The Uphill Battle

This post is about eating habits and diet in general. I figured this is the right moment to talk about it because ..

• I’ve had a good few months from the beginning of the year to understand food and consumption of food better.
• I have also had a chance to see, what can be asserted – as constant physical changes.
• It feels like the timing is perfect.

Having said that, I do say that whatever I speak of is purely my personal point of view and may be different to yours and that is perfectly alright. Everyone has a valid say on the internet so, do read on and if you disagree, then we have something to talk about, and that is an exciting outcome for me and I hope for you as well.

Food and I have had a very special relationship. It’s been a delicious journey so far. Early this year though, I was exposed to a couple of books and videos on YouTube. There is also a movie coming out that I urge you to watch closely. It seems like a new trend now, but trust me, it is one for the best. Check the resource section at the end of this post to learn more about what I learned.

So, the Elephant in the room was clearly- eating habits. Years of food abuse and I call it abuse because it was literally – abusive with very seemingly uncomplicated results, but just like a malware, it was lurking in the shadows. It’s very slow in its activity. The famous comedian Ricky Gervais cleverly put – One does not wake up one day looking fat and obese. It is a gradual thing.

So after learning about how Sugar is bad and everything in our super-markets had some kind of hidden sugar, I grew really weary of the things I was eating, for many many years. I started (and still do) cooking everyday.

But I’ll be brutally honest. Drinking warm-hot green tea or chewing on green vegetables – not the most tastiest things to eat on the plate. In fact, I abhor it. I buy these bags of green-leafy veggies – Kale, Baby Spinach, Arugula.. you name it, I buy it. But they sit in my fridge, and eventually rot away. I’ve since thought, why is it that I am repulsed to something that is essentially super healthy for me. Then, it hit me. My mind and body have been subject to tongue-tantalizing treats for all these years. That taste of nearly-burnt melted cheese, dancing on a sea of marinara sauce, with the crisp toppings , laying on a soft and tasty pizza bread is heaven for me. My body chemistry is totally skewed and it is by far the hardest thing I have come across. I have beaten many odds in life, made some tough choices and braved heavy tides.

But if you love food as much as I do, it’s a goliath – this giant. It’s usually not about the quantity, but all about the taste. If it tastes good, I will go through it in a jiffy. That is scary. Very scary.

I don’t know how many folks out there have gone through this feeling where they eat, and they feel satiated, then they feel like something is amiss and more is required, and get lured towards the ‘tasty treats’, that are oh so forbidden. I took notice of my eating habits and the portions I went through in one sitting, if something was inherently tasty.

Only when I stepped back and took notice of what I was eating and how much, did I realize the dangers of binge eating. It’s pretty amazing while you’re doing it, but when you see the results on your self and the lethargy just, gripping you tight, it makes so much sense to not do it anymore, till the next time you do it all over again. A bit like a drug addict, wouldn’t you say?

So my top tips for dealing with this … syndrome (I guess that’s what I am calling it now) are :

1. Pack a lunch. That makes you aware of how much you’re having.

2,Restrict portions to only enough for you to feel happy about. Like, actively restrict it.

3.Drink plenty of water. It’s true. It helps. It really really does.

4.Green tea may taste awful, but bite the bullet and do it anyway. Bit like doing multi-variate calculus.

5.Stay away from packaged foods, fast foods and places that give you Cheap Food. They are dangerous.

6.Cry if you may, but got to get those greens in your body. I hate it. I do. Tastes awful. But got to do it.

7.Exercise everyday. Just a bit, but goes a long way. It actually works. Needs discipline, but what serious       venture doesn’t, eh?

8.Snack carefully. I love snacks, but you got to be careful.

That’s all the advice I have so far. Thanks for reading.

Resources ::

🙂 Happy Watching

Alternatives Allure

Hello and welcome to a new year 2014.

Here’s a fun way to start your new year (it’s already started ) with this amazing track that I want you to listen to while you read this blog post.

