I leave Amdavad in 2 days. About to venture into a new world of IIT. And what exactly am I going to do there? Or rather, what am I wishing to do there?
Do I wish to know more about stress and strain analyses? Explore the huge world of finite element analysis? Learn about the mathematics of robotics? Or the properties of new materials? Do I wish to learn about new methods or mechanisms developed? Or to figure out bhp required for a particular machine?
Yes and no.
Yes, because that is what I going to do there! An M.Tech. in mechanical design. But no, because that is not what I wish to do in totality. I shall reflect on it a bit later down the post.
As I pack my bags, and as it happens with all others, nostalgia struck me. The whole process of evaluating what you need or want to carry to IIT and what to leave behind is a seemingly simple but a difficult and time-consuming process. There are things you hold up in your hands, and then like a kaleidoscope, your thoughts run into reverse in the fourth dimension. The little stickers I put up on my schoolbooks and the pack of those, which I saved, to use at a time when they would make the most impact or something, and that time never came... The collection of reflecting stickers that so adorned every bend of steel on my bike, which i later termed as plain ugly... The letters I exchanged with my elder cousin, sometimes written in a long forgotten code-language... And the innumerable rakhis, and greeting cards which I, a sentimental fool you may declare, never felt like throwing away, as if it would be the biggest insult to my relations with them... the clean note-books I never used, the watch that my dad gave me and I broke it later on in life... The many broken key-chains, the many now-hardened rubbers, used up ballpoint pens, and the "chiller" I used to throw into the drawer when I emptied my pockets (they totaled 483.75 rupees!!)... all these may seem like junk to some, but they hold meaning in my life. Yes I do become pragmatic and throw something away, or ask mom to throw away, but there are things I can never give up. Not yet. Like a couple of ball-point pens my best friend gave me, or the never-used-never-can-be-used special-diesel aviation fuel miniature engine I received from dad, or even the many "tattoos" I have which were to be rubbed onto note-book covers, or the many wallets, sketch pens, diaries etc. I could scrap from the darkest corners of my closet. As if a time would come, by magic, and I shall need those things. I know it's too bad to hold on to things, but I do believe that a time comes in life when you hold some thing in your hand and it gives you the highest joy, without having to do what it was made to do.
These 'things', although inanimate, have watched a 6 or 10 years old grow up into the now-me. The walls of my room have seen me laugh, cry, sing, sulk, dance (yeah!), sleep, everything I did. Without ever objecting or passing their views or praises... nothing. Just being there, benign, like the cactus in the desert in those comic strips of snoopy the dog. Never evaluating me, accepting me for what I am. And somehow being within those 4 walls (and the floor and ceiling too) gives that security.
But that security, I know, is something I need to banish. Thinking out of the box, moving on, facing the world, whatever you call it... The bubble-wrapped life not just provides security, but also clamps us down... like a form of death... only difference being that this death is still alive. And this is one of the reasons I want to run away to IIT. To feel insecure once, to face the storm, to face the music, to bell the cat, whatever you may call it.
My four years at my college were interesting. And the complaint I have is that I matured a bit too late. Matured to understand my own goals, or to understand what I wanted to do. I wanted to learn new skills, like playing music, dancing, speaking in front of huge intelligent audience without feeling any sweat, speaking and understanding more languages, and in depth... and so on. But sadly, I could not grasp, or maybe even see, any opportunity coming my way. I developed well as an engineer. But on an all round performance, though my friends insist I did a lot, I myself am not satisfied. And that is what I want to do at IIT. Grasp those opportunities. Come out as not just a brilliant design engineer, but also an above-average package... a khichdi of skills and confidence that would have a charisma of a different level altogether.
Last but not the least reason I wish to join IIT, is that I wish to see my parents financially free. A dream any guy would see, of course. Of course, if I can find them a bahu, it would be excellent!
