6th November 2004
Equal Opportunities
Do all these equal opportunities things in some way break the natural order of the way of life? Free compulsory education pushes such typical stuff down the throats of zillions of children –most of this totally inutile. Where is the specialised knowledge that can be learnt when young? What is happening to all that? Is a whole way of life dying out? Is everyone being cast into the same mould in this age of specialisation? Can we really know so much of everything? What IS a ‘basic idea’? How ‘basic’ is it and how necessary? Can we learn true skills in all this education? Smithy, pottery, farming, fishing, trade? Or any one of these at least? Is it fair to kill lifestyles, to kill culture in the name of equal opportunities?
But then who decides who is born to a weaver, who to a chemist and who to a prime minister? Shouldn’t all of us have some chance of becoming any of these things? Why we are not allowed to truly explore and decide for ourselves? Why cannot we all be provided with some chance of not worrying about whether it is possible? I think that would be egalitarian. But what about the stuff a father teaches a son or a mother a daughter? Do we not in someway lose the respect for our parents and their professions because we have other choices?
20th November 2004
High cliff days
For so long I have suppressed memories of those happy days of freedom walking slipper-less in the slush, running up and down on the ‘rappelling rock’, jumping from rock to rock, sliding down the mud path, avoiding the thorny bushes on the ‘grass –cars’. Climbing first to the top, running fast, fast fast. FREEDOM, FREEDOM ,FREEDOM! Memories of those joyous days cannot be compensated for, no matter what.
The thorny skirts, the doggy smells, leeches, the muddy Chappal, the tall tank, deaf-off tongue, the rock paintings, the Hoopya shirt, hop-scotch, the true friendship, affection, the excitement, the loss of Maami and of Rumple, sorrow.
Of kites, muggus, crackers, colours, Holi, Ganesh, Christmas trees, bank-days, new year eves, walk in the night, playing, playing, playing. Those days are gone, lost in the past, leaving me with no substantial recompense.
I can visualise every portion of the campus-rich in colour, like like-from the light green creepers, pink flowers, beautiful gardens, chitrakut, writing on it, rushing up the rocks, sliding down the railings, sitting under the shed that rainy day, being called boisterous and not understanding.
Dona, Apara, Nivi, Sumi, Deepika, Supriya –Bullu –her farewell party, Valmiki’s pen. Those days of freedom, friendship, acceptance, nature all mixed with no hypocrisy except that of petty politics and fights.
The rainy days, paper boats down the slopes, getting totally wet, the kitchen and outside, throwing away my stuff, the staircase railings, study room, dance, trying to record singing with Akku, writing ‘Rumpy’ on the balcony wall with nail polish, upstairs my bedroom, amma appa’s bedroom, my table in it, the stony baths, my bath room, Swathi eating soap, the broken chair, clothes, dolls, cooler, clothes stand, bed, the books I so loved, opening the door carefully, being scolded fro reading instead of playing, house of Arden, George’s marvellous medicine, grey paint, Bama, building blocks, neighbours houses, their rooms, Captain Planet, Scooby doo, cloud watching with Sumi and Amma,jealousy, chatting with Sam uncle and Rajiva, Aravinda and Anuradha aunty, birthday parties with pooris and laughing competitions, and Ramaswamy uncles Krishna. How can I forget all this? Those days so complete in every aspect with barely a jot of studying…a state of natural social and hence psychological satisfaction!
Sunday, September 26, 2010
Saturday, September 18, 2010
An Almost Happy Ending
November 29th 2004
Even Navika said more or less what Seva did about me lightening the movie up and making it watchable. Navika’s mom said “The woman carried it off!”
Happy Long Life!
This friend of mien is a great person. She knows so much about so many things. She has immense understanding, insight and intuition. She has tremendous intelligence and sensitivity. Yet she is so ill all the time. It is so UNFAIR. WHY THE GREAT THE WORTHY ALWAYS MADE TO ARE SUFFER? OR DOES THEIR SUFFERING MAKE them great and worthy?
I don’t know seriously. Today she said so many things beyond my comprehension –things which both of us knew I’d never understand. Well she told me of her vision, her ambition, and her thoughts, ideas ways of spending time far more brilliant and unimaginable than mine or that of most others. She knows she’s smarter than most and she knows she is different. She can’t make even me –whom she probably thought she had some chance of understanding –understand her. She wants o tod so many things. But she is certain she will get cancer and diabetes and god knows what. WHY THIS CERTIANITY? I tried to say “No, don’t believe it. Only if you believe it will it happen” and stuff like that. But she threw in her favourite line “he who knows and knows that he knows is wise”. I am trying to be wise.
