happy child runs day . . .

As a kid, being happy was important. Work was secondary.
I used to think about things. And talk to people.
I was ready to break a nose. But never a promise.
Loved to outwit the people I knew. Ignored the strangers.
The unknown, I was eager for. Sometimes, scared of the known.
I never understood the way world worked. But how happiness helped.
Observed my surroundings. And didn't care for the future.
I used to run. And then got hurt.

And I never thought that I did all this.

Now, it has all been reversed.

They say I am still a kid.
I am happy, because there cannot be a greater compliment.
I would be happier, if only it was not such a great complement.

If you ever meet your past again,

will the child run away?

Happy Children's Day to the photographs, the memories, and the dormant kid, who is waiting for you to forget it all.

Why my DAYS are GREEN?

For those of you, who are well-acquainted with the actual meaning of a “green” day, I would first stop to clarify that the heading is merely a wordplay used to represent my obsession with the band Green Day.
For those of you, who just Googled it, holla, I’ve answered one of your queries. I’ve taken the pains to mention a few other queries I face:
~Why Green Day?
~Why does Billie Joe wear make-up?
~Why is Billie Joe drunk as a pirate while performing?
~Don’t you think Linkin Park is better?
~Don’t you think RHCP is better?
~Why do all your blogs have so many questions?
~Do you have a pen?
~Did you brush your teeth?
Well, the blog is all about the first one. As to why Billie Joe wears make-up, swears like he was cursed to use curse words, and depends on booze for his performances, I’d only like to answer by saying, “One of the many things I’ve learnt from his songs is to pay heed to my own s#!t. It’s his life; he can live it the way he wants to. I’ll only enjoy his music, and agree with what he says only if it agrees with what I say.”
Moving on to the innumerable number of fights I’ve had over the past 4 years with friends, family and the now-I-am-not-talking-to-him-because-he-insulted-Green-Day-people, regarding which band is better: I love Green Day because I can relate to their music. The justification of this statement you would find if you don’t click that small cross in the right corner. I’m going to skip the rest; for the sake of this blog.

This blog is about Green Day, because:
1. American Idiot.
People with even the slightest idea about Green Day are familiar with this name. Why does this album get a separate point? Because it made me realize their power. American Idiot is not only an album, but a rock opera. The album kick starts with “American Idiot” as the introductory song. The song which made black jeans, black shirt and red tie a trademark. Our story starts with the story of our hero of the story with “Jesus of Suburbia”, desperate to move out into the city [In a land of make believe; That don't believe in me]. At first, he is overwhelmed by the glitter. And his life’s on “Holiday”. But soon his dreams are crumbled. He finds the “Boulevard of Broken Dreams”.
The music video of Boulevard begins where Holiday’s ended.
Cool, right?
I thought so.
As he progresses, he questions to himself “Are We the Waiting”? He finds “St. Jimmy”, a punk-guru, if you will, [I'm the patron saint of the denial; With an angel face and a taste for suicidal] he yells “Give Me Novacaine”. Enter, the female protagonist. “She’s a Rebel”. She’s an “Extraordinary Girl”. Hence. She doesn’t stay. She writes him a “Letterbomb”[ You're not the Jesus of Suburbia; The St. Jimmy is a figment of; Your father's rage and your mother's love; Made me the idiot America]. He slips away, saying a note “Wake Me Up When September Ends”. Why September? Because that’s the month in which Billie’s father died [Like my father's come to pass; Twenty years has gone so fast; Wake me up when September ends].  Jimmy dies, all is lost, he wants a “Homecoming” [In the streets of shame; Where you've lost your dreams in the rain; There's no signs of hope; The stems and seeds of the last of the dope]. And he ends it all. In the end he remembers her. “Whatsername” has been? [And in the darkest night; If my memory serves me right; I'll never turn back time; Forgetting you, but not the time] Peace.
2. Talent.
So one day Billie and Mike decided they are going to make a band. They made an album. Sold millions of copies worldwide. And everyone lived happily ever after.
L. O. L.
You need mind-blowing lyrics, a flawless voice to represent your band, talented musicians and a little sense of humour.

