The Albatross Around Your Neck

One of the greatest works of English Literature, “The Rime of The Ancient Mariner”, by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, imparts a powerful message.

The story of an old sailor, with captivating eyes, telling his tale, in the form of an elongated yet beautiful poem. For the lesser read, you may recognise the same from Iron Maiden’s infamous cover version.

For the absolutely ignorant, the tale is about how a sailor was punished by his own crew by hanging the albatross he killed at sea around his neck as they considered the bird to be a sign of good-luck as it brought with it the healthy winds, clear skies and bright sunshine which helped them out of the Antarctic where they were trapped due to a storm. The murder of the bird arouses the wrath of the spirits which eventually led the ship back into icy waters where it was then becalmed.

Ever since, the phrase “Albatross around your neck” has been synonymous with the mistakes/choices people end up having to live with. In other words, it refers to the “baggage” which people lug, physically and emotionally. It may be a bad relationship, it may be parental or peer issues, educational, etc.

The problem? There is absolutely no problem carrying your “baggage”, that’s your problem to deal with, one arises when earthlings let theirs affect the decisions, which in turn affects the present which in turn affects somebody else.

The solution? Yes, you may have your past, who doesn’t? But, a past is called so, for a reason, realise it, acknowledge it and learn from it. Earthlings need to take the Albatross off their necks, drop their baggage, there are better things to do and to worry about in life. In life, the best way to travel is with a hand-baggage of good company, good music and good vibes.

This gives way to the most clichéd line, “Your past should not be something that pulls you down, it should be a learning curve and a stepping stone to something bigger and better.”

After all, what makes a man, is not the choices he makes, not the path he chooses but, the way he decides to end things.

Cheers

INDIA – The New Generation, Degeneration?

“ 2^nd graders, caught having oral sex in class” “Under-age driver mows down 5 huts, killing 3”, SUCH are the headlines the newspaper spits at my face every single morning making me wonder, what in the holy HELL went wrong in the making of the current generation.

It was the year 2009, the year I turned 18 and with it came the first ever new-year’s party I was “allowed” to attend. What surprised me in that party? The majority of the crowd there, were my juniors in the 8^th – 9^th grade from school, doing everything there was to do.

When did you get your 1^st cell-phone?

After 10^th grade, because you earned it by getting good marks?

In the 11^th grade, because your parents could keep in touch with you, when you bust your ass travelling miles to college?

Just yesterday, there I was standing at the Vodafone showroom to pay my bill, a school-girl clad in the rather dull shade of the usual school uniforms, walks in, flips open her Xperia X10, n starts typing away to glory and there I was, wanting to slaughter her for I bet, she didn’t know a THIRD of the functions capable with such a beautiful phone, yet she had one.

Through and through the grapevine, I came to hear about some little dude who got a new PS3 because he threatened his parents to run away from home.

In my time, if I threatened to leave home, the typical reply from my Dad would’ve been “hahaha, go.” Where does that leave me?

How can we forget about the two most profitable small-time businesses in India right now?

MONEY RACKET No.1

Yes, I am referring to the BIGGEST farce ever possible and I give complete credit to whoever had this idea, The Hookah Parlours. They have actually managed to make kids believe that, adding sad fruit flavours to the “chillams” makes it “safe”. According to the studies, ONE hour of Hookah is equivalent to smoking 50+ cigarettes.

Prime Targets – 7^th – 12^th graders, who sit for a minimum of 3 hours at a stretch, with each Hookah costing around Rs.350.

MONEY RACKET No.2

Pool/Snooker Parlours, they are the “in” thing. You can visit these places just to see, our future generation shamelessly blowing their parent’s money at the rate of Rs.1000 per game, minimum.

The more intelligent entrepreneur, has combined MONEY RACKET 1 and MONEY RACKET 2, and given birth to MONEY RACKET No.3. It basically being both the “RACKETS” put together. Welcomed by the “cool dudes and dudettes” the “new and improved” Hookah + Snooker/Pool Parlours.

It’s surreal, to see our nation’s future, spending money, as if their parents shit currency notes everyday, and slowly get enslaved to the tobacco and nicotine burning their lungs, day-in and day-out as they shoot balls.

Which makes me ultimately wonder, if the actual process of de-generation has begun.

No, I am In NO way complaining. I love my life, I love my parents. It’s just the fact that, today’s kids do not understand the value of things they already have, let alone the things given to them.

So, What now?

Parents need to take over what is theirs. Rules, morals and control should be brought back. You need to be liberal, agreed, doesn’t mean that you let your kids off your control.

