In a weird frame of mind these days. Happy and kind of looking forward to things, with this feeling of expectation like there is something out there, tempting and waiting to be caught. Feel in control of things.
But then there is something nagging as well. As with the other feeling, cant exactly say what. Maybe that usual feeling that is always there with any joy?
Sun feels wonderful on the face. Directly though. When not on the face, gets irritating. Books don’t seem to be as punishing and torturous as about a couple of weeks back. Infact, quite comfortable and minus that usual stifling feeling that generally accompanies whenever they are on the table.
Singing out loud with any and every song that’s playing has become quite natural—something that happens on its own, whether lyrics are known or not. Other people’s frowns and complaints- all gone for a toss. All hail the new karaoke queen!
The idea and task of going out, making an effort and approaching people is a real pain. This weather does it to one. But then once around them, seems as natural as anything. Like this is how things should be. Not for too long though. after a while that feeling sets in-- of being on guard around someone particular. That wariness and wish to get away. This is noticed by the other person too. Hence stays cut off? Others don’t though. Act bubbly and its enough for them. Solitary strolls and outings are fun! Preferable even. Picking the phone and calling up is a task mostly. But getting calls is not. Once on, talking for hours is fun. Most times atleast. At others, so much easier to let the phone keep ringing.
This is probably what months of remaining anti social does— makes one so comfortable around their own self. So much so, nobody else is required. Mostly atleast. Wonder how long this can last though.
Ah, laziness.
Sunday, February 3, 2008
WHATSUP?
Monday, 7am
“Get up! Its 7 already! your class is at 7.45. HOW will you make it in time?”- my mum’s early morning refrain. Ofcourse, it doesn’t occur to her that while sleeping i can hardly tell the time. :D
My woolens- pullover, cap (yeah right),warmers, socks...are all laid on the bed for me. I drag myself out. Somehow. Put the dratted things up, freshen up and get ready. Gulp down my breakfast. All in 20 mins flat. (yep! i DONOT dillydally proud grin)
Daddy is at the door, car keys in one hand, paper in the other, giving me the killer looks. Why? cz he’s got to drag himself out and get ready, miss his bedtea to drop me all the way. Good! You only don’t let me drive yet. Those patience lessons, eh? :P anyway...he insists on dropping me, before any of you start thinking I’m an ugrateful spoilt prat!
7.30am
In the car; seatbelts on. Silence half the way. Then- aaj kya kar rahe ho? amalgamation finished? shit thats really important. 20 marks question sureshot.
Gee thanks. Specially since its stacked in a corner with rest of the backlog?
Talk about my college, professors, friends, his office follows. time-7.45 am. Dot. And we are there! (my dad is a whiz with the wheels you see!)
Teacher still not there. Sit and look at others. DONOT talk with anyone. Don’t particularly like the people around. (oh yes! i can be snooty sometimes. but when you ask people on the first day “hey! which college?” and get a “No college, only business” as an answer, OR when a person you talk with twice starts thinking you have a crush on him, you get turned off yaa!)
8am- Mr. Bansal enters. “Sorry students, got late. So, we were to continue and finish with...”
today I’ll DEFINITELY pay attention and NOT tune him out. pukka se. All ears for the first 45 mins. But then, the bee suddenly starts buzzing, the horns are too blaring; I am too sleepy. Drat! here i go again. :
I look at my cell. A message. Hmmm...better reply before (s)he gets angry. Done. Look at the time...9.45. God! class almost over. Better listen to him now. “So students, we will start with Internal reconstruction the next time.” Class over.
Get out, go to the bus stop. I HATE the waiting. Nothing against them as such. In fact quite like the ride back home like anyone who likes observing people would. But that’s when you manage to get a seat. Otherwise it’s just too crowded and the people—too close.
Anyway, bus boarded at 10.05am (after 15 mins of waiting!)
Conductor—Nahi nahi! KB tak nahi jayegi. CP mein Shivaji Stadium last stop hai.
Damn you. Give me the ticket till Barakhamba then.
At ITO, manage to get a seat. Finally. Then dumped with 2 bags. Honestly! No courtesy in today’s times!
Get off at BK, take the metro to KB…and I’m home!
2.45pm
“kritika! Hurry up. You gotta get out of the house by 3 and you are still not ready! Class ke liye late ho jayegi.” Yeah yeah. Finally out by 3.20 and reach the station by 3.28. shit! My ride just entered the platform! I run up the stairs, go through the security check, huff my way up…only to see the damned thing pull out. Great. Wait for 6 minutes. Call someone. Make them call me back. Talk through the ride. Get off at Mandi House/ Pragati Maidan. Walk to the auditorium. Dev calls- oi! Im stuck. Save Gaurav and me a seat.
And he calls ME lazy. Chauvinist.
Get to the audi. Look around for 3 seats. Manage to find some. Sit. Go through the notes. Its 3.56. Am I fast or what!? :D
4pm- sir starts.
