1825 : Urdu “Kareeney” means ?

It appears in many songs and dialogues, the most notable being from Kaminey’s title song – “Jeene sab kareneey, theey hamesha se hi kaminey”

A contextual guess in a sentence like that would lead me to believe it means – mode, rules, way of life, contours of life.

Urdu is not my natural tongue (and for that reason, I truly envy some Paki friends and their unbelievably fantastic diction!!) – but a little reading seems to suggests, it actually does that mean that – instead it means “bells and whistles” and usually used in a celebratory context…..like you would use it to say Mehendi is a kareeney for a wedding.

If I am wrong please help me learn better.

1824 : Pride

I have posted about this before, I have only immense pride to work for my current workplace. I do think that the place is well past its prime, and might decline for the next few years – its like the Microsoft of the Tech industry, hated, very rich, has zealots working for it – and guess what, 50 years later, I can bet my last breath on this – it will still be around….would you bet that on Facebook?….blah!!

I love working with the best folks in the world….I love pushing myself….I love the pride I have every day walking to work….and that to me is far more important than dollars and falsettos.

Looks like I will be around here, till I die, retire or am fired….the only organization who might lure me – might be Microsoft

(Seriously….I have only respect for the big M of Technology, and big Ji of my industry )

1823 : The unknown hand

Someone very close to me, lost her precious earring – made of diamond and gold, probably worth 30k a pop.

She was very upset and visibly distraught.

She was mumbling something to the effect, that hopefully no one ever finds it and “it” finds a nice peaceful resting place.

My view is actually very different. I hope someone who needs to value finds it, and does something good for the cash. I really hope.

Uncle universe works in mysterious ways, if you believe that, you shall always believe in the proverbial pot of gold, like I bloody well do

1822 : I am a Lankan in Bangalore

Strangely Raavan has been trying to learning Kannada, which is way different from Tamil or Sinhalese.

For the past two days he has been mumbling along – “Amba-tata-ta” and “atta-atta-um-umma”….

I don’t know which neurons in his head are getting mixed up

1821 : Dilbert on a cloud :-)(by Scott Adams)

1820 : Walking out

He said goodbye and walked out - stood right in the middle of the road...waiting for the busy intersection to the devour his microcosm. Within seconds the world closed on him, quite eerily like the diaphragm of his camera's shutter - working on aperture priority.

1819 : The great divide

As we spoke, "yours" became completely yours and "mine" was so distinctly mine. This tiny world of ours was so meticulously sliced by the ensuing war of wor(l)ds.

1818 : Seems like a very popular car license number

And I have never understood whats special or lucky about this.

1817 : Banish the clock

I find it fascinating that modern day homes/parents/lives seem obsessesd with filling up time…..and I don’t mean it in a derogatory sense at all.

They all do “fun things” like a visit to Wonderla, Cinema, mall shopping and the ilk.

I am still boringly old fashioned….I love waking up lazily, endless cup of chai, maybe a long lazy brunch, lolling around and driving around aimlessly.

If I ever have a daughter or son, I hope she sees my game. I hope she rests her head on my ginormous tummy and we both do nothing at all….except other than playing tickle torture !!

That is my “weekend”, its where not just time stops, but “suburban life” too stops.

We are back to being like animals talking to the wind.

(Actually my idea of vacation is exactly the same, I have no remote desire to go and see the pyramids at all…not on my vacation at least!! Vacation is to stare at the beach and hog and possibly doze endlessly!!)

1816 : The ghost wanderer

My fascination with ghosts continue, I walk around my lovely Bombay, and bump into apparitions at every corner.

Apparitions who were once flesh and blood, blood which I kissed once, and I still  seem to think I will intimately know them.

…….yet, today when I tried and hug these apparitions, I simply seemed to walk right past them.

Like all ghosts, there seem unfinished business here !!

1815 : Koan : Misifit, I

When I say folks sitting next to me on the flight, criticising the newer generation, because of their camera, ipad and facebook obsession….they sound exactly like me, but I don’t seem to agree with it at all

1814 : On my way to Kyoto

Continuing from my previous post, I do seem to genuine like a city like Bangalore a little more. It seems my type.

A city like Indore or Shimla might even be a little more fun. In the beginning I was wondering whether I would ever adjust to this idyllic lifestyle…..But I have to say now….I am leaning more down tuning down.

And eventually I do want to retire into Kyoto with my Japanese wife , just like the other Iyer.

1813 : Show me the money

Being in Bombay, you realise how money is an essential attribute of every conversation, discussion, joy and laughter.

