Monday, November 16, 2015

This time its Paris.

This is not the first attack on humans,
it’s not the first time the humans have attacked me.
This is yet another attack on the mankind,
on the kind of man that I am,

and the thoughts that i carry in my mind.
But is this attack really on me?
Or is it on the being that I may be.
May be this attack is on that part of me,
that is intolerant to a false alchemy. 
What is false to me is true to them.
Their brains are washed,
and they just know how to blame. 
They have lost their heart in the run of “right”,
They see no wrong and they see no light.
No appetite for love, 
No appetite for care.
They surely have lost their soul to a greater dismay. 
But this dismay cannot be a reason to kill.
This intolerance is from those unkind being,
that are blindfolded with the dust of talisman,  
and are hidden in the costume of Halloween.
They are high on revenge,
They are drunk in hatred.
Their Satan is sacred, 
And their destiny is avenge.   
I am sure it was better in the Stone Age,
when all that one cared for was food and nothing else. 
How can I feel content?
When my fellow planeteer is being shot dead. 
I fell guilty to see firecrackers in the sky, 
When my fellow earthmen are bursting out in loud cry. 
No prayer will help me, 
No prayer will heal me.
It has dawned upon us today, 
the seed that we have sown yesterday.
No clown can fool me,
No place can cool me.
I will try and survive, 
With the little that I have.
But without a kill,
Despite the inner shrill.

Tuesday, September 15, 2015

Calligraphy with Achyut Palav :)

Calligraphy happened to me by accident. I was once going through my elder brother's assignments and books where i found a page full of beautiful handwriting, which gave my head a spin to fathom the fact that was my brother's handwriting. That was the first time i was proud of my brother, to have worked on his weakness so much, that it was by far his most worked upon strengths (is what i thought). Later i understood that my brother had a technique to do and his actual handwriting wasn't affected with it. I started copying his assignment. My brother showed me how to do calligraphy and i started practicing it quite often than not.

Later, after a few months of seeing my progress my brother told me that the great Calligraphy artist Mr. Achyut Palav is coming to Pune to do an advance Calligraphy course with the students who already are well acquainted with the art. So ofcourse the people who were there at the workshop of 3 days were students from Mumbai's Sophia college, JJ school of art also students from Pune's Abhinav Kala Vidyala. My brother spoke to Mr. Palav and discussed my mental capability of the art. Mr. Palav was god sent to have accepted me inspite of my limitations. I was excited to be there. My brother managed the 80% of the fees on his own and 20% we asked from dad (that is how bad my brother wanted me to experience this).

My first day at the workshop and within the first hour i knew that my brother wasted every penny that he paid because i was in good mind to leave in the next break that we would get. I firstly had the complex for being the different breed in the group and secondly being a miser (if i may say). By miser i mean that, everyone was drawing one letter on one complete A1 size paper and moving on to the next and i was feeling like a complete miser for using both the sides of the paper and yet not leaving the corners if they were any free. To let your imagination run. Let me tell you what was i doing. I was doing anything but calligraphy and beyond it, that Mr.Palav was expecting of us. I was enjoying painting for fun. I was enjoying the fact that no one was judging me (took time to know that)

The workshop that Mr.Palav wanted to conduct was to discover calligraphy beyond the words. He wanted calligraphy to be an expression of feelings. It is easy for me to write now but was difficult to understand then. Achyut Sir had invited his artist friends for this workshop. There was a well known theater artist Mr. Atul Pethe, who got us to do all expressions on the face and then put them on paper. It was hard for me as i had never done neither of the art styles before. I enjoyed it all. The newness of the activities got my blood gushing but at the same time it made me nervous when i saw the other participants perform. There were musicians, lyricist and dancers whom Mr. Palav had invited and the three days workshop was getting interesting everyday. I also got to know the other participants very well. On the calligraphy level i thought i wasn't graduating at all. On the last day of the workshop i was busy playing with the brushes, nibs and paints my brother had given me. The artist that was invited on the last day was a dancer. A very beautiful, graceful and elegant Kathak dancer. Her eyes and her posture were hard to ignore. She told us what was it that we should expect from her dance. I was totally impressed with her dance and her elegance. While looking at her the expression that came to my mind was put on paper which is today printed and published in Mr. Achyut Palav's calligraphy book. Mr. Palav was looking at everyone's work and when he saw mine he asked me where i was from and couldn't believe that i do not come from an art college or haven't any course in drawing. With fingers in his mouth Mr. Palav took that drawing and promised me to publish it in his book "
   
                                                                      Aksharakruti"
Post your comments if you haven't found my drawing :)


Be creative :)



TAMPONS are evolved Sanitary Napkins

Why do I write about Tampons ?