Lyrics:

[I heard it all before;
So don't knock down my door;
I'm a loser and a user, so I don't need no accuser,
To try and flag me down, because I know you're right] :When I Come Around

[Little girl, little girl, your life is calling; The charlatans and saints of your abandon.
Little one, little one, the sky is falling; Your lifeboat of deception is now sailing.
In the wake all the way no rhyme or reason;
Your bloodshot eyes will show your heart of treason.
Little girl, little girl, you dirty liar; You're just a junkie preaching to the choir] :Viva La Gloria

[So what ails you, is what impales you; I feel like I've been crucified to be satisfied] :Restless Heart Syndrome

[Did you try to live on your own?
When you burned down the house and home?
Did you stand too close to the fire?
Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone] :21 Guns

CHECK.

Voice:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PY8s7LoVbtc

CHECK.

Music:

Drums. Bass. Guitars- Electric & Acoustic. Piano. Harmonica.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijk32UWEkkQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KP6sDXmjwWk

CHECK.

Sense of Humour:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3H_zP_2dWk

CHECK.

Music Videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRE4zP826yA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=da0JwKT3GyM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sN0b-adUt9I

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU9JoFKlaZ0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eebfMFzJHNs

CHECK.

Crowd-stirring Live Performances:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6zZeHTMu-k

CHECK.

3. They have a Song for Every Mood.
Do they stick to one genre?
Hell, no!
Try “When It’s Time” and “Peacemaker”

Are you feeling:
Inspired? Listen to “Waiting”

Demotivated? Listen to “Time of Your Life”

Psychotic? Listen to “Basket Case”

Can’t sleep? “Brain Stew”

Just want to dance? “King for a Day”

Romantic?: “Last Night on Earth”

Lonely?: “Walking Alone”

What am I doing with my life? “21^st Century Breakdown”

Peace: “21 Guns”

A non-sense song which has a meaning you can’t understand: “Hitching a Ride”.

TIP: If you are listening to a Green Day song, first see its lyric video. Because I, of all people, know that the lyrics are hard to understand, and hence go unnoticed,  due to BJA’s singing style.

So here I end one of the longest articles I’ve ever written, with never-ending lyrics and tunes flowing out of my head, with gratitude towards all the Youtubers, and with the hope that you had enough bandwidth to see all the links! An ode to the best band in the whole wide world!

When you're at the end of the road; And you lost all sense of control; And your thoughts have taken their toll; When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul; Listen to Green Day!

The Falling Star

Looking up at the night sky, she saw a warm glow in the dark. She saw the glitter, she saw the shimmering droplets of hope. As a part of the vast galaxy, she contemplated over her tiny stand in a world so alien to her. Were they alone? Was she alone?
The stars, all seemed to be together in the sky.
But, were they? Or did they share her loneliness?
A twinkle caught her eye. Captured by it's wholeness, she sat intimidated. It engrossed her. It was the world then. A speck of the distant fire. She could live, feeding on this thought forever.
What if this flow is broken? What if my inspiration is lost?
The stream of light. The river of illumination. The droplet, raining down. And one on my cheek. But, now, I don't miss it. Because there will be several others. Some hanging high, some crumbling under gravity.

Written in Abstract Writing Round, Illuminati, TechnoSearch 2k13, MANIT.

Dear Beaver

Low lying, in the bush n' hedges,

She picks straws and twigs,

To rest 'fore another adventure,

For the cracking of her eggs.

The Nightingale sings

Her ballad for a long stay.

Yet, there he comes

Unwilling to change his way

Walks o'er her dreams

He analysis his spark.

That night she accepts chaos,

She suppresses to sing, opposes to work.

Two moon rises hence forth

She flies to find new grain.

Dear beaver,

Don't do it again.

The Purpose

Sitting on a wooden chair,
Into the abyss I stare.
A token, a task and a tear,
Was all that she left here.