Its quite figuratively the invisible elephant in the room, always there, and yet never there.

Bangalore like a sleepy small village seems different, money is still an afterthought, it creeps when it is decision point – the difference being – in Bombay you say how many apples do I get Rs.100, versus in Bangalore you still say, I need 10 apples, now lets check how many can I really afford.

There is no good and bad here, and neither is the end result very different – in both cases you get apples worth 100….but somehow the second approach seems to be more metaphorical and less obscene – it just seems like that.

1812 : WTF ness

Flying high, it always hits me when the pilot announces in a saccharine induced doped state with a voice engraved with the word “fake” all over it – “We are 39000 ft above sea level, and the temperature outside is –20 degrees C”.

Now, why is this important to me? How do I verify it? How do I use it? He could as well tell me that we are flying over the Lunar Crater, and it will make no perceptible difference to me – as long as I can breath, and stare out into vacuity.

And every dope induced pilot does that – and other things like we are flying against “northerly winds”…..great….this is such juicy information for a person who is usually focussed on more earthly matters like “where is the next potty seat”.

Ahem!!

1811 : The circuit board

Stare out of a plane window at night and look at any modern city from about 5000 ft, and it looks exactly like a 90s electrical circuit board, more precisely a PCB (printed circuit board).

Don't lie, admit it, you have felt that before as well.

1810 : Who is wrong and who will write

For years I have had this feeling that there are stories and poems within me (and hell no, I dont mean it like Rushdie or Orhan Pamuk) but yes, I feel there is a tale to be told.

In the past two days quite suddenly I have felt that undiluted germ of an idea rising in my brain. Where will that go? Am unsure. Its one thing to have a germ, and another to have to fight a disease.

Should start scribbling soon….

1809 : That unfinished poem

Something utterly magical and mesmerising about seeing eyes close in front of you….rocking himself slowly to sleep.

With passing moments, as the eyes smile – ever so blurrily ingesting the world as it is shutting down rapidly – you realise how fragile and beautiful life is….almost uncannily like dying. 

1808 : Hold him in your arms till you feel his disease

Heard a new version of the Beatles classic “Come Together” by guess who…..come on…take a shot….The man in the mirror himself….MJ…Michael Jackson.

The version is awesome, but not as great as the Soundgarden one, which is for me better than the original….its raw, its edgy and anthemic !!

1807 : An oldie falling in love

When you are in college and you fall in love, you dont even entertain the possibility that the testosterone infused high, will come eventually come to an end. As you mature a little, and blow your teens away, it occurs to you, that as long as this shall last this way “forever” you don’t need to wish for anything else ever.

At my age though, when you fall in love (again!!, like me!!) – all you do is count your blessings and take delight in every day, since you pretty much know – that like all things transient and beautiful – there will be a time, when we shall all look back at these times, teary eyed and nostalgic.

1806 : Am I the only unusual bastard?

I have this constant incessant craving, almost maddening and deadening in its decibel, to move towards silence !! (yes the pun was intended).

I want to sleep lazily, stare at the pool, read a book possibly in the bath, jog for 10kms – but I dont want to facebook, email, talk, socialise, schmooze, or be a twit.

I feel I dont get enough of alone time – and thats probably the closest I can get to explain why I dont log onto facebook – knowing fully well, that not doing so, means I miss out on my dear friends.

Weirdly, enough, I know I am going to die alone, and that I am not looking forward to.

1805 : Car brands in India

Raavan thinks they are Shi-shi-kee, Two-yee-oh-tah, Hunn-die, Onda, Choda (Skoda), Much (Merc) and Booh-booh-dabooh (BMW).

I guess there must be no voice over artiste in Lanka, their dialect seems to complete knot up the tongue

1804 : Zombie

I see a whole host of folks who live a life only to wind their dependencies up. They work because they can feed, they feed so that they can fuck, they fuck so that they can breed, they breed so that they can brood, they brood so that they can fret, they fret so that they can decay, they decay so that they can hold onto life, they hold onto life so that they dont die.

I see these folks at my office, at my apartment complex, in my flight…and hell no…I dont mean to judge them, but their ilk does perplex me quite a bit.

1803 : Megalomaniac

\I got a comment on my blog from some Anonymous chap, who wrote a long tirade, which in summary meant I am a totally self obsessed, self indulgent megalomaniac….and he (can’t be a bloody “she”) seems to figure that from my blog.

