300...

Dilios: "Remember us." As simple an order as a king can give. "Remember why we died." For he did not wish tribute, nor song, nor monuments nor poems of war and valor. His wish was simple. "Remember us," he said to me. That was his hope, should any free soul come across that place, in all the countless centuries yet to be. May all our voices whisper to you from the ageless stones, "Go tell the Spartans, passerby, that here by Spartan law, we lie." - From '300'.

People I ‘love’…

I greatly ‘admire’ people who are incredibly pigheaded and stupid, tremendously insecure, highly incompetent and easily provoked. People who have a dastardly, pessimistic attitude and announce their problems to the whole world over Facebook or Gtalk or email or whatever, because they do not have the guts to stand up and talk. :p There are quite a few of you out there. Thank you so much… you bring out the very best in me. :-D

California Dreamin...

All the leaves are brown,
All the leaves are brown.
And the sky is grey,
And the sky is grey.
I've been for a walk,
I've been for a walk.
On a winter's day,
On a winter's day.
I'd be safe and warm,
I'd be safe and warm...
If I was in LA
If I was in LA.
California dreamin...
California dreamin...
On such a winter's day

Stopped into a church
I passed along the way.
Well, I got down on my knees,
Got down on my knees.
And I pretend to pray,
I pretend to pray.
You know the preacher likes the cold,
Preacher likes the cold.
He knows I'm gonna stay,
Knows I'm gonna stay.
California dreamin...
California dreamin...
On such a winter's day.

All the leaves are brown,
All the leaves are brown.
And the sky is grey,
And the sky is grey.
I've been for a walk,
I've been for a walk.
On a winter's day,
On a winters day.
If I didn't tell her,
If I didnt tell her.
I could leave today,
I could leave today.
California dreamin...
California dreamin...

Apolitical Intellectuals ~ Comrade Otto Rene Castillo

One day
the apolitical
intellectuals
of my country
will be interrogated
by the simplest
of our people.

They will be asked
what they did
when their nation died out
slowly,
like a sweet fire
small and alone.

No one will ask them
about their dress,
their long siestas
after lunch,
no one will want to know
about their sterile combats
with "the idea
of the nothing"
no one will care about
their higher financial learning.

They won't be questioned
on Greek mythology,
or regarding their self-disgust
when someone within them
begins to die
the coward's death.

They'll be asked nothing
about their absurd
justifications,
born in the shadow
of the total lie.

On that day
the simple men will come.

Those who had no place
in the books and poems
of the apolitical intellectuals,
but daily delivered
their bread and milk,
their tortillas and eggs,
those who drove their cars,
who cared for their dogs and gardens
and worked for them,
and they'll ask:

"What did you do when the poor
suffered, when tenderness
and life
burned out of them?"

Apolitical intellectuals
of my sweet country,
you will not be able to answer.

A vulture of silence
will eat your gut.

Your own misery
will pick at your soul.
And you will be mute in your shame.

Viduthalai...

Hello there. It’s been a while since I posted anything. Hmm… The past few months have been very liberating. For most of 2008, I had been living a rather stressed out life… surrounded by people who had an almost toxic effect on me… weighed down and suffocated by their expectations, scrutiny and even ‘diktats’ (Ha!)… Being provoked… losing my cool, making rash, harsh remarks (at times, without adequate reason) and generally, unable to do justice to myself and calmly comprehend and prioritise the things that happened and those that really matter. A lot of my time was wasted. Like Batman tells Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight, “He (The Joker) wanted to prove that even someone as good as me could fall.” Nobody intentionally played The Joker in my case, but fall I did. When you’re pushed to the brink, driven to your wits’ end, not given an inch, confronted by pitiless attitude, it’s very hard not to go down. If I had gone on that way for a moment longer, unable to break my fall, unable to break free, get rid of the shackles, the rest of my life would have been a living hell. I’m thankful to the Almighty for showing me the way in the nick of time and saving me from what certainly would have been the gravest mistake I could have made. Whew!

PS: Dear God, perhaps you could have guided me in this regard a little earlier. : D

2009...

Okay, so I am among the lucky ones who actually survived 2008 without much ado. Still, it was a forgettable year for several reasons, so good riddance. Not that there are many things to look forward to this year, but at least it may just present a clearer picture of where we are headed. Of course, with the economic slowdown, it’s best not to expect too much on the career front — lying low and working hard is obviously the safest option. Acquiring new skills and getting that postgraduate degree might help. In fact, there is no better time than now. So, folks, count your blessings. Be patient. Be good. Hang in there. And keep the faith.

Happy 2009...

Happy New Year to all. Cheers. : )