Tagged

Moo tagged me, poor unsuspecting me, to come up with a soundtrack for my life. And since I was jobless (okay, studying. Same difference :P) I've come up with a list. At the end of my list are the names of people I tag. If I've tagged you and you don't have a blog, mail your list to me and I'll post it here. Here goes

Rules of the tag : Various situations are given. You have to come up with a song (or set of songs) that aptly describe the particular situation in your life.

Your Life: The Soundtrack
(Note: Ideally, it'll mostly be a mix of Tamil and English songs. But I've included English substitutes for tamil songs. To give it a more "international" flavour. After all, the blogosphere has no boundaries. Now that that's out of the way...)

Opening credits: Balleilakka - Sivaji the Boss (or) the Star Wars theme
Waking up: I Got You (I Feel Good) - James Brown
Typical Day: Ambalaikkum velai, Pombalaikkum velai - Avvai Shanmugi (or) Livin' for the city - Stevie Wonder
First date: Manjal Veiyil - Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu (no substitutes)
Falling in love: Unnale Unnale (or) Some Enchanted Evening - Frank Sinatra
Love Scene: Can you feel the love tonight? - Elton John (or) Vaseegara - Minnale (That's the tamil original of Zara Zara from RHTDM )
Breaking up: Ninaipathellam nadanthuvittaal - Nenjil oru aalayam (no substitutes)
Getting back together: Baby can I hold you? - Ronan Keating (or) New York Nagaram - Sillunu oru kaadhal
Fight scene: Karka Karka - Vettaiyaadu Vilayaadu (or) Beat it - Michael Jackson
Secret love: Part-time lover - Stevie Wonder
Mental breakdown: Numb - Linkin Park
Driving: I can't get no satisfaction - Rolling Stones (let's face it, most of my driving will be in city traffic)/ Raja kaiya vechha - Aboorva Sagotharargal
Learning a lesson: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly theme
Deep thought: Yesterday - the Beatles
Flashback: That's the way it is- Celine Dion
Partying: The Schumacher song - DJ Visage
Happy Dance: I like to move it - Madagascar OST
Regretting: If Tomorrow never comes - Ronan Keating
Long night alone: Show me the meaning - Backstreet Boys (I know, I know. The rest of their music is still not cool)
Closing credits: Main aisa kyun hoon - Lakshya

Now, I tag
1) Estarra. You've already made so many lists of songs on your blog. This should be a piece of cake.
2) Gaya. And the list had better not include you saying doink, glug or sip sip mein boing boing.
3) Pseudo Intellectual. This should be interesting :)
4) Soupy. Put that 5GB of music on your hard drive to good use
5)Eternal Dreamer. Assuming you still have time for this sort of thing.
6) ClunkiestAtol.
7) Anyone else who's just read this post and is feeling jobless at the moment.

Other news. My final exams start on saturday and go on till next thursday. So wish me luck. Hopefully I'll be back next month with my sense of humour still intact.

Until then, this has been ess.

Over and out.

It's Sunday! It's God's day!

To be able to:

* hit the snooze button, something you never do during the rest of the week.
* look at your alarm clock with one half-open eye
* decide that finally it's time to get out of bed. Half an hour after the alarm went off, that is.
* do a yawn-cum-stretch-cum-toe-touch that lasts a whole ten seconds.
* smack your lips, partly in anticipation of the day ahead, partly because you can't think of anything else to do then
* slowly amble along to the bathroom
* trip yourself over THRICE on the way. And yet, not fall over.
* make a Joey-eyed, "How you doin'?" look at yourself in the mirror, while you're brushing your teeth
* walk back to your room with a spring in your step, after having successfully made a pass at yourself. That too when you're not fully awake. [if only it were that easy with women :(]
* walk to the mess, bleary-eyed and with bad hair.
* encounter half a dozen similarly bleary-eyed faces. Which have bad hair, to boot.
* look disdainfully at the one nerd who shows up bathed and shaved and neat.
* wolf down the oiliest pooris you've ever seen. Even as the hypochondriac in you is screaming "Cholesterol! Stroke!! Heart disease!!!"
* read the editorials, special celebrity columns and funnies at your own leisure. From three different newspapers, no less.
* eagerly read your horoscope and predictions for the next week. Laugh it off the very next instant.
* watch (with a superior smirk) as the other guys fight over the sports section.
* walk back to your room and look, with loads of loathing, at the pile of laundry that needs to be done
* look with even more loathing at the portions for your test the next day.
* decide that laundry is the lesser evil after all. (and a muse of sorts, if the old posts are anything to go by)