“Ab idhar dekhiye, CON-SUN-TRAIT for the next few minutes please. Maine last class mein karvaya ki Income from House Property is….” Still no sign of those two. I look around. Sir looks at me. I turn back to my notes. HOW does he manage to pay attention to each student in a class of 500?? He IS good.
4.15- dev and Gaurav enter. Dev opens his bag and starts looking for mints. Eats them one after the other like chickpeas. Any wonder his bag is a mini wrapper landfill!? Class is on. I am all ears. I LIKE taxation.
5.45- I start dozing off (been a tiring day, hello!). dev nudges me awake. Laughs a bit at me. I scowl. Then grin back. We 2 start with our PJ session. Carry on with it till 6. Then, “acha! Aap log ab break leejiye but PLEASE be back in 10 mins. I will start at 6.15 sharp.”
We rush outside. Ah! Fresh cold air. Feels wonderful. I LOVE it. Have chips, sweet potato, something to drink. Talk around. Look at people smoke and eat ice cream together. I GOTTA try this. Go back by 6.20. shit! We are late.
Class not started late though. Sheesh! Narrow escape. His personal attention and the ensuing embarrassment is NOT called for.
In the second half, we are alertness personified. We argue about the validity of section so and so, logic behind this and that. NOT cutting out the PJs allt he while, mind you. We can multitask you see!
Soon class is over. Gaurav, Dev, Priyabka, Akanksha and I walk to the metro station. Flock into the metro department, get jostled around incase it is crowded. Rule the place if less people around. Priyanka starts off with her imitations. Then starts with her Gaurav bullying. People turn and stare at us. After R.K. Marg, everyone starts looking out for my station. They know of my habit of missing my station by now. I get off, get on a ‘rick’shaw, get home.
Daddy- how was the class? What did he do?
Me- oh, the usual. So and so sections, and some illustrations.
Mum calls out- dinner ready!
Soon enough dinner is finished. I come online.
Someone (pings)- hey! Whatsup?
Me- nothing much, the usual. You tell.
“Get up! Its 7 already! your class is at 7.45. HOW will you make it in time?”- my mum’s early morning refrain. Ofcourse, it doesn’t occur to her that while sleeping i can hardly tell the time. :D
My woolens- pullover, cap (yeah right),warmers, socks...are all laid on the bed for me. I drag myself out. Somehow. Put the dratted things up, freshen up and get ready. Gulp down my breakfast. All in 20 mins flat. (yep! i DONOT dillydally proud grin)
Daddy is at the door, car keys in one hand, paper in the other, giving me the killer looks. Why? cz he’s got to drag himself out and get ready, miss his bedtea to drop me all the way. Good! You only don’t let me drive yet. Those patience lessons, eh? :P anyway...he insists on dropping me, before any of you start thinking I’m an ugrateful spoilt prat!
7.30am
In the car; seatbelts on. Silence half the way. Then- aaj kya kar rahe ho? amalgamation finished? shit thats really important. 20 marks question sureshot.
Gee thanks. Specially since its stacked in a corner with rest of the backlog?
Talk about my college, professors, friends, his office follows. time-7.45 am. Dot. And we are there! (my dad is a whiz with the wheels you see!)
Teacher still not there. Sit and look at others. DONOT talk with anyone. Don’t particularly like the people around. (oh yes! i can be snooty sometimes. but when you ask people on the first day “hey! which college?” and get a “No college, only business” as an answer, OR when a person you talk with twice starts thinking you have a crush on him, you get turned off yaa!)
8am- Mr. Bansal enters. “Sorry students, got late. So, we were to continue and finish with...”
today I’ll DEFINITELY pay attention and NOT tune him out. pukka se. All ears for the first 45 mins. But then, the bee suddenly starts buzzing, the horns are too blaring; I am too sleepy. Drat! here i go again. :
I look at my cell. A message. Hmmm...better reply before (s)he gets angry. Done. Look at the time...9.45. God! class almost over. Better listen to him now. “So students, we will start with Internal reconstruction the next time.” Class over.
Get out, go to the bus stop. I HATE the waiting. Nothing against them as such. In fact quite like the ride back home like anyone who likes observing people would. But that’s when you manage to get a seat. Otherwise it’s just too crowded and the people—too close.
Anyway, bus boarded at 10.05am (after 15 mins of waiting!)
Conductor—Nahi nahi! KB tak nahi jayegi. CP mein Shivaji Stadium last stop hai.
Damn you. Give me the ticket till Barakhamba then.
At ITO, manage to get a seat. Finally. Then dumped with 2 bags. Honestly! No courtesy in today’s times!
Get off at BK, take the metro to KB…and I’m home!
2.45pm
“kritika! Hurry up. You gotta get out of the house by 3 and you are still not ready! Class ke liye late ho jayegi.” Yeah yeah. Finally out by 3.20 and reach the station by 3.28. shit! My ride just entered the platform! I run up the stairs, go through the security check, huff my way up…only to see the damned thing pull out. Great. Wait for 6 minutes. Call someone. Make them call me back. Talk through the ride. Get off at Mandi House/ Pragati Maidan. Walk to the auditorium. Dev calls- oi! Im stuck. Save Gaurav and me a seat.