What will I miss the most? Of course, mom's food. Her constant "kach kach" (nagging, for non-Gujaratis) and anger at my unorganized room which still looks as if it's a room the nazis ravaged way back in 1944. Her love, sensible mature talks, the glass of milk I had every night. Dad's wisdom, how he would always know more than myself even when it came to mechanical engineering which he didn't study. His organized methods, his charisma, everything. My sister and the sibling fights with her. And of course the long walks with my pet. Maybe I won't wish his bites so much! There's going to be a lot more than this that I shall miss.
So I strap the last buckle of my bag, after going through the list of things I need to carry, once again. And I know that I have a goal in front of me and the best platform available. I know there will be times when I will miss home. But I also know that my aims and aspirations are achievable only in the "kurukshetra" of life. I am inspired here by my poem "sailor moves on". And even if that doesn't help, there is always a bottle of 8 p.m. in Mumbai!!!
Cheers!!!
Sunday, July 16, 2006
Thursday, July 13, 2006
Through the window of Mumbai blasts...
Too many people have condemned the Mumbai attacks for me to join to bandwagon. However I would like to point out a few other observations.
"Smashaan Vairagya". A term, which literally means acquired temporary renunciation or de-materialization during a funeral. At any funeral you will hear people acquire some insane sanity they were never known to possess. You will invariably hear stuff like '"He kept making money. Nobody takes money to heaven. He should have just enjoyed it while he had time", "He was always tense about stocks. I tell you, one should just give up worries in life to live better. I will not lose my soul in stocks from now on", "Cholesterol killed him. I take a resolution to avoid fatty and sweet food."' Yet as soon as the funeral gets over, the same people will go back to their sweets, pickles, stock market and sleepless nights. The temporary fit of sanity that had hit them, was shed at the funeral itself.
How is it related to Mumbai blast? I say it's what we always see after any crisis.
"We must fight terrorism from the roots" "I guarantee people shall now live in peace" "We are putting our whole police force behind this to find out the culprits. They shall not be spared" "We will make sure that law and order is maintained. Every person, every building, etc. shall now confirm with rules and regulations"
And then, as soon as the sensationalism of the crisis has ended, its back to the same old carelessness and irresponsibility. How long are we to witness it?
We make a hue and cry over India 2020. To become a superpower, a nation not only has to develop, but has to have that confidence and that belief that it is a superpower. It has to send signals that it can face any competition. But when it comes to weeding out terrorism from our own states, we succumb to dubious debates of religion and diplomacy. We have never shown any kind of firm determination when it comes to fighting our own evils. Our failure of intelligence agencies even in our own backyard, exemplifies our lack of fortitude. If we aren't so meek, then why is another smaller nation having a better intelligence network, not just in its own home, but also in our territories? The biggest super power of today's times is not a super power by doing a lot of charity, but by developing and maintaining its foothold in all the strategic parts of the world. And it never hesitates to weed out its opponents, even if it goes against general world opinion. When will we learn that being stern isn't an act of oppression when it comes to protecting our own interests?
Police is always blamed for being late, rude and non-active. The general public helps some victims and then as soon as the newsmen interview them, they glorify their efforts and degrade the efforts of police. Yet when it comes to testifying, they never go to the police. The police are blamed for not being present when a theft takes place, when a murder takes place, as if they are omnipresent like the air. And yet, when it comes to informing the police about any hint of wrong activities, they will shy away. An example will be the person who informed the police about a dialogue he over heard between the terrorists, long after the damage was done. Who is to blame, then?
Policemen aren't off the hook yet either. A lot of them aren't on duty, or not performing their duty. But if one observes closely, their work culture reflects that of whole of India. How many of us Indians don't procrastinate, or blame others for our lapses, or indulge in eve teasing, or promote bribery, or succumb to orders from the top brass, or try to complete any assignment without any conviction, or denounce the standard of life without making any effort of uplifting ourselves?
And it is important for the so-called leaders of the country to visit any place of crisis. But must they have 50 other people around them, choking the relief work as well as crowding the place? How can we talk of being a super power when either our politicians haven't the guts to face the public, or our public isn't ready to settle matters through frank dialogues, or when the our public gets scared out of its wits everyday?