This post is exclusively directed towards students in and around University of Texas at Arlington.

I came to the city of Arlington roughly an year ago. One issue that I faced and I’m sure a lot of new students face whether they come in the Spring session or Fall session , is getting around the city and buying basic items for daily use. The city has no public transportation except for the one bus . To find more about the bus service that runs from College Park Center to Center Port Station (TRE) , click here.

But this bus does not stop in between , except for maybe a single stop near the AT & T stadium (previously known as Cowboys Statdium , home of the Dallas Cowboys)

So , there lies the huge question of how to get around the city ?

Obviously , cars are the most logical option – and hence spawned the very lucrative system of paid rides. You can shell out drizzling dollars to get to almost anywhere beyond the realms of the campus. I know of many students who provide paid rides on cars that they have acquired. Some are bought , others are rented – and it makes a lot of sense because someone has to pay for the ride , gas and rent of the car itself . Usually , the cost is shared among the residents , so per person , the rough cost to get to Walmart or those motels is about $3 to $11 depending on the number of people. For those who work in Irving or Plano , paid rides are the most logical and faster option.

However , in a scenario where you’ve run out of groceries , run out of those essential elements that make your meal – it’s rather unsavory to depend on the mercy of a select few who could or could not be there to take you to Walmart , Bombay Bazaar , Patel’s or other stores that sell Indian stuff. There is really no real alternative to the amount of choices you’re offered at Walmart , Target , Kroger etc, though. Let me make that absolutely clear.

But I’m talking about general stuff. Stuff that you should not have to drive all the way to , like an expedition. There has to be a simpler , faster and more effective way. We are all students and we know how valuable time can be. Those late night assignment completions , project proposals and homework are part of Graduate/Undergraduate life.

I have found a solution for those students who do not have a car , who cannot afford frequent trips to Walmart , who don’t want to be subjected to the availability of dudes with car , for those who don’t mind a  bit of a walk. Honestly , it’s not even that big of a deal.

Now , this is in no way intended to stab the commercial pursuits of students on campus , the veterans who’ve been there when no one was , those who took us to the Airport lest we missed our flights. Dudes who offer paid rides in a city that has no public transportation is a luxury and I am very grateful for their dedication and clever outlook to make a quick buck off it.

So , without beating around the bush –

1)If you are looking for sauces , pasta , stationary , cups , plates , plastic stuff , chips , detergent , soaps , shower stuff , trash bags , paper towels , toilet paper etc etc .. you know what , there is a whole lot of stuff there , and I really don’t want to end up typing paragraphs of in-store inventory so just check the place out.

FAMILY DOLLAR – where everything is as cheap or even cheaper than Walmart.

Location : Family Dollar #8773 ,500 E Abram St, Arlington, TX ‎

(817) 462-4244 ‎ · familydollar.com

Here’s a map to guide you from Nedderman Hall to this place. Plan your visit according to your location. It’s got ton of stuff that you can buy which your totally need regularly but won’t have to drive all the way.

——————————————————————

2) If you are looking for all things Indian. Wait , not just Indian – but all things Middle Eastern – all the way from Turkey to Pakistan and everything in between.. this is the place to be. Fresh vegetables , fruits , pulses , cereals , grains , olive oils , avocados , Vitamin D milk , Curd , Buttermilk .. this is like nerd-fest for food lovers. I spend around 45 mins shopping there. They have almost everything you’d want from an Indian Store , and so much more.

Seriously.

INTERNATIONAL FOOD LAND – where you get almost anything you want which would give you them nostalgic home feels. They have a in-built restaurant too. Sweet!

International Food Land :1729 S Cooper St, Arlington, TX ‎, (817) 277-1611 ‎

Map directions are same as before – Nedderman Hall to International food land. It’s actually just on the same street as Family Dollar , just a few hundred meters ahead.

