a song for me personally, its not that regular feet-tapping number you have, but instead a number that will move you to the extent of giving you goosebumps every time you watch how the audiences respond to his songs. But I am not writing this down to prove why MJ is a king or legend or why this is such a good song. Instead, a song that well and truly stays in the heart of many music listeners 21 years after its release- a song that has gathered nearly an accumulated 10 million hits in YouTube, is certainly no small song. It speaks for itself.
This was much more than a song for me personally, its not that regular feet-tapping number you have, but instead a number that will move you to the extent of giving you goosebumps every time you watch how the audiences respond to his songs. But I am not writing this down to prove why MJ is a king or legend or why this is such a good song. Instead, a song that well and truly stays in the heart of many music listeners 21 years after its release- a song that has gathered nearly an accumulated 10 million hits in YouTube, is certainly no small song. It speaks for itself.
"Man In The Mirror"
I'm Gonna Make A Change,
For Once In My Life
It's Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .
As I, Turn Up The Collar On My
Favourite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street,
With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?
Pretending Not To See
Their Needs
A Summer's Disregard,
A Broken Bottle Top
And A One Man's Soul
They Follow Each Other On
The Wind Ya' Know
'Cause They Got Nowhere
To Go
That's Why I Want You To
Know
I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change
I've Been A Victim Of A Selfish
Kind Of Love
It's Time That I Realize
That There Are Some With No
Home, Not A Nickel To Loan
Could It Be Really Me,
Pretending That They're Not
Alone?
A Willow Deeply Scarred,
Somebody's Broken Heart
And A Washed-Out Dream
They Follow The Pattern Of
The Wind, Ya' See
Cause They Got No Place
To Be
That's Why I'm Starting With
Me
(You Gotta Get It Right, While
You Got The Time)
('Cause When You Close Your
Heart)
You Can't Close Your . . .Your
Mind!
(Then You Close Your . . .
Mind!)
That Man, That Man, That
Man, That Man
With That Man In The Mirror
(Man In The Mirror, Oh Yeah!)
That Man, That Man, That Man
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
(Better Change!)
You Know . . .That Man
No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change)
Gonna Feel Real Good Now!
Oh No, No No . . .
I'm Gonna Make A Change
It's Gonna Feel Real Good!
Come On!
(Change . . .)
Just Lift Yourself
You Know
You've Got To Stop It.
Yourself!
(Yeah!-Make That Change!)
I've Got To Make That Change,
Today!
Hoo!
(Man In The Mirror)
You Got To
You Got To Not Let Yourself . . .
Brother . . .
Hoo!
(Yeah!-Make That Change!)
You Know-I've Got To Get
That Man, That Man . . .
(Man In The Mirror)
You've Got To
You've Got To Move! Come
On! Come On!
You Got To . . .
Stand Up! Stand Up!
Stand Up!
(Yeah-Make That Change)
Stand Up And Lift
Yourself, Now!
(Man In The Mirror)
Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
Aaow!
(Yeah-Make That Change)
Gonna Make That Change . . .
Come On!
(Man In The Mirror)
You Know It!
You Know It!
You Know It!
You Know . . .
(Change . . .)
Make That Change!
I'm Gonna Make A Change,
For Once In My Life
It's Gonna Feel Real Good,
Gonna Make A Difference
Gonna Make It Right . . .
As I, Turn Up The Collar On My
Favourite Winter Coat
This Wind Is Blowin' My Mind
I See The Kids In The Street,
With Not Enough To Eat
Who Am I, To Be Blind?
Pretending Not To See
Their Needs
A Summer's Disregard,
A Broken Bottle Top
And A One Man's Soul
They Follow Each Other On
The Wind Ya' Know
'Cause They Got Nowhere
To Go
That's Why I Want You To
Know
I'm Starting With The Man In
The Mirror
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
And No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
Take A Look At Yourself, And
Then Make A Change
I've Been A Victim Of A Selfish
Kind Of Love
It's Time That I Realize
That There Are Some With No
Home, Not A Nickel To Loan
Could It Be Really Me,
Pretending That They're Not
Alone?
A Willow Deeply Scarred,
Somebody's Broken Heart
And A Washed-Out Dream
They Follow The Pattern Of
The Wind, Ya' See
Cause They Got No Place
To Be
That's Why I'm Starting With
Me
(You Gotta Get It Right, While
You Got The Time)
('Cause When You Close Your
Heart)
You Can't Close Your . . .Your
Mind!
(Then You Close Your . . .
Mind!)
That Man, That Man, That
Man, That Man
With That Man In The Mirror
(Man In The Mirror, Oh Yeah!)
That Man, That Man, That Man
I'm Asking Him To Change
His Ways
(Better Change!)
