Thursday, January 25, 2007

Chuggity Chug

The hills are mottled with fresh grass, the rains have made the countryside vibrant with lush greens, bright browns and demure yellows. For some reason the peaks of the hills remain barren, devoid of the green below, like someone rashly ran an oversized lawn-mower across them.

The mud is rich and fertile. We pass rivulets of clear water and buffaloes grazing in the multi-hued green landscape.

There are thatched huts and narrow tarred roads leading up to a level crossing where dark-skinned people wait patiently in lorrries and bicycles - the south has arrived.

Wednesday, December 13, 2006

Beaten Rhyme (or how I took a train ride in the land of death)

Picture print gnostic day
Prize gator all the way
Canter banter guess book
Overhead palatial nook
Insect feeder antic boy
Auto trotter water-toy
Globe globe purple ski
Double eagle friend what?
Yes, yes, no, no,
Okay, go!

Thursday, November 23, 2006

Excerpt from Conversations with an Alien

My computer's a bit fucked this morning - hungover and questioning the meaning of his existence; he's been through rough times lately; uneasy childhood. He uses acting out as a defence mechanism, he doesnt understand we're all in the same boat, just trying to find a reason to wake up and get working.

I need a cigarette.
I am enlightened.
I dont have any bread.
And I dont have any cigarettes.

What's the point of anything? When you don't have any bread see how you feel. Have you ever eaten peanut butter on fucking shredded wheat? Dont ever - you'll want to kill yourself.

Think kindly of this subterranean homesick alien for she lacks a web presence and I cannot link to her. She is on a facebook though.

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Tadah!

Yes, I have successfully created another blog which I hope I shall be able to update at frequent intervals.

Now hop along to These Indians are Crazy

Friday, November 17, 2006

Desert Verse

Scarab beetle run along
Through the desert sands
If the wind should blow you o'er
It won't slow you down
For you'll surely wriggle back

***

See the camel labour on
Through the desert sands
If this hardship he won't weather
Chewing ponderously
Then his hide will soon be leather

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Tuesday, October 24, 2006

Intercity Performance

“Surrender your ticket within 3 (three) hours of departure of last train in case you are unable to perform journey.”

Well, there was definitely not going to be any performance: missed the train by forty-five seconds. It was just pulling out of the platform as I reached, I thought perhaps I could make it, but there was more than a hundred metres to cover and it was picking up speed. And all because Bangalore City Station decides to use only four of the twelve ticket counters it has set up! I wish I had read the reverse of the ticket though, I didn’t know about the refund on the ticket. So I decided to take the bus from across the road: the Chennai State Express, not much of an express though, it stopped at every place possible and never went beyond fifty kmph.

The seat next to me was occupied by Anand Babu M: full name, or so he introduced himself while tapping his chest. I spoke to him in Tamil, but he refused to answer in Tamil, replying to my queries in English. And his English was worse than my Tamil.

I asked him what he did. He took out a folded piece of paper from his pocket, a letterhead for ‘V.S. Technical Works, Chennai – manufacturers of all types of bearings’

“So you’re an engineer then?” I asked.

He nodded. They were the largest manufacturers of ball bearings in India. They supplied the bearings for crankshafts, pulleys, cranes and a number of other such mechanical wonders.

A few minutes later he produced another card from his pocket. This was another job he did. This one was in Kohlapur, in the garment business. Apparently he was the manager of Royston garments, India’s largest garment manufacturer, even though I’ve never heard of them.

“What about V.S. Technical works?” I asked

“That is side job. When manager call I come.”

I wondered how he could be an engineer. Perhaps he was a salesman? I asked him.

“No, no. Technicals!”

“So, now what are you going to do in Chennai?”

“Boss call. Urgent. So I come.”

It seemed a fair explanation.

Later as I was reading (Paul Theroux’s The Great Railway Bazaar) Anand Babu M: full name tapped me and pointed out a huge manufacturing plant that we were passing. “Hyundai factory” he said, while rashly driving an imaginary car. “Very big. Two thousand kilometres.” I suspect he may have been exaggerating. It seemed to be a trend with him.

I fell asleep for a bit and awoke just after noon. We had reached a rather desolate town. The vegetation was brown and everything was dry despite it having just rained.

I asked Anand Babu M: full name if he knew where we were.