She knows she is great but doesn’t want to live, why? I don’t know. I really really want her to live a LONG HAPPY LIFE SO FULL OF JOY AND SUCCESS AND ACHIEVEMNTS WHICH CHANGE THE WORLD UNLIKE ANY OTHER SO FAR. I PRAY O GOD, PLEASE. (And I say AMEN to that-moichee)
Saturday, September 11, 2010
19th November 2010
Dubbing …
Hi, at last my part of the movie is over. Poor thing J still has to do his recording on Sunday between his exams.
We did the recording last night. We reached the studio at about 8.15 p.m. and they said it would be free in half-an-hour. Then they said another half-an-hour, another half –an-hour and when they said this once more, since everyone except Supraniti’s brother and I hadn’t had dinner, we went to Swati and ate some stuff. Then we went back and after two or three “ten minutes” and “five minutes”, we were able to start. Supraniti’s mother did her part first, then her brother then the director and then me. Ok in detail…
I left home around 7 p.m. and Akku dropped me at a friends place and we took an auto to reach the studio. After we went and ate dinner and came back, the producer joined us. Boy, he is funny. He kept cracking jokes and kept us all laughing non-stop. When we finally got into the studio, Supraniti’s mom started recording. Then Amma called saying she is outside. We went and had lovely masala chai nearby. We went back and amma and thatha came up to watch the fun. After the others finished finally it was my turn. I went on for ages and in between the producer did one role and kept cracking jokes. We were all literally rolling in laughter. Amma did a couple of voices as ‘Swapna’ and Becky Thatcher. The producer went who is Margaret Thatcher. When we were waiting the conversation in between Supraniti and her brother in ‘shudh hindi” was so funny. Everyone contributed to the giggles. Anyways I finished my part around 3 am in the morning. I felt so guilty at making Amma wait. At home Appa got anxious and Pati could hardly sleep and I had so many takes. I also felt bad since only I seemed to be making a nuisance of myself. I was the only one complaining about exams though others too had them from the next day. Also I felt that only my family was put into frenzy. I was the only one upsetting everyone.
The others, especially Supraniti, were so cooperative and helpful and had so much solidarity and team spirit and comradeship and stuff. I felt awful. I think the best thing about this movie experience was I met someone my age who was as intelligent, sensitive, balanced mature and yet genuinely nice and friendly as Supraniti . She is really great and I have learnt a lot from her though I think it will be AGES before I can apply any of those qualities in my life. She is REALLY great and I admire her. Hope I can adopt a few of her characteristics. I’ll try.
Dubbing …
Hi, at last my part of the movie is over. Poor thing J still has to do his recording on Sunday between his exams.
We did the recording last night. We reached the studio at about 8.15 p.m. and they said it would be free in half-an-hour. Then they said another half-an-hour, another half –an-hour and when they said this once more, since everyone except Supraniti’s brother and I hadn’t had dinner, we went to Swati and ate some stuff. Then we went back and after two or three “ten minutes” and “five minutes”, we were able to start. Supraniti’s mother did her part first, then her brother then the director and then me. Ok in detail…
I left home around 7 p.m. and Akku dropped me at a friends place and we took an auto to reach the studio. After we went and ate dinner and came back, the producer joined us. Boy, he is funny. He kept cracking jokes and kept us all laughing non-stop. When we finally got into the studio, Supraniti’s mom started recording. Then Amma called saying she is outside. We went and had lovely masala chai nearby. We went back and amma and thatha came up to watch the fun. After the others finished finally it was my turn. I went on for ages and in between the producer did one role and kept cracking jokes. We were all literally rolling in laughter. Amma did a couple of voices as ‘Swapna’ and Becky Thatcher. The producer went who is Margaret Thatcher. When we were waiting the conversation in between Supraniti and her brother in ‘shudh hindi” was so funny. Everyone contributed to the giggles. Anyways I finished my part around 3 am in the morning. I felt so guilty at making Amma wait. At home Appa got anxious and Pati could hardly sleep and I had so many takes. I also felt bad since only I seemed to be making a nuisance of myself. I was the only one complaining about exams though others too had them from the next day. Also I felt that only my family was put into frenzy. I was the only one upsetting everyone.