You Know . . .That Man
No Message Could Have
Been Any Clearer
If You Wanna Make The World
A Better Place
(If You Wanna Make The
World A Better Place)
Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change
(Take A Look At Yourself And
Then Make A Change)
Gonna Feel Real Good Now!
Oh No, No No . . .
I'm Gonna Make A Change
It's Gonna Feel Real Good!
Come On!
(Change . . .)
Just Lift Yourself
You Know
You've Got To Stop It.
Yourself!
(Yeah!-Make That Change!)
I've Got To Make That Change,
Today!
Hoo!
(Man In The Mirror)
You Got To
You Got To Not Let Yourself . . .
Brother . . .
Hoo!
(Yeah!-Make That Change!)
You Know-I've Got To Get
That Man, That Man . . .
(Man In The Mirror)
You've Got To
You've Got To Move! Come
On! Come On!
You Got To . . .
Stand Up! Stand Up!
Stand Up!
(Yeah-Make That Change)
Stand Up And Lift
Yourself, Now!
(Man In The Mirror)
Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!
Aaow!
(Yeah-Make That Change)
Gonna Make That Change . . .
Come On!
(Man In The Mirror)
You Know It!
You Know It!
You Know It!
You Know . . .
(Change . . .)
Make That Change!
Critiques of this man are aloft. But I do not need many arguments to simplify how strong I feel about this man. When this man has sung the song that I hold so dear to my heart when I was still in my mother's womb (literally), could he be anything else than a legend for me? When that particular song has been one of the few other songs that I hear everytime I'm in dire need of inspiration and meaning in life, and when the song gives me that inspiration and allows me to pick myself up and continue in my quest to reach my dream, could this man be anything other than a legend to me? And could any body deny that when an artist manages to inspire a boy he had never even seen, heard or even been aware of, with a song he wrote even before the boy was born- until the stage where the boy is on the brink of touching his own dream- that the artist in question is a legend? Because I believe that is what the best artists and true legends could do- give you inspiration beyond borders, beyond time and fractions. And no matter what others may see unfit about this man- I'd say that if I am successful tomorrow, that this man has played a big part in helping me to it- just through what he does best. And when any man in the world has had the ability to inspire another person as much in their lives- then it makes them legends in their own rights. And I know I'm not the only one inspired by MJ. For that, he is a true legend and icon.
21 years later, I still look in the mirror everyday and ask that man to change for the better, to improve everyday, for I want to make this world a better place, and I shall be the change.
21 years later, I still look in the mirror everyday and ask that man to change for the better, to improve everyday, for I want to make this world a better place, and I shall be the change.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Poi Solla Porom- A deception to Tamil cinema trends
'Poi Solla Porom' is essentially the Tamil remake of the 2006 Bollywood small-budget sleeper hit Khosla ka Ghosla which featured Anupam Kher and also Boman Irani in the lead roles. I expected some typical mish-mashing of a good product when it is transformed into Tamil, but I ended up being surprised to the tilt and PSP offers plenty of joy, laughter and above all refreshments. There are many aspects in PSP worth noticing:
1. Its the first Tamil movie I've seen that credits the original which it was inspired from.
2. The film in the name of comedy doesn't provide crude, dumbed-down, slapstick jokes.
3. The film's director, Vijay, despite having given a big hit with a big star before this takes the unconventional route of making a film with low budget such as this.
4. The film doesn't cast any major stars despite being a remake.
5. It genuinely tickles your funny bones with some wonderful comedic sequences.
6. The film has a music video (which is not part of the film) used for promotional purposes.
PSP is basically the story about a middle class man Sathyanathan (Nedumudi Venu) whose only dream is to build a house on a newly acquired plot in Chennai and provide good home for his three children, including his USA-bound computer engineering son Uppilinathan (Karthick Kumar). He gets deceived by land broker Vijayakumar (Cochin Hanifa), who plots up with erronous villain and land magnet Baby (Nassar), who hold Sathyanathan's land to hostage for further extra payment. The family try all legal means to attain the rightful property but are unable to get it. That is when Uppili seeks help from his visa agent (Baski Bhaskar), who reveals that he is a former ally of Baby and knows how to knock Baby off his own porch. Uppili seeks help from his girlfriend Amrutha (Piaa Bajpai), who is part of a drama troup run by her 136 theatre awards winning father (Mouli), who is famously referred by everyone as 'Daddy'. Daddy poses as a NRI from Dubai and attempts to sell off a long-abandoned land reserved for the Fisheries Department as a genuine land to Baby in order to use Baby's own money to pay off the remains they need to get back theur plot, resulting in hillarious consequences.
