Good morning 01082011

Hey everyone, I missed a few good mornings! One of the reason being my internet balance ran out. Well, you know yours truly have been doing a few downloads and you can take a guess!!!

For the past few days BJP is busy saving its face and Yeddy his ass. I have learnt to sympathize with Indian polity. A government who is busy corrupting themselves and the system. Just when we think there are going to be fireworks with the ammunition gathered by poor journalists against the government, the opposition will shoot itself in the foot. Thankfully we are a race with never ending patience. Just as Dravid goes on batting, we are ready to wait for centuries for some change.

And no matter how mammoth and modern the technology becomes, there are simple techniques to avoid detecting the edges. Apply Vaseline over the bat. Thank you Vaughan for spreading the secret.

Talking about technology, we are seeing huge changes in China. This time it’s not another invention. An anchor spoke publicly over the TV, ‘Grow slow China or else you will leave the souls of people behind’. I hope an impending revolution wouldn’t see a western stooge in it’s place. China being a huge country the unrest can cause turbulence down here too.

Last of all guys, Months ago I watched a movie attracted by its name- Bedazzled.

I have never seen a worse movie with Fraser in his typical self of overacting and Hurley doing her underacting. She was the Satan in the movie- but this time Satan was too sexy and skimply clad to ignore and Satan was busy trying to teach Fraser all about Love.

Sounds weird, right! Well I read a weirder review yesterday eulogizing the philosophy of the crap.

Two men One objective Two reasons

The period called ‘after-office-hours’ is a time for us to rewind and share a laugh with the colleagues. All except the officers would have rushed back home. A stray customer would come in who is promptly and politely shooed off.

One day a guy came in carrying a back pack. He was dressed in formal wear, but not expensive. He came in and asked for the Stressed Assets Recovery cell, which was a floor above (Stressed assets stands for loan defaulters). We presumed his family would have taken some bad debts and this guy would be running from pillar to post to save them.

Some time later he returned back. He had a visible speech defect. I offered him a seat which he refused. He wanted to know if the bank would help him in getting a loan for a textile unit. After shifting to this place I got a chance to come across many aspirants who wanted some kind of loan or the other. Some were genuine and a few were absolutely rogues. All had the impression that ‘the nation’s largest lender’ dished out money for free. This boy seemed very young and absolutely determined. But the speech was causing a problem for us to make out. I offered him a pen and paper, which were refused too.

With very great difficulty he managed to say about his project. But he didn’t have a clear project plan or land. The manager was absolutely stunned that he didn’t have a partner too. He proposed to run this unit alone. I knew from the first second that he would be refused. A publicly listed company would be in jitters about its bad assets every quarter. This has a great chance for turning sour.

The manager tried to convince him that he should route it through the government to get some subsidy.

‘Try to rope in a partner. We don’t think you can make it alone’

With great difficulty he managed to blurt ‘Why not?’

Later the manager told me, ‘Being sincere doesn’t mean you are capable

Then came in another guy in a swanky car that made a lot of noise. He had a expensive watch on the wrist. He wanted to start out a catering services with 15 focal points all over the city. An absolutely stunning idea considering the fact that Kochi is a city of food lovers.

He had all chance to get the loan sanctioned when he fished out the report from his laptop bag.

The first jolt came in when he learnt that only 2/3^rd of the money would be sanctioned by the bank. And no chance for advertising expenses. The guys started blurting out different versions of the proposed project.

In the end it was something like a real estate deal had gone sour and he wanted to pay his debtors!

Good Mornings 27072011

Yesterday I enjoyed, what was for the first time in my life, a bachelor's dinner. Three of my friends invited me over for dinner provided I share with them my induction cooker. Induction cooker is not a heavy weight so I carried it along. I was only hoping for a minimal dinner of gruel and pickle. I was stunned on seeing a variety of dishes.

I was ashamed that I had not even taken the baby steps at cooking. I loitered around fetching them the plates and doing the cleaning. But it was a wonderful and satisfying experience- when you eat the bread out of your own labour.

There is a tea shop just outside our apartments. I there the mornings for the morning cup of tea to set my bowels moving. A newspaper boy comes around in the morning and throws the daily into the shop. A couple of old men hustle and bustle for the newspaper and at exact 7 am they walk out with the newspaper to the bus stop and do rest of the reading there. I kept wondering why these guys don't finish reading it in the shop itself.

I got the answer from a friend. At seven the school bus comes to pick the kids up. That's when young beautiful looking mothers escort the kids to the bus!!!

Pointless Posts

Guys, I understand I have been posting undecipherable posts lately.

No I am not slipping out of my mind and I have not been drinking too. I saw my life and environment change so drastically. I am coming into terms with new realities.

We all do stupid and silly things, which makes sense to no one else. We never bother to think it over, fearing the 'pointlessness'. That's what I have been doing. Writing out the pointlessness of life.

For example, I came across a bunch of guys. They earn very well, but still they live very much frugally, eating the most basic food. They put their blood and sweat and skipped meals on share markets and stocks. I fail to find any point in what they've been doing? What if the whole thing comes crashing down. What if the whole things goes up but still they end up paying heavy medical bills?

Kindly bear with my deranged mind

Good Mornings 26072011

Yesterday night I had a chance to chat up with two different girls.

One is the lovely baby face . A gorgeous babe, I have no doubt she would have fans all over, of which I am one too. But the killer looks mask her brilliance in academics!! It would be rare to see a beauty with brains.

And the second one was petite silent one back from college days. She joined the Air Force and I saw her online after a long time. God!! I made fun of the Air Force and there she was literally eating me up. I can't understand why an impression is nurtured that the people who are not in the forces are lazy and good-only-with -the-mouth, while those in the forces risk their lives day in day out. I just can't digest the attittude of these people. You suck bitch. You and your whole system.

