Sundays again

Once more on sundays .. how I am spending my sundays here .. sundays here mean to me a day when I can get up late .. as my boss does not come before lunch .. so for the morning I can refrain myself from going to office .. then I sometimes are spent in household stuff .. interior decoration of the room .. as one would jokingly say .. basically cleaning up the room and putting the scattered books on the shelf .. occasionally sorting them out to select which are papers I can throw away .. by doing all these I would miss my breakfast .. one can always do without breaking the fast for one half of a day .. then I would go for a nice shower .. a bit longer one .. put on some music as I remain busy in shaving .. the only time in the week I put my system in a loud volume ..

then the boring day starts .. with a very uninteresting menu for the lunch .. and I feel that I would have better cooked for myself only if I could .. then shall come to the office ..check mails .. read other people's blogs .. and then would try passing time with the net at my disposal .. at times I go back to room if I feel sleepy ..

then come back for tea.. check mail once again .. my father's long "robibasorio"(Sunday special) long mail would have come by then .. then give him a long reply .. and then start thinking about where to go for the dinner as we have to dine out on Sundays .. then again start PR, contacting people .. who are interested in going .. then would end up with a big gang people usually suggesting very unteresting places to go for dinner .. but I would go .. for I am a social animal .. and friends are not to be turned down ..

then the day would end .. leaving me with the tension of the next week that is about to come with all its assignments and pending jobs .. and you start getting reminder from people around about the various deadlines set for the next week .. and I woulf feel disgusted with all these business .. and would decide to sleep early to give the new week an early, fresh start .. for every beginning expects so much from you ..

and I go to sleep with all the worries, and tensions and anxieties .. and my last resort .. music .. my best friend for the weekend ..

"WITH YOU ALONE"

WITH YOU ALONE

Where Morning, at the cross roads,
Via Afternoon, into Evening corrodes--
That's where on my own
I shall meet with you alone.
Where City, just across a by-lane at the border,
Assumes the evening suburban order--
That's where on my own
I shall meet with you alone.
Where Evening, in search of Nocturne
Upon Chronos' prod, decides to sojourn--
That's where on my own
I shall meet with you alone.
Where the Stars, at the sky's borderline,
Turn into a silent harmony unconfined--
That's where on my own
I shall meet with you alone.
Where Sky, in an envelope of watery Cloud,
Sends you a letter with Rain's shroud--
That's where on my own
I shall meet with you alone.
In the flood of your tears, where Rain
Tells stories of someone else's pain--
That's where on my own
I shall meet with you alone.

- a song by Suman Chatterjee (Kabir Suman)

Sundays

once upon time
I used to enjoy my sundays
with community cooking
and chatting with friends
true friends

now that the days have changed
these days are passed
by carrying out duties
that I am assigned to

Now on Sundays ..
I go to eat out
not for enjoying myself
but i have to go
to survive, it's a routine ..

companies.. these days
are more formal ones
no true friends
(feeling lonesome ..)

where are you my good old friends?
my heart wants to reach out to you
not knowing how to
and before even i start ..

all those
formalities,
responsibilities,
duties I am assigned to ..
tie me up again.

remembering Dylan, all on a sudden ..

How many roads must a man walk down
Before you call him a man?
Yes, 'n' how many seas must a white dove sail
Before she sleeps in the sand?
Yes, 'n' how many times must the cannon balls fly
Before they're forever banned?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many times must a man look up
Before he can see the sky?
Yes, 'n' how many ears must one man have
Before he can hear people cry?
Yes, 'n' how many deaths will it take till he knows
That too many people have died?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

How many years can a mountain exist
Before it's washed to the sea?
Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist
Before they're allowed to be free?
Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head,
Pretending he just doesn't see?
The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind,
The answer is blowin' in the wind.

random thoughts ..

have been thinking about writing on the most relevant issue of the day just gone by ..

what is this Vday for? How much does one need it?

some comments against and in favour ..

it is just a stupid celebration .. popularised by the businessmen seeking for some event to befool people (aam janta) to invest their money on .. really one does not need such a day to celebrate .. why should one need one particular day to show his/her dear ones that he/she cares? When this concept was not there .. was there no love between couple? Would not have they celebrated in their own possible way to express the affection they would store for each other? Then why do you need to have one particular day to express your love and affection? True love needs not be public anyway!

well .. to see from other perspective .. this day is just like any other celebration .. if one says that one does to need to have such a day then on that ground one does not need to celebrate one's Birthday .. one does not need to celebrate any puja .. for god is always worshipped in the devotee's heart and soul .. and the worship does not need to be public. One does not need to have birthday celebration as nothing special happens on a bithday .. nothing changes one's life on a b'day .. but still the celebration / a b'day gift makes one feel happy, that he/she is remembered by others .. a V'day gift, in the same fashion, makes one feel good, that he/she is loved by someone on the earth.. just that .. who does not want to be loved?

So no need to raise any debate about the neccesity of such a day .. let people who like to enjoy it enjoy .. and let them be happy in their own way .. let the people who do not feel the need for it not be bothered by this hype, one can always find happiness the way he/she prefers it to have. Vday is not a sine-qua-non for our existence neither it is to be removed from the calender!