One of the greatest strength of PSP is that the film simply doesn't use any stars, and there is a huge continental Malayali and small-screen flavor to the cast, which makes it absolutely refreshing to watch. Everybody performs with panache. Nedumudi Venu is adequate in taking over Anupam Kher's role from the original, but the real scene stealers are actors who haven't got that much of attention in the mainstream Tamil film industry. Mouli is brilliant in his role, and it makes you wonder why you do not see him in many other Tamil films, and same goes to TV host Baski Bhaskar, who plays his role with absolute panache, and its insulting to such a talent to recall that the last time I saw him on screen was in 'Youth' back in 2002. He really ought to be in more films as well. Cochin Haneefa and Nassar are simply priceless. Cochin Haneefa is his usual self, providing sarcasm and hands-on deception, playing the perfect humor-bound bad man, but Nassar is simply class and steals the show all the way, and its again dissapointing to notice that an actor of his quality are wasted in pedestrian roles the tons of regular Tamil flicks that come out every now and then. I doubted for a while that Nassar may have lost the ability to play a good role when it comes his way- but PSP proves the point. From simple gestures such as constantly trying to pull up his pants to fit his waistline up until lusting over a grass-cutting woman in his own style dissimilar to many other villans who are shown lusting after every young woman, its 'Brand Nassar' all the way. Karthick Kumar fits the role to the T as well. Piaa Bajpai as a newcomer certainly has some delightful charm that makes her get noticed, but she certainly has to work more on that lip-synching (terrible again, sigh), but she certainly can act.
Vijay handles the film with a distinct flavor, he justifies its original but also makes good alterations to fit the southern flavor, even though he could have done without the songs. Its wonderful to see UTV Motion Pictures debuting in Tamil, and they have stayed true to the production philosophy that has brought them so much success over the past couple of years in Bollywood, by producing low budget films that give more scope to creativity and substance, and giving talented directors the complete space to express their artistic visions (e.g. Dev D, Rang de Basanti, A Wednesday, and Aamir to name a few).
PSP is also a standing proof that Tamil cinema is not deprived because if the lack of talent, as the film stands as a glaring testament that the best of talents are never utilized enough. More of this brand of humor in Tamil please, and more from UTV for Tamil cinema please.
Rating: 8.5/10
1. Its the first Tamil movie I've seen that credits the original which it was inspired from.
2. The film in the name of comedy doesn't provide crude, dumbed-down, slapstick jokes.
3. The film's director, Vijay, despite having given a big hit with a big star before this takes the unconventional route of making a film with low budget such as this.
4. The film doesn't cast any major stars despite being a remake.
5. It genuinely tickles your funny bones with some wonderful comedic sequences.
6. The film has a music video (which is not part of the film) used for promotional purposes.
PSP is basically the story about a middle class man Sathyanathan (Nedumudi Venu) whose only dream is to build a house on a newly acquired plot in Chennai and provide good home for his three children, including his USA-bound computer engineering son Uppilinathan (Karthick Kumar). He gets deceived by land broker Vijayakumar (Cochin Hanifa), who plots up with erronous villain and land magnet Baby (Nassar), who hold Sathyanathan's land to hostage for further extra payment. The family try all legal means to attain the rightful property but are unable to get it. That is when Uppili seeks help from his visa agent (Baski Bhaskar), who reveals that he is a former ally of Baby and knows how to knock Baby off his own porch. Uppili seeks help from his girlfriend Amrutha (Piaa Bajpai), who is part of a drama troup run by her 136 theatre awards winning father (Mouli), who is famously referred by everyone as 'Daddy'. Daddy poses as a NRI from Dubai and attempts to sell off a long-abandoned land reserved for the Fisheries Department as a genuine land to Baby in order to use Baby's own money to pay off the remains they need to get back theur plot, resulting in hillarious consequences.
One of the greatest strength of PSP is that the film simply doesn't use any stars, and there is a huge continental Malayali and small-screen flavor to the cast, which makes it absolutely refreshing to watch. Everybody performs with panache. Nedumudi Venu is adequate in taking over Anupam Kher's role from the original, but the real scene stealers are actors who haven't got that much of attention in the mainstream Tamil film industry. Mouli is brilliant in his role, and it makes you wonder why you do not see him in many other Tamil films, and same goes to TV host Baski Bhaskar, who plays his role with absolute panache, and its insulting to such a talent to recall that the last time I saw him on screen was in 'Youth' back in 2002. He really ought to be in more films as well. Cochin Haneefa and Nassar are simply priceless. Cochin Haneefa is his usual self, providing sarcasm and hands-on deception, playing the perfect humor-bound bad man, but Nassar is simply class and steals the show all the way, and its again dissapointing to notice that an actor of his quality are wasted in pedestrian roles the tons of regular Tamil flicks that come out every now and then. I doubted for a while that Nassar may have lost the ability to play a good role when it comes his way- but PSP proves the point. From simple gestures such as constantly trying to pull up his pants to fit his waistline up until lusting over a grass-cutting woman in his own style dissimilar to many other villans who are shown lusting after every young woman, its 'Brand Nassar' all the way. Karthick Kumar fits the role to the T as well. Piaa Bajpai as a newcomer certainly has some delightful charm that makes her get noticed, but she certainly has to work more on that lip-synching (terrible again, sigh), but she certainly can act.