And he calls ME lazy. Chauvinist.
Get to the audi. Look around for 3 seats. Manage to find some. Sit. Go through the notes. Its 3.56. Am I fast or what!? :D
4pm- sir starts.
“Ab idhar dekhiye, CON-SUN-TRAIT for the next few minutes please. Maine last class mein karvaya ki Income from House Property is….” Still no sign of those two. I look around. Sir looks at me. I turn back to my notes. HOW does he manage to pay attention to each student in a class of 500?? He IS good.
4.15- dev and Gaurav enter. Dev opens his bag and starts looking for mints. Eats them one after the other like chickpeas. Any wonder his bag is a mini wrapper landfill!? Class is on. I am all ears. I LIKE taxation.
5.45- I start dozing off (been a tiring day, hello!). dev nudges me awake. Laughs a bit at me. I scowl. Then grin back. We 2 start with our PJ session. Carry on with it till 6. Then, “acha! Aap log ab break leejiye but PLEASE be back in 10 mins. I will start at 6.15 sharp.”
We rush outside. Ah! Fresh cold air. Feels wonderful. I LOVE it. Have chips, sweet potato, something to drink. Talk around. Look at people smoke and eat ice cream together. I GOTTA try this. Go back by 6.20. shit! We are late.
Class not started late though. Sheesh! Narrow escape. His personal attention and the ensuing embarrassment is NOT called for.
In the second half, we are alertness personified. We argue about the validity of section so and so, logic behind this and that. NOT cutting out the PJs allt he while, mind you. We can multitask you see!
Soon class is over. Gaurav, Dev, Priyabka, Akanksha and I walk to the metro station. Flock into the metro department, get jostled around incase it is crowded. Rule the place if less people around. Priyanka starts off with her imitations. Then starts with her Gaurav bullying. People turn and stare at us. After R.K. Marg, everyone starts looking out for my station. They know of my habit of missing my station by now. I get off, get on a ‘rick’shaw, get home.
Daddy- how was the class? What did he do?
Me- oh, the usual. So and so sections, and some illustrations.
Mum calls out- dinner ready!
Soon enough dinner is finished. I come online.
Someone (pings)- hey! Whatsup?
Me- nothing much, the usual. You tell.
Monday, January 14, 2008
Friday, December 21, 2007
WINDS OF CHANGE BLOW EASTWARDS
The news that has caught everyone's attention is about the Tata Motors being the primary bidders for the opwnership of premium car brands Jaguar and Land Rover.
though the indian business lobby cannot seem to wipe the grins off their faces the bid does not seem to have gone down too well with the 'Amreekans'. infact, they are positively scowling.
and whyever not? us brownies (who still prefer bullock carts over 4 wheelers)as the OWNERS? now how can THAT be possible?
but possible it is. and possible it became the day a certain defiant Mr. Mittal took over Arcelor, ignoring all the preset norms even as the world sat gaping and frowning. though the mergers and takeovers by indian companies were not exactly never before heard of concepts, the sheer scale of it is what got it all the attention. and got the world to sit up.
for years western countries have been lobbying for greater globalisation and liberalization. for the uninitiated (like Mr. Twisteroni haha) globalisation is the process of integrating a country's economy with the world economy. liberalization means removing as many governmental restrictions as possible to make the environment business friendly.
what is the draw? well... cheaper production costs. not to mention the huge scope for selling their goods as their own markets are saturated. hence they arrive at our doorstep like the Santa carrying modern technology, foreign capital and blah as Christmas presents. don't think they imagined the tide would turn this quick. but turn it did. AND HOW!
________
1991
India's foreign exchange reserves are a paltry $1 billion. India is on the brink of a financial emergency. the whole mixed economy approach has gone wrong somewhere down the line. all that remains is an economy in shambles with the protectionist government regimen bearing the brunt of its own screwed up policies.
comes in FinMin Manmohan Singh. out goes the license raj, protectionism and govt. mollycoddling.
________
CIRCA 2007
India is slowly but steadily moving towards realizing its dream of becoming an economic superpower. the markets are booming (though a bit shaky), forex reserves are swelling at the speed of light and the labor force winning over the world.
though they still crib about the redtapism, the bureaucracy and blah (out of habit i think!) they can't seem to keep away. $100m, $500m, $1b investments have become an everyday phenomena. everyone wants to have a piece of India's success story. make hay WHEREVER the sun shines.