I wrote about a girl dumped by a best friend of mine- it was long ago. I just found out yesterday, the poor thing got married. Don't know hoe good are the either of them in forgetting.

Elixir

Yesterday was a deja vu day for us.

We a couple of friends met together at college and got close soon. I joined the gang towards the end of the tenure. Soon after the college we separated ways and joined different places. We had high hopes in mind, only to be shattered soon.

After many months, we joined back at square one. We ended up meeting most evenings and didn't get bored talking of the same things over and over again.

And soon one by one relocated out of the place. The gang went on shrinking. Yesterday we had a party which sounded like a farewell until we meet again. Suddenly I feel I have lost my youth and feeling bloody lonely.

Thankfully I successfully flirted with a perfect stranger today morning while on the train. A sign that all the youth is not lost yet.

WEEK for the weak

The road side stall didn't have much of a choice to pick from. I went for the better looking magazine 'THE WEEK'

Now WEEK is owned by one of the biggest media tycoons in India- Manorama Group. Based in Kerala they have spread their tentacles all over India. The media group as such has passed on the reins to younger generation of the family and they have diversified from print media to different other versions and businesses.

The Manorama family is Indian version of Murdoch, using sensationalism and masala to tickle the insensiblities of Indian people. Prior to gaining a pan national image, they played the communal card very well. It became a matter of pride for a true Christian to read Manorama. Christians being the most influential people in Kerala, they had no problems spreading out.

The matter that pains me is the extent to which these people discard the basic ethics of media to influence people's minds for vested political and corporate interests.

WEEK sounded the feel-good- publication for the government. They had good words for Rahul Gandhi. They praised the works of erstwhile royal Digvijay and his son! They even had good words for the way government dealt on terrorism.

Thankfully the left and the BJP is out of power in most of the places. WEEK has no scope to write any bitter write ups in coming few years

Good Morning 23072011

So i am off home for the weekend. The washerwoman, aka MOM, will be waiting eagerly for my dirty laundry.

The morning newspapers had the shock and awe nature to them. It seems after the Global war on terror, only US has escaped from any terror strikes, The relatively peaceful country Canada became next in the lists.

Down here in Kerala, the thrones of two evergreen stars were rocked by IT sleuths. For decades they have been corruption on screen. Dumb people worshipped them even when it was obvious their hands were not clean. The IT raids and subsequent recovery of unaccounted wealth proved their guilt.

Electricity bills are again on the run. I believe natural resources are only for limited use. WHen we waste them we rob someone's rightly inheritance. Rationing- even though it's a horrific term, can be the only solution

Mutually cheating

Last day I was having an evening chat with my new manager. He showed me a piece of paper listing the targets. I was stunned to see the higher ups listing a huge target for the on performing mutual funds.

Even the hardcore campaigners wouldn’t invest in our bank’s MFs. I personally had a great loss. And we have to push it through to the unsuspecting common man, promising a highhhhh benefit.

I have known cases when an ordinary peon was ‘canvassed’ to put his life savings into MFs. The poor man was convinced that at the time of his daughter’s he would be a richer man. The poor man saw his savings halved.

I feel the our workplaces are a triangle. The ones at the base do all kinds of dirty jobs to put a square meal at the table so the ones at the top can have better conditions of living.

Good Mornings 22072011

This week I was into a lot of movie watching, due to which the readings suffered.

I finished up Mr. and Mrs. Smith & Untouchables. The first one being worse than a Bollywood Masala.

The morning news saw an interesting article where Kathakali is being adopted to show Eucharist. Kathakali in itself is a sublime and complex art form. But it has been mostly used to depict Hindu stories. This could be a major step in bridging a cultural divide.

Art is meant for all

Into Kitchen

I have taken up something I dreamt for years- cooking. Being a person who has never been into kitchen except to do the dishes the past few days have been a challenge.

The only fear is if I am in the process of inventing some food that can have the potency to kill.

The last day I had to throw away the milk shake I did. It tasted horrible and the kitchen hasn't lost the smell yet.
The first day I did the egg scramble, it turned out to be undercooked. Today for no reason the steel kadai turned blue and threw up sparks. I ate the food inspite of fear, because I can't decipher the reason behind it turning blue.

And any of you who are willing to help with simple recipes or any site related to it, please do chip in.

Well the moral of the night: Tough part of cooking is cleaning.

S***** Exhibition

Now for some masala news.

Two guys were arrested yesterday- both for nude exhibition. And that too in India!

One guy decided to showcase his wares to a school kid and the other in front of a ladies’ hostel.

The Indian men are growing less and less confident on their sexuality. The most advertised products today are the boosters, muscle builders and ofcourse the penis enlargers!

One reason could be the overuse of porn films as a material for sexual education. Sadly we fail to see the making behind a porn movie. A one hour movie is shot in a span of days and they use steroid sprays to maintain erection for hours! Well the star with long enhancements wont be able to use his blessing except for in a movie.

Hope I spiced up your day.

This time for Africa

The last week Sarkozy came up with some statement which resembled something, ‘NATO is not going to tolerate suppression of African people’s right to freedom’

The statement sounds so divine. In reality it’s a license to download the surplus missiles. They bomb a puppet ruler into power, who is thrown out in a matter of months and another war starts. The world war colonial mindsets haven’t been forgotten and these guys are still so desperately trying to civilize the blacks.

I remember hearing Geldoff speaking the senselessness in trying to infuse the Western Capitalist form of governance in a country where the resources are very few. You like it or not, some sort of tribal rule would be needed to divide these resources unequally, atleast.