For when I fumbled, when I crumbled,
She was there, keeping me humbled.
I wish her sight in dark, peace in strife,
Hope she finds a purpose in life.

50% THERE

After successfully completing 4 semesters in MANIT, I am now standing at this place where I can ask- what now?

Though, a question arises. What makes my 4 semesters ‘successful’?
Optimistically viewing, the lowest grade I’ve received is a C and I now have a 1000 people in my Facebook friend list. And 14 in Google+ circles. (I guess the Google+ number is a better justification.)

Another question pops up. When did the ‘journey’ actually begin?
The day I was standing in line to submit my form? Or when in my 3rd std I had decided NOT to be an engineer? Or the day I realized MANIT is going to be the answer to question “Which college? MANIT.”

Ah, synonym of COMPROMISE.
I do believe in luck, I do believe in fate. But if only I had not been so indecisive, luck would have favoured me. Fate would have been different.

But was it a mistake? No.
One thing I had learned was to make the best of what I had.

The 1st sem had pretty much been a phase of adjustment. To learn what to talk, where to talk and when not to talk. Getting used to the new schedule (after 2 months of doing absolutely nothing). Learning as many names as possible, and the next day “dude I can’t ask her name again, I asked it yesterday only”.

Till the 2nd sem started I had grasped ‘college life’. Marathons of ROFL-ing. Facebook, Nescafe and friends. No work load, not too much stress for studies (and future), only ‘bakar’. If I had to give a catch-phrase to that semester, it would be “Ignorance is Bliss”. Towards the end of the semester I had given the interview for IBC. Did I know how busy it was going to keep me the next semester? What! I crammed the full-form for its interview.

The holidays had been difficult. 3rd semester – the busiest of them all – joining new societies, events every week, rushing to college on weekends too, coming back late, coming home and still working on posters and ideas, it seemed there was no life outside of all this. Till the time the semester ended, I was exhausted. Not such exhausted that I slept for 12 hours every day (well actually I did, rather, do), but my brain had become ‘coagulated’. I knew I couldn’t do it for long.

The next semester I had to balance it all-studies, Editorial Board, IBC, and the small responsibilities of other societies. It wasn’t an easy job. A lot had to be avoided. A lot had to be put at the back of the brain. And in the end it paid off. I learnt a lot, a lot of just the necessary stuff, most important of all, I learnt to arrange my priorities.

If asked what I would like my next semester to be like, I possibly can not answer this question. I had never anticipated the 4 parts to go like they went.
I do wish to come out with regrets. Because they are the greatest teachers.
I do wish that it is full of surprises. Because they are never boring.

Every second is a choice. Am I scared to make that choice? Yeah! Am I scared to live with that choice?
No.
What does the other half of this 4-year (did you also read Fourier?) journey has in store for me? Well, we’ll see that tomorrow.

Blue

Drop the tensed eyebrows. Drop the curiosity.
How much falls on our senses and how much do we absorb?
Do you hear the rotating fan of your PC?
Do you see your reflection in the screen?
Do you sense the taste on your tongue?

Think. Observe.
Or is it just for the week after you see Sherlock Holmes?

Dive into your mind's deepest secret. Dig out the phantom.

Breathe. Dream.
Or is it just for the week after you see The Pursuit of Happiness?

Do not restrict your imagination. Do not corrupt your soul.

Inquire. Agitate.
Or is it just for the week after you see The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy?

Do not settle for 42. Create your own questions.

Big words?
Merely.
Redundant?
Highly.

Ponder over BLUE.
Is it so simple?
Turquoise? Navy Blue? Sky Blue? Cyan? Royal Blue? Teal? Indigo? Persian Blue?
Have we complicated things?
Pick your blue. Leave the blues.
Increase the brightness. Decrease the contrast. It will be years before the unicorns find you!