———————

This is not my way of promoting or advertising for a particular store or brand. This is what I have come across and shopped at and I’m quite satisfied with the service, options and convenience of my choice to shop at these locations. I have issued this blog post in the public interest so that students have the freedom to choose what is the best option for them. Being unaware is such a drag.

Thanks for reading. If you think this information is good enough to share , then share it.

All the best for the upcoming Semester.

Listen to this as you think about what you’re going to do for this semester :

Researched and Written by :

Shréyas Guné | The Quasar Syncopation

Twitter : @shreyas_gune

email – shreyas.enug@gmail.com

The Ten – Part One

It’s normal to be a bit nervous before your interview. Everyone deals with their fair dose of anxiety and sweaty palms. Mind drifting to unfavorable possibilities only to bring you back to the present with menacing force. I tried to be calm and composed and it felt like it was working , only that it did not. The sinking feeling overwhelming me , the emptiness in the stomach , dryness of the throat not easily eased by the quench of water.

I was alone , waiting in a normal office environment. The receptionist gave me a blank look. Nothing too particularly odd about that. I think she was a bit preoccupied with playing Hearts on what looked like Windows 98. That seemed a bit odd to me. Its 2013 , why is her PC still running Windows 98. I concluded that she liked the old school.

A small ring of the bell and I was summoned through the PA system. I was the only candidate present there. I was a bit happy about that – statistically increased my chances of getting hired. I fixed my looks and clutched my folder that had the best of me. I re-arranged my hat and entered the interview room. 

The door shut behind me and what I saw was completely mind-numbing.

 

A large room , as big as an auditorium. Spotless white. It was literally – just all white. Just a huge desk with ten people (interviewers) sitting there. All dressed in white. Clear crystal glasses of water , all precisely half-full. There were no windows , just some ventilation shafts. The hall (as I like to call it) was chilly and I could feel the vigor out of my hands fading away , or it may have been my nervousness amplified by my visions of the moment. 

As any confident interviewee would do , I walked up to each one of them and shook their hands. I had to leave a good impression. I read each of their names and tried to remember , so that when I am answering them , I could be specific. My seat was about 8 meters away from the ten.

From left to right , I read –

Delphine LaLaurie , Ilse Koch , Shirō Ishii , Ivan IV , Oliver Cromwell , Jiang Qing , Pol Pot , Heinrich Himmler , Adolf Hitler and Josef Stalin.

All of them smiled at me , but I could tell they were reading me , scanning me – judging me. Especially Mr.Hitler. He had a funny mustache , and I tried not to giggle (although I did leave a chuckle – he was not amused).

And then , the questions began.

 

The Flawless Conjecture – Prologue

Hey So I’m thinking of writing like a 5 part story-sorta-book-sorta thing. It will have only 5 chapters -about 80 pages worth of material in totality. It’s just something I’ve been thinking about , but nothing is concrete yet. 

 

I write a Prologue. Give it a read – tell me what ya think.

 

——————————————————————–

A bell rings.

The sound of footsteps echo through the corridor. The knob clicks open.

“Come inside.” He says with a dry smile.

“Well , aren’t you gracious.” She says , almost mirroring  his dryness but with an added sense of wit.

“Please , do hang your coat on that rack over there. It’s a humble request – I’m sure you won’t mind” he said with a silly grin on his face as if he had told a joke , pointing towards the coat rack.

“Right. I can agree to that.” She nodded and placed her coat on the rack. Then both of them proceeded to enter a large hall.

“Please make yourself comfortable. Do you fancy a drink?” he extended his hand to the bar beyond the study table.

“That’s very nice of you. However , I must … respectfully decline. You see , I don’t drink. But (pauses) , I reckon you don’t drink either . Judging by how aesthetically presentable you bar looks , there is a certain sense of symmetry to it. One cannot not notice it. It’s been untouched, perhaps for years.”

He smiles. “That’s clever. I was just being a good host. This is how things go , right? I welcome you into my house , offer you a drink.”

“It’s raining outside.” She says looking at the raindrops gliding down the glass of the windows.