A message to all the Youngsters, No, I do not have anything against you guys, I got better things to do. You’re free to fuck yourself, you’re doing a great job anyway.

Cheers.

The Endless Debate - Believers Vs Atheists

Here’s another one of the Drunk/Stoned conversation stories.

Same scenario, spazzing out on the pool-chairs.

Yet again we hit the topic of “God”.

And the age old debate of Believers Vs Atheists began.

My Friend, yeah, the same “god is energy” dude.

Me, an atheist, all said and done, but unlike some people, I know my mythology, my Vedas and all the “god” stories I’m supposed to know, and being an atheist is something I chose, AFTER I did my research.

Coming back, The point which he put forward was that “God” he believed in, was not some person, with a shape and form, “ “God” is just energy” he said, it’s the people who mess the concept up.

Let’s talk science, shall we? Heard of String theory?

EVERYthing in the universe, is said to be made of energy, in form of strings/ strings of energy, and according to the most fundamental Law of physics –

Energy can never be created, nor destroyed, it just changes form.

Which implies that, you, reading this piece, AND everybody and everything around you, is basically energy.

So, when you die, what happens to that energy? Does it become a shapeless entity? In which case, the whole concept of “spirits” comes alive. Do you even realise the difference, or do you continue living in a different dimension?

Who knows? Well, I Don’t.

As I’ve stated in the entry before this one, if one does look at the deeper meaning of things, there is science involved, in some way or the other. But, I'm not ready to believe that there is an invisible being up top, who keeps account of my every action, and will banish me to an eternity of burning in hell if I don't pray to him, and yet, he apparently, loves us.

That being said, this debate, has gone on, and will go on, over the years to come, with no conclusion.

Nobody knows why.

But that’s the beauty of life, the power to ask, the power to reason, the life we atheists choose. We do not to believe blindly, on what has been taught in school, or by our parents, or the various religious institutions. We do not believe in the “invisible supreme being”.

Adults with imaginary friends, should really consider professional help.

You get us proof, earn your respect.

So, Which side are you on?

Inside Man – The War Within

India is a country of great diversity, being home to numerous religions, and with them the sometimes ridiculous beliefs and rituals. In the midst of all the mixture and chaos, our nation still manages to run itself, perfectly, but that’s a whole different issue.

Me, personally, I do not believe in any of the above. I believe things I can see and touch and I refuse to believe that there is an invisible human being who keeps account of my every action, who will assign me heaven if I worship him, or I would burn in the fiery fires of hell for all of eternity, and yeah, apparently he loves us.

That being said, one evening, after one of our drinking/smoking sessions, a very good friend of mine(a god-fearing guy) and me decided to go to our club, to chill. The conversation, which we had that day, barring the fact that we were drunk and stoned to oblivion, was possibly one of the best I’ve had.

No, I didn’t become a “believer”, but what that conversation did, was to open our heads to a completely new perspective to look things as we both brought completely different ideas to the table.

The new perspective, is what I’m going to share with you now.

The topic of our conversation, somehow reached the two major Mythological “stories” – The Ramayana and The Mahabharatha, which again, cannot be proven chronologically, yet the flats of Kurukshetra are considered to be land the “holy war” was fought upon.

Again, discarding the “Godly-human” perspective of these great tales, I managed to see through to the scientific side of these books (credit the drunk bugger spazzing out on the pool-chair beside mine), The Ramayana talks about the tale of Rama and Ravana, Whereas, The Mahabharatha talks about the Pandavas and Kauravas, the tale of “victory of the good” and the war between two sets of brothers born to the same father, respectively.

Both, have a common thread, the same every sad Bollywood movie does, A Hero and a Villian, his minions and a woman. Doesn’t the latter part bear a resemblance to the everyday happenings in your life? Isn’t there a good side and a bad side, within you, which are constantly at war? So were these books written, with a hidden meaning, a secret to life, with characters to make it interesting? I’d never know. Think about it.

We, somehow, hit the subjects of the Vedas, The Bhagwat-Gita and The Upanishads. For the lesser-read, The Vedas, are the “holy scriptures”, pretty much like your bible, the kuran, etc etc. The Vedas are split into 4 different books – The Rig Veda, The Yajur Veda, The Sama Veda and The Atharva Veda. These were written, scores of years ago, by scholars and monks, having read them, they’re as scientific as your average science textbook. It’s just the matter of looking at it the right way. The Bhagwat-Gita, doesn’t need any introduction, and The Upanishads are basically as set of stories, in forms of hymns or prose, which explain the way of life.

