Cricket

There is no other game i have played more.Played right through school, in Junior College, College. Cricket is a huge sport for this part of the world and especially in India its considered to be more than a sport.

Continuing from this post about Football , will try to explain in this post why Cricket is like an religion to me and like a metaphor of life although i understood its significance just recently. For those who are not familiar with the game click here.

Batting :

Consider that you(your higher self) are batting with (gloves) knowledge, (bat) truth,(pads)belief on the pitch of life. More the knowledge better the grip but that doesnt ensure a good score/innings. Different opponents(bowlers) like greed, selfishness,lust, anger,etc. bowl different balls(situations) toward us everyday.Knowledge and belief will help your higher self along with truth to tackle these obstacles easily.We can let go of some deliveries by using(detachment) but not all.When on the pitch you are alone facing the deliveries.Different partners are encountered at various stages of the innings but you have to face the deliveries and at some stages getting off the strike is not the right way.Once you are on the pitch for some time you learn to score off some bowlers but somehow some bowlers seem to cover up the deliveries and take u by surprise due to the speed and deviation off the pitch.

Bowling:

As far as bowling goes, the bowler (your higher self) lets go off the ball (body) every time in an over (week). Somehow the trajectory of the ball is intune with the bowlers run up (devotion) and action (will power).The bowler exercises some control over the trajectory of the ball even after delivering(intention).More the grip of the ball to the pitch more will be the deviation or bounce. Most of the times the bowler aims the ball towards the wicket keeper(religion) but aiming at the stumps is more desired in some situations.Most of the times the opponents bat (ego) comes in the way and sends the ball for a huge ride.But ultimately the ball should reach its destination.

There are so many metaphors for explaining Cricket but its hard to explain.I have tried to some extent although the basics remain the same, the batsmen has to prepare for each ball without thinking of the previous ball;which is completely opposite from what the bowler has to think.Based on the outcome of the previous ball the bowler has to adjust his line and length accordingly.Thats what i like most about cricket.

Aquarius

Aquarians are often considered as eccentric, cold individuals,aloof most of the times.
I decided to post some excerpts about my sun sign partners (this is taken from the 'About me' column from Orkut)

Male: Mumbai

I Never Compete Against D Competition.
The Only One I Compete Against is Myself,
Bcoz 1 Day I Will Beat D Competition and Then Who Will I Compete Against?

Female: Hyderabad

I feared being alone Until I learned to like Myself.
I feared failure Until I realized that I only Fail when I don't try.
I feared success Until I realized that I had to try in order to be happy with myself.
I feared people's opinions Until I learned that people would have opinions about me anyway.

I feared rejection Until I learned to have faith in myself.
I feared pain Until I learned that it's necessary for growth
I feared the truth Until I saw the ugliness in lies.
I feared life Until I experienced its beauty .
I feared death Until I realized that it's not an end, but a beginning.
I feared my destiny, Until I realized that I had the power to change my life.
I feared hate Until I saw that it was nothing more than ignorance.
I feared love Until it touched my heart, making the darkness fade into endless sunny days.
I feared ridicule Until I learned how to laugh at myself.
I feared growing old Until I realized that I gained wisdom every day.
I feared the future Until I realized that Life just kept getting better.
I feared the past Until I realized that It could no longer hurt me.
I feared the dark Until I saw the beauty of the starlight.
I feared the light Until I learned that the Truth would give me Strength.
I feared change, Until I saw that even the most beautiful butterfly had to undergo a Metamorphosis before it could fly.

Male: Mumbai

love life and live it as it comes

Male: Mumbai

Come on, my star is fading
And I swerve out of control
If I, if I’d only waited
I’d not be stuck here in this hole
Come here my star is fading
And I swerve out of control
And I swear I waited and waited
I’ve got to get out of this hole
But time is on your side
Its on your side now
Not pushing you down and all around
It’s no cause for concern
Come on, oh my star is fading
And I see no chance of release
And I know I’m dead on the surface
But I am screaming underneath
And time is on your side
Its on your side now
Not pushing you down
And all around, no
It’s no cause for concern
Stuck on the end of this ball and chain
And I’m on my way back down again
Stood on a bridge, tied to the noose
Sick to the stomach
You can say what you mean
But it won’t change a thing
I’m sick of the secrets
Stood on the edge, tied to a noose
You came along and you cut me loose
You came along and you cut me loose
You came along and you cut me loose

Male: Mumbai

If you're not on somebody's shit list, you're not doing anything worthwhile.