Vijay handles the film with a distinct flavor, he justifies its original but also makes good alterations to fit the southern flavor, even though he could have done without the songs. Its wonderful to see UTV Motion Pictures debuting in Tamil, and they have stayed true to the production philosophy that has brought them so much success over the past couple of years in Bollywood, by producing low budget films that give more scope to creativity and substance, and giving talented directors the complete space to express their artistic visions (e.g. Dev D, Rang de Basanti, A Wednesday, and Aamir to name a few).
PSP is also a standing proof that Tamil cinema is not deprived because if the lack of talent, as the film stands as a glaring testament that the best of talents are never utilized enough. More of this brand of humor in Tamil please, and more from UTV for Tamil cinema please.
Rating: 8.5/10
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Love or a well-discussed arrangement?
I was at my cousin's place for the weekend and I happened to fall in an argument with her (or call it a debate) as to whether love exists or not. It all started from my declaration of my favorite all-time film, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. Wondering why that film was my favorite film- she asked what makes that film so special, to which I answered with a recurring statement- 'the film describes love in the best way possible'.
Then it begun. All kind of questions were thrown into the debate basket- does love exist? or is it just a negotiation between two people? what is idealism? what is realism? does the current system of this world work? do we need currency in our lives? Even though I'm not a natural debater to express everything to her outright at the midst of my other cousin (her brother) slamming his book and packing his stationaries unable to bear with our argument at the dinner table, now I'm taking time to analyse each of these arguments, and in many senses, try to re-affirm my beliefs to what she thinks is only a form of 'idealism' as opposed to her 'realism'.
1. Love, yes or no?
Well, any arguments or debates in this world wouldn't get better than this. Does love exist? Probably one of the most famous questions in the world over. Her argument is that love doesn't exist and happy marriages are made on the basis of a well-negotiated agreement, or to put it more succinctly, it is an arranged compromise. She asked me to deliver solid proof that love exists, but for sure, for a person who dismissed the notion of love itself, every instances of love would instead look like a mere 'negotiated arrangement'. Once you are able to put yourself into the shoes of a conspiracy theorist, then it would be very hard to break the mold of looking at every pretext in the way they would want to look at it. Lust exists, attraction exists, infatuation exists, but love doesn't exist. The simple truth is when lust, attraction, and infatuation are all molded into one at a particular time conspiring with your age, your personal satisfaction, and your spiritual faith- that is when love knocks on your door. That is when her other argument comes into motion- that love, unlike sadness or anger or happiness, is not an emotion that could be shown for the obvious to witness. As I have always described, love is 'infinite'- you can't cap an obvious emotion to it- it literally makes you do everything- from every hook to crook, from banging your head on a wall to becoming oblivious to what the person next to you is saying. And for someone who chooses to not believe and blind themselves off, then every move of love will have some other name. Love for parents shall become respect, love for someone shall become attraction, love in a relationship shall become infatuation, love during marriage will become a negotiated compromise, and everything around it. As simply as I had put it to her, she has not experienced love before, so it would hard to describe about it someone who do not know the depth of such a feeling. Love is the wheel of our lives- and it is from this immense feeling stems respect, infatuation, attraction, and even the perceived agreements. Love is the whole idea which branches to all of our emotions and feelings, and I would always put it generally, Love is God for our emotions. And if she does not she the master emotion of all our emotions, it would be hard to provide solid, eye-meeting proof to her that love exists. The best I could ever do to prove to her is by showing her that love exists in my life and I have used it as the wheel to make a better person.
And thus, we have a bet on our shores now, ten years down the road, the only way I would prove to her that love exists is by publicly declaring my love for my future gf/wife to demonstrate the existence of complete love in my life.
2. The frame of idealism and realism (absolute)
Everybody's reality differs from each other. My cousin thinks that her mind frame exists within the sphere of realism while my believe in love and the the superficial elements of life basically renders (in her view) me in a sphere of only idealism. My argument is a simple, yet subjective statement- that nothing is absolute. Thus, I firmly dismissed the notion that she lives in a reality while I live in a certain idealism that doesn't exist (yet, which I have to prove to her- see the bet above). As much as she refuses to believe to believe that my view of the world forms a concrete reality- I too refuse to believe her love-absent reality is concrete reality. Thus, her realism shall remain an idealism and my idealism shall remain my idealism, till I show her that my idealism blends well with reality. But as I have told her- the point of living life in its very essence is about making those journeys, reaching those goals, building great relationships, and to ultimately fulfill your potential and contribute back to the world as much as you can- financially or spiritually. And I firmly believe that my idealism would be able to help me make the complete journey of fulfilling my journey and finding the ultimate purpose of my life. That said, an idealism that brings you places and makes you somebody important can't possibly be dismissed from the notion of reality?
