Theres this little widget to the side on my blog that tells me how good or evil my blog is. Turns out, I've fallen from being 47% evil to just 29% evil! I knew it. I'm losing my touch. Must be all my posts that are sappy and/or nice.
So, we Hindus have this whole belief that a puja (ritual) can cleanse us and wipe our sins away. Yep… even better than Harpic. So, dad had this big puja a few days back. It was interesting to see how it all turned out. This puja was done in a small town called Narasaraopet in Andhra Pradesh. Here it goes (in no particular order):
1. All the muslim guests stayed away.
2. I don’t think any guests of any other religion were invited (!).
3. All the old ladies spent their time gossiping about last night’s soap/kitchen politics.
4. The men discussed politics (the regular ones) and business (recession na… hot topic now)…. and of course, sports.
5. The pujari (priest/facilitator/middle man/soporific) was in his own world… chanting some mumbo-jumbo. God only knows if the stuff he was muttering even made any sense.
6. I was hardly around… the bloody pujari kept asking for things that he thought ought to be there. I was the ferryman extraordinaire (and an unwitting moron too)!
7. My sis, who actually bought the house, was sitting pretty in the US while I did the slogging. Yeah… shes' smart, I‘m not. Big deal… old story… move on!
8. The R.O.M. (rest of the mohalla)… turned up for the free (and tasteless) sit-down lunch. They didn’t care if they knew us… they wanted food. It was like Somalia. It was embarassing for me to ask who they were (Hey! I'm not from there). Shouldn’t they introduce themselves?
I said it was interesting to see how people reacted. It was more like I had no other choice. Bleh… gotta love these rituals right?
Just a little something I came across on the internet:
First-year students at Texas A&M's Vet school were attending their first Anatomy class, with a real dead pig. They all gathered around the surgery table with the body covered with a white sheet. The professor started the class by telling them, 'In Veterinary Medicine it is necessary to have two important qualities as a doctor: The first is that you should not be disgusted by anything involving the animal's body'. For an example, the Professor pulled back the sheet, Stuck his finger in the butt of the dead pig, withdrew it and stuck his Finger in his mouth.
'Go ahead and do the same thing,' he told his students. The students freaked out, hesitated for several minutes. But eventually took turns sticking a finger in the butt of the dead pig And sucking on it. When everyone finished, the professor looked at them and said, 'The second most important quality is observation. I stuck in my middle Finger and sucked on my index finger. Now learn to pay attention..
Life's Tough, but it's even tougher if you're stupid.
Is happiness a concept rather than a state of mind? If it is a state of mind, I have found it very difficult to achieve it. Happiness is elusive and obscure. I come to realize that the more I try to look for it, the more elusive it is. I keep assuming that a particular thing or a particular event will give me the happiness I crave for. But when I get there, I don't find myself happy. At least, not the way I thought I'd be.
As a child, it had never been a problem for me to stay happy. At every point in time, something or the other would fascinate me -- captivate my imagination and make me happy. At some point in time, the illusion ended and all I'm left with now are bleak reminders of those happy times and lots of unfulfilled dreams and empty promises. The key to happiness is to believe in the possibility that happiness will come around. However, when it becomes too hard to believe in happiness, all you are left with is a futile search for a paradise lost.
In my search for happiness, I have seen people who have achieved happiness and their stories are amazing as well as heartwarming. I see happiness in people who are content with their lives. Desires do not rule their lives like they do mine. My desires may not be material but they are still desires and they make me yearn for more than what I have. Is there a source for eternal happiness? These people claim there is such a source. My quest, possibly futile, continues.
They say, life is a long ride. I'd like to enjoy it while I can.
The trip to Vizag is slowly piecing itself together. We have the accommodation bit taken care of. One of the guys is planning the itinerary for the trip. We'll might need to make some side plans if the itinerary sucks :) I just want to go there and enjoy. This year hasn't been that great and I'm looking at this trip as the silver lining to the otherwise dark cloud.
I know that Raj and Fatty are both excited about the trip too. I'm planning to trip while on this trip :P Something tells me that this trip will be more memorable than any other I've been on. :D
Dragonforce - Such awesome guitaring and drumming.... they are absolutely awesome!
On a cold winter morning In the time before the light In flames of death's eternal reign We ride towards the fight
When the darkness has fallen down And the times are tough alright The sound of evil laughter falls Around the world tonight
Fighting hard, fighting on for the steel Through the wastelands evermore The scattered souls will feel the hell Bodies wasted on the shores
On the blackest waves in hell's domain We watch them as they go Through fire and pain and once again we know!
So now we fly ever free We're free before the thunderstorm On towards the wilderness Our quest carries on
Far beyond the sundown Far beyond the moonlight Deep inside our hearts and all our souls!
So far away we wait for the day For the light source so wasted and gone We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days Through the fire and the flames we carry on!
As the red day is dawning And the lightning cracks the sky They'll raise their hands to the heavens above With resentment to their lies
Running back through the midmorning light There's a burning in my heart We're banished from the time in a foreign land To a life beyond the stars
In your darkest dreams see to believe Our destiny is time And endlessly we'll all be free tonight!
And on the wings of a dream So far beyond reality All alone in desperation Now the time has gone
Lost inside you'll never find Lost within my own mind Day after day this misery must go on!
So far away we wait for the day For the light source so wasted and gone We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days Through the fire and the flames we carry on!
Now here we stand with their blood on our hands We fought so hard, now can we understand I'll break the seal of this curse if I possibly can For freedom of every man!
So far away we wait for the day For the light source so wasted and gone We feel the pain of a lifetime lost in a thousand days Through the fire and the flames we carry on!