Words of wisdom - Pencil Parable from CSIM

I attended the CSIM convocation yesterday. Felt like I am doing the right thing. Listening abilities, are capabilities that seldom exist in independant thinkers, for I love to know what I think, than the others. May be, one can still call it listening ability, cos it is still all about listening to your inner voice, to yourself. But one must be groomed to listen to others as well. I have been lacking many opportunities to listen to imminent speakers / people I admire and respect. Now don't ask me, why am unable to admire one and all. The words I remember most from those lectures are here -

Words of wisdom, to a Pencil, before it is shut in a box. You have to remember 5 most important things, says the pancil maker, to this new pencil, before sending it into open market.
1. To get the best out of you, you must allow yourself to be held by others
2. Time and again, you will go through the painful process of sharpening
3. The most important part of you, is, what is within / inside you
4. You may make mistakes and it shall be erased / corrected, because you're a pencil & not a pen
5. You have to live through, or grow out of your mistakes and acknowledge them too

Another line of wisdom - Start small, invest less, grow fast, scale out and not sclae-up large.

CSIM - Initiative

Having bragged overly about all that I want to do, and start, and start, and do, and do, to work towards a social cause, and being an entrepreneur, together, I was much disappointed with myself, and the pace at which things are moving in removing dependencies. Such is the time, when I got a note form Deepak, that he shed his white collar to join Arghya, an NPO, (M not sure if I spelt it right). He was kind enough to get me introduced to CSIM, a wise step, when you are struggling to do something, and are also trying to battle with a secured life for your loved ones, which intentionally does not allow for freedom of quitting work at such an early age.

As this post comes in a hurry, I request folks to mail me in case you need nay clarifications on what this school would add to you. I met with Aruna Subramaniam, Coordinator, CSIM, Bangalore, yesterday. She can be contacted at the address / phone number given below -
Centre for Social Initiative and Management,
#418, 6th 'B' Cross,20th Main, 6th Block,
Koramangala, Bangalore 560 095
Ph. 2550 5197
The CSIM convocation for September 2007 batch is on this Saturday, 19 July 2008. The invite is here, for your convenience. This might be a good opportunity to know more, and understand the institution. Aruna tells me that there are a few more seats to fill the batch and she welcomes one and all.

Dasavatharam

One movie that created a lot of hype. Normally avoiding theaters, I rent DVDs to watch one single movie in bits & pieces over days, that's me. If such a crook were taken to a theater to watch a movie, then it better be the best. I wonder why my mom forced me to go & watch a movie this time, with her usual complaint, of me, not socialising or enjoying like others of my age do. I agreed to her, only resorting to a break from this routine stress, which never seems to diminish! .. Now to the movie..
P.S - I have only tried to take out my frustration of not being de-stressed, in the most cynical / comic way possible. If you don't like it, don't read it :P !
My expectations - I always rated Kamal for show-casing a combination of comedy, class and romance, that others often don't. None of these were seen this time. I saw desperation, restlessness to show "I can do so many things", as if he were going to die tomorrow, and this was his last movie.
Thinking for Kamal - The only justification to Mr. Kamal acting in 10 roles would be to substantiate his "Anbe Sivam" concept, "there's a hero in every human being". For all the bragging KS Ravikumar did on a TV show with Madan, this movie was absolute bsht!
Drawbacks -