Once again, its up to me to prove it, as much as it is up to her to prove her idealism at the moment really is a part of concrete reality.
3. System works?
My most radical question, my most radical thought, on which 70 out of 100 people, or even more, would disagree with me- our system is flawed. Our living system. The way in which we have created our society which at the end of the day creates a certain routine in which people have the tendency to follow. When you are children- worry about your manners, and later your studies. When you are a teenager- worry about your academic achievements, and when you are an adult- toil hard in order to gain recognition and be a successful and rich person. And this does not end there- there are loads of questions that you have to ask about our systems- there's homosexuality, there's prostitution, there's poverty, there's porn, there's terrorism, there's robbery, there's infidelity, there's incest, there's rape- all elements that break the convictions of morale that our systems had told us to live within. You create a system, you create a law, and then you break and corrupt that very law- bribery, corruption, politics, and all kind of retention comes into play here- countless. It is one thing to break the law entirely, but we have found it convenient enough to accomodate ourselves into a grey area that ends up ruining both ends of the blade. We refuse to ask questions, we turn into hypocrites and cynical people who round off with the mentality of 'If he's doing it, why shoudn't I?' and we forget to ask questions as to why such a design is happening at the first place. And we find it convenient to blame God. She argued that those suffering from poverty just have to work harder to reach the pinnacle of life, but I do not extensively believe what our systems render to us in this regular world represents the real purpose of life. Life is not about being rich, and successful. Life is not only about looking good with your property and well-being and have other people look highly upon you. From Marxist theories to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev's description of poverty, it is probably high time we all know we have a flawed system. Admittedly neither me or her have travelled the world and have seen enough to talk about the global systems, as I have a mindset that man's reasoning of creating currency is flawed, while she believes men can't live in the barter system forever and the current system works just fine.
But I would nail it down to say our system is flawed, its everywhere to see, cynicism and hypocrisy seem to be hiding under every blanket every put up for reasoning in this world today. Whether the system is entirely flawed or not is up to debate, though one reality here is that we have allowed the system to overwhelm us so much that we become slaves to it, that now it seems larger-than-life for us. And we have become dependent on it.
4. Luck
One thing that we did agree about though was luck. That luck doesn't exist. Its understandable on her side due to her devoid of any belief in the superficial while for someone who believes in essential spiritualism like me, it may come across as a surprise. I have made it a point not to to say 'good luck' while wishin anyone well, instead I would say 'all the best'. My theory regarding luck is complex yet simple, which brings us back to the frame of relaity and idealism. Luck, on the other hand, is a much more universally approved virtue compared to love, thus it becomes much more part of the general concerete reality. But, the simple truth is- luck makes you feel undeserving your success, makes you feel berated down by a power above you when you stare at defeat, and also makes you feel you are just a better design of the God in comparison to others, because you are born with luck. Again, whether luck actually exists or not, I would again distance myself from being absolute about anything- but life in transformed on the basis of faith, and I would simply say- choose to believe not in luck but rather in yourself. Believe that if you have won, you have deserved it, believe that if you have lost, you have not done good enough, and believe that if you are born with a silver spoon, there is a reason for it and you need to contribute back to the people around you, and to the world. That is how you transform the world.
By not believing in luck.
5. Hope is a blindfold to reality
Her one statement that I missed arguing on while I should have. Hope is a blindfold to reality. What I have so often be perplexed about is- why is reality always has to be a form of pessimism? Reality don't raise your spirits, and maybe its true enough that hope is nothing more than a blindfold- but that blindfold transforms the world, a blindfold that gives you a new sense of purpose. I would reverse myself to the basic argument again that reality is not absolute. If you prefer to see reality as the harsh side that it has, that is more often that not regarded as 'the reality' in today's world. There is always an option, to look at the bright side, because reality, if you look far and deep enough, will always have a spot for optimism. This is in no way blinding ourselves to reality. Hope is not a blindfold to reality. It is instead a point passes reality and chooses to believe in a certain end of reality that refreshes the soul, the heart and the mind. Hope is something that is attained after the so-called reality (or I call it simply pessimism) is viewed but was chosen not to be believed in. You can always choose to believe in what you want.
And again, if what you choose to believe has taken you to the right place, it can't possibly be a choice that is derived from a blindfold.
6. Life's compass
Heart or brain? Which is life's compass. While she believes that life's compass is ultimately the brain, I believe it is ultimately the heart, but if someone would come in and say both heart and brain play equal roles in it, then I would have little trouble in agreeing with him/her as I did not rule out the role of the mind, but since she did rule out the role of the heart, she will have to take a big step to believe.