Gone With the Wind (book): Review

Scarlett O’ Hara is an ill-tempered, obstinate young girl, brought up in a well-to-do family, in the pre-American Civil War Georgia. She is adored by the men of her county, but loathed by the women folk as a consequence of her candor.
The script is wrapped up with realistic characters, such as the rogue Rhett Butler (who has a sweet corner for Scarlett), the benevolent Melanie Hamilton (who sees nothing but good in everyone) and the honorable Ashley Wilkes (whom Scarlett cherishes). The book revolves around the gradual changes in her spirit, as reactions to the sudden outbreak of hunger and poverty in a country which is yearning for peace. Margaret Mitchell had put forward the books in the following words:
I wrote about people who had gumption and people who didn't.

It is a story of discovery of love, of birth of strength, of the need of greed, the wits of a survivor and the weight of downfall. We follow Miss O’ Hara from difficulties to luxuries; from sheer disappointments to exquisite exhilaration; from her innocence to becoming a fretful adult.The people she meets, the landscapes she observes, the incidents she experiences and her resultant thoughts and emotions have been finely detailed, in such energy that the reader himself feels compelled to be physically shaken. It seems as if you were actually present in the country in crisis, in the troubled times and in the happy memories. It is a roller coaster ride, creating a phase of turmoil about values and relations, converting hate to respect.

Like any good work of writing, it is carefully entwined; small elements have been be referenced where they were not expected.

"I had every detail clear in my mind before I sat down to the typewriter.” -The author

The writer crashes surprises at the beginning and end of chapters, which blends thrills into the text. Every sentence is creatively written, either you can fast-read it to grasp the story or absorb each sentence for its deeper meaning.
 It is a blend of beautifully woven characters in a typhoon of circling emotions, with a tinge of humour, a classic, a very readable piece for every big and small novel lover.

Now that I’m done with the book and its review, what will I do with my life? “No, I won’t think about this now. I’ll think of it tomorrow. I can stand it then. After all, tomorrow is another day.”

Star Trek : Into Darkness *SPOILER ALERT*

If you are a regular visitor to blogger websites, before you go for a movie, you might find this review quite ‘informal’. First of all, I’d start with how excited I was when I first heard Cumberbatch (the dreamy British Sherlock Holmes) is in the new Star Trek movie. My excitement led me to 1^st day, 1^st show, 1^st person to enter the theatre. A total of 10 people in the hall couldn’t retreat my enthusiasm.

The movie kicked off we find the crew ship on some planet ‘deep into space’, on a mission, where they extinguish an active volcano and proudly display their ship in front of the inhabitants of a planet which had not even invented a wheel, which puts Kirk’s position in jeopardy. This had only been added to the movie to give the fans the feel that they are watching an episode of Star Trek- is what I think- and the attempt was not a disappointing one.

As we move along as we are introduced to the ‘dude’ of the hour- John Harrison. The Director takes full advantage of his knowledge of Cumberbatch’s fame. he leaves us to “ooh”, “ah”, “That’s Benedict’s voice!” creating an aura of mystery around him and about his ‘superpowers’ (which weren’t hard to guess).

With a lot of laser-sound effects, excessive lighting and explosions we follow John Harrison into the Klingon territory (the villain race from franchise), where he massacres an entire squad of Klingons single-handedly, in a brilliantly executed fight scene I might add, but surrenders to Kirk. 

There he testifies that he is Khan (WHAT!?) and his crew has locked up by the Federation, and, their motives aren’t sober. So Kirk (asking aid from Khan) declares war against the Starfleet Admiral and as events follow Khan overtakes his advanced star ship, being damaged by the itself-so-damaged Enterprise, crashes into the post modern age London. So after 2 hours of mass destruction and the nicely carried out 3D, we reach to
“Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before” 
and Khan is cryogenically frozen (there’s a chance of him returning).

(Though I revealed the whole story, there are tiny bits to be filled if you watch it)

Comparing it to it’s prequel and the original series, Star Trek: Into Darkness didn’t have a great plot but didn’t leave it’s predecessors behind when measured by the adrenaline level it induces into the audiences. There is no point comparing the movie to Wrath of Khan, or the famous ‘death scene’, as the story-line has been completely altered following the 2009 movie. Also I noted any Star Trek movie cannot be completed without Leonard Nimoy (a fairly labored metaphor would be the presence of Kajol in all the Karan Johar movies). Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine did a good job, but could not match the remarkable performance by Benedict Cumberbatch. 