Female:Mumbai

LIVE BY MY OWN ETHICS

Female: Mumbai

A candle loses nothing if it is used to light another one.

Male: Mumbai

I'm pretty much confused in life,never focused, always had a fluctuating brain and interest, dont know why.findin new meanings of life to enjoy it.I believe in enjoyin life and lettin others enjoy theirs and hence believe in the FFF thoery,too bad if u dont know it nd i love suprisin myself....All thats written is seriously contagious, so the best Caution is to stay away.Hope u get the point loosers.lol.

Male: Mumbai

I am as simple as water
I am as complex as water
I will appear calm on the surface
You will not be able to measure the depth in me
I get mixed with everybody
I can adapt any shape
What you see in me is a mere reflection of you
I like to flow my way
I can take everybody along with me
But if you try to withhold my flow...
I will lose the life in me!

Male: Mumbai

Never blame anybody for a FAULT bcoz in the midst of a FAULT lies "U".....FA"U"LT
If you lose hope, somehow you lose the vitality that keeps life moving, you lose that courage to be, that quality that helps you go on in spite of it all. And so today I still have a dream.
The Trumpet of Conscience
---Martin Luther King, jr
I call myself a "PEACEFUL WARRIOR" bcoz most of the battles I fight are from INSIDE.....THEY LIE WITHIN ME

Female: Mumbai

The clock of life is wound but once,
and no man has the power
To tell just where the hands will stop,
at late or early hour.
To lose one’s wealth is sad indeed,
to lose one’s health is more,
To lose one’s soul is such a loss
as no man can restore.
The present is our own,live,love,
toil with a will;
Place no faith in tomorrow,for
the clock may then be still.

Female: Banglore

There isn't much I haven't shared
With you along the road
And through it all there'd always be
Tomorrow's episode
Suddenly that isn't true
There's another avenue
Beckoning the great divide
Ask no questions, take no side
Who's to say who's right or wrong
Whose course is braver run
Still we are, have always been
Will ever be as one
What is done has been done for the best
Though the mist in my eyes might suggest
Just a little confusion about what I'll lose
But if I started over I know I would choose
The same joy the same sadness each step of the way
That fight with me and teach me that Friends Never Say GoodBye !

Life + Love = Happy
Life – Love = Sad
Adding above 2,
Life + Love = Happy
Life – Love = Sad
---------------------
2Life = Happy + Sad
so,
Life = 1/2 Happy + 1/2 Sad.
That's life..
GOOD LUCK FOR LIFE
ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Male: Kolkata

Just don't forget me
Oh friend ,
Just don't forget me,
When obstacles sorrounds you oh dear,
absensce of light makes you fear,
call me, i will come close, i will stay near.
When you lack a clear sight,
and fail to judge the wrong and right.
When friends avoid without reason
i will help, i will give you vision.
When life becomes a cage,
i will make you free.
When dark clouds covers the sky for long
remember I will be always along.
When life becomes a desert with not a drop of water,
i will blow great streams for you.
When nightmares frightens for long,
i will bring sweet dreams for you.
When you are sad in days of peril,
When thy happy moments are rare,
don't lose faith, oh my friend ,
i am beside i will take care.
When life becomes a barren land,
i will grow plants for thee,
But promise me till last second of thy life
oh friend, 'You will just won't forget me'.
- Wriju (HEYY THATS ME)
By this time all the brainy lot shud have understood what's the value of a true friend is to me.

Male: Mumbai

Everything good that you say about me.
Give me the strength never to disown the poor
Or bend my knees before insolent might.
Give me the strength
To raise my head high above daily trifles.
And give me the strength
To surrender my strength to Thy will with love.
The Rain Cried...
I am looking out of the window
The rain I see is sad
It is crying I know not why,
Is it because the cloud disagreed?
I feel pleasant and nice
Listening to its sad heart
I feel at ease
Nature has a way of showing things.
When times are bad
When everything seems so sad
When you think you have lost it all
Look out- the rain cries too.
Like the river flowed beneath my feet
Like the sky bent down to kiss me
Like the trees sang for our dance
Like the earth swung to the rhyme.
That is how at ease I am
Pray to god it remains so
For when one gets sad
Nature seems to weep along.