“Yes. Your powers of observation are really remarkable.”

“Oh , stop it. You are flattering me.” She chuckles.

“Not at all. A gracious host offers honest compliments, does he not?” He asks with utter innocence.

“Yes. Yes. That he does. So if you are as gracious of a host as you say you are , why don’t you fetch me something refreshing to drink? I am a bit thirsty to be honest.”

“I somehow thought you would say that. Make yourself at home while I get something going in the kitchen.”

“If it is all the same , I wouldn’t mind coming along with you to your kitchen.”

“I thought you said you wanted me to ‘fetch’ you a refreshing drink. Wouldn’t be fetching you anything if you came along with me to the kitchen. “ He smiles , then pauses. She blinks at him in agreement.

“Oh sure , it would be my honor , although I don’t really want you to find yourself engaged in trifle work.”

“Aah. Yes. Still gracious”

“Follow me.” He says as they walk together towards the kitchen.

 

 

They arrive in the kitchen.

“I’m sure a lemonade will suffice.” He says with some confidence.

“Lemonade ? Now . Boy, you are a bit out there , aren’t ya?” she says in justified bewilderment.

“Can’t think of anything else. I grew up on this. It is easy. It is tasty. It is quite refreshing.”

“In the summer” she added.

“Forgive me. How about some cranberry juice instead?”

She walks past him. Opens up the fridge. Takes out a large portion of lemon. Cuts it into two pieces.

He looks at her , unequivocally embarrassed at the turn of events. “Oh don’t look so grim. Aren’t girls supposed to be good with these kinds of things?” she adds playfully.

“Uhh.. yes. I suppose” he responds , scratching his head.

Fetches two glasses from the top shelf. Squeezes them into the first glass. Adds a bit of salt and sugar. Then adds water. She then nudges the glass towards him.

“That was pretty quick.” He exclaims. “Thank you.”

She then proceeds to drink some water from the other glass.

“Is it refreshing enough for you?” she asks. “Yes. Quite.” He sips with joy.

“Look at you , so happy. You seem transported back to your childhood.” She says with a slightly crooked smile.

He walks towards her. Slowly. He raises his glass , click’s with hers. “Cheers. Here’s to the simple things ,eh”

“Yes. Simple things.” She responds with equally lackluster verve in her voice.

“Would you care to follow me back into the hall please?”

“Sure.” They walk silently back in to main hall.

“Have a seat “. They both sit down into old cozy oak chairs , cross-legged.

“So , What brings you to my part of the woods , Miss…”

“I think you already know the answer to that.”

“Do I?” he asks in utter confusion , almost choking on his lemonade.

“No. Not really. I was just trying to add a dramatic feel to the scheme of things.”

“Aah. Like enacting a play , yeah? Very intriguing. Do you know any good ones?”

“Ah , small talk? You are a bit predictable. But I like this.” She takes another sip.

He follows her with a sip off his own glass.

“It’s a pity. It’s almost time.” She says.

“Time for what?” He adds , smiling with a sense of satisfaction.

“You’ll see.” She adds.

“I’m sure I will”

They both finish their glasses. She begins.

“3..”

Their eyes affix each other.

“2..”

“1..” he concludes.

At an instant , both their glasses drop to the floor and they faint into a deep sleep.

The silence is only broken by the tick-tock of the clock and the sounds of the rain outside.

That’s how Winston and Martha first met.

All It Takes Is A Little Push

PVR Mulund – Plays Movies that Other Multiplexes think people are too dumb to understand/

I woke up this morning to go for a run. Never underestimate the power of predictability. I did not wake up early because I slept late. That probably hurt my ego a bit. In my defense it is so hard to wake up from the cozy embrace of me bed. Anyway , I decided to do something … different. 