“Sriperumbudur” he remarked grimly. Not seeing any recognition in my eyes he continued to explain “Here, Rajiv Gandhi, finish!” This ominous statement he accompanied with a severing of the neck motion.

A little further on and the rain started to come down rather hard. Everyone closed their windows. The bus creaked along. My window didn’t shut completely; water leaked in. Anand Babu M: full name, showed a considerable amount of ingenuity and borrowed a biscuit wrapper from the couple in front of us and wedged it in the window. I smiled gratefully. I thought it was awfully kind of him.

As we neared Chennai I stared counting the milestones before falling asleep. I was woken up just outside the city. Anand Babu M: full name was getting down here. He bid me farewell (“Ok. Thank you.”) along with a little bow, his hand upon his heart. I waved goodbye.

Friday, August 18, 2006

Empyrean Epiphany

Shanti, shanti, shanti. From the branches overhanging lake where dragon-fly-by two-by-two, red, like fire red, and yellow, from reed to reed, over algae covered water and hyacinth float, home for frogs that croak, croak, croak, to be eaten by stork with white wing span white, and fly with ducks multi-hued, and egrets black, dive and surface, fish thrashing and squirrels chirp, chirp, chirp, frolic along the branches with ants, running along, gangly, carrying twigs and leaves.

Warmth in the middle of the monsoons, only last night a torrential downpour and now the world is green, green, green. Rain-water drops shimmer dew-like on the gossamer thread of a spider web between coconut trees, for miles and miles atop hills around the lake with blue sky back-drop like oil on canvas and cloud wisps like beedi smoke insanity.

Water lizards dart by. Ripple, ripple, ripple. Fish swim away in jerky, united, direction under water crocus and lily, while butterfly flit back and forth, black and red, and white and yellow, like lemons and leaves that have just begun to dry. Splash, splash, ripple, ripple. Ducks alight on the water's surface, preen, clean, screen.

Quiet pathways and red mud for cycles and red stone houses live shanti, shanti, shanti. There are no reasons for greed and destruction. Shanti, shanti, shanti.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Of Black Ghosts and Suchlike

For me dad's birthday, which was just recently passed, I bought him a pair of strange and awe-inspiring fish.

They're called Black Ghosts.



They're of Amazonian origin, and the South American Indians believe that the souls of their dead warriors reside in these fish. Now the fishies I purchased are only around 2 inches long, but apparently they can grow upto 20 inches in length. We'll need a new tank then. They're awesomely fluid fish, and can swim in all directions. It's fun watching them swim backwards and upside down and in circles after their tails. And they also play with each other, twirling around like olympic gymnasts.

Another cool fact about these fish. They belong to the same class as eels, and they're mildly electric. Not strong enough to shock a human, but they do zap the other fishies once in a while. This is most fun to watch!

They're also close to blind, with small shiny, white dots for eyes. They use their electric signals to navigate, and also for mating. This, of course, allows for a variety of jokes. Like how sparks fly, and how they indulge in some very shocking activities. I shall leave you to make more electrifying jokes!

Wednesday, June 28, 2006

Rapunzel DIY

Brick upon brick
She laid. Around her
The wall was built.
Slowly encircling;
Growing ever higher.

Soon the structure,
Much taller than her,
Bid no one in.
She did, however,
Build tiny peepholes, through

Which the world could
Enter. Narrow streams
Of light would seep
In. Her only ken
Of the outside they were.

Desert, forest
Lay all around her,
But the wall her
Perception was. The
Image she herself built.

One day an eagle fashioned an aerie at the top of the tower.

Thursday, June 08, 2006

A Moonlight Waltz

Pointedly he says "What are you thinking?"

"Oh, nothing," she replies, "just that I have no body to dance with.”

“Well, neither do I - so let’s just dance together.”

Shades of the evening pass over them, as they dance for an eternity. Accordions moan softly in the distance. The moon for the night has been perfectly chosen: full and resplendent as the sun that it mirrors.

A cat hackles. Bones rattle softly in the slightly cold breeze as they dance to the odd waltz. There are others, but they dance to themselves; no one looks.

The moon rises, the violins scream. They dance dreamlike, writhing feverish as the music reaches a violent crescendo. The music stops and the silence returns. They stand holding each other, breathing hard.

“Thank you, that was lovely.” She says.

“It was. Aren’t you glad you didn’t just sit there?”

She smiles. They silently depart back to their rest.

It was a wonderful little party at the cemetery.