Female:Jaipur

believe that life is a journey, often difficult and sometimes incredibly cruel, but we are well equipped for it if only we tap into our talents and gifts and allow them to blossom...
I m friendly, honest, loyal, realistic, original and inventive, quick tempered, independent and intellectual and full of vitality. i m resourceful, curious, energetic, innovative and likes to shock others.
Above all i m UNPREDICTABLE
i believe that one shud shoot for the moon, even if he misses, he'll land amogst the stars...
my motto of life is that perfection doesn't exist- u can always do better & can always grow...
Take time to deliberate, but when the time for action has arrived, stop thinking and go in : napoleon

Female: Mumbai

You see the world as you are, not as it is :))) My world is wonderous .....just as me ;)

Male: Kolkata

It depends on you
To love me or not
Doors are open
Doors of beliefs
Doors of emotions
It depends on you
To meet me or not
Doors are open
Doors of arrival
Doors of departure
It depends on you
To look at me or not
Doors are open
Doors of views
Doors of visions
It depends on you
To speak to me or not
Doors are open
Doors of words
Doors of silence
It depends on you
To walk with me or not
Doors are open
Doors of journeys
Doors of ways
It depends on you
To realize me or not
Doors are open
Doors of truth
Doors of trust
It depends on you
To harm me or not
Doors are open
Doors of betrayal
Doors of blot
It depends on you
To forget me or not
Doors are open
Doors of memories
Doors of time
It depends on you to kill me, kiss me,
Accept me, reject me,
Regard me, degrade me,
Admit me, discharge me,
Conclude me, condemn me.
All depends on you
What depends on me ?
Nothing but to forgive you....
and forgive you forever

Abraham Lincoln described it best "They do what they do because they are what they are."

The Bourne Series

The three movies Bourne Identity, Bourne Supremacy,Bourne Ultimatum based on novels by Robert Ludlum are the part of the Bourne Series.The plot is about an amnesiac CIA assasin Jason Bourne/David Webb who retraces his actions back to find that he was trained to carry out certain assasinations.

All three movies are great to watch....with a great story line, amazing fight sequences, tremendous action....The conclusion is equally good; the last words of Jason Bourne / David Webb to another CIA assasin are "Do you even know why you have to kill me?....Look at us. Look at what they make you give,"

Amazing spy movie.It definately ranks before 007 James Bond although comparison is not fair. Its almost a piece of art the way the action scenes are choreographed.

Facts 4 me

Some facts i have learned over a period of time....after making many mistakes......this post all about the relevant facts for me.

What lies ahead of me and what lies behind me is of little significance as compared to what lies within me.
No one except myself is responsible for my health, hence respecting the body and not abusing it is of great importance to me.
We all have different priorities in life.
We all perceive things differently.....so the things and situations i am compassionate about will be of no importance to others and vice versa.....knowing about it helps.
Everyone has a different path to follow in life......ultimately leading to the supreme.
People don't remember what we said to them, they remember how we made them feel.
Life is fair most of the times.... i reap only that which i sow.
Sometimes i have to do things that i dont like doing, but its these things that determine who i am and how i am perceived by others.
Emotions and Ego distort the truth, so a detached point of view helps but emotions cant be ignored.
Religion and Family play an important role in life and cant be ignored ; both require some quality time each day.
There are not supposed to be compromises in some aspects of life.
There is no alternative to music and team sports.
Walking helps to get the thoughts right.
Sometimes doing the right thing will surprise a few people, and i like to surprise people.
Women don't often get the respect they deserve, but they are not the weaker sex.
When i am really at my best behavior, the actions of my Parents take on a new dimension and everyday is like a gift.
Knowledge is power and with power comes responsibility.
Being true to myself is one of the hardest part in life.
Things are easier said than done. So even if i have stated few facts for me here......the whole point of it is follow them till the end.(which is the harder part)

Newspaper Article by Jerry Boone

Times of India Article:
What should you do with the rest of your life? About three thousand years ago, a Jewish king named Solomon aired his opinion on the subject. As he put it, he ‘wanted to see what was worthwhile for men to do under heaven during the few days of their lives’. Solomon was an interesting character, and he had a lot going forhim.He was intelligent. Indeed, this sage king still has the reputation of being the “wisest man who ever lived.” He also had the means to do practically anything he wanted to do. In his old age, Solomon found time to reflect on his lifelong experiences and he passed his thoughts down in writing. He starts off by telling us that everything in life is meaningless.