The desperation to write this blog was, because of the fact that i am PMSing. Yes, for those who don't know what it is, then don't google just ask your girlfriend, sister or mom or just read ahead. Premenstrual Syndrome is PMS. I do not want to write about PMSing, but about the discomfort during the cycle. The real frustration is not even PMS or the actual menstrual cycle but, about the lack of awareness about the hygiene and comforters needed during this time.

I agree we have a better life than our older generation with respect to the evolution of the human kind, when it comes to accepting the god given and rather natural phenomenon of bleeding every month. This period of time is still regarded as taboo in India. I am glad that our opposite gender is being exposed to it more and more through ads and general awareness to such an extent that a 5th standard boy asks his mom to get him some sanitary pads to absorb the spilled ink on his notebook. Nonetheless bad publicity is also a publicity(trying to see the good side of life).

Coming back to my frustration and uneasiness with regards to the unawareness and taboo outlook towards sustaining the difficult days of the month. Just like the sanitary pads have been our good friends in our bad times, we now have best friends in our bad times and those are TAMPONS. You probably know, what i am talking about and have an opinion about it or you are really unaware but inquisitive and still reading on. In any other case, i am still writing ahead. Like any woman whose is newly introduced to tampons, i was curious and a bit skeptical about how it works and if it is safe or not.

How did I get introduced to Tampons?


I got introduced to them during my stay in Germany. My open-to-all and ready-to-try-new nature got me a lot of good friends. When asked about how to use a Tampon, a really close friend of mine told me about the advantages of using it  and gave me 2 to try. So basically, tampons are rolled and compact sanitary pads. For you to quickly imagine what they actually look like i would say look at your index finger, that's how they look like with respect to length and breadth. When it comes to using it then that is where the whole taboo outlook comes in the scene. Today if Tampons are used by any percent of the population, then they are only the educated class. I would rather say, the women who have stayed abroad or have woman friends staying abroad. This has to change. We need to spread the word as wide as possible and with no inhibitions. Even now when i write this article, only a specific group of women are going to read it. If men read it, not all are going to forward it to their female friends or family. Just like another zillion topics that we Indians refrain from talking about, periods and tampons are one of them. I would encourage more and more women to come out and start talking about it. Let your male child, friends and family know what it is all about in the sanitray pad advertisements and that it is as natural as the body itself. These tampons have to be inserted into your vagina with your (specifically) middle finger so that they go in properly. They have a string attached at the end from where you insert it in, tug it before inserting just to be sure that there are strings attached (what a bad movie reference). It is the most comfortable thing that has happened to woman kind. There are number of questions i know that you might have while reading this but frankly i am not a doctor so i can only guide you on why to use it. I have used it for 7-8 times i.e since 7-8 periods. The very first time i used it i had a problem walking and felt like i have a stone stuck in my vagina but when i asked my girlfriend about it she said that i have not inserted it properly and assured me that if it hurts then it is not properly inserted. So, going by her instructions i inserted in the tampon and then for the next 4 hours i dint know if i was bleeding. My periods had never been so comforting. Tampons are a boon to women and i would say we indian women should surely use it without keeping any taboos in head or any superstitions in mind. The point of time when i first used tampons was so vulnerable, as it was my time of the month, alone in the city, weather was gruesome (European winters are harsh) and i had no one by my side to just be the way i am. Girls and ladies would know what am i trying to say. It might sound melodramatic and it probably is but i know the comfort i had when i used Tampons. I know the carefree me, the confident me and the no-embarrassment-for-sure attitude i had that day made my day at work pass by in a jiffy. I remember changing the Tampon once in that day and i was good till i got home. Using tampons is not losing your virginity(not something that bothered me ever but still just saying). Please consult a doctor if you doubt.


How to use the Tampons?


