I don’t understand the reason why I’m suddenly fascinated with everything Russian. Series of events, one after the other in a short span lead to this situation. I think KGB is up to something.
It all started when I first read the works of Ayn Rand, a Russian girl who escaped from the strong fisted arrival of the communists and found solace in capitalist USA. Her works in objectivism and individualism are scathing attacks on communist thinking. The Fountainhead (1943) and Atlas Shrugged (1957) are masterpieces. What I liked more was her lighter work – We the Living (1936) which was a fiction close to her own story. It described the destruction of Russian society just before and post Red revolution.
Next I saw this video tape made by my friend on his (official) visit to Russia. Apparently India and Russia are (still) cooperating on a number of new technology research and development. Of course, since the Soviets collapsed, they can no longer afford to maintain their arsenals of weapons, so I guess they are sugar coating them and selling them off to (poor) countries like India (who are more than willing to buy. Yuck! What a sloppy defense policy we have, more about it later.).
Third, I came across this friend who ate Red, spoke Red and shit Red. He tried to brainwash me and convert me into a Communist. Unfortunately he was ill prepared. I was already a Socialist, and so it was me who ended up in brainwashing him later. Hah!
Fourth, I went to a book sale, and they were selling the (I should say this in bold) whole set of works of Leo Tolstoy (end bold) for dirt cheap price of Rs. 100. My eyes sparkled, and I also picked up Maxim Gorky. (No it wasn’t a combined offer). The books were too heavy, but I am still burning the midnight oil to finish them.
Fifth and this is the biggest reason to blame for – Russians themselves! I know my interest in girls is seasonal and viola! its Russia time now. I don’t remember what I watched – it could be American porn or maybe something on movie or TV. Russians are so rosy rosy, and their names sound so sexy.
Yeah this should go separately – for a long time I thought that Russian language contains only V, K, N, R, Y, Z. I like Indian names with those sounds, so do I like Russian names too – people, places, whatever. Their accent turns me on. There was this guy, who was in college for exchange, I didn’t know if he was a male or a female, because he was very girlish. He spoke funny but really I felt like kissing him. (Nah I’m just exaggerating, come on, don’t judge me. I am very comfortable with my sexuality)
Honestly, but I still wonder – what makes people live in freezing and inhospitable places like Siberia. Phew!
Blishh..
Caught between a sequence of events that seem hell bent upon culminating into the biggest ethical dilemma faced in my 24 year young life, I pray to my buddy, (known to others as ‘God’), “Oh Lord!, please pull me out of this, and I swear I’ll never ever wander close to it” (In fact I pledge to stay astronomical distances away). “Ah, double standards”, yells my mind back as I sway into the conventional mindset – remembering the Almighty when required and then being content keeping him away in his physical medium on grandma’s prayer desk when the work is done. How mean! Yea I know!.
Few lines I read from a website come to the rescue:
… the eternal and unchangeable soul which is inherently free from delusion, ignorance, impotence and sorrow. So explains the preceptor: “Control yourself – your thoughts, speech and body – and you shall effectively control the world. Drop the mental baggage you have been carrying around; drop the external self-identifications, attachments and desires; stop adding to your perception of the adversity in this world! Nothing can harm you, the eternal soul. Nothing outside of you, the soul, gives you happiness or takes it away. All joy and sorrow comes from you, from your deluded perceptions and worldly expectations, and not from that which is not you.”
…und so weiter (why do I even bother to read this crap stuff?).
Yah, if only that was a little easier to do, I’d be sporting a warm yellow halo behind my head like the Gods and wise men depicted in the mythological shows on TV.
For the past two weeks I’m either sitting with Aakruti (name of my computer) typing away those goddamn b-school essays in double spaced twelve point times font face while listening to my play list priy.sha.vad.one (arranged as: Priyank > Hindustani Shastriya > Vaadya Sangeet > Play list 1) or talking on the phone with B or R. Mom is frustrated worrying about two things (well three actually), one – my headphones blasting away my eardrums and two – excessive electromagnetic (or whatever) waves entering my feeble brain from my cell phone. (I suspect she is also suspicious about something 
)
I know, I need to go out into the open for more than just plucking flowers for Grandma’s morning puja.
Aargh…! Screw it. I feel like going to the moon with my laptop. Going away (don’t you dare say ‘escaping’) from this physical world to seek solace (?) in the unfathomable depths of the unexplored universe. Armed with a ‘Do not disturb’ sign.
Received this in my inbox today:
inches of rain in new orleans due to hurricane katrina… 18
inches of rain in Mumbai (July 27th)…. 37.1population of new orleans… 484,674
population of mumbai…. 12,622,500deaths in new orleans within 48 hours of katrina…100
deaths in mumbai within 48hours of rain.. 37.number of people to be evacuated in new orleans… entire city
number of people evacuated in mumbai…10,000Cases of shooting and violence in new orleans…Countless
Cases of shooting and violence in mumbai.. NONETime taken for US army to reach new orleans… 48 hours
Time taken for Indian army and navy to reach mumbai…12 hoursstatus 48 hours later…new orleans is still waiting for relief, army and electricity
status 48 hours later…mumbai is back on its feet and is business is as usualUSA…world’s most developed nation
India…third world country..oopss…did i get the last fact wrong???
The basis of comparison is flawed. Hurricanes and Cloud Bursts do not compare.
Spirit of Mumbai is amazing though. No wonder.
Woke up today morning at 4am. It had just stopped raining and the earth was emitting the peculiar fragrance. Imagine the tiny drops of rain coming down from the dark clouds, only to be absorbed eagerly by the dry soil devoid of any moisture for months.
Its the arrival of the rainy season, and “I’m loving it!”
What else does it mean? hmm…
- I have to go to station by AutoRik otherwise my clothes will be sprayed with muddy water splashed by passing vehicles
- I will have to wear gumboots and keep the formal shoes confined to office area
- I’ll have to carry a raincoat, then hang it properly making sure it gets dried, otherwise it stinks
- Go to the station everyday, and pray that the trains arrive on time
- Get into the crowded trains (which are usually overcrowded during rains, no idea why) and pray that they reach destination on time
… and many more things !
And at the same time,..
- Trek to Sahyadri, in the heart of nature almost every weekend
- Photography, I’m already excited.
- Sun covered by clouds and a pleasant climate overall
So in short, I love the rainy season.
bolo Varun dev ki.. jai!
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