“I know, because I have seen it all. You name it, I’ve done it. I not only did it, but I did it in a big time, kingly fashion. I denied myself nothing, nothing at all. But looking back on it now, I can tell you none of it amounted to a hill of beans. What do you think is worthwhile in life? The pursuit of pleasure? I had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines. I had music from men and women singers; all the wine I could drink; and a palace full of people falling over themselves doing everything they could think of to get in my good graces. Sure, it is enjoyable up to a point. But when you get everything you want whenever you want it, you quickly discover how meaningless pleasure really is. Here is what I’ve learned: Whenever you seek pleasure, pleasure eludes you. The only way you may find pleasure is by seeking else first. It could be nothing more than paying someone a sincere compliment, or giving someone a hand with an unpleasant task.’ “The idea is that when you least expect it, happiness suddenly bubbles up like a well inside of you. You don’t find pleasure, pleasure finds you. Pursuing pleasure is like chasing after the wind.’ “If not pleasure then what? Wealth? Do you think you should dedicate your life to the pursuit of wealth? I had houses, vineyards, gardens,parks,reservoirs watering groves of trees ,slaves, more herds and flocks than anyone in Jerusalem, horses and chariots, and more silver and gold than anyone can imagine. I had it all. But if money and things could buy happiness, then I would have been the happiest man that ever lived. But what did I discover? Just this: whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever has wealth is never satisfied with his income. A rich man doesn’t even sleep well at night. He’s too worried about his money. Money has its uses, but don’t lose perspective. We are born naked and when we die, we’re going to take with us just what we brought into this world. Whatever we acquire will be left to someone who had not worked for it. If either pleasure or wealth are worthwhile pursuits, how about the scholarly pursuit of knowledge? “Oh yes, I spent a great deal of time in study. I learned everything I could under the sun. That’s how I got my reputation for wisdom. It didn’t fall out of a tree, you know. What did I find out? Only this: The more you learn, the more you discover there is to know. Even the brightest of us are ignorant of many things. Certainly, wisdom is better than foolishness, but remember, in a few years, both the wise man and the fool wind up in the grave. Before long both are forgotten. So, pleasure, wealth, and knowledge all have limited value. What’s left? Work? Yes, I worked. I built houses, planted vineyards, gardens, parks, and groves of trees. I delighted in my work.That was my reward. Of course , it was merely a temporary ‘feel good about it’ sort ofthing.In the long run, all of our toil is useless. What ever you make , you can’t take with you. And in due course, whatever we create will be torn down or destroyed and soon forgotten.”

So, the wise man threw a wet blanket over most of the things people devote themselves to today. Then what should we do? How should we spend our brief time on earth? The answer is simple: A man can do nothing better than to eat, drink and find satisfaction in work everyday. Enjoy life with the one you love. Be happy and do good as long as you live. Whatever you do, do it with all the might because you never know when life might end. While we are young, enjoy life as much as possible. But don’t forget , God will judge everything we do. The years slip by quickly. Infants turn into youths, youths into adults, adults into middle age, and middle age into old age. All too soon, one troubles and afflictions of age sap the strength and weaken the mind. Then death calls your number and body returns to the ground from where it came, and soul returns to God who gave it.” Solomon concludes his advice with his warning: God will bring every deed into judgment including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil. God will bring to judgment both the righteous and the wicked. Has Solomon’s 3000 year old advice stood the test of time? Some things have changed. Primarily, we have more gadgets these days than they had back in his time. But our choices remain the same. We dedicate our lives to pleasure, money or possessions, or knowledge, or work. Then again when we reflect on the brevity of life, the certainty of death, and the promise of judgment, we might decide Solomon knew what he was talking about. But what about God judging the good and wicked? The moral law certainly implies that God cares about us, what we do with our lives, and the choices we make. Also our longing for justice, often frustrated in this life leads us to believe we will get whatever we are due in the world to come.