I first saw the teaser of ‘Now You See Me‘ when I went to see The Reluctant Fundamentalist . The teaser had me hooked and I was sure I was going to go watch this movie. Motivated by this new found urge to experience thrill – I checked out movie timings on my Nexus 7 and found out there was only one theater playing this movie. PVR Mulund. Now I have a theory – I think other multiplexes think that it is a good idea to not play shows of movies that PVR Mulund has no problem showing because residents of Thane are too ‘LS‘ or ‘dumb- not_polished abrasive’ to watch these movies and hence these said movies wont do any business. Well , it’s just a theory. In all likelihood – they couldn’t get the distribution rights.

So I decided to see this movie alone. Now – it may look like a very sad case of events : Oh , I’m so bored. What do I do? I’ll go watch a movie. But whom should I go with? … *forever alone meme* .. I’ll go alone.

But let me assure you that was not the case. I was about to embark on a journey full of adventure , odds and excitement – and this was a journey not for the faint of the heart or pampered ponies. 

I put on a red checkered shirt and a black & white checkered shorts. Set my LG-C900 to audio mode and plugged in the earphones. Packed my backpack with trusty air pump , raincoat , bottle of water , keys (very important not to get locked out) and sufficient amount of money (don’t be stingy). I put on my red helmet and walked down to my my_dad’s ORBIA bicycle in slow motion. 

It was going to be a long journey but I was determined. It was 9:08 AM. 

Neil Peart’s Ghost Rider – Close Enough

It was a long journey. How long? THIS LONG.

Hiranandani Thane to PVR Mulund

 

A Very Cohesive Album

Cycle rides can be scary but they are equally fun. I had Karnivool‘s (Aussie Prog Giants) Sound Awake <I highly recommend that you please listen to this wonderful album here.> playing in the background as I rode that bike. The feeling was heavenly and if you listen to the album here you can understand what I’m trying to tell you. See what I did there? I just deliberately pushed the link to the album 2 times. Yes , it’s that good and when you are riding freely on an open road , rain pouring down on you – it’s something else. Witness to the chaos of traffic , the hand gestures , the street signs. People staring at me as though I’m a from a different country and I looked at them with gleeful smiles and thumps up. It rained as the songs changed from one mood to the other. The power of Karnivool shone brightly throughout the journey. Times got rough , as traffic got more menacing.  BEST buses on my tail , ready to run me down. Tourist (those idiotic for hire one’s that we all love to hate – the one’s with an encircled T on them) cars whizzing from one lane to the other. Competing bikers swooshing by with something to prove to a happy go lucky dude on a bike. It must have been my red helmet that caught the attention or maybe the grooves of Steve Judd that I was swinging to. 

Heart racing as muscles pumped – exhuming every ounce of energy from my the ends of my body. Okay , maybe it is getting too dramatic. It was fun to ride all the way. 

I parked my bike and locked it to a tree. Then I went to watch the movie. On my way back – the album continued to play and so did the exciting – near death-defying stunts – all just to get back home. I almost fell down twice and maneuvered around the elderly on four identical occasions. I complimented three wonderful girls , argued with two archaic security guards , befriended a Vada-Pav(Indian Burger) retailer and cut in a deal for better seats with the attendant at PVR Cinema’s Ticket Counter. I went into Crossword for a while and playfully turned pages of George R.R. Martin’s Game of Thrones : A Song of Fire and Ice Series. 

The review to ‘Now You See Me’ is coming pretty soon – but for the moment , I want you all to ponder over how risky but essential it was for me and is for anyone else to undertake certain journeys on a moments notice. I don’t regret this day (and it’s not over yet). I am not pompous of my little stint – but I wanted to share my experience with you all. Life’s about experiences – is it not? Its a New Day. 

All it took was a little push.

Cellular Clairvoyance

So , a friend asked me to develop  a story on a concept. The concept was cheesy and generic but it had potential and if treated right , could become something worth reading.

I think that in about 40 minutes , this is a decent first attempt.

 

A  (somewhat)Modern take on a known Fairy Tale

By Shreyas Gune

 

His muscles glowed with perfection against the suns reflection. I was a sunny day, rather hot than usual.