To be able to do everything in that list within the generous time-frame of two and a half hours.

The simple joys of a sunday morning :)

Lather, rinse, repeat... as needed

Ever had one of those very "blah" days, when time seems to stand still? It's as if the whole world is half-awake and waiting for coffee. Or like a dog in the summer heat, can't be forced out of the shade. Maybe like a snail on valium, slithering by at its own pace. Perhaps a Ferrari retrofitted with a Maruti 800 engine. (No, that's too fast. Even if the car doesn't move fast, it'll look fast.)

Alright, I have officially run out of similes (metaphors? Someone help me here) to describe how slow this day is. But anyway, today didn't get off to a particularly great start either. For one, we were supposed to have a bio lecture this morning. So, a bunch of us got up early (okay, 8am. That's early!) and went to class very briskly. The prof says that the class has been re-scheduled for 2:30 pm. Argh! And he actually got us out of our rooms on what must be the slowest day of the year, just so that we know we didn't have to get out.

So, rather than go back to the hostel, I've been sitting here and surfing blogs. estarra completely floored me with this one. And now I can't wait to get back home. Damn. I dare anyone to read that post and tell me that Madras isn't the greatest place on earth. (Of course, you shouldn't pass any judgement if you haven't been to the city. What the hell do you know about my city if you haven't been there?!)

Anyway, this is just a random 20-minute post. (yes, I don't type very fast. And the internet in these parts is notoriously unreliable). I'm trying to work on spontaneity here. Plus, I'm also going through a bit of an existential crisis. Not about myself. It's about the blog. Should it remain a place for random scribbling? witty prose? articles? commentary? Or do I just go with the flow and post everything that comes to my mind, and to hell with categories.

Confused, puzzled, worried am I

And btw, no prizes for guessing where the title of this post comes from.

I'm no superman

Well, the blues have been held off for now. All the tips I received after my last post were pretty useful. Thank YOU! (trying high pressure sales pitch to keep you hooked to ymitif :D)

Anyway, the quick fix was to yell randomly and incoherently in public. Ok, it wasn't incoherent. And it wasn't random. I mooed. Yes, the sound that cows make. Moo. At a person who was walking down the road minding his own business. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him turn around and look at me. I didn't turn back to look at him, but I imagine he had a "What DID you say?" look in his eyes. *snicker

And honestly, I've never felt more alive in my life. What this means is that Gaya has found a brilliant and quick solution for depression. Something that could sink Prozac and their ilk forever. Or it means that I'm as much in need of help as she is. Your call.

The final solution was 3 hour sessions of sitcoms. How I met your mother on saturday and sunday. Scrubs on monday. I know, I know, it wasn't the most constructive thing to do (mum would've had my head. If this were the run up to the board exams, that is :D)

Point is, there's nothing that makes me feel better than comedy. Whether it's a sitcom, stand-up comedy, cartoons (and I mean the classics from the '40s and '50s), it doesn't matter. It's about being able to see the flip side, the funny side, that matters. I'm sure that applies to a sizeable number of people. Yet, for some reason there's no decent humour in Indian language television

Think about it. The closest thing we had to a sitcom in tamil was "Veetukku Veedu Looty". and they ruined that as well with "VVL-2", before finally killing it off. And I suppose those mini-series by Kovai Anuradha also count. The rest of the so-called comedy shows are just plain rubbish. (Ok, ok. I'll stop. Not going into another rant here.