To make you more familiar with these tampons let me tell you more about my encounter with them. So, when my friend gave me 2 from her pack they were wrapped in plastic. I wouldn't compare it with anything food item it looked like, because then you might not like eating that thing ever again. Anyway, i peeled off the plastic the first couple of times, later inventing that i just had to twist it and the wrapper comes off. You can learn from my stupidity and not peel but twist. Another tip would be that it would be more feasible if you could rest your one leg on some stool or somewhere or simply squat on the floor while inserting the tampon as it has to be inserted carefully. There are applicators, that also come with the tampons. You can use these applicators to insert the Tampon rightly in.



Which Tampons to use?


There are a lot of videos explaining how to insert the tampon with or without an applicator. The tampons that i first used and continue using are the Tampons by OB (a product of Johnson and Johnson). You get them in Supermarkets and you can also order them online on amazon.in. Amazon is the only online store that sells it online(for whatever reasons). Try them and you will know why am i insisting so much and saying, that women have to evolve when it comes to the "taboo" topic of using tampons during periods. I regret not having introduced to them earlier, which would have reduced the days of embarrassment in my life. Now, I do not worry of the times when i sleep at night or go for a sleepover at a friend's place. I do not worry of the times when i wear trousers, a dress or anything else. The only thing to keep in mind is that different Tampons have different sustenance power just like the sanitary pads. For example, the OB tampons by Johnson and Johnson have Normal and Super sustenance. You have to decide which one to wear, according to your flow. The Tampons are usually suggested not to be used more than 4-5 hours, but again depending on how much is your flow and which Tampon are you using, you can decide when to change. Another important tip would be that if you know that you might not get a chance to change the Tampon and it might be just be an over due to use it more than 4 hours, then please wear a panty liner or a short length sanitary pad, yet again to be safe.  I have been successful in convincing 2 of my close friends to use it. They both do not regret to have been convinced for this by me. :)


Tampons are a freedom from the tension, wetness, odour and discomfort of sanitary pads. I am glad i got introduced to them and I am happily using them (better late than never)


Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Evolution

Evolution is a phase of a being,

It’s a change that will make a square into a circle,

Can give life to the dead,

Can make a miser share his bread.

It’s one thing that makes me happy,

When I see my photos of me sitting in my grandpa’s lappy.

Times change and people evolve,

They make problems and that they strive to solve.

I sit here and think about you,

My mind is here but my soul rests with you.

Black ink fades down to brown,

White neat pages rip down,

The more the age the more early you frown,

Even if I die tomorrow,

I will have my heart to my satisfaction grown.

My words might seem dead for you,

The skin of my words might have shrunken for you,

For me they have a evolved feeling for you,

The evolution that happened from the day I met you,

The evolution of feelings that has evolved me as a person.







Thursday, December 1, 2011

I don’t know if I have the right to be..


I don’t know if I have the right to be.. but I am…
I am and I will be quite there…
There on the hill top…
On the hill top gazing..
Gazing at and through the sky…
Through the sky I see HIM,
And I wonder why..
I wonder why..
I wonder why do i..
Do I see HIM stand by…
See HIM stand by everyone along the way…
Along the way of cureing , healing, wounding, fighting, chasing, pampering, loving, bothering,accepting,denying..
Im dying..
Im dying with my thoughts that are now dim..
Now dimmed to the dark..
To the dark I lead..
I lead to the unknown path..
Unknown path of the unknown world ..
Unknown world of the unknown time..
Unknown time of the unknown ages…
I GAZE…
I ponder..
And I wonder…
I wonder how..
I wonder how did I start to write this..
This sh...it . it .it .it. it

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Its just because of the way you look into my eyes....

The way your eyes look into mine,
don't know how to describe..

It's as if they know what they are searching for,
as if you know what they are hiding from,
as if they know where my strength lies,
and catches hold of it and i burst into loud cries.

i gather all the weakness,
to give it a better place,
so that you don't find it anytime next.

But its you.....
its just you...
You know the secret places of hiding my secrets
and bring out all the wet, damp and soaked drawers,
to expose it to the hot, dry sun rays.

But then they just get wet again...
Its just because of the way you look into my eyes....

You know that you worth all this....

I don't want to reduce your sorrow,
I don't want to heal your wounds,
rather i would capture your tears,
and keep them in my treasures,
so that when you look back on your happiness,
you know that you worth all of this....