BUT but but... till not so long ago it was all about THEM coming here.
now the tables are turning. and faster than anyone thought. within 16 years of opening up its economy india has come this far. who had thought Mukesh Ambani would beat the likes of Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Carlos Slim Helu to emerge the richest individual?
not most of us atleast!
and that...sums it all. i'm sure that though the world saw it coming, they didnt think it would be this fast. India and China BOTH to be countered together? not a very pleasing thought!
no wonder they seem to be stepping back, trying to protect themselves. protectionism seems to be becoming the order of the day... be it the farmer's subsidies, the Kyoto Protocol or whatever.
so much so, these businesses seem to have been too shocked to bother with the guise of politeness or tact. take for example Paul White's (CEO, Orient Express Hotels) response to Tata's bid:
"We donot believe that there is a strategic fit between your predominanty domestic Indian hotel chain and our global portfolio of luxury hotels and unique travel experiences and we donot wish to be involved in an attempt to improve the performance of your non-Indian properties. We believe any association of our luxury brands and properties with your brands and properties would result in a reduction in the value of our brands and of our business and would likely lead to erosion in the RevPar premiums currently achieved by our properties."
but this i guess is just a tip of the ieberg. as the negotiations for the car companies start in earnest all the worms will start falling out of the bag in the form of quotable quotes, dirty behind the scene stories and sugary public refusals, responses or interviews.
but what remains to be seen is how far will things go. will they turn really ugly and take a racist turn? will the governments be dragged in (once again!)? or will the preservation of goodwill and brand names rule on both side?
I for one am looking for the saga to unfold, as im sure is half the world.
watch this space for more! ;-)
all the comments and opinions expressed here are completely are my personal ones. you are welcome to agree or differ. :)
though the indian business lobby cannot seem to wipe the grins off their faces the bid does not seem to have gone down too well with the 'Amreekans'. infact, they are positively scowling.
and whyever not? us brownies (who still prefer bullock carts over 4 wheelers)as the OWNERS? now how can THAT be possible?
but possible it is. and possible it became the day a certain defiant Mr. Mittal took over Arcelor, ignoring all the preset norms even as the world sat gaping and frowning. though the mergers and takeovers by indian companies were not exactly never before heard of concepts, the sheer scale of it is what got it all the attention. and got the world to sit up.
for years western countries have been lobbying for greater globalisation and liberalization. for the uninitiated (like Mr. Twisteroni haha) globalisation is the process of integrating a country's economy with the world economy. liberalization means removing as many governmental restrictions as possible to make the environment business friendly.
what is the draw? well... cheaper production costs. not to mention the huge scope for selling their goods as their own markets are saturated. hence they arrive at our doorstep like the Santa carrying modern technology, foreign capital and blah as Christmas presents. don't think they imagined the tide would turn this quick. but turn it did. AND HOW!
________
1991
India's foreign exchange reserves are a paltry $1 billion. India is on the brink of a financial emergency. the whole mixed economy approach has gone wrong somewhere down the line. all that remains is an economy in shambles with the protectionist government regimen bearing the brunt of its own screwed up policies.
comes in FinMin Manmohan Singh. out goes the license raj, protectionism and govt. mollycoddling.
________
CIRCA 2007
India is slowly but steadily moving towards realizing its dream of becoming an economic superpower. the markets are booming (though a bit shaky), forex reserves are swelling at the speed of light and the labor force winning over the world.
though they still crib about the redtapism, the bureaucracy and blah (out of habit i think!) they can't seem to keep away. $100m, $500m, $1b investments have become an everyday phenomena. everyone wants to have a piece of India's success story. make hay WHEREVER the sun shines.
BUT but but... till not so long ago it was all about THEM coming here.
now the tables are turning. and faster than anyone thought. within 16 years of opening up its economy india has come this far. who had thought Mukesh Ambani would beat the likes of Bill Gates, Warren Buffet and Carlos Slim Helu to emerge the richest individual?
not most of us atleast!
and that...sums it all. i'm sure that though the world saw it coming, they didnt think it would be this fast. India and China BOTH to be countered together? not a very pleasing thought!
no wonder they seem to be stepping back, trying to protect themselves. protectionism seems to be becoming the order of the day... be it the farmer's subsidies, the Kyoto Protocol or whatever.
so much so, these businesses seem to have been too shocked to bother with the guise of politeness or tact. take for example Paul White's (CEO, Orient Express Hotels) response to Tata's bid:
"We donot believe that there is a strategic fit between your predominanty domestic Indian hotel chain and our global portfolio of luxury hotels and unique travel experiences and we donot wish to be involved in an attempt to improve the performance of your non-Indian properties. We believe any association of our luxury brands and properties with your brands and properties would result in a reduction in the value of our brands and of our business and would likely lead to erosion in the RevPar premiums currently achieved by our properties."
but this i guess is just a tip of the ieberg. as the negotiations for the car companies start in earnest all the worms will start falling out of the bag in the form of quotable quotes, dirty behind the scene stories and sugary public refusals, responses or interviews.
but what remains to be seen is how far will things go. will they turn really ugly and take a racist turn? will the governments be dragged in (once again!)? or will the preservation of goodwill and brand names rule on both side?
I for one am looking for the saga to unfold, as im sure is half the world.
watch this space for more! ;-)
all the comments and opinions expressed here are completely are my personal ones. you are welcome to agree or differ. :)
Friday, December 7, 2007
I...
I like daydreaming…
I like the winters...
I love it when it pours… hate it when it drizzles
I like ice creams...