It is easy not to believe in the superficial, but life is never as complicated when you have your faith.
Ram Anand.
March 2009.
Then it begun. All kind of questions were thrown into the debate basket- does love exist? or is it just a negotiation between two people? what is idealism? what is realism? does the current system of this world work? do we need currency in our lives? Even though I'm not a natural debater to express everything to her outright at the midst of my other cousin (her brother) slamming his book and packing his stationaries unable to bear with our argument at the dinner table, now I'm taking time to analyse each of these arguments, and in many senses, try to re-affirm my beliefs to what she thinks is only a form of 'idealism' as opposed to her 'realism'.
1. Love, yes or no?
Well, any arguments or debates in this world wouldn't get better than this. Does love exist? Probably one of the most famous questions in the world over. Her argument is that love doesn't exist and happy marriages are made on the basis of a well-negotiated agreement, or to put it more succinctly, it is an arranged compromise. She asked me to deliver solid proof that love exists, but for sure, for a person who dismissed the notion of love itself, every instances of love would instead look like a mere 'negotiated arrangement'. Once you are able to put yourself into the shoes of a conspiracy theorist, then it would be very hard to break the mold of looking at every pretext in the way they would want to look at it. Lust exists, attraction exists, infatuation exists, but love doesn't exist. The simple truth is when lust, attraction, and infatuation are all molded into one at a particular time conspiring with your age, your personal satisfaction, and your spiritual faith- that is when love knocks on your door. That is when her other argument comes into motion- that love, unlike sadness or anger or happiness, is not an emotion that could be shown for the obvious to witness. As I have always described, love is 'infinite'- you can't cap an obvious emotion to it- it literally makes you do everything- from every hook to crook, from banging your head on a wall to becoming oblivious to what the person next to you is saying. And for someone who chooses to not believe and blind themselves off, then every move of love will have some other name. Love for parents shall become respect, love for someone shall become attraction, love in a relationship shall become infatuation, love during marriage will become a negotiated compromise, and everything around it. As simply as I had put it to her, she has not experienced love before, so it would hard to describe about it someone who do not know the depth of such a feeling. Love is the wheel of our lives- and it is from this immense feeling stems respect, infatuation, attraction, and even the perceived agreements. Love is the whole idea which branches to all of our emotions and feelings, and I would always put it generally, Love is God for our emotions. And if she does not she the master emotion of all our emotions, it would be hard to provide solid, eye-meeting proof to her that love exists. The best I could ever do to prove to her is by showing her that love exists in my life and I have used it as the wheel to make a better person.
And thus, we have a bet on our shores now, ten years down the road, the only way I would prove to her that love exists is by publicly declaring my love for my future gf/wife to demonstrate the existence of complete love in my life.
2. The frame of idealism and realism (absolute)
Everybody's reality differs from each other. My cousin thinks that her mind frame exists within the sphere of realism while my believe in love and the the superficial elements of life basically renders (in her view) me in a sphere of only idealism. My argument is a simple, yet subjective statement- that nothing is absolute. Thus, I firmly dismissed the notion that she lives in a reality while I live in a certain idealism that doesn't exist (yet, which I have to prove to her- see the bet above). As much as she refuses to believe to believe that my view of the world forms a concrete reality- I too refuse to believe her love-absent reality is concrete reality. Thus, her realism shall remain an idealism and my idealism shall remain my idealism, till I show her that my idealism blends well with reality. But as I have told her- the point of living life in its very essence is about making those journeys, reaching those goals, building great relationships, and to ultimately fulfill your potential and contribute back to the world as much as you can- financially or spiritually. And I firmly believe that my idealism would be able to help me make the complete journey of fulfilling my journey and finding the ultimate purpose of my life. That said, an idealism that brings you places and makes you somebody important can't possibly be dismissed from the notion of reality?
Once again, its up to me to prove it, as much as it is up to her to prove her idealism at the moment really is a part of concrete reality.