It's so easy to destroy. And just as hard to construct. The day when we Indians learn to be constructive in everything we do, think or say, that day we will realize our vision India 2020. Till then, we can either make efforts for the same, or sit back on the couch with a cola in one hand and enjoy the drama of everyday hypocrisy unfold before us.
Cheers!!!
"Smashaan Vairagya". A term, which literally means acquired temporary renunciation or de-materialization during a funeral. At any funeral you will hear people acquire some insane sanity they were never known to possess. You will invariably hear stuff like '"He kept making money. Nobody takes money to heaven. He should have just enjoyed it while he had time", "He was always tense about stocks. I tell you, one should just give up worries in life to live better. I will not lose my soul in stocks from now on", "Cholesterol killed him. I take a resolution to avoid fatty and sweet food."' Yet as soon as the funeral gets over, the same people will go back to their sweets, pickles, stock market and sleepless nights. The temporary fit of sanity that had hit them, was shed at the funeral itself.
How is it related to Mumbai blast? I say it's what we always see after any crisis.
"We must fight terrorism from the roots" "I guarantee people shall now live in peace" "We are putting our whole police force behind this to find out the culprits. They shall not be spared" "We will make sure that law and order is maintained. Every person, every building, etc. shall now confirm with rules and regulations"
And then, as soon as the sensationalism of the crisis has ended, its back to the same old carelessness and irresponsibility. How long are we to witness it?
We make a hue and cry over India 2020. To become a superpower, a nation not only has to develop, but has to have that confidence and that belief that it is a superpower. It has to send signals that it can face any competition. But when it comes to weeding out terrorism from our own states, we succumb to dubious debates of religion and diplomacy. We have never shown any kind of firm determination when it comes to fighting our own evils. Our failure of intelligence agencies even in our own backyard, exemplifies our lack of fortitude. If we aren't so meek, then why is another smaller nation having a better intelligence network, not just in its own home, but also in our territories? The biggest super power of today's times is not a super power by doing a lot of charity, but by developing and maintaining its foothold in all the strategic parts of the world. And it never hesitates to weed out its opponents, even if it goes against general world opinion. When will we learn that being stern isn't an act of oppression when it comes to protecting our own interests?
Police is always blamed for being late, rude and non-active. The general public helps some victims and then as soon as the newsmen interview them, they glorify their efforts and degrade the efforts of police. Yet when it comes to testifying, they never go to the police. The police are blamed for not being present when a theft takes place, when a murder takes place, as if they are omnipresent like the air. And yet, when it comes to informing the police about any hint of wrong activities, they will shy away. An example will be the person who informed the police about a dialogue he over heard between the terrorists, long after the damage was done. Who is to blame, then?
Policemen aren't off the hook yet either. A lot of them aren't on duty, or not performing their duty. But if one observes closely, their work culture reflects that of whole of India. How many of us Indians don't procrastinate, or blame others for our lapses, or indulge in eve teasing, or promote bribery, or succumb to orders from the top brass, or try to complete any assignment without any conviction, or denounce the standard of life without making any effort of uplifting ourselves?
And it is important for the so-called leaders of the country to visit any place of crisis. But must they have 50 other people around them, choking the relief work as well as crowding the place? How can we talk of being a super power when either our politicians haven't the guts to face the public, or our public isn't ready to settle matters through frank dialogues, or when the our public gets scared out of its wits everyday?
It's so easy to destroy. And just as hard to construct. The day when we Indians learn to be constructive in everything we do, think or say, that day we will realize our vision India 2020. Till then, we can either make efforts for the same, or sit back on the couch with a cola in one hand and enjoy the drama of everyday hypocrisy unfold before us.
Cheers!!!
Saturday, July 08, 2006
Relative ethics...
This is an interesting view-point to a phenomenon which is generally classified as unethical. I am still open on the issue.
