The Turning Brain

"How many of you have seen a train ? Not in TV or newspaper, but in real." Well, many of you would be wondering what a stupid question that it is to ask in a country which boast of having the world's 2nd largest railroad network. This question was asked by my Hindi teacher years ago when I was in a primary class. He was just trying to explain the importance of railway in the economy of our country. And there were not many hands up in a class of some 40 students.

If you throw the very same question today, you would still find almost the same number of hands. The truth is that still there is no rail connectivity to Imphal. Every time the Rail Budget is announced, it gives hope which diminishes with the passing time. Proposals and plans are made, but hardly without any execution. Agree that the geographical structure does not allow an easy development but then how long the people of this state has to wait for that sound of a running train.

Manipur is a state with a population of only 2 million. Though, insurgency is the main factor which hinders any progress, but with a well connected rail and road network, many problems in the state can be solved. Emergence of small scale industries is a possibility which might create employments and who knows, it would just become a trend. Success and good work is infectious.
Though, it sounds like a fairy tale and a nice dream, but we need to do something to restore peace in the state. And its the Government who has to provide the initiative. No country can progress by leaving any state behind.

PS:-
The post was not intended to be preachy. And on a laughing note, from the Movie Zombieland:-

Little Rock: Who's Bill Murray?
Tallahassee: ...I've never hit a kid before... I mean, that's like asking who Gandhi is.
Little Rock: Who's Gandhi?

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Memories cannot be erased .When we want to forget, we over-write it and when we want to remember we re-write it.

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When you see your future in flesh and blood, you can't help but laugh. Many a times we see it but just ignored. Some years down the line, you would be doing the same thing that your "Boss" is doing now. Isn't this ironic? You would be doing something you don't always appreciate.But you can always prefer to do it your own way. BTW, I remember this beautiful quote, I wrote to someone wishing for good luck years ago. "Successful people don't do different things, they do things differently".

And you don't have to understand the language to appreciate good music. That's how I felt listening to this song "Pherari mon" from Antaheen.

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The Catcher in the Rye

JD Salinger would have never liked the homage being paid to him after his death [link]. He would have simply called everyone a "Phony" in his own way. "The Catcher in the Rye", happened to be the first novel that I ever read and thus got acquainted to Holden Caulfield since then.

To the Holden Caulfield in each one of us.
Too Much Joy, from the album "Cereal Killers"

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Amidst ruins, miseries and cries, "miracles" like this[link] can only bring a vision of hope to this saddened country. Not always the human spirit is being challenged like this.

No Pakistani player being picked for this year's IPL ? If I remember, they are reigning champ of the Pyjama[Twenty20] Cricket. Not very fairly treated I would say. Cricket should have left alone. Ugly things do happen which could have been easily avoided.

PS:
You have to say "no" sometimes just because saying a "yes" every time becomes a weak trait. People tend to take you for granted and end up doing things without credit.

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Of the city that I knew so much

Picked the following books from the Landmark yesterday :-
2 States - Chetan Bhagat,Twilight - Stephenie Meyer and Pirates Latitudes - Michael Crichton.

Being a holiday, with nothing much to do, decided to finish the first one at a go. After reading "2 States", felt like the books sounds much nearer than I thought of. May be the reason being that a part of the book talks a lot about the life of an outsider trying to adjust himself to Chennai. Also it talks a lot about the language, the people, the auto-rickshaw drivers, what the Tamilians think of an outsider, their rich culture, their conservative nature, their thirst for knowledge. And I reckon, it has happened to me, isn't it? Moreover, it talks about the places I knew. The names of the restaurants, the Marina beach,Nungambakkam,Anna Salai, Mylapore etc.

All through these years I have been through all these. Now, I felt like I am part of this city.

PS:-
The mention of two things in the book made me nostalgic:-
1) about NITs catching up fast with the IITs (though sarcastically). Suddenly I recalled all those college friends.
2) The Sangeetha Residency, Mylapore. Yes, it was the very same place my company had arranged for my accommodation when I came to Chennai for the very first time. And that was 3 and a half years back.

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Of Avatar

Woke up early just to find myself in the very same place, the same room. Watching "Avatar" had such an impact that I was hoping to wake up in Pandora. It was some experience. Its not only the 3D artistry but also the content of the movie that moves you. Avatar is not like the "Matrix" which you need to watch again and again just to understand it (no red, blue pills here:)).Also, its not like the "LOTR" and the "Harry Potter" series with a lot of sub-plots and characters. Go and get a ticket !
There were good liners in the movie and if I were to pick one, that would be this. Jake says just before he tames the Toruk.
"Sometimes your whole life boils down to one insane move. The way I had it figured, Toruk is the baddest cat in the sky. Nothing attacks him. So why would he ever look up? But that was just a theory"

PS:-
Beauty is transient. Time and age brings everything to the same level. And yes,I just realised this seeing this girl of my school days after a gap of 10 years.

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