I like the smell of wet sand and petrol…
I like talking to certain people…
I like rambling when im in the mood for it…
I like being busy… but end up procrastinating yet
I like being able to switch off from people according to my own whims…yet
I like being around people most of the time.
I like where I am… but still
I would like to go somewhere, though
I still don’t know exactly where. :)
I like the winters...
I love it when it pours… hate it when it drizzles
I like ice creams...
I like the smell of wet sand and petrol…
I like talking to certain people…
I like rambling when im in the mood for it…
I like being busy… but end up procrastinating yet
I like being able to switch off from people according to my own whims…yet
I like being around people most of the time.
I like where I am… but still
I would like to go somewhere, though
I still don’t know exactly where. :)
Thursday, December 6, 2007
A excerpt of a conversation with a friend...
...
KM: what do you mean, you are sick and tired of the way you are?
MK: i mean exactly what i said.
KM: and that would mean...?
MK: have you ever felt that people take you for granted? that because you happen to be a good listener, they happen to come to you when they need to offload the burden but once done, you might not even exist!
KM: hmmm... sometimes yes, but not always! i mean i AM a listener you know! :)
MK: thats just not it you see... its this whole lack of self confidence thing. i have started judging myself on the basis of other people's opinion of me, their behaviour towards me. if they talk to me, laugh around with me, i feel like i'm on top of the world. but where they happen to not act towards me in a manner i feel they ought to, i feel rejected. i try to act in the way they would want me to, talk like i think they would want me to. i feel this whole pressure of always saying the wittiest of things, laughing and joking around, saying the things they wanna hear. i feel if i don't they won't like me anymore. i envy the people who are all reserved and quiet...but still have their own loyal bunch of sidekicks. i would like act like that for a day just to know how the people around me react.
i had more or less dismissed it as a case of post teenage hangover or something when i realized its not that. i mean every second person i see or find around me-- the tweens, the hip crowd, parents (yes!), celebrities, blah blah blah... is living a facade-- whether knowingly or unknowingly only they can answer. look around you... its all around us! we all have our 'reputations' to maintain. and those of us who consider ourselves to be social misfits try to enhance it whenever possible?
"suckers!", i heard someone think out loud?
...
KM: what do you mean, you are sick and tired of the way you are?
MK: i mean exactly what i said.
KM: and that would mean...?
MK: have you ever felt that people take you for granted? that because you happen to be a good listener, they happen to come to you when they need to offload the burden but once done, you might not even exist!
KM: hmmm... sometimes yes, but not always! i mean i AM a listener you know! :)
MK: thats just not it you see... its this whole lack of self confidence thing. i have started judging myself on the basis of other people's opinion of me, their behaviour towards me. if they talk to me, laugh around with me, i feel like i'm on top of the world. but where they happen to not act towards me in a manner i feel they ought to, i feel rejected. i try to act in the way they would want me to, talk like i think they would want me to. i feel this whole pressure of always saying the wittiest of things, laughing and joking around, saying the things they wanna hear. i feel if i don't they won't like me anymore. i envy the people who are all reserved and quiet...but still have their own loyal bunch of sidekicks. i would like act like that for a day just to know how the people around me react.
i had more or less dismissed it as a case of post teenage hangover or something when i realized its not that. i mean every second person i see or find around me-- the tweens, the hip crowd, parents (yes!), celebrities, blah blah blah... is living a facade-- whether knowingly or unknowingly only they can answer. look around you... its all around us! we all have our 'reputations' to maintain. and those of us who consider ourselves to be social misfits try to enhance it whenever possible?
"suckers!", i heard someone think out loud?
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
BACK TO SQUARE ONE...
Sarthak has just learnt to walk.
He wants to explore things now.
He is completely excited and psyched.
He starts taking his first steps, reminding himself of the ditch on the way.
He sees other kids make mistakes and believes he has learnt.
That he won't be THAT foolish.
Nevertheless, finds himself in it after a while.
He struggles, trying to get out.
Takes him a while, but he finally does.
He is scared now. And hurt-- will be more watchful now!
Will not be such a blind fool again.
Before venturing again, tries to keep these precautions in mind.
But somewhere down the line forgets about them.
There! an amazing green patch to play on.
He so wants to get onto it.
But seems too pretty anf nice to belong to the old dried up park.
In doubt, he still carries on.
He has just reached and put a foot on it.
When he notices that its merely a green cover over a ditch similar to one he had fallen into.
But as he realizes he is halfway into it.
How does he get himself out of it before making matters worse than the last time?
He wants to explore things now.
He is completely excited and psyched.
He starts taking his first steps, reminding himself of the ditch on the way.
He sees other kids make mistakes and believes he has learnt.
That he won't be THAT foolish.
Nevertheless, finds himself in it after a while.
He struggles, trying to get out.
Takes him a while, but he finally does.
He is scared now. And hurt-- will be more watchful now!
Will not be such a blind fool again.
Before venturing again, tries to keep these precautions in mind.
But somewhere down the line forgets about them.
There! an amazing green patch to play on.