What struck me about the above? None of them, forced or made it mandatory in any way to accept “God” or any kind of idol worship. Surprisingly, even they speak about the energy within. Which makes you, me and everybody around, god. Given, that they state the right way to live, and the correct values, according to them, But they have nowhere, asked anybody to follow them. It’s pretty much like guidelines, to who-ever wants to follow.

By the end of it, We both realised, that his version of being “god-fearing” also respects science, probably the reason why his points made sense, unlike the bigoted assholes who can’t think straight, who think its their birth-right to convert you to their religion and blame every doing on “god”.

So yeah, Bottom-line?

I Am God, You are God, Everybody is god.

I don’t mind the concept of “god”, I mean, to each his own, But it’s his fan-following that fucks my brain.

Cheers.

INDIA- An Outsider’s Affinity

Yes, This is my first official entry in the blog.

Yes, I AM that lazy.

Bite Me.

Anywho,

It was just day before yesterday, when my friend came over to

meet me, in a weirdly grumpy mood. After not-so-much deliberation, she went on to tell me that a bunch of “firangs” had come to her college, gave a presentation on “Dharavi”, the biggest slum in Asia, concentrating on all the usual topics these documentaries are known to cover, POVERTY, Lack of EDUCATION and Corruption/POLITICS.

Well, that’s not so new is it? Has any ONE of you wondered as to why ALL foreigners relate INDIA to the word POVERTY? Why doesn’t anybody make long-ass documentaries on the MILLIONS of malls, commercial centres and the massive upcoming of the private sector?

Our nation, my brothers and their sisters, is a money-pit. Investors from ALL over, are dumping money into our markets, our companies, hell, even the top officials in THEIR own companies are Indians.

So, Why the affinity to our SLUMS?

There can be many theories, depending on the perspective. But hey, My blog, My view. Feel free to leave yours in the comments section.

Coming back, Is the above mentioned “affinity” because it makes THEM feel better about themselves? Is it a matter of Superiority? Or maybe it takes the heat off their own issues.

That, was the problem. “Now What?” you may ask.

The next time these “firangs” walk up to you, and ask you the directions for Dharavi, or dhobi-ghaat, direct them to the nearest Commercial Centre and show them the INDIA, we all have come to know, or very genuinely sit them down and ask them as to exactly WHAT about Daharaavi draws them to it.

The REAL India, is NOT the poverty, politics, unemployment and the feeling of utter chaos, not anymore anyway.

What represents the REAL India Now?

The Real India, for me, is us, The Educated and the very much aware youth, The REAL India is, TATA buying over JAGUAR, as if it was loose-change, VENKY’s Poultry buying the English Premier League team, Blackburn Rovers, The Real India, is the new-age cinema, viz Dev-D, Rang De Basanti, Yeh Saali Zindagi, Being Cyrus, etc being churned out by the same industry which was known to produce movies which included people dancing around trees to sad music, The Real India is the “new & improved” mind-sets of people.

I can keep going.

We are far from the “Third-world country” tag, and we’ve worked for it, the credit for which NOBODY, and I repeat NOBODY, can ever take away from us. We didn’t have things handed over to us in a silver spoon, unlike some.

So, a message to all the “Outsiders” , who might be reading this, Please Ask your people to find some other pastime, or take professional help, if they are not happy with themselves. We’d love you guys to visit, of course we do, who doesn’t like meeting new people?

What we do ask from you, is to remember two fundamentals,

Respect, is a give and take commodity, and

Clear the chinks in your own armour, before you go ahead "advising" others on theirs.

We have advanced, seems like you'll haven't.

Come over, have the local brew, party, enjoy the crowd, mind your own business.

Do not disrespect, in the name of help. We are more than capable of taking care of ourselves.

Take a hint from your own, trademark line "They come to our country and take our jobs".We wouldn't have, had you not been so daft.

Cheers.

Welcome Fellow Human Beings.

Well, Welcome again.

Yes, this is a blog. No, I'm not going to be talking about Music/Movies or some copy-pasted witty one-liners. You can find the same in probably 95% of the blogs.

If what you're looking for is, possibly a good read, a good topic, a great discussion, something actually worth talking about, then we shall do just fine.

So, why the name "What Now?" ?

Well, for the simple reason that I am one of you people, pretty much confused and frustrated at times, looking at the way the world functions, but hey, The sad news-channels do a great job reminding us of the same.

I'm done concentrating on "What's Wrong?", Someone needs to stand up and ask "Now What?".

"Communication" is defined as - "Who" said "what" to "whom" and in "which" context. THIS, is one way I found to share and "express", damn that word is so clichéd, My view and share your's. A good debate/discussion is welcomed.

When you want to grab the sun, the power of many, is a hell lot more, than the power of one.

Cheers.