If suppose you are sick, in hospital, and you desperately need money. Whom will you contact? Of course a relative, or someone you know. Definately, you will not expect any stranger to help you. Or, for example, you are in Ahmedabad and want some work to be done, in person, at Mumbai and you somehow cannot go there. So who will you contact? Again, a relative in Mumbai. Now suppose you are a big businessman and that relative comes to ask for job, along with other prospective employees too. Whom will you give the job to?
It has generally been maintained that anyone who gives jobs to his/her relatives, is unethical. "Merit" creeps into the debate. It is true, that the relative might not be as good as other candidates. Lets say the "relative" is just 80% as effective as the other "stranger" candidates. But the businessman gets 30% more from him through the channel of his relations. So who is more economical or profitable to the businessman? Yet when he does give a job to his relative, he is deemed as unethical.
I do not advocate suppressing merit one bit. In fact, I am a strong supporter of it. But somehow, this whole issue of choosing candidates on basis of merit only, seems to have a loophole. When a father dies, why does he leave all his wealth to his family? How does merit come into the picture? Is it true that not one single person in the whole universe deserves money more than the family? Why was a huge business industry given to the two owner's sons? Why is a political party still earning brownie points on the basis of one "relative" who fought for our freedom? Where is merit featuring in these cases?
When someone needs help, why isn't "merit" of his plea herded to? Why do we only listen to plaints from "relatives"? Where does "merit" figure there? Isn't it a bit strange or hypocritical to talk of merit when it comes to our "gains" (like our appearing for a job), and then switch over heart and soul to "relations" when it comes to our losses, or more appropriately, "expenditure" of time, money or anything else (like relative needing us during crisis)?
So, what is ethical or unethical? I would like to see this view-point debated upon. Till then, I hope some yet-unknown wealthy relative of mine notices my "merit"!!
Cheers!!!
If suppose you are sick, in hospital, and you desperately need money. Whom will you contact? Of course a relative, or someone you know. Definately, you will not expect any stranger to help you. Or, for example, you are in Ahmedabad and want some work to be done, in person, at Mumbai and you somehow cannot go there. So who will you contact? Again, a relative in Mumbai. Now suppose you are a big businessman and that relative comes to ask for job, along with other prospective employees too. Whom will you give the job to?
It has generally been maintained that anyone who gives jobs to his/her relatives, is unethical. "Merit" creeps into the debate. It is true, that the relative might not be as good as other candidates. Lets say the "relative" is just 80% as effective as the other "stranger" candidates. But the businessman gets 30% more from him through the channel of his relations. So who is more economical or profitable to the businessman? Yet when he does give a job to his relative, he is deemed as unethical.
I do not advocate suppressing merit one bit. In fact, I am a strong supporter of it. But somehow, this whole issue of choosing candidates on basis of merit only, seems to have a loophole. When a father dies, why does he leave all his wealth to his family? How does merit come into the picture? Is it true that not one single person in the whole universe deserves money more than the family? Why was a huge business industry given to the two owner's sons? Why is a political party still earning brownie points on the basis of one "relative" who fought for our freedom? Where is merit featuring in these cases?
When someone needs help, why isn't "merit" of his plea herded to? Why do we only listen to plaints from "relatives"? Where does "merit" figure there? Isn't it a bit strange or hypocritical to talk of merit when it comes to our "gains" (like our appearing for a job), and then switch over heart and soul to "relations" when it comes to our losses, or more appropriately, "expenditure" of time, money or anything else (like relative needing us during crisis)?
So, what is ethical or unethical? I would like to see this view-point debated upon. Till then, I hope some yet-unknown wealthy relative of mine notices my "merit"!!
Cheers!!!
When lipsticks cure...
I was just wondering about a brilliant business opportunity which also answers an age old quest to prevent medicine being regarded as a grim field. Well, my answer is, mix medicines and cosmetics!
Do I hear you asking "What? How? Why?" and all other interrogatives? Wait and breathe-in my theory.