He so wants to get onto it.
But seems too pretty anf nice to belong to the old dried up park.
In doubt, he still carries on.
He has just reached and put a foot on it.
When he notices that its merely a green cover over a ditch similar to one he had fallen into.
But as he realizes he is halfway into it.
How does he get himself out of it before making matters worse than the last time?
Saturday, November 10, 2007
UK's Silliest Laws
Check these laws out....just read about them. I wonder how many have been prosecuted to date for disobeying them! :D do let me know which is your favourite!!
- It is illegal to die in the Houses of Parliament ( wonder whether this includes the loos as well =D)
- It is an act of treason to place a postage stamp bearing the British monarch upside down (though I'm sure there isn't any law for stomping all over the DOWNSIDE DOWN post!)
- In Liverpool, its illegal for a woman to be topless except as a clerk in a fish store. (hah! i wonder how many men are employed in any industry besides fishery!!)
- Mince pies cannot be eaten on Christmas Day. (why? :O)
- In Scotland, if someone knocks on your door and requires the use of your toilet, you MUST let them enter. (even if they are willing to point their 'weapons' at you and mug you :))
- A pregnant woman can legally relieve herself anywhere she wants, including in a policeman's helmet. (has THAT got anything to do with those weird hats/helmets they wear!?)
- The head of any dead whale found on the British coast automatically becomes the property of the king, and the tail of the queen. (no wonder their crown is such a 'dead' weight!)
- It is illegal to avoid telling the tax man anything you do not want him to know, but legal not to tell him information you donot mind him knowing. (*still figuring this one out!*)
- It is illegal to enter the House of Parliament in a suit of armour. ( thank god! i had thought that they only targeted Asian minorities with these dress codes. would like to see an armour clad guard trying to protect the Lords in the Houses. :D )
Saturday, November 3, 2007
LADY OF SHALOTT
On either side the river lie
Long fields of barley and of rye,
That clothe the wold and meet the sky;
And through the field the road run by
To many-tower'd Camelot;
And up and down the people go,
Gazing where the lilies blow
Round an island there below,
The island of Shalott.
Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
Little breezes dusk and shiver
Through the wave that runs for ever
By the island in the river
Flowing down to Camelot.
Four grey walls, and four grey towers,
Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers
The Lady of Shalott.
By the margin, willow veil'd
,Slide the heavy barges trail'd
By slow horses; and unhail'd
The shallop flitteth silken-sail'd
Skimming down to Camelot:
But who hath seen her wave her hand?
Or at the casement seen her stand?
Or is she known in all the land,
The Lady of Shalott?
Only reapers, reaping early,
In among the bearded barley
Hear a song that echoes cheerly
From the river winding clearly;
Down to tower'd Camelot;
And by the moon the reaper weary
, Piling sheaves in uplands airy,
Listening, whispers," 'Tis the fairy
The Lady of Shalott."
There she weaves by night and day
A magic web with colours gay.
She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she stay
To look down to Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shalott.
And moving through a mirror clear
That hangs before her all the year,
Shadows of the world appear.
There she sees the highway near
Winding down to Camelot;
There the river eddy whirls,
And there the surly village churls,
And the red cloaks of market girls
Pass onward from Shalott.
Sometimes a troop of damsels glad,
An abbot on an ambling pad,
Sometimes a curly shepherd lad,
Or long-hair'd page in crimson clad
Goes by to tower'd Camelot;
And sometimes through the mirror blue
The knights come riding two and two.
She hath no loyal Knight and true,
The Lady of Shalott.
But in her web she still delights
To weave the mirror's magic sights,
For often through the silent nights
A funeral, with plumes and lights
And music, went to Camelot;
Or when the Moon was overhead,
Came two young lovers lately wed.
"I am half sick of shadows,"
said The Lady of Shalott.
A bow-shot from her bower-eaves,
He rode between the barley sheaves,
The sun came dazzling thro' the leaves,
And flamed upon the brazen greaves
Of bold Sir Lancelot.
A red-cross knight for ever kneel'd
To a lady in his shield,
That sparkled on the yellow field,
Beside remote Shalott.
The gemmy bridle glitter'd free,
Like to some branch of stars we see
Hung in the golden Galaxy.
The bridle bells rang merrily
As he rode down to Camelot:
And from his blazon'd baldric slung
A mighty silver bugle hung,
And as he rode his armor rung
Beside remote Shalott.
All in the blue unclouded weather
Thick-jewell'd shone the saddle-leather,
The helmet and the helmet-feather
Burn'd like one burning flame together,
As he rode down to Camelot.
As often thro' the purple night,
Below the starry clusters bright,
Some bearded meteor, burning bright,
Moves over still Shalott.
His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd;
On burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode;
From underneath his helmet flow'd
His coal-black curls as on he rode,
As he rode down to Camelot.
From the bank and from the river
He flashed into the crystal mirror,
"Tirra lirra," by the river
Sang Sir Lancelot.
She left the web, she left the loom,
She made three paces through the room,
She saw the water-lily bloom,
She saw the helmet and the plume,
She look'd down to Camelot.