Thwack! Thack! Another great swing around the tennis court. “Forty-Love, Game and Set to Varun!” announced the referee. Varun had won another practice set !

“Here sir, have something to cool yourself.” Cindy, the wide-eyed, cherry-cheeked girl handed a warm towel and a refreshing Raspberry Delight to Prince Varun.  He sat on the chairs near the tennis courts, rehydrating himself. His opponent sat across him, and took hold of the day’s newspaper.

“Varun , your new movie has done wonders at the BOX OFFICE! Congratulations.” He said. Varun look a bit amused. In all honesty though, he was pretty excited by that comment. Cindy’s face lit up as well.

The senior Maid walked into the opening and summoned Cindy to help her prepare the lunch feast.  Varun left a brief wave at Cindy and walked away to take care of the days business. It was going to be a very important day. The Dhawan family was hosting a huge Ball that evening. All big film-stars, Celebrities and Royal families were going to attend this huge event.  It was a particularly joyous occasion for Varun .

“Vaaaarun! “Screamed a pale skinned girl dressed in Salwaar Kameez. She seemed to be in an overjoyed frenzy. After all, she was getting engaged to Varun this very night.

“Coming dear Radhaa!” asserted Varun as he walked briskly towards her. They hugged for a brief moment before Radhaa’s mother broke their current engagement and grinned towards Varun. She tapped Varun’s head and then escorted Radhaa for the evening’s preparation. As if Radhaa did not look absolutely stunning, Mrs. Verma believed she must out-look every girl visiting the ball and understandably so. Varun loved Radhaa with an unusual purity.

————————————————————————————–

“Oh that’s enough Cindy. Well done. Now go off for the day. You’ve done a lot. Today is his Majesty’s ball, and I’ve asked Monica and Nikita to fill in for you on tonight’s duty.”

Cindy was looking forward to be able to attend the ball, albeit in the capacity of a serving waiter. She hid her disappointment and stood up to walk out of the palace.

“OH CINDY!”.

Half way through, she halted. She walked back to the Senior Maid and sat down beside her.

“Here, take this. Don’t tell anyone! Shhh”

She handed an Invitation Pass to the evenings Ball and placed a finger on her lips. Cindy did not speak anything and hopped out of the palace in excitement.

———————————————————————————————

Vrooooooom…Brrrr Brrr….BRrrr.Brooooom…Vrooooom. Babulji’s Rickshaw puttered.

“Hahah.. Cindy beta. You are early today!” said Babulji , smiling like a sage.

“Yes Babulji , but I need to get home quickly” Cindy said , trying to contain her grin. “Accha.. Beta. Come sit down fast. Today, I will not take any more passengers”

Cindy got into Babulji’s ricksaw and they drove away along the old Village road.

“So Cindy beta, why in such a hurry?” Babulji asked.

“Oh, I got an Invite to the evenings Ball. Don’t ask from where okay?” She smiled wildly.

Babulji closed his eyes. He was reminded of his own daughter and this pure innocence. A teardrop trickled down his cheek.

Cindy saw this in his rear view mirror and lost her joy.

Babulji realized that Cindy was silent for a moment and he quickly re-configured the conversation.  “So Cindy beta, wearing anything special for tonight?”

OH NO! Cindy had not considered about the evenings dress at all. The rickshaw struggled and came to a halt outside Madam Trisha’s house. “Bye Babulji. Thanks!” Cinday hurried into her house.

Babulji cleaned his spectacles, smiled once more, got into his Rickshaw and puttered away.

“Trisha Mausi! I’m home!” Cindy walked into the small house. Madam Trisha got up from her swinging rest chair and gave Cindy a nice big hug.

“Mausi , I have a problem. I got this Invitation for today’s Ball but I don’t have anything to wear.  What should I do?”