On a personal note, I’ll go as far as to say that this has been the best release, since The Dark Knight Rises, and also the most debatable. If you open any of the reviews of this movie, the comments section is swarming with people fighting over the credentials of the movie, whether it was up to the Star Trek mark or just a slur on J.J. Abrams. So I would just conclude it as Trekkie or not, it is ATLEAST a one-time-watch, you won’t get bored.

The Key to Happiness is Needed When it is Locked

If I ask a question. "Are you happy right now?"

What would be your reaction? Many of you won't even stop to think. You'd be in a hurry to know what I have to say. Many might have stopped. And THOUGHT, putting pressure on your brains, and ending up being confused.

AM I HAPPY RIGHT NOW?

You might think the question is ambiguous. Are you happy, generally; or, should you think about a particular event that made you happy; should you be happy because you accomplished something; or are you happy because of a gift you got? Or are you just plain happy because you are listening to your favourite band?

Happiness can’t be defined. If you define it, you restrict it. It is dynamic. It can be found in things big and small, it can be found in failures. Is being happy at the time of a failure being shameless? No, if you tried your best. Be grateful about what you learned. Be optimistic about your future. And never stop doing. Doing anything! Learning something new. Even if it is learning how to replace buttons on your shirt. Do not learn to add in your CVs. Learn, because you had nothing else to do. Do not rely on money for happiness, but do not say ‘I want to be happy, I don’t need money’. I have never seen a person who is sad because he is able to buy all the things he needs, or has the freedom to experiment or visit new places.  

Nothing is perfect. Nobody is flawless. But everything has a balance. And happiness lies in a place where you have the freedom to imagine. You know you are happy when you can stay still; when you don’t need to yell at someone; when you can sit quietly; when you can smile for no reason; when you can resist from being what you don’t need to be; where you can diffrentiate between right and wrong.

Sometimes, it's okay to be not okay.

I won’t say plan EVERYTHING, but always stop to think when something wrong is being done, and when something life changing is happening.

I won’t say never keep a secret, but share with the ones you trust.

I won’t say leave everything up to ‘luck’, but you can’t control everything.

I won't say don't compete, just don't compare the results.

I won't say never be jealous of other people's success, but always congratulate and appreciate them.

I won't say don't be happy because of getting likes on your Facebook posts, but don't make it your sole purpose in life.

I won’t say don’t aim for a good placement or promotion, but never forget to live because of it.

I won't say never get angry, or never expect anything from others, but when something goes wrong, try to see things from the other person's point of view.

I won't say don't dress the best you can, but don't waste an hour daily trying to look like someone else.

Now, I ask again. "Are you happy right now?"

I can't answer this question, only write a blog about it. Because I know it cannot be fitted into one word.

forlorn

Another blog, with the same question in mind. What am I doing here?

"Have you made it large?" _Those are just words, aren't they? 

"He did it, why couldn't you" _These are just words. Are they?

When was the last time I sat down with a mug of hot chocolate, thinking to myself?
I don't remember.
When was the last time I sat down with the laptop trying to concentrate on some important work, but ended up wasting time on the internet?
I'm doing it right now.
When was the last time I sat down with my mom to discuss a new recipe?
I don't remember.
When was the last time I wrote whatever was coming into my mind where some strangers could read it?
I'm doing it right now.
When was the last time I painted, just for fun?
I don't remember.
When was the last time I was banging my head trying to design something, only because my career field needs it?
I'm doing it right now.

And, I am still a student! I wonder what the years have in store for me.
Was it worth it? Or should I just run off to a secluded place where only I can hear myself?

I can't run. I shouldn't run. I won't run.

I will question myself, fight with myself, answer myself.

I may fall, but I will learn. I may doubt, but I will concur. 

And no matter how much I try to run away, life will come after me. So maybe I'll greet it with open arms.

And at the end of the day, I will find the reason.

Those are just words.