Out flew the web and floated wide;
The mirror crack'd from side to side;
"The curse is come upon me,"
cried The Lady of Shalott.
In the stormy east-wind straining,
The pale yellow woods were waning,
The broad stream in his banks complaining.
Heavily the low sky raining
Over tower'd Camelot;
Down she came and found a boat
Beneath a willow left afloat,
And around about the prow she wrote
The Lady of Shalott.
And down the river's dim expanse
Like some bold seer in a trance,
Seeing all his own mischance --
With a glassy countenance
Did she look to Camelot.
And at the closing of the day
She loosed the chain, and down she lay;
The broad stream bore her far away,
The Lady of Shalott.
Lying, robed in snowy white
That loosely flew to left and right --
The leaves upon her falling light --
Thro' the noises of the night,
She floated down to Camelot:
And as the boat-head wound along
The willowy hills and fields among,
They heard her singing her last song,
The Lady of Shalott.
Heard a carol, mournful, holy,
Chanted loudly, chanted lowly,
Till her blood was frozen slowly,
And her eyes were darkened wholly,
Turn'd to tower'd Camelot.
For ere she reach'd upon the tide
The first house by the water-side,
Singing in her song she died,
The Lady of Shalott.
__Tennyson
ps... but obviously, this isn't mine. but didn't feel like creating a separate label. one of my favourite poems. actually, one of the only few poems i actually like. hope you like it too. :)
Long fields of barley and of rye,
That clothe the wold and meet the sky;
And through the field the road run by
To many-tower'd Camelot;
And up and down the people go,
Gazing where the lilies blow
Round an island there below,
The island of Shalott.
Willows whiten, aspens quiver,
Little breezes dusk and shiver
Through the wave that runs for ever
By the island in the river
Flowing down to Camelot.
Four grey walls, and four grey towers,
Overlook a space of flowers,
And the silent isle imbowers
The Lady of Shalott.
By the margin, willow veil'd
,Slide the heavy barges trail'd
By slow horses; and unhail'd
The shallop flitteth silken-sail'd
Skimming down to Camelot:
But who hath seen her wave her hand?
Or at the casement seen her stand?
Or is she known in all the land,
The Lady of Shalott?
Only reapers, reaping early,
In among the bearded barley
Hear a song that echoes cheerly
From the river winding clearly;
Down to tower'd Camelot;
And by the moon the reaper weary
, Piling sheaves in uplands airy,
Listening, whispers," 'Tis the fairy
The Lady of Shalott."
There she weaves by night and day
A magic web with colours gay.
She has heard a whisper say,
A curse is on her if she stay
To look down to Camelot.
She knows not what the curse may be,
And so she weaveth steadily,
And little other care hath she,
The Lady of Shalott.
And moving through a mirror clear
That hangs before her all the year,
Shadows of the world appear.
There she sees the highway near
Winding down to Camelot;
There the river eddy whirls,
And there the surly village churls,
And the red cloaks of market girls
Pass onward from Shalott.
Sometimes a troop of damsels glad,
An abbot on an ambling pad,
Sometimes a curly shepherd lad,
Or long-hair'd page in crimson clad
Goes by to tower'd Camelot;
And sometimes through the mirror blue
The knights come riding two and two.
She hath no loyal Knight and true,
The Lady of Shalott.
But in her web she still delights
To weave the mirror's magic sights,
For often through the silent nights
A funeral, with plumes and lights
And music, went to Camelot;
Or when the Moon was overhead,
Came two young lovers lately wed.
"I am half sick of shadows,"
said The Lady of Shalott.
A bow-shot from her bower-eaves,
He rode between the barley sheaves,
The sun came dazzling thro' the leaves,
And flamed upon the brazen greaves
Of bold Sir Lancelot.
A red-cross knight for ever kneel'd
To a lady in his shield,
That sparkled on the yellow field,
Beside remote Shalott.
The gemmy bridle glitter'd free,
Like to some branch of stars we see
Hung in the golden Galaxy.
The bridle bells rang merrily
As he rode down to Camelot:
And from his blazon'd baldric slung
A mighty silver bugle hung,
And as he rode his armor rung
Beside remote Shalott.
All in the blue unclouded weather
Thick-jewell'd shone the saddle-leather,
The helmet and the helmet-feather
Burn'd like one burning flame together,
As he rode down to Camelot.
As often thro' the purple night,
Below the starry clusters bright,
Some bearded meteor, burning bright,
Moves over still Shalott.
His broad clear brow in sunlight glow'd;
On burnish'd hooves his war-horse trode;
From underneath his helmet flow'd
His coal-black curls as on he rode,
As he rode down to Camelot.
From the bank and from the river
He flashed into the crystal mirror,
"Tirra lirra," by the river
Sang Sir Lancelot.
She left the web, she left the loom,
She made three paces through the room,
She saw the water-lily bloom,
She saw the helmet and the plume,
She look'd down to Camelot.