“Worry not my dear child! Your Mausi is there for you.” Madam Trisha walked into her room. Opened the old wooden cupboard. It was a relic. She studied the contents and pulled out a package from the top right shelf. This will be perfect. Brings back good memories, she thought to herself.

“Here, wear this.” Cindy opened the package. It was a white gown , with strawberry lilies drawn with a eye-appealing opacity. Her eyes widened than usual and tears started flowing down. She hugged Trisha mausi once more.

It was seven in the evening. All the guests had arrived. Fine classical music filled the great hall. The king delivered his speech with poise and conviction. Everyone was in a happy and pompous mood. The main feature of the night was the ‘Dance of Anonymity’. As it was tradition, all the bachelors and all the bachelorettes had to wear masks and on the great halls dance floor.  It was a magical tradition, and as the King recalled, it was how he met his lovely queen.

Varun was dressed to perfection. A royal scarlet Sherwani with a golden scarf. The Empires insignia embroidered on it.  The dance was about to begin. Varun got up , ready to light his feet on  fire.

“Varun Beta, come here” the King summoned his son. “Bend down a bit.” Varun bent closer. The King clenched the golden scarf and pulled it out. “Now go, you don’t need this.”

Varun realized ( I see what you did there) smiled back at his father and mother. Then he walked on to the dance floor. The music entered the halls with a crescendo and everyone surrendered to the beat.

Cindy, in her white gown, looked so wonderful , words cannot not encompass the description and beauty. She stumbled on the dance floor a bit but her partners did not seem to mind. Her beauty had entranced all. Raadhika looked stunning as well with layers of make-up and hours of preparation. However she spent a long time searching for Varun.

Then, as if it were fate – Cindy and Varun met. Varun had no clue that Cindy was due to her mask of anonymity but Cindy knew that it was Varun. She had done his laundry for him.

They danced and danced till the night went black, their eyes affixed to each other.  Their faces closed in , inch by inch. Time had stopped still, everyone seemed distant. As if they were engaged in the Dance of Eternity. Their faces drew closer, until it was too close. It was going to happen. Cindy had dreamt of this Kiss.  There was a short nudge, and Varun pecked Cindy’s cheek with a soft tap of his lips. Then he smiled and proceeded to pull of Cindy’s mask. Scared that her identity will be revealed, she moved away. In her haste, she lost her balance and took support of the neighboring dancers to regain her.

Tha-dum.

She ran from the ball room, leaving Varun lost, dazed and confused.  The mystery girls face invaded Varun’s mind. He pondered on the dance floor and noticed a Cellular phone . It was pin locked but he knew it belonged to the girl in the white gown.  He kept it in his pocket and proceeded to have his dinner.

The ball had ended. The King, Queen and Royal guests were escorted to their resting quarters. Varun politely asked Radhaa’s sister to take Radhaa home. She was drunk out of her mind.  Varun went back to his chambers and kept the Cellphone on the common table.

Cindy walked back home – tired, exhilarated and content. Trisha welcomed her back into the house. No words were exchanged. She was in love. They both knew. She went to bed.

Next morning, Babulji greeted Cindy and drove her back to the Palace for post-ball cleanup. Something bothered her, she realized something was amiss.

The senior Maid greeted her with a sly smile. “So, did you have fun last night?” “YES! I did. Thank you so much!” she hugged the senior maid and proceeded to work.

In the Princes chambers, she started her cleaning chores. On the common table, she witnessed an old telephone from the 1970’s. She turned the dials to reach her number in hopes of recovering her lost cellular phone , hoping she would recover it back in the unlikely event it was rescued by someone and kept in somewhere around.

“Always Look on the Bright Side of Life. Ta-dum ….Ta-dum ta dum ta dum!”  by Monty Python  – cell phone rang with this ringtone.

 

Varun walked into the room with her cellphone “Looking for this?”

 

They both just looked at each other, eyes dreamy.

 

 

THE END

This story has been written by Shreyas Gune. Idea and character names were given by Sanika More.