I was just wondering if I should start another blog for my more "profound" wonderings. Somehow, I don't think posts like Just call me clownfish and Coolness belong in the same place. I'm not sure what I should do. What do you think? Put down your ayes and nays in the comments :)

P.S.
But I can't do this all on my own
I'm no superman
:D

Nobody said it was easy

The blues.
They are back.
And they're not going away without a fight.

Unfortunately, that's not the tagline of a new flick "coming soon to a theatre near you!" They stare me in the face everytime I look in a mirror. They're there everytime I sit down to study. It's as if my life is some bizzare Ujala ad. Everywhere I look, it's blue. (Naalu sottu thaane! pfft.)

I'm not quite sure how they started this time. But they've been around for nearly a week now. It's pretty bad. Look, I couldn't even come up with a decent title for this post. Had to rip off lines from "The Scientist" Not good.

I've spoken to atleast three different people about it. And I've come up with very interesting responses. estarra told me to go get myself coffee, do something nice, something to make myself feel better 'cause goodness knows you deserve it. Aww, sweetie. Thanks. That really made my day. But it didn't lift me enough to make me feel better. Although the coffee did help :)

(note: I use strong, black, sugarless coffee as a pick-me-up. Not espresso, since I can't make it myself, and there's no decent place for espresso near my hostel. And Mithali "can't understand for the life of me, how that works")

Anyway, coming back to le bleu mood, Dad told me to try out his breathing exercises. Apparently they really help him calm down and focus. They just made me sleepy. Dad, I'm not running you down. I'm just saying that maybe it doesn't work for me.

And the third person I spoke to drowned me in HER sorrows. So not much help there. Although I hope I made her feel better.

Sigh. Anyway, I've got a load of work for this weekend. Chem reports, phy reports, bio test and chem practical exam on monday. And I just want to walk away from it all. Which is the sort of attitude that leads to posts like this one. No aim, no direction. Just a reflection of the past, but without any lessons learned.

SOS!!!Tell me! Does anyone out there have suggestions on how to get past this deep blue funk and actually get some work done? 'Cause I sure as hell could use a little help here. And no, scaring myself with the consequences doesn't work. It just pushes me into a, "Oh no, I'm gonna flunk. And there's no escape" mood. Which is worse, as you'd agree.

Sigh. The blues. Hope I'll have a less self obsessed post next time. And I may be going to look at the Science Express tomorrow [the scientist lives on :)] Hope that goes well.

BTW, listening to "Yellow" by Coldplay doesn't help. I thought mixing the colours would turn things green(go!go!go!)

P.S. You know ess is in trouble when he starts trying to end posts with horrible PJs

Cuppa of life

The setting: Cafe Coffee Day on Junglee Maharaj Road. Approximately 8:30 in the evening.

You're sitting at the table by the window.You picked that table because you thought it would be fun to watch the traffic at that time of the day. Unfortunately, that isn't working out too well, since it's dark outside and most of what you see in the window is a reflection of whatever's happening inside the coffee shop.

As you sit there silently cursing the wave theory of light, you suddenly notice that your cycle, standing on the other side of the glass window, is being lit up by the soft lighting from within the coffee shop. You notice just how good your cycle looks from this angle. A wash and a few dabs of touch-up paint, and it'd be worthy of a glossy print ad. You smile and make a mental note to wash your cycle the next day.

Just then, two women in their mid-twenties walk in. They take up the table that's right in front of yours. The cuter looking one's wearing capris. As you slyly check out her calves, your coffee comes in. It looks so very inviting and delicious. The coffee, that is. Although the calves don't look too bad either :D

You inhale, taking in that subtle yet invigorating aroma of cold coffee laced with chocolate sauce. Ahh. You pity all the people who don't drink coffee. Thankfully, you reason, it doesn't include most of your friends. It then hits you just how alone you are right at this moment. Just you and your coffee. With your cycle looking at you indifferently, from outside.