Well, medicines and vaccines are nothing but powders clumped together in form of tablets, or liquids in bottles. Well, instead of the form which makes men shirk away from it, mix it up in ladies' cosmetics like lip-sticks, masceras, etc (sorry don't know any more terms).
Then when a guy goes for prescription, the scene would be something like this :
"Patient : Doctor doctor I have severe headache. Help me.
Dr : Ah easy! Apply this lipstick to your wife and kiss her on the lips 3 times a day.
Patient : And what about this ulcer in my mouth
Dr : Easy again! Apply this whatever-its-called on your wife's cheek and kiss her 2 times daily."
Features of this method :
Taking medicines would be a lot more fun.
Nobody will forget to take medicinces.
Helps in bringing couples together. Differences due to lack of being together shall get weeded out, or rather, kissed out.
Cosmetic sales will soar.
A kiss a day can keep the doctor away will be the slogan of the day.
Mallika Sherawat will have huge competition from the sickest of persons. Hmm, a case of "an eye for an eye", maybe?
Women can use this theory by mixing medicines in hair-gel or after-shave lotion or something.
How it can be applied to children is still under research.
Chances of population explosion lurk heavily on the theory.
Further advances by you in medicine with this theory, are invited with all due appreciation.
You would be really dumb to think I am serious.
Cheers!!!
Do I hear you asking "What? How? Why?" and all other interrogatives? Wait and breathe-in my theory.
Well, medicines and vaccines are nothing but powders clumped together in form of tablets, or liquids in bottles. Well, instead of the form which makes men shirk away from it, mix it up in ladies' cosmetics like lip-sticks, masceras, etc (sorry don't know any more terms).
Then when a guy goes for prescription, the scene would be something like this :
"Patient : Doctor doctor I have severe headache. Help me.
Dr : Ah easy! Apply this lipstick to your wife and kiss her on the lips 3 times a day.
Patient : And what about this ulcer in my mouth
Dr : Easy again! Apply this whatever-its-called on your wife's cheek and kiss her 2 times daily."
Features of this method :
Taking medicines would be a lot more fun.
Nobody will forget to take medicinces.
Helps in bringing couples together. Differences due to lack of being together shall get weeded out, or rather, kissed out.
Cosmetic sales will soar.
A kiss a day can keep the doctor away will be the slogan of the day.
Mallika Sherawat will have huge competition from the sickest of persons. Hmm, a case of "an eye for an eye", maybe?
Women can use this theory by mixing medicines in hair-gel or after-shave lotion or something.
How it can be applied to children is still under research.
Chances of population explosion lurk heavily on the theory.
Further advances by you in medicine with this theory, are invited with all due appreciation.
You would be really dumb to think I am serious.
Cheers!!!
Monday, July 03, 2006
Brilliant, what say?
I opened a PDF file in Adobe Acrobat Reader 6 and selected an option "read out loud" from view menu. Astonishingly, it read the document with high accuracy, both with regards to pronunciation and grammar, although sounding a bit too funny. I checked out that the adobe reader folder weighed just 44 MB. And that includes everything the whole program has.
Isn't it really amazing how much programming has developed? I am still in awe of the genius/geniuses who taught the computer how to read. Surely all the words aren't stored in the computer, due to the small size of the program. Nor does English have definite rules with regards to pronunciation and grammar, which complicates programming. Yet the people at Adobe have managed to achieve that. Hats off to them.
Cheers!!!
Isn't it really amazing how much programming has developed? I am still in awe of the genius/geniuses who taught the computer how to read. Surely all the words aren't stored in the computer, due to the small size of the program. Nor does English have definite rules with regards to pronunciation and grammar, which complicates programming. Yet the people at Adobe have managed to achieve that. Hats off to them.
Cheers!!!
A mental blackout...
It has been generally accepted that the electrical field sets up in a circuit at the speed of light. Well then, for once, imagine an LED connected to a button kept 3 lakh kilometers away. The voltage is high enough to overcome the resistance of the wire. Now if I keep on sending pulses through the circuit by opening and closing the switch at rate of 1 pulse per second (i.e. switch is closed for just half a second), what will happen to the LED? Will it blink? Or will be stay put like the Ahmedabad traffic signals on Sundays?