Tuesday, May 09, 2006

James Dawson's Tale of Woe



Herhooters, sherooters,
Cumberly road.
I'm back from the war
And they've broken the door!

Tis rainy in spainy,
The wall is amoss.
A few coats of paint,
Is that too much to ask?

All musty and dusty,
The floor is unkempt.
The doorbell is missing
The place is exempt.

To spawn on the lawn
Is possible no more,
Cause someone built pavement
Where grass used to grow.

And so small is the wall,
A bother to no one.
Yet they have broke it,
Left no stone upon stone.

Herhooters, sherooters
Cumberly road.
I'm back from the war
And my house is no more.


In response to a 15 minute challenge on JPs blog. Gleefully awaits picturepostcardtissue.

Saturday, April 22, 2006

These Indians are Crazy!

What is it with people in this country? How can we be so stupid? How can we be a destination for technological outsourcing yet be so illogical?

Myopic politicians! Idiots who stifle the development and growth of infrastructure in this country because they don’t stand to gain immediate benefits from projects. Over here the opposition takes their title too literally, and joyously opposes anything the ruling party has to say; and the ruling party would do the same if the roles were reversed. Eons get wasted in political mudslinging and brainless banter and everyone trying to make a quick buck out of everything, and nothing happens in the end. Example: The Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project, proposed in 1985 and it still hasn’t been started.

“Government must act fast” – Dharam Singh. WHAT? Dharam bleedin Singh thinks the government has to act fast? Bitch, you were Chief Minister for two years and nothing happened in this state! Dharam Singh oughta go on a fast so that his mouth is not obscured by his quadruple chin!

Thats right, I think I'll smack myself for being an ugly cow!


And speaking of fasts, Narendra Modi goes on a 51 hour fast? You stupid son-of-a-cunt! Medha Patkar fasted for 17 days demanding that the government rehabilitate the people displaced by the Narmada Dam Project. And now this arse, who has done nothing but spoil the name of Hinduism, decides to do a fast fast for counter human rights purposes? Stupid Bumfuck!


Oh, Medha Patkar thinks she's cool cause she can fast for so many days? I'll fast for 51 hours, that's like one whole hour more than 50 hours!



Meddling neighbours! Take the damned logs out of your eyes, I tell you!
“The woes of the couple began when Mohammad had a quarrel with Nizama and went to drown his anger with local brew. He had no recollection of what he said, but the villagers insisted he uttered triple talaq and forced him to get a fatwa from a mufti. Two months later, the husband got a fatwa from a mufti saying a talaq in an inebriated condition would not amount to divorce. But the villagers were no convinced and chose another mufti, who gave a contrary talaq.” WTF!!! Mind your own god-damned business, pesky idiots! Get a life, fuckin fly paper humpers!

Shilpa Shetty taken to court over obscene photographs in a Tamil tabloid? Yes, I know she’s ugly and it’d be offensive to publish pictures of her scantily clad, but have you seen Tamil porn? Stupid bastards! If anyone has to be taken to court it should be the tabloid for lack of sensibility shouldn’t it? What is with us and our need to cover up sex? Everyone knows we have sex, we’ve got the second largest population in the fuckin world you bozos!!! It’s this horrible, fastidious attitude that causes a repressed society and an ever increasing number of sexual crimes!



It's not possible, I can't possibly be sexy!



Stupid news media! What is with the Times of India’s choice of front-page articles? What is with these metro supplements? What is with NDTV’s excessive love for the world of glamour? I know you’ll are prostrating before a gossip craving public but enough already! “Ash has fall during shoot, suffers bruises”. How in god’s name does that warrant front-page coverage? There are loads of people dying around the world you fuckin, incompetent nincompoops!



See, my clothes got all torn when I fell, you can almost see the bruise on my right nipple

My internet connection is screwing up! This after I’ve called ‘em thrice, and they’ve come and diddly-whacked with my modem! Get the damn thing working for crying out loud!

DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU ALL TO HELL!

BLEARGH!!

I just needed to rant! Thank you, good night!

Monday, April 17, 2006

Tribute to a Lost Soul

"No lunch?

"Why you no speak?

"Is some thing the matter?

"Ahhh, I know, its because I didn't call you last night isn't it?

"You don't skip lunch over such a trivial thing like that.

"Oh come now, don't be like so.

"I say, aren't you the stubborn one.