By the end of the book, Solomon reaches a different conclusion: Life has a point after all. Our sojourn can best be described as a sort of boot camp pr school of hard knocks. We are here to learn. Learn what? Learn that pleasures, money, possessions, knowledge and work all have only limited value. None of these pursuits should be the focal point of our lives. Our primary task is to develop character; that is, a certain type of character. Earth we discover is nothing more than a large training centre for character. Those who graduate have learned their lessons on: fair play, unselfishness, humility, courage, faithfulness, honesty, truthfulness and treating others with respect.

Acting

I have always been fascinated by this unique profession and why people like to be involved in it; except of course because of the money and fame that can be obtained now by acting.
Acting/drama/theater is an integral part of society from so many years.

Earlier i used to think that actors are really very deep/evolved people who know how to control their emotions, facial expressions as per the character they are portraying.It seemed a very difficult and complicated thing to master, or to be even involved in.Amitabh Bachchan,Aamir Khan,Pankaj Kapur,Javed Jaffrey,Om Puri,Robin Williams,Tom Cruise,Matt Damon are perfect examples of great actors who give the right emphasis to the particular character they are assigned in a story.They undoubtedly are masters of the profession.

But Now i have had a complete change of opinion in this context. When we think of it, its kind of an easy thing (albeit easier said than done) if the right practice is done from childhood/ or teenage days.It becomes like an easy habit.Since most of us (i know i am included in this group) dont really know ourselves much the next best thing is to act like a certain character that we think we know.The actor does this as his profession everyday.

Although i have given two contradicting opinions in the earlier paragraphs its nothing more than a difference in perception, each opinion is right in its own context although it seems opposing.
Also, its impossible to judge actors since each will act the same character differently (even if the script is same) Every actor presents an unique attitude.

October 27th 2012:- Just realized that true emotion cant be acted, it just is, and can only be felt.

T V Serials

There are so many T V channels being launched but the number of interesting serials is very less.Now-a-days there is nothing much (for me) except News and sports.Reality TV serials were fascinating earlier but now its over the top.If we exclude the soap operas,comedy challenges,dance competitions,reality game shows,etc. there is nothing to watch on TV.(just considering indian television) Ealier there used to be various good hindi serials like Dekh Bhai Dekh Bhai,Sunday ke Sunday,Hip Hip Hurray,Banegi Apni Baat,Campus.Although,Malgudi Days was in a class of its own.

There are only a handful of original good T V serials in the recent past like Office Office and CID(its been on air for more than 5 yrs)I dont know about Jassi though....according to me it was worst than a soap opera.One good serial (Dil Kya Chahta Hai) was aired on Star One but i dont think its aired now.

Hip Hip Hurray was a great serial,it undobtedly taught me a lots of things, i could relate to it and yet it was very entertaining and believable too.Campus was a step ahead and dealt into student politics.I know serials are for enjoyment,drama,thrills but unfortunately the younger kids dont have enough ability to discriminate between real world and world seen on TV.Bad serials are like corrupting the minds of the kids and ignorant audience.Unfortunately even news channels dont accept the right responsibility that comes with their power to influence a large audience and shows irrelevant news at regular intervals, undoubtedly their final aim is to make money.

Amigos

I intend to write few words about some of my friends including the ones in above photo. This is not meant to judge anyone and although everyone is changed from what they were in school/college still this post should be fun for many and will give my perspective about them. I will be using a lot of adjectives here to describe how they were although some relations are unexplainable. I haven’t included all my friends here.