Keep thinking guys...
Cheers!!!
Keep thinking guys...
Cheers!!!
Sunday, July 02, 2006
An 'intensely happy' concert...
It isn't everyday that a friend offers you free tickets to a concert of Euphoria. Till yesterday I used to think of that band as one which confuses itself between tabla and rock themes, and ends up creating a somewhat forgettable song. But it seems I confused them for some other band. The event hosted by IIPM was on the outskirts of the city and after being much persuaded by my best friend, I relented and agreed to tag along with her. I had a few apprehensions about the place and all. We entered the arena and just to pass some early times, before the show began, I read the tickets. Voila! What do you know! We actually had VIP passes! IIPM people were helpful enough to allow us to enter the VIP arena with the already checked tickets.
Initially we were bombarded with a completely lame introduction by a girl who could never start a sentence without "but before that". And a performance by a person touted as the fastest guitar player in the country made me wish for earplugs. You may be the fastest player on the earth, but it doesn't matter a bit if you keep playing tuneless melodies and murder some of the best songs by your musical gung-ho. And his claim to fame being playing the guitars in normal, over the head and other seemingly dirty positions, only reminded me of Pingu, the monkey kid my sister is rearing.
But soon Euphoria saved me. The first thing that struck me about Euphoria is that, in today's age when the Rakhi Savants and the Bappi Lehris are busy performing musical homicides, this group was not keen to look different by their looks but by their music. Their music showed their efforts.
The band-members seemed so conventional, you could mistake them to be the college kids who have lost their way on to the stage. But each member has his worth in gold in the band. You can imagine them composing their songs at 2 in the night. There is Benjamin Pinto, a rather healthy darkish Goan, who would be having a bear in one hand, crying out loud rather rowdy jokes and playing the keyboard with the other hand. Then there is a guy, name forgotten, who looks like the kid next door, with his middle-parted long hair, supporting the members with some rhythm guitar. Then there's another guy, with clear cut hair cut, a French beard, square thin glasses, who brings about an air of responsibility in the group. Playing the guitar, he would remind the group of their shoot the next morning. Then there's a drummer who is as priceless as anyone else, with his deep beats. Palash Sen, of course, would be the magical leader of the band, composing the lyrics to the tune when Pinto would strike gold with a brilliant tune. After gathering a few tabla and dhol players, the band would come up with a masterpiece at about 3am. You could just see all this written over the band members.
One thing about Euphoria is their depth of lyrics and music. They provide the most inspirational music without needing any Eminem vocabulary. Their music is pure and non-conventional. Songs like Mayri, tum, mehfooz, dhoom pichak dhoom, kabhi aana tu meri gali, etc are truly gems. You can't help dance to the peppy numbers, nor can you fail to admire the depth and down-to-earth-kinda feeling to the lyrics jotted by the erstwhile doctor Palash Sen. And they command respect without resorting to any kind of false impressions. I turned into their eternal fan yesterday.
Another thing about the concerts is that you can never create the same environment, even with your astronomically priced home theatre systems. Forget the jumping around, the shear vibrations of deep bass rocks your brains out. You would admire even the songs, which you would term as a drag on your music system. Of course, the thing I dislike about concerts is that the crowd is involved by the singers far too many times in any song, creating discontinuities, which slightly deflate the "euphoria". 'Come on guys, we are here to listen to you sing, not the crowd. Have listened to them for four years in the name of classroom discussions and we need a break now! And whoever plans the disco-lights on the stage; please refrain from blinking them onto our eyes. It doesn't seem respectful to the band, if half the crowd is listening with a hand in front of their eyes to block out the idiotic lights.'