I sit and wonder, what if it is really true

1802 : Free Willy

Standing in the men’s room urinating, using all possible hands you have – its mesmerising to see folks stand there with both hands on their BB typing out a message – their tiny keyboard going distractedly clickety clackety clickety clackety……

These are obviously the most advanced forms of the male in the species, their appendages have wills, desires of their own – and not to mention the ability to support themselves.

For the others like me – we cannot text from the urinal, and we waste at least  few mins of our daily day hand tied

1801 : Reconnecting with the dead

Its sometimes good to reconnect with your lost loved ones, even when you fully  know that ghosts are nothing but fly by night vapourware

1800 : Kafka by the ghee

The first day for my car without its sunfilm and guess what, thats the day I have to park in the sun. After about 2 hrs I enter my car, its like a fucking oven….I am not even remotely exaggerating.

I drove 6 kms back home, without an AC since I dont think the AC would have managed to win over the angry sun.

I am wondering how much the lack of these films will impact an increase in fuel costs, due to increased AC usage, due to lack of the film…due to some twitass who thought tinting was uncool. Does anyone at all understand any macroeconomics here?

(and oh BTW, if you did not know, all the Babus, all police chaps and all senior government officials are allowed to tint their car. This is not just class bias, but it also makes me feel so safe, because the politicos and police chaps are never involved in rape ever !!…what a bunch of nutty jackbunny rabbits!!)

I feel my country is no longer mine, its  instead a bunch of banana chomping twitasses on high octane testosterone, who keep going – whats the next thing to do make this place a little more Kafkanesque !!

1799 : Tongue in cheek

This comment (to an entry) of mine on The Sunfilm ban in bangalore deserves a post in itself.

So to respond to that post http://spinningawheel.blogspot.in/2012/05/1798-be-sorry-feel-safe.html, my alter ego Hailshapes said (something to the effect of)

Shun film…go digital !!

1798 : Be sorry, feel safe !!

Starting 19th, every car in bangalore will be shorn of its sun film.

Why ?

Don't be so naive.

This will allow the lone cop who mans every square km - peer into the 100 passing him by every minute - and he can save you from rape, murder, arson..and all the bad things in the world.

Those lovely pot bellied men could not do much yet because of the screen - now that the decks are off...here come the magnificent men in their riding machines (sans the mandatory helmet !!)



I feel safe and snug like my baby. To the powers that matter, here is my humble request ( to make me feel safer and safer...almost as if I were cocooned in a prophylactic, usually helps a lot when you are getting effed.)

1. Ban windows in homes. Homes should have a open gap...cops stare in, they can save us from domestic abuse.

2. Ban hijab....who wants to respect religion...we want to save the world.

3. All movie halls should have lights on during screening...no hanky lanky in darkness.

4. Driving at night....all cars should have internal light always on...else how can potbelly know if a rape is being sequenced.

5. No more tinted sunglasses. What if you belong to a dreaded suicide bombing organisation. We like to see our enemies. 6. No more pranoy Roy beards....beards hide the man.

7. Corollary to point 1 - ban on curtains.

I am sure I shall think of a few more.

Farmer suicides, markets tanking, policy deadlock, all can wait...what's important is safety of our citizens.

I love my fruity republic....smells like banana...and feels like a lemon :-)

1797 : The wrong road

Years later, sitting with one of those self-help quacky meditation experts, just as he said, "Lookin !! Watch your breath before it disappears fast." In that blink I knew, not one, but I had missed many road signs.

1796 : Did I miss the signpost ?

I remember walking down this silent alley, when quite suddenly a huge man with a burlesque voice said "Lookout !! It's coming fast". I thought he was a floating geese and walked straight past him.

1795 : To write or not to write

For as long as I can remember...my head was and always has been full of stories. It hurts me like Pamuk's prophetic words, that I might never write anything that will be remembered beyond a 100 years. Somedays, as I sip my poison, it occurs to me that life is passing by...and there is much lesser in the future than there was in the past :-(

1794 : The uneasy equilibrium

My life seems in a perpetual state of shaky equilibrium....hopefully some day the balance shall turn, pun intended :-)

1793 : What the world wants

It's difficult to figure, and even more so when you want to discover it as part of a communal experience. The world will continue spinning long after I have done my last potty, and that gives me solace

1792 : Not writing is a bit like not having my daily chai

Its not an addiction, neither does it cause cerebral withdrawal symptoms, but yes, a good spicy cup and song….can just change the course of the lovely day.

Looking forward to getting back into this mould. Missed ya !!

1791 : The Iyer I shall always want to be, Pico by Pico !!

1790 : I loved this one :-)