1. Toooooooo looooong - 10 roles, each can sustain for 10 mins, i.e., 100 min movie and the stronger ones to story deserve 30 additional mins. Which only brings it to a 130 mins movie, seems less ? - add 2-3 songs for mass, (absolutely unnecessary though) , aka 2.5 hrs only. This movie runs for three full hours. Justified if I were glued to my seat, but i felt a thousand pins at butt after an hour. May be am just a lil too impatient as always.
2. Sin to Asin - BEAUTIFUL LADY, one can look at, for at least a few minutes, if not hours. They let her run errands. Not even one good close up / cover shot ! what a waste of time!
3. Dance - They let Jayaprada do the dance .. "Hello Madam, this is not thakida thadimi thandaana" ??!!??! "Samjhe kya ?"
4. Kamal & Punjabi - Haaye mai mar jaawaan! Tamil speaking tight tongues can never let words play loose on them. "Punjabi was stressed in between Kamal's lips" - no pun intended, but that's the only comment i could pass !
5. X factor missing - Typical Kamal pun was missing !
6. Kabilan - Great lyricist, good poet. But what was he doing in this movie? Couldn't they accommodate his talent in writing a few scenes / words for Asin?
7. How does love happen - Okay okay.. now I know everyone knows how it all happen(s/d), but why couldn't they add subtle shots / gestures during this whole chase!
8. Graphics / video game ?
9. Background score & Music - Himesh? wtfh! wouldn't Devisri/ARR/Harris/Yuvan do great?
10. Make up flaw - Fletcher's make up was melting in many scenes, esp around the eyes, watch the scene on road with
11. Too narrative - Many scenes could have been cut off, during the second half
12. Poor Comedy - But for Balram Naidu's role, the crew wouldn't have a place to hide their face
13. Atheist Kamal Vs Theism, on screen - I don't want to see him introspecting on screen, he could chose his drawing /study for that!
14. Cinematography - First 15 mins is PC Sriram, then, it is PC Sans Sriram !
15. Technical flaws - Vehicle chase.. ?? look at the cars, illogical and virtual image concept is basic physics for a camera man ain't it, the shots in many places, esp the lorry accident has virtual images in consecutive frames ?? :P
16. My sincere piece of advice - If you have 4 hours of your life, to waste, and can wait at a cinema hall waiting for a climax epilogue to end, for about 1 hour, trying hard to catch a good glimpse of Asin, go ahead !
17. Thathuvam - Spent Noota-Aravai, kai iruvai, verum aruvai!

Noota aravai means the number 160 in telugu.

Random blabber of love

In love, smitten, ye Serah, smitten Cahleb,
Of thy presence, words profuse, do ebb,
Let unheard be those, spoken
And heard be this far, unspoken
Until horizons leap, to the burning sun,
For another morning that is just as fun,
For 'Tis, a night to come and let be frail
As loved ones live a turmoil off grail
In hopes of living for maiden love in life
Dreams depart, sans love to, words of strife ...

नींव की कहानी

गुठलियाँ बोते, रासते जीवन के हैं मापने।
गठरी बाँध चली, लिए मुट्ठी भर सपने॥
खरा उतरा जो नैनों से, होने को कलमबंद,
लिखने पर बनें स्याही से, कागज़ के ही छंद।
दिखे न चाँद, न बादल, न अंधेरे मे नदिया।
हर नज़ारे को प्रकृति ने जैसे प्रेम से बुन ढोया ॥
प्रेम की छाया छाई नाचती हुयी कली-पत्तों के द्वारा ।
जैसे पिय से मिलने, हवाओं का लिया सहारा॥
धरा की चुम्बन को हर डाली है तरसे।
मुडा हुआ तन, मटका है, फ़िर से,
झुकी-झुकी सी अम्बुआ की तरु
कहती, "कुदरत से नयन मैं बचाते हरून!"
नींव से गांठ बंधा यह रिश्ता परखने
आए बरसने यह गरजते बादल भी घने
न माने जहाँ इस प्रेम को पावस
कुदरत भी इतराके कहे इसे हवस
बिछड़ने निकले चीर ज़मीन की छाती
सीना ताने हुए खड़े, हम पेड़ और साथी
न तरु धरती से मिल पावे, न आसमान छुआ जावे
नींव और तरु की कहानी कहे, प्रेमी बिछड़ न जावे
सूनी हवाओं की ज़बानी, सुनो नींव की कहानी
कहे कभी ममता की छाँव, खोते नहीं हैं धानी

Words of wisdom from John Keats

"I have been astonished that men could die martyrs for religion—I have shuddered at it. I shudder no more—I could be martyred for my religion—Love is my religion—I could die for that."

John Keats (1795-1821), British poet. letter, Oct. 13, 1819, to his fiancée Fanny Brawne.

Morning music !

I was so tempted to listen to this number by Backstreet boys "So let me show you the shape of my heart".