My first friends from junior kg were Neron and Allwyn. They were in d same class as mine until 8th standard or so. I am still in touch with Neron.Neron was/is very kind and decent guy ,Allwyn is kind of funny and later on got more interested in his clothing.(there is a joke related to that so distinctly remember)
School Buddies:
Anand P - hardworking.......stayed near my house....moved after 7th,8th...great person
Anand Koli- always smiling, joking at right times, smart.....looks up to his sis.....it was an honour to be one of his buddies in school...although I didn’t like that always scored greater than me.
Snoweel P-tolerant, good friend
Sunny F- funny...showed me how to be tolerant towards people
Pranav Ande- full of tricks
Sheldon-deceptive in a way but actually an innocent person...was great friends with pranav
Feral Dabre-Scholar turned poet later on.....intelligent in a different way.....not so neat though
Merwyn- very stylish,neat,elegant person.....average in studies
Morten-egoistic at times but disciplined too
Botham-always smiling....his nick name was Batli....
Princely-wayward at times but always will remember his feuds with Anand Koli
Francis-smart(likes to express everything in english)....moved to some other school after 5th....was in same college....
Persis-charming,caring
Nissa- funny....confused at times....great person
Hema-good leader, loud many times......got angry easily.....
Candida-adorable
Sheetal-emotional.....helpful.....(doing PG in Physiotherapy now)
Namita-great kabaddi player......passionate about d work undertaken
Avril-intelligent,reticent
Romel-funny,very naughty person......shared d bench with him in 10th standard
Varun- witty....fun to be with...always looking at the positive side of things
Salvet- humorous in a different way....great story telling skills
Brinold-neat….great person… always caring
Ashley- Scotch (thats what he called a Scholar)
Claudius-great funny person….played a lot of cricket together….full of ideas
Vinay Kutty-studied a lot…funny at times…even played a lot…..now intern at IIT Powai….(idol in a way but have to say was irritating sometimes)
Sagar-intelligent, reticent, great friends with Vinay Kutty
Gibson-helpful, very passionate while playing sports…..
Arshaan- one of the funniest….loves to crack jokes….later on developed right plans for himself….
Hari Prabhakar-always trying to make fun of Arshaan….Great Athlete,(amazing runner..)
Salman- Intelligent, Hard working, always advising Arshaan…..(all three cracked great jokes…)
Joy Tuscano-intelligent but annoying, egostic at times….
Swapnil- Unique….cant be described…
Ashoka- innocent….underestimated and made fun of at times
Prasad Ubalkar-Tolerant of others, concerned about many things
Vaibhav-expressive, strong person
Yuvraj Vartak-fun to be with, intelligent…..always with vaibhav
Aditya- sensible, nice person
Brijwell- clever, great smile
Orlina- elegant, clear about her goals…..icon of intelligence
Lewin- cheerful
Subodh-always involved in fights but a decent guy with a wicked sense if humour

Junior College Friends:
Neha- friendly, cheerful, caring
Reena-Great smile, practical
Namrata- always keen to be involved
Ashwin- Reticent, confused at times but always supportive of others
Abhilash- large… amusing
Pritesh- animated about various things…
Rameez- chatty
Mudassir- sensible
Vithesh- stylish, intelligent…..icon in a way…
Ronald- overuse of abusive language….a decent person
Rahul-loud at times, over expressive
Amit- over expressive,egoistic
Zenon-classy, great dancer

College Friends:

Arthav-Scholar…
Harshad- Daring…great friend
Sylvester- warm, affectionate, dedicated
Vallence- famous person….great at football…
Vishal- urbane…
Sarthak- sensitive but practical….amazing person
Paresh- passionate about cars….reticent, intelligent
Raghu- hyper active but a great person…
Yogesh- Honest…confused at times….always willing to learn something new….funny
Harshad Mahadeshwar- Fashionable….dedicated to the work undertaken only when needed
Shantanu- great captain, innovative
Rahul- Street smart
Shounak- hardworking….really likes to hear jokes
Adnan- humorous most times…
Monish- compassionate
Alok- great listener, kind
Nikhil-inspiring person for me.....very tough mentally....
Vikram- erratic, chatterbox….but a good person
Ashish- great friend, helpful
Krish- witty, childlike at times
Rishubh- great person....i behaved badly with him for some months especially when travelling to college...but he was the same friendly person, helpful......
Bhavna- smiling most of times….. enthusiastic
Shreeja- classy, cute
Juvin- expressive...idol
Anuja- intelligent
Mona- practical, sympathetic
Meenakshi- really funny person , confused sometimes....intelligent
Neha- urban, confident
Ruchi- clever

P.S. : decided to post about this since its d vacation. I apologize in advance if this post has hurt anyone it’s unintentional.
Comments are always welcome.(yeh like anyone of the above is even going to read this...still have to write that comments are welcome)

Evolution

Whole theory of Evolution is a big mystery.There has been a lot of conflict between religious groups and scientific community.There is no doubting that Natural Selection and Survival of the Fittest apply to all populations and cannot be ignored yet there are some conflicts which i have decided not to mention.