Nonetheless, Life is beautiful!

gaan!

a perfect bengali song for today!

http://www.ganguly.de/mannadey/manna_72.ram

'Page 3'

Watched the movie Page3 yesterday .. a movie with a documentary touch .. liked it! It portrays the reality .. which may not necessarily be familiar to us for .. the society being depicted is unkown to us. But it is an bold attempt. The editing was intentionally (perhaps) kept at a 'raw' level (without the refinement) .. that gives the movie a documentary look.

Happy Birthday!

This blog is devoted to a close friend of mine .. who had a significant impact on my life in my Cambridge days .. the person who is different from any other individual that I have come across till now!

I remember our first visit .. at my other friend's place in the Angel's court, Trinity .. there was a get together of 4/5 people .. for having some musical evening .. and there I first saw him .. with his trademark-black overcoat .. and the characteristic smile on his face!

And he sang "fagu khele .." (a 'Bada geet', Asamese fock song) .. and our friendship began ..

many a time he surprised me with his power of telepathy (or should I say super-human capability of reading the mind) .. all my friends in Cambridge got to come across some such examples of his "extra-ordinary" capabilities.

And how can I forget the days of our staying together from the dawn to dusk .. reading .. chatting .. eating together .. and listening to music ..

He is the person who first made me interested in Western Classical Music .. his first gift to me on my first birthday in Cambridge .. a pack of three CDs of "time to relax" is still an asset for me .. he is the one to bring me to the world of various chants/miserere/hymns .. be it Gregorian chants or Tibetian hymns ..

He is about to finish his thesis in a very interesting subject .. here goes my best wishes to him on this very special day!

To you, my friend; to our friendship!

Adieu

Incidentally this song influenced Kabir Suman to write his "Biday Parichita" [= Adieu, my known lady!] (a modern bengali song) .. this is one of the best written lyrics .. to my knowledge!


Farewell Angelina
...........................

Farewell Angelina
The bells of the crown
Are being stolen by bandits
I must follow the sound
The triangle tingles
And the trumpet play slow
Farewell Angelina
The sky is on fire
And I must go.

There's no need for anger
There's no need for blame
There's nothing to prove
Ev'rything's still the same
Just a table standing empty
By the edge of the sea
Farewell Angelina
The sky is trembling
And I must leave.

The jacks and queens
Have forsaked the courtyard
Fifty-two gypsies
Now file past the guards
In the space where the deuce
And the ace once ran wild
Farewell Angelina
The sky is folding
I'll see you in a while.

See the cross-eyed pirates sitting
Perched in the sun
Shooting tin cans
With a sawed-off shotgun
And the neighbors they clap
And they cheer with each blast
Farewell Angelina
The sky's changing color
And I must leave fast.

King Kong, little elves
On the rooftoops they dance
Valentino-type tangos
While the make-up man's hands
Shut the eyes of the dead
Not to embarrass anyone
Farewell Angelina
The sky is embarrassed
And I must be gone.

The machine guns are roaring
The puppets heave rocks
The fiends nail time bombs
To the hands of the clocks
Call me any name you like
I will never deny it
Farewell Angelina
The sky is erupting
I must go where it's quiet.

- Bob Dylan

"Sacrifice"

Remembering thorugh this song, a friend, whose favourite song is this one ..
.....................................

It's a human sign
When things go wrong
When the scent of her lingers
And temptation's strong

Into the boundary
Of each married man
Sweet deceit comes calling
And negativity lands

Cold cold heart
Hard done by you
Some things look better baby
Just passing through

And it's no sacrifice
Just a simple word
It's two hearts living
In two separate worlds
But it's no sacrifice
No sacrifice
It's no sacrifice at all

Mutual misunderstanding
After the fact
Sensitivity builds a prison
In the final act

We lose direction
No stone unturned
No tears to damn you
When jealousy burns ...

- Elton John

yesterday watched the movie, Black .. highly recommended! :-)

Frame

Many a time I think of capturing a glimpse of a wonderful sight that is seen in my institute, but perhaps left unnoticed. From the colonade (wind tunnel, as it is popularly known as) one sees the big Banyan tree placed at the very entrance of the institute, the ground being known be owned by the School of Mathematics and they are the only priviledged people to have any celebration on that ground! The Banyan tree itself offers a good photograph if taken in a sunny day. But if one takes the photo keeping the pillars and the cilling of the colonade as frames then the tree with the blue sky in the backdrop on a spring afternoon becomes a perfect portait for the drawing room of ant heritage building. I shall take the picture someday, perhaps.. when I shall own a good camera. Till then let this poor depiction serve for the wonderful picture that our institute provides with apart from its numerous views of the seashore...

Shades of life

the first breeze
coming from the trees
once you open your window
in the morning ..

the sudden drop of tears
remembering someone
you once loved
now not there any more

the smile on your face
after achieving something
you have been working for
for the last few days

the lonely full moon
peeping through your window
late at night
in the silence

the shades of colours
in the sky
after the sunset
in the western sea

These are the only truths in your life..
Freshness, Innocence, Pride, Peace, Reality ..

Quote!

There are dreams that sail away to sea
And some that stay at home
There are dreams in need of company
And some that stand alone
There are dreams that stay inside all day
And never see the light
And if dreams come true
I swear to you
I'll dream of you tonight


- to me these are the ultimate romantic lines .. just thought of posting it!