"Ehh thu, after waiting for 2 minutes and no reply I have come to realise that you have gone for lunch already and you have not turned your status to 'Away'. For this you will pay, you will be forced to write 350 test cases within a span of half an hour from scratch

"Then when you don't finish we will come and pick you up like a feather and throw you into the pulpit of the devil incarnate

"And then your tongue will burn, and you will thirst for the cooling effect of St. Finger's peter, but he will not help you, because you will have faced the wrath of the Lord almighty and you will have learned that the path of the rightheous man without doubt is to go for lunch and put your status as 'Away' while you are at it.

"Therefore in the name of the lager, the bun and the holy roast, may you be damned to spite vermin for the rest of your life and nothing more.

"Man! I'm good!"

http://jinwin83.blogspot.com

Sunday, March 19, 2006

Death of a Bibliophile

I have spent the days of the years of my life in constant erudition, with an insatiable yearning for a perfect enlightenment. I have pursued a menagerie of studies, in an effort to be a master of every piece of learning; I have studied divers subjects at colleges and libraries. Never have I paused in my quest; my intellectual strivings have been incessant, relentless. Over time I have accumulated a multitude of books, encyclopaedia, and magazines. I have scoured the country for the rarest literatures, a wide gamut of literary works and academic artifacts are contained within my personal library.

Today it has been decided for me to die. I look at the volumes beside my bedside. Aged like good wine, their pages have that comforting smell that such books acquire. I look at them lovingly. The many memories of time spent with them stream through my mind. My faithful friends they have been through the time I have spent on this earth.

I remember vicarious journeys through time and space, adventures in far off lands, meetings with people of varied class and culture. But it has not been fiction alone - teachings of great masters, philosophies of an era, tenets of a religion, and more have I imbibed from various tomes. My wisdom far surpasses my peers, there is none that I know who has read as much as I. I can preach ancient Judaistic mythology and Euclidian geometry, quantum physics and socialist philosophy, linguistics and animal psychology. Yes, I can say I know it all.

Yet, in these last few moments of my life, I feel a void, a sense of regret. I look as the attendants carry out their allotted tasks around my bed. I have read the works of the greatest minds, but I have not discovered what lies within these simple minds. I have read accounts of the most exotic places, but I have never visited. And even on occasion when I have toured, it has been purely in search of more texts to enhance my collection. As I look back at my travels, I realize I have never actually lived in places I have visited, I have never interacted with the people, nor have I practiced the arts or sciences. I have learnt but not employed.

What use is all this wisdom now? It does not save me from my ultimate demise. Soon I will be naught but dust, not unlike my illiterate ancestors. All my learnings will be in vain. My mind echoes the words of the wise King Solomon, yet even he enjoyed a more visceral set of pleasures than I. Now I doubt whether I have learnt all there is to learn. I think of all the knowledge that has never been penned, that has to be learnt by doing. I look back at my life, has it been wasted among ink and papers? Is even the peon wiser than I?

Today I die. Still there is a yearning desire to know, for there is much in heaven, and much that is hidden from the hearts of men.

Wednesday, March 08, 2006

It sucks to be an expert. Everyone wants to partake of your expertise.

Thursday, March 02, 2006

Psychedelic Spam Poetry

XP PRO, OFFICE 2003 AND ALL AT ONLY $12-60 EACH, WE GIVE U LICENSE force

Miserable the window?
Few arms yours am?
Whom is respect friends beautiful. light force beautiful beautiful.
Beautiful appearance slow studied.
Rich rich supposedto find, wrong anybody use purpose few.
Trying sugar teach he window reading.

From a spam mail. This spamster was on some serious substance.

Friday, February 24, 2006

A Lexicon of Things

Antagonistic concerto for string quartet
Cross section of honey jar drip
Banshee wail: sample 44
Bedsheet eye-piece cut out
Leapfrog exhibition display legend
Whiplash Incident papers (confidential)
Sudden crowd burst 8:42 pm
Spotted labrador earwax
Pfaff machine conundrumbulator switch
Sandal strap toehold (left piece)
Fish eye lens dust and scratches combo

Sunday, February 12, 2006

Copywriter on Acid

So, I'm driving to work today, and this bus in front of me has an advertisement, for geysers, I think, or it could be for houses, or perhaps for moths. This was the copy on the ad, you decide.

Apple of you eye
your dream home
eaten by moth like geyser

NO NEVER!