Evolution is a broader term used for adaptations made by a species/living being over a period of time for many generations.The adaptations alter the species so much that the offspring is considered to be a different species altogether.But is it really.....?
First there were single celled organisms.....then multi celled organisms evolved from them....If we consider before that mitochondrion (organelles responsible for oxidation) were a different than the cell......over a period of time they developed a symbiotic relationship with the cell and became a part of it.......k...this is not a science article but had to include the basics.

There is one video by Fat Boy Slim which shows the stages of evolution and in the end an Urban male is shown just relaxing.......It is estimated that about 95% of our DNA is Junk DNA(with no function-just redundant segments) its just an estimation.....probably so much of evolution has used up the DNA or maybe just 1% of the Master molecule has been used and rest if for future adaptations.....
Now the average human has evolved so much in such short duration....it would be beyond comprehension for a human living before 17th century or so to understand the things around ....Just imagine there wasnt even electricity that time.....

One of the most fascinating symbiotic relations is that of a Man and Dog......Somehow it shows the power of Humans over other living beings.....we all know that Wolves are ancestors of Dogs...Man tamed these wild wolves and over many thousand years or so this part of the wolf population adapted and evolved to a new species i.e Dog.Now dogs can be trained by humans to do many things....even help the blind when walking......This also in part conveys a message regarding why humans are here.....and it has nothing to do about pondering over how humans evolved......
This is undoubtedly my most contradicting post.

Simple Joys in Life

Some of the simple joys in life often unrealized by many:

Playing football in the pouring rain.......Gives me immense joy.
Watching the sun every morning and having that feeling of starting afresh...a new beginning.
Looking at the horizon as the sun goes down and getting awed by the different colours formed during sunset.
Smell of the mud and roads after the first rain.....watching children play in the rain when going to school.
Reading a good book on a rainy day......Nothing like it especially if home-made pakoras r served.
Spending time with family......just sitting and chatting.
Watching live sports game.....its a different atmosphere altogether.
Dancing.....For many (excluding myself from this category)
Glimpse of a Smiling Face......
Sharing and acquiring knowledge........

Learning

(I am writing this post especially because I was asked by many of my friends whether I would be doing Post Graduation or further studies…I have nothing against learning, studying further and am of the opinion that its different for every person…I have been fortunate enough to get a job in my field of work after graduation)



Its one of the great joys of life to sit for a lecture and listen to a good speaker/teacher and learn something new(albeit about an interesting topic)and trying to grasp every moment.No doubt that having many good friends beside is an icing on the cake....Even sitting for lectures continuously is kind of an art;But presenting them requires a greater amount of skill and concentration which can be learned only through practice.

Ultimately our best teacher is our own higher self which teaches us many things.Just that the student in us has to listen and try not to get distracted.I try to learn and appreciate a lot of things daily.
Some of the things that intrigue me most :

• Why is it that we don't learn from our mistakes.....doing wrong even after knowing whats right.....in various aspects.
• Whats the fuss about having more n more money.......it doesn't guarantee happiness.....has it got something to do with our love for numbers.
• Why EGO is the worst enemy.
• Why are our senses never satisfied.
  
• Why do people promote religions in order to spread their own ideas...which in a way contradict the whole basis of religion....
  
• Why do people from different parts of the world play a common sport like football so differently that game seems so different to watch.
  
• How normal people of Mumbai turn a hellish journey to work everyday into a time to meet up with friends and just chat,enjoy.
  
• Why acting is so fascinating for all involved.
  
• Why are we so fond of story telling....(movies are another form of that)
  
• Why some parents don't try to be role models for their children.
• Music
  
• Why is it that some things can never be known.....and better left that way.
  

Yeah i guess i am a student for life......with so many things to learn.

WAR

'Only the dead have seen the end of War'

This post wont be regarding whether going to/declaring war on some country/caste is ethical or not.Unfortunately war,guns,weapons are a necessary evil.Since some of our brothers are evolving in a reverse manner as far as their thinking goes......so we need such authority to atleast protect the masses.