3. System works?
My most radical question, my most radical thought, on which 70 out of 100 people, or even more, would disagree with me- our system is flawed. Our living system. The way in which we have created our society which at the end of the day creates a certain routine in which people have the tendency to follow. When you are children- worry about your manners, and later your studies. When you are a teenager- worry about your academic achievements, and when you are an adult- toil hard in order to gain recognition and be a successful and rich person. And this does not end there- there are loads of questions that you have to ask about our systems- there's homosexuality, there's prostitution, there's poverty, there's porn, there's terrorism, there's robbery, there's infidelity, there's incest, there's rape- all elements that break the convictions of morale that our systems had told us to live within. You create a system, you create a law, and then you break and corrupt that very law- bribery, corruption, politics, and all kind of retention comes into play here- countless. It is one thing to break the law entirely, but we have found it convenient enough to accomodate ourselves into a grey area that ends up ruining both ends of the blade. We refuse to ask questions, we turn into hypocrites and cynical people who round off with the mentality of 'If he's doing it, why shoudn't I?' and we forget to ask questions as to why such a design is happening at the first place. And we find it convenient to blame God. She argued that those suffering from poverty just have to work harder to reach the pinnacle of life, but I do not extensively believe what our systems render to us in this regular world represents the real purpose of life. Life is not about being rich, and successful. Life is not only about looking good with your property and well-being and have other people look highly upon you. From Marxist theories to Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev's description of poverty, it is probably high time we all know we have a flawed system. Admittedly neither me or her have travelled the world and have seen enough to talk about the global systems, as I have a mindset that man's reasoning of creating currency is flawed, while she believes men can't live in the barter system forever and the current system works just fine.
But I would nail it down to say our system is flawed, its everywhere to see, cynicism and hypocrisy seem to be hiding under every blanket every put up for reasoning in this world today. Whether the system is entirely flawed or not is up to debate, though one reality here is that we have allowed the system to overwhelm us so much that we become slaves to it, that now it seems larger-than-life for us. And we have become dependent on it.
4. Luck
One thing that we did agree about though was luck. That luck doesn't exist. Its understandable on her side due to her devoid of any belief in the superficial while for someone who believes in essential spiritualism like me, it may come across as a surprise. I have made it a point not to to say 'good luck' while wishin anyone well, instead I would say 'all the best'. My theory regarding luck is complex yet simple, which brings us back to the frame of relaity and idealism. Luck, on the other hand, is a much more universally approved virtue compared to love, thus it becomes much more part of the general concerete reality. But, the simple truth is- luck makes you feel undeserving your success, makes you feel berated down by a power above you when you stare at defeat, and also makes you feel you are just a better design of the God in comparison to others, because you are born with luck. Again, whether luck actually exists or not, I would again distance myself from being absolute about anything- but life in transformed on the basis of faith, and I would simply say- choose to believe not in luck but rather in yourself. Believe that if you have won, you have deserved it, believe that if you have lost, you have not done good enough, and believe that if you are born with a silver spoon, there is a reason for it and you need to contribute back to the people around you, and to the world. That is how you transform the world.
By not believing in luck.
5. Hope is a blindfold to reality
Her one statement that I missed arguing on while I should have. Hope is a blindfold to reality. What I have so often be perplexed about is- why is reality always has to be a form of pessimism? Reality don't raise your spirits, and maybe its true enough that hope is nothing more than a blindfold- but that blindfold transforms the world, a blindfold that gives you a new sense of purpose. I would reverse myself to the basic argument again that reality is not absolute. If you prefer to see reality as the harsh side that it has, that is more often that not regarded as 'the reality' in today's world. There is always an option, to look at the bright side, because reality, if you look far and deep enough, will always have a spot for optimism. This is in no way blinding ourselves to reality. Hope is not a blindfold to reality. It is instead a point passes reality and chooses to believe in a certain end of reality that refreshes the soul, the heart and the mind. Hope is something that is attained after the so-called reality (or I call it simply pessimism) is viewed but was chosen not to be believed in. You can always choose to believe in what you want.
And again, if what you choose to believe has taken you to the right place, it can't possibly be a choice that is derived from a blindfold.
6. Life's compass
Heart or brain? Which is life's compass. While she believes that life's compass is ultimately the brain, I believe it is ultimately the heart, but if someone would come in and say both heart and brain play equal roles in it, then I would have little trouble in agreeing with him/her as I did not rule out the role of the mind, but since she did rule out the role of the heart, she will have to take a big step to believe.
It is easy not to believe in the superficial, but life is never as complicated when you have your faith.
Ram Anand.
March 2009.
Monday, March 9, 2009
What do you think about vanity?
Should I not have vanity or should I? Vanity is a representative of a person's pride and I do not think we could do without vanity in today's world. Isn't it our vanity that makes us feel out of place in we are in certain places? That make us think we are better than few people out there? I think all of us need a sense of pride for our own selves here, and as Paulo has exclusively asked for us to jolt down experiences with the good side of vanity- the best example would be me.
I used to feel like I am the lowest caste of all people in earth because I did not sense anything about myself that makes me stand out from the rest. Without vanity, my confidence would have remained at an all-time low. Once I found what my talent was, I did, and still have, a certain degree of vanity that actually allowed me not to feel intimidated like I always did before while being with an exclusive group of people. The vanity allows me to look at a person with a greater position than me in a social classification with no envy or dissatisfaction, what-so-ever, the vanity is pure and simple- that even though that person may have more money, more luxury, or whatever it may be- he did not have the talent that I have. However potentially egoistic and far-fetched it may sound, it actually helps in closing the intellectual and social gap that sometimes our society leaves a gaping hole in. But I am also aware that just like how I felt I was overlooked as being insignificant before, I too- at the moment in action of trying to put my vanity in a place similar to the 'greater man'- I am overlooking the 'lesser man' around me.