Out flew the web and floated wide;
The mirror crack'd from side to side;
"The curse is come upon me,"
cried The Lady of Shalott.
In the stormy east-wind straining,
The pale yellow woods were waning,
The broad stream in his banks complaining.
Heavily the low sky raining
Over tower'd Camelot;
Down she came and found a boat
Beneath a willow left afloat,
And around about the prow she wrote
The Lady of Shalott.
And down the river's dim expanse
Like some bold seer in a trance,
Seeing all his own mischance --
With a glassy countenance
Did she look to Camelot.
And at the closing of the day
She loosed the chain, and down she lay;
The broad stream bore her far away,
The Lady of Shalott.
Lying, robed in snowy white
That loosely flew to left and right --
The leaves upon her falling light --
Thro' the noises of the night,
She floated down to Camelot:
And as the boat-head wound along
The willowy hills and fields among,
They heard her singing her last song,
The Lady of Shalott.
Heard a carol, mournful, holy,
Chanted loudly, chanted lowly,
Till her blood was frozen slowly,
And her eyes were darkened wholly,
Turn'd to tower'd Camelot.
For ere she reach'd upon the tide
The first house by the water-side,
Singing in her song she died,
The Lady of Shalott.
__Tennyson
ps... but obviously, this isn't mine. but didn't feel like creating a separate label. one of my favourite poems. actually, one of the only few poems i actually like. hope you like it too. :)
STOP READING
another editorial i happened to like. Infact someone just pointed it out to me... :)
Zombies. That's what readers are. They exist in this world but live in a fantasy world, surviving on what others create. Their contribution to society is negative, for while they consume precious resources, they create nothing. The roadside vagabond does more, yet they claim intellectual superiority over all. But if intelligence is the application of information, they're down there with those other shells of human existence, the TV-addicts, collecting data about everything, but not alive enough to ever apply that knowledge. That's probably why they are called bookworms -- a parasitical existence, far removed from the ecstasy and agony of the real world. Decades ago, the only entertainment was reading. If kids were hunched over a book, adults would know they weren't setting the house on fire or getting into fights. If you wanted to kill a few hours, or expand your mind a little, the only option was hitting the nearest library. While times have changed, attitudes haven't -- received wisdom dictates that the reading habit is good for us. While there are so many entertainment options, which engage all the senses and encourage a person to connect with people worldwide, the lonely man's need for a book is anachronistic. There's no place anymore for people who're lost in their own world. As for education and information, it's more efficient to trawl the Web than lift a 500-page tome. While the rest of the world is climbing the Everests of their chosen professions or feeding penguins in Antarctica, the reader slouches in his ratty couch, oblivious to love and conflict, the purple sky on a rainy day and the fireflies that light it up at night. Passive consumers, they bovinely chew on ideas that someone else is busy translating into reality. Despite their vast knowledge, these antiquated creatures are blind to the difference between serenading your Juliet from under the famous balcony in Verona, and reading about how Romeo did it many years ago. When you sit down to a book, you raise a wall around yourself. Every minute you spend reading, another brick is added to that wall, till it becomes so high, it's impossible to get over it. And as the world does one more turn on its axis, you turn the page of your cheap paperback, without even realising that life has just passed you by. How miserable it must be to sit down to read, when you haven't stood up to live?
Zombies. That's what readers are. They exist in this world but live in a fantasy world, surviving on what others create. Their contribution to society is negative, for while they consume precious resources, they create nothing. The roadside vagabond does more, yet they claim intellectual superiority over all. But if intelligence is the application of information, they're down there with those other shells of human existence, the TV-addicts, collecting data about everything, but not alive enough to ever apply that knowledge. That's probably why they are called bookworms -- a parasitical existence, far removed from the ecstasy and agony of the real world. Decades ago, the only entertainment was reading. If kids were hunched over a book, adults would know they weren't setting the house on fire or getting into fights. If you wanted to kill a few hours, or expand your mind a little, the only option was hitting the nearest library. While times have changed, attitudes haven't -- received wisdom dictates that the reading habit is good for us. While there are so many entertainment options, which engage all the senses and encourage a person to connect with people worldwide, the lonely man's need for a book is anachronistic. There's no place anymore for people who're lost in their own world. As for education and information, it's more efficient to trawl the Web than lift a 500-page tome. While the rest of the world is climbing the Everests of their chosen professions or feeding penguins in Antarctica, the reader slouches in his ratty couch, oblivious to love and conflict, the purple sky on a rainy day and the fireflies that light it up at night. Passive consumers, they bovinely chew on ideas that someone else is busy translating into reality. Despite their vast knowledge, these antiquated creatures are blind to the difference between serenading your Juliet from under the famous balcony in Verona, and reading about how Romeo did it many years ago. When you sit down to a book, you raise a wall around yourself. Every minute you spend reading, another brick is added to that wall, till it becomes so high, it's impossible to get over it. And as the world does one more turn on its axis, you turn the page of your cheap paperback, without even realising that life has just passed you by. How miserable it must be to sit down to read, when you haven't stood up to live?
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