Soldiers train themselves for a lifetime for war (and hope they never get to exercise all that they have been taught) I know that feeling won`t always be there but there will still be a part of them which thinks that patrolling is better than going to war no matter how much they deny that part.
In case of watching borders it is relatively ethical in a way but that too seems so irrelevant to me.Sunita Williams said something like (after reaching outer space)"You should be here.Its so beautiful,there are no borders".
The sheer amount of training to reach a high post is untrue.Only the dedicated and hardworking will get to the top after they have the right experience.

The only good thing that came out of War is online Multiplayer Video Games.Play acting is taken on a different level in many Multiplayer Games.Games like Call of Duty let u experience how it would be like for an American soldier,Russian soldier in WWII.

Another view here is what about the psychological war going on? (through our psyche)
Everyone is influencing our pattern of thinking daily.....Many people corrupt our mind (mostly by negative thought patterns)There are many Soldiers(in a way) which try to instill faith in whatever we do.

Such soldiers,present many years ago,include M.Gandhi,A.Einstein,A.Lincoln........
Some of them present in recent past are Nelson Mandella,Mother Teresa,Baba Amte.....
I would even go on to classify someone like a Nagesh Kukunoor,Sharad Upadhay in the same class since through their work they can influence the masses in a right way.
(Nagesh Kukunoor-Iqbal Director,Sharad Upadhay-Marathi writer)

So which enemy are they fighting against......?There are many enemies like anger,selfishness,laziness,etc. but ultimately it is the 'EGO' which causes all these.

The enemies,for starters how about Ekta Kapoor and her K serials.How ironic is it that her name is 'EKTA' meaning unity yet all that is there in each of her serials is how to teach people to fight against each other.Then there are people like Hitler who spread a distorted perception to the masses leading to deaths of innocent.

Lets hope that there are many soldiers awaiting to join the battle as far as psycological war is concerned.

Microcosm and Macrocosm

The pic says it....One on the left is the image of 3 nueron cells and their connections.On the right is the simulated image of current Universe.This is so fascinating how can the two with so much difference in size can be so similiar.Ofcourse u might say the second image is a simulated one but there are other examples which show similarity of a Microcosm and Macrocosm.

The brain/nueral network is so complex is untrue.It is the ultimate intelligence organ of nature.Even as science has developed so rapidly in the last 50 yrs or so.Scientists are still trying to find out about the nuerons and their associations(Basically how they work together in different situations )It is still unclear whether nuerogenesis occurs in our brains and whether it is good for us.I dont think that we will ever get to investigate how brain/nueral connections work in various situations.
Then there are Mirror Nuerons which fire when u see anyone doing some task familiar to you. Lets take a simple example of sports we all have played one game or the other before/after watching it.When we watch (live) on TV we can asssociate with the players becoz of Mirror Nuerons since we have played the game and associate with it.Mirror Neurons fire when we watch them play.Its not that we are playing at that time but there is some part of us there or else how would these nuerons fire(becoz ultimately we come from the same source?)Same goes for movies when we go through different situations and try to empathize with the actor/s.

Stars and Different galaxies are intruiging as well....There is this dialogue in Munnabhai where Arshad Warsi talks to Sanjay Dutt that when we die we become stars.Maybe we do....maybe earth is just like hell...or maybe not(its not that bad here) The point is there might be some parellel universes existing with some different star as their Sun out there with some other dimensions unknown to us.Or some network of super beings(God...) collectively working for us here.

When we try to relate the two there are innumerable differences in scale but there is this feeling of the unknown waiting to be discovered at the same time.

This all brings me to the ultimate question Why are we here?Are there some superpowers who control us without us knowing through neurons and different galaxies?Or is it our own collective thoughts that influence both the Microcosm,Macrocosm.It is an Ultimate quest but i have realized in the past few years that everyone one of us are related.If not the same nuerons but the basic unit of Life DNA remains in all.

There are about 200-400 Billion stars and (approx 100 Billion Nuerons in the human Brain)around 100 Trillion nueron cells.....Now its for us to decide for ourselves whether fate is written in stars or what we make of it ourselves through our actions throughout our lives....