© 2012 Shreyas Gune  |https://quasarsyncopation.wordpress.com

{Those Strands on Thy Head} – 5th June , 2010

I  had been planning to see a movie ,  a documentary movie by comedian Chris Rock. It was something I had seen on VH1’s ‘Hollywood Buzz’ show. So , I came back home , and started to see it.
The name of the movie is : ‘Good Hair’

http://www.solarmovie.eu/watch-good-hair-2009.html

It started of as a introspective look at the African American community and how they use hair enhancing products that make use of harmful chemicals etcetera. Then , the theme shifted to ‘weaving’. Now, from what I know  , Indians do not weave their hair. That does not happen. Of course , people going bald do so , but not normal folks , like you and me. Contrary to this  , Americans weave their hair all the time – is what the movie proves basically. We have esteemed African American celebrities admitting that they spend about 1000$ .. that’s about .. 50,000INR on hair bunch. That is just the
start. I mean , people working day-jobs buy that. It goes till about 3,500$ generally.

The Temple where Hair is devoted.

What caught my attention though , was the fact that all this hair comes from India.
I’d been talking a lot of smack about this glorious country (and I do mean it at this juncture) , and it took such a simple topic as hair to sort of , prove me wrong (about a certain aspect). Chris Rock then travels to India , most importantly South India , to introduce the viewers of the world to the .

 

 

My dad is a regular visitor , so I did over hear something called as ‘sabri malay’ . The devotees sacrifice their hair to the lord in return for his blessings. Hair in Indian cultures has been considered very important  , and styling it has come into the the limelight maybe in just a decade or so. Otherwise , good , black , long hair is a sign of superiority in Indian subculture. Men though are
expected to have hair nicely sharply cut , well combed and visibly pleasant.  It was reminiscent of the time I had seen Global Metal a documentary about Heavy Metal subculture around the world. So anyway , I noticed the apparent auctioning of the abundant hair from our country to foreign land where it is sold at insane prices , the likes of which the people working in the hair factories of India for meager wages will never dream of. This however , did not catcht my eye.
After all the crap that I so earnestly believed and admitted  , declared rather – that the backwardness of this country and how its people , especially the establishment is predominantly adamant and not progressive and all. To some extent , you know I am right , and you know I don’t mean it in a ‘escapist’ kind of a way. I want to focus more on the people.
The simplicity and humility that Indian people have imbibed in them , is truly remarkable . I mean the n00bs on Reality TV making a mockery of themselves or the bureaucratic slime everyone wishes to eradicate some day in the distant future , when my glass-jar preserved brain may be able to enter an android body
and bear witness the Future.
The everyday values , the helpful , hardworking nature and most of all , the adaptive capacity and the underlying innocence. No one can rob that off us. Having said that , I see the trend shifting to more  neo-anarchist …no no.. hold up…. wrong word , ‘pretend-it-all’ like state .

Nothing’s perfect. At least I know most of my elder generation has had good values and I abide by them.
We all have great potential , and even if we lack resources , we do not like creativity. Even if the  educational setup forces more on theoretical studies rather than interactive , we cant do anything about it.  I believe in my people.

Live long , and prosper my fellow countrymen.
Jai Hind!

 

A Darkness Descends

PS:- Next time you are about to have a >300Rs Haircut , just think for a second. Tha’s all ‘m sayin’ …

SuperMassive Initiation

So this is it. The first official post . This is ..

The Quasar Syncopation. Why the odd title? Well , you tell me of what you interpret. After all this blog is all about interactivity. In fact , I think the Web is all about connectivity and sharing of content.

So , let me first begin by categorizing things.

This blog has 3 sections.

Section 1 : The Immortality of Sound : Blog series from the Archives , Music news , developments and Album Reviews.

Section 2 : Seventh Tech of a Seventh Tech: Tech Talk , product reviews , underlying theories.

Section 3 : Literally Literature : A collection of Short Stories , Articles and Experiences. Some new , some from the archives.