You take a sip of the coffee. It's not nearly as cold as you'd like it. Actually, it's not cold at all. Just slightly below room temperature. And it's not very chocolate-y either.Urgh. You decide you're not going to tip the waiter at all this time.

Ahead, the women are talking about how the not-nearly-as-cute one's going through a break up. Your own failed relationship stares you in the face, almost as if it happened just yesterday. And that reminds of your first coffee at CCD, which you split with your ex. That one was perfect. And not just because she was there with you. It makes you detest the one that's in your hand right now even more. You sigh and push yourself further into the chair. Which doesn't help much, since it's a cane chair and has very little give.

Your eyes drift onto the plasma screen on the opposite wall. They're playing "Soni de nakhre", that utterly ridiculous song from Partner. Govinda's on his back, waving his arms around like a beached octopus. For some reason, there's no sound. You find that, surprisingly, the video's much more palatable without the music.

Your phone buzzes. It's one of your closest friends, telling you how much she liked your latest piece of writing. You smile a contented smile, happy in the knowledge that no matter what, the people who really matter in your life are never far away. And just ahead the women are talking about how it's almost impossible to still remain friends after a break up. It makes your smile that much more smug, since that closest friend in question happens to be your ex.

And it's that moment. That moment with the not-upto-par coffee in your right hand. The phone in your left hand. The women talking about relationships in front. Govinda, Katrina and Salman dancing to no music on the TV. And you cycle still looking at you without any emotion. That moment seems so perfect, you wish you had a Pensieve to capture it and savour it later.

Another atypical evening in the life of ess.

P.S. Okay, I'll admit it's not great writing. But this entry's more about picturisation. It's about evoking mental imagery (and some such crap). So if you didn't like it, it's not my fault. Your imagination doesn't stack up :P

P.P.S. If I tweak it a little, change the description of the coffee to something more positive and make the last line "Another satisfied customer at Cafe Coffee Day", wouldn't this make a great ad? What am I still doing in biology?

Just call me "clownfish"

Was reading about clownfish today. I found some interesting facts about them. For one, they're one of the few animals that aren't affected by stinging sea anemones. For another, they start their lives as males. As they age, the largest male in the group becomes a female.


Why is that important, you ask? Well, I get the feeling that slowly I'm turning into a woman. And it's not like there's a lack of evidence:

+ I found myself debating with a friend on the merits of winter care lotion versus 'saada' moisturizer.
+I well up during the episode of FRIENDS when Ross and Rachel break up. Every single time I watch it.
+I actually told someone, "It's not what you said, it's the way you said it that hurts".
+I could relate to this post by eM and why it'd be weird for a woman.
+I don't think swearing or being boorish in public is acceptable in the least.
+I tend to ruminate a lot over past relationship(not plural)/crushes. Often, I end up blaming myself for why things didn't pan out.
+Nearly all my friends, and most people who read this blog, are women. No, it's not a boast. I've been asked by a lot of people why that's so. And it's a little weird everytime that happens.
+I go through periodic spells of blue moods. here and here. Notice that they're almost exactly 2 months apart.
+I don't give a whit about cricket (although that doesn't prove anything. pseudo is as cricket-crazy as any guy I've met. And that one isn't the only post about cricket she's written.)


Sometimes the only things I have to remind myself that I still am a guy are the stubble on my face, and the fact that I can pee standing up. It's not fair. Men come under attack from so many sides. If it's not feminists, then it's hard-to-please gfs/wives (haven't got that problem as yet). And if it's not them, it's scientists telling us how fragile the Y-chromosome is and how it keeps accumulating mutations and how men as we know them may not exist after a few hundred generations. It's bloody pissing off.


I'm not quite sure why I put this post up, considering that most of my readership is young and female. Considering that it's kinda obliquely sexist. I don't know, some things just get to you after a while. Although in some ways it's kinda cool being the only guy I know with more female friends than male :)