Of course, it need not be mentioned that the girls in the crowds are too pleasing to the eye. The crowd contained people from nook and corner of the city and beyond, maybe. I saw a grandma dancing away to the songs played at "ah-my-aching-ears" volume. And I saw a la-di-dah society woman (picked this from Priety Zinta's interview in Life today) brilliantly exposing the hollowness in today's parenting by placing her infant in a pram near the speakers. But then, some by-products of the lies promoted by the big screen, and a million dollar paycheck, always play the role of the concert jesters without their knowing it.
The concert has left me with a desire to attend a few more of those before I turn deaf. So anyone with free tickets to offer, do contact me!!
Cheers!!!
Initially we were bombarded with a completely lame introduction by a girl who could never start a sentence without "but before that". And a performance by a person touted as the fastest guitar player in the country made me wish for earplugs. You may be the fastest player on the earth, but it doesn't matter a bit if you keep playing tuneless melodies and murder some of the best songs by your musical gung-ho. And his claim to fame being playing the guitars in normal, over the head and other seemingly dirty positions, only reminded me of Pingu, the monkey kid my sister is rearing.
But soon Euphoria saved me. The first thing that struck me about Euphoria is that, in today's age when the Rakhi Savants and the Bappi Lehris are busy performing musical homicides, this group was not keen to look different by their looks but by their music. Their music showed their efforts.
The band-members seemed so conventional, you could mistake them to be the college kids who have lost their way on to the stage. But each member has his worth in gold in the band. You can imagine them composing their songs at 2 in the night. There is Benjamin Pinto, a rather healthy darkish Goan, who would be having a bear in one hand, crying out loud rather rowdy jokes and playing the keyboard with the other hand. Then there is a guy, name forgotten, who looks like the kid next door, with his middle-parted long hair, supporting the members with some rhythm guitar. Then there's another guy, with clear cut hair cut, a French beard, square thin glasses, who brings about an air of responsibility in the group. Playing the guitar, he would remind the group of their shoot the next morning. Then there's a drummer who is as priceless as anyone else, with his deep beats. Palash Sen, of course, would be the magical leader of the band, composing the lyrics to the tune when Pinto would strike gold with a brilliant tune. After gathering a few tabla and dhol players, the band would come up with a masterpiece at about 3am. You could just see all this written over the band members.
One thing about Euphoria is their depth of lyrics and music. They provide the most inspirational music without needing any Eminem vocabulary. Their music is pure and non-conventional. Songs like Mayri, tum, mehfooz, dhoom pichak dhoom, kabhi aana tu meri gali, etc are truly gems. You can't help dance to the peppy numbers, nor can you fail to admire the depth and down-to-earth-kinda feeling to the lyrics jotted by the erstwhile doctor Palash Sen. And they command respect without resorting to any kind of false impressions. I turned into their eternal fan yesterday.
Another thing about the concerts is that you can never create the same environment, even with your astronomically priced home theatre systems. Forget the jumping around, the shear vibrations of deep bass rocks your brains out. You would admire even the songs, which you would term as a drag on your music system. Of course, the thing I dislike about concerts is that the crowd is involved by the singers far too many times in any song, creating discontinuities, which slightly deflate the "euphoria". 'Come on guys, we are here to listen to you sing, not the crowd. Have listened to them for four years in the name of classroom discussions and we need a break now! And whoever plans the disco-lights on the stage; please refrain from blinking them onto our eyes. It doesn't seem respectful to the band, if half the crowd is listening with a hand in front of their eyes to block out the idiotic lights.'
Of course, it need not be mentioned that the girls in the crowds are too pleasing to the eye. The crowd contained people from nook and corner of the city and beyond, maybe. I saw a grandma dancing away to the songs played at "ah-my-aching-ears" volume. And I saw a la-di-dah society woman (picked this from Priety Zinta's interview in Life today) brilliantly exposing the hollowness in today's parenting by placing her infant in a pram near the speakers. But then, some by-products of the lies promoted by the big screen, and a million dollar paycheck, always play the role of the concert jesters without their knowing it.
The concert has left me with a desire to attend a few more of those before I turn deaf. So anyone with free tickets to offer, do contact me!!
Cheers!!!
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