Nobody has come across and called me arrogant before, and in that sense, I am happy that I have kept my limits at good pace. But, I can't help but to wonder, have I destroyed the 'lesser man''s confidence in himself by overlooking him? How would he overcome that?
As Paulo has stated above, nothing is absolute- so I think the jury's still out as to whether vanity is good or bad. Just like anything else in life, I believe, vanity is both essential and also uncalled for in several places. My question in return is- could we keep our vanity in check so that we do not get so full of ourselves when we shouldn't? When, or how, do we put the brakes to this inner emotion? How do we channel it out the right way? How to we put the proper direction for this feeling? Because as much as I do not want to be underestimated through how I present myself and my self-assurance, I also would want to inspire others who need that inspiration to take pride in themselves.
Just my two cents.
Regards, Ram Anand
(I dropped this comment on Paulo's blog in response to this question)
What do you think about vanity?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Being Nennen....
Back in 2006, there was this slightly plump, punk-plus-funk-plus-hippie crossover girl I met in my foundation classes. And when our lecturer deemed it appropriate for each of us to walk to the front of the class and give a lengthy description about our own selves to warm ourselves (being fresh LimKokWing students), she was the one who walked up and said 'I don't know whether I'm a girl or a boy lah' . Nobody who ever saw that scene will ever erase it from their memories. Almost three years later, one has to wonder, where is that H'ng Xiang Ting AKA Renn? I have never seen a person transform so much with me watching every inch of the transformation she actually went through- virtually, from just being Renn, to being a- lady. Yes, she is a lady now.
So I figured I'd put down this fancy list of things that have changed so much this Nennen (thats how we call her) since I first met her.
Renn (right) with Kiki Lala (left) and Ami (you know where).Attained from historical memoirs, archived 2006. LOL.
1. In 2006, she didn't know whether she was a boy or a girl. They call it gender conflict. For a while, I thought she was lesbian. But now, the conflict is thrown out the door. She knows she's a lady.
2. Back then, she used a big (literally) bag with fancy colors on it. Not to say she uses smaller ones know, but definitely her current bags look a lot lesser like Hawaiian bags and now more like feminine, skin-texture bags.
3. Before this can hardly see her cleavage, now can see :P
4. I didn't know this girl had boobs back then. :P
After: the latest Renn...upgraded5. She used to have colorful hair, and that on a very dry looking hair. Its striking, but not exactly in a good way. Now, she's got that hair fashion sense sorted out.
6. She used to have the perfect rabbit teeth, now they are fading away (sadly) because of her braces.
7. Back then, she wont mind even if I throw her lecture notes on the thrash. Maybe she will throw herself. But now, you put something on them and she goes like, 'Noo, they will kemek.'
8. She used to say she doesnt like guys with a lot of hair. But now, her boyfriend can use a hair-dryer on his chest. Lol.
9. She used to be bordering on the lines of plump and fat. But now, a 3cm tummy bothers her.
10. She used to just 'hantam' whatever colors she felt like wearing. But now, ever her finger-nails have to match the color of her dress.
11. She never used to cross that dressing code border of dressing too short of her knees. But now, she will wear the shortest of assurances.
12. She used to walk like a rowdy, now she walks almost like a ramp model. Here, there, here, there.
13. She used to wear slippers or 13-year-old kids' shoes. Now she wears fancy sandals and shoes with the most mountanious hills.
14. She used to sigh at the sight of novels. She'll just touch them because they are thick and thats about it. Now she can't enough of the thickest of the lot.
15. She used to look like she can't even manage herself. Now she's the mommy for not one, but two little doggies.
16. In 2006, I was a murderer and Pras (my Indon classmate) is a rapist in her eyes. At least we looked like one. Now, I'm a good writer and Pras is an excellent camera person.
But afterall, she's still Renn.
The same three...they were glued to each other in 2006...Lol
The same three...they were glued to each other in 2006...LolSome things never change about Renn, like:
1. She still has the guts to walk out of the class and ignore a lecturer if she doesn't like one.
2. She still does her now-famous 'lah' presentations.
3. She still shouts as loud as the whole neighborhood can hear. She doesn't shout softer due to her new femininity.
4. She is still rich. Lol.
5. She still keeps a photo she took during a China trip years ago. That photo of her yawning with a sweater on still is proudly existent in her room. (and I still have no idea what is the novelty of that pic).
6. She still says 'I hate you' to me.
7. She is still that same old good friend 'lah'.
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