The others, especially Supraniti, were so cooperative and helpful and had so much solidarity and team spirit and comradeship and stuff. I felt awful. I think the best thing about this movie experience was I met someone my age who was as intelligent, sensitive, balanced mature and yet genuinely nice and friendly as Supraniti . She is really great and I have learnt a lot from her though I think it will be AGES before I can apply any of those qualities in my life. She is REALLY great and I admire her. Hope I can adopt a few of her characteristics. I’ll try.
Saturday, September 4, 2010
MOVIE DUBBING
9th November 2004
College News
Poor Prathiksha –her leg’s gotten all swollen up because she had an accident on the day of her marketing practical exam. Its too bad poor thing! Her attendance is pathetic. Maybe its all for the good –maybe she’ll go join some university in the US like her Mom wants her to do. Pray she gets Ok soon. One of our professors also hurt her leg in the accident. (Was it the same accident? Not clear to me though she uses “the”). She has more or less recovered but the break has done her good.
Psycho class on thinking today. Though we didn’t really do much sticking to the chapters we had very interesting discussions. At least I found it interesting and relevant to my life. It was bout choices mostly and that being one of my all time favourites quite killed me. Our Prof is very nice and she seems to have similar ‘basics’ as me. I mean many of her characteristics are quite like mine. Her way of thinking, the examples she gives –so I kind of relate to her. She has overcome her defects SO well that it’s really amazing. I really respect her.
15th November 2004
Prima Donna Stuff!
I don’t understand why this Amma has such lack of interest in any thing that seems important to me and such overly FAKE interest and excitement about everything I so DETEST in MY life. I guess I’m side stepping the main issue, comme d’habitude (as usual).
I have decided to quit eh goddammed movie. I have 2 options.
1. wait for the director to call and ask me if I practices and then say I didn’t and get him a little worked up and stop him when we starts sermonising like so. “Mr. Director, when I agreed to take part in this movie, you told me it will be done in a week or two. That’s why I agreed. You drag it for months so that the recording is just when my exams are approaching and do you expect me to leave everything to do this? My father’s right, I should have asked for a written contract. But NO! You shoot this movie in a week and you believe me, for the time you took, the editing is pathetic and the movie as whole is so unimaginable repulsive. I could go on for days pointing out its shortcomings but I don’t know if you would ever bother to listen. But I must give you some advice for your next movie though I hope you never one-please be professional. Try to work efficiently and give your co-workers minimum respect by at least informing them what exactly you expect of tem and when. Another thing, it’s not professional to call at 10.30 p.m and say do this at 5 .00 tomorrow morning. Ask them if it is possible. Respect their time and I don’t just mean thankyous and sorrys. I have wasted enough time on the movie-I’m done and I’m willing to return your money with interest. Nothing you say is going to change this and the pity appeal has gone far enough. I don’t want to meet you or speak to you and waste more of my time. I’ll give the book and your money to S. Collect it!”
2. Could call and say I’m dropping out. Wait for his predictable response and then blast off in much the same pattern.
I guess I’ll wait for him to call, if he doesn’t then I’ll call and use option 2. Of course option 1 is my personal favourite as it also saves my phone bill. Or maybe I should call ask him to call back and then blast him. I guess that’s too cool. But it is also too cheap. Ramaramaramarama… please God help me and make this happen today!
Its 1:15 in the afternoon. I just called the Director and told him I can’t do it. Hammayya! I sure am glad to escape. But darn it-I didn’t tell him any of the stuff I wrote about and planned to. The entire discussion was far more civilised than I expected it to be. But he wants to know why exactly I want to leave. He want s me to email him today .what do I say?
DARNATION! I actually called back and said I’d do it because I was feeling so bloody guilty for ditching at the last moment in so ruthless a manner. Damn me. But I feel better!
College News
Poor Prathiksha –her leg’s gotten all swollen up because she had an accident on the day of her marketing practical exam. Its too bad poor thing! Her attendance is pathetic. Maybe its all for the good –maybe she’ll go join some university in the US like her Mom wants her to do. Pray she gets Ok soon. One of our professors also hurt her leg in the accident. (Was it the same accident? Not clear to me though she uses “the”). She has more or less recovered but the break has done her good.
Psycho class on thinking today. Though we didn’t really do much sticking to the chapters we had very interesting discussions. At least I found it interesting and relevant to my life. It was bout choices mostly and that being one of my all time favourites quite killed me. Our Prof is very nice and she seems to have similar ‘basics’ as me. I mean many of her characteristics are quite like mine. Her way of thinking, the examples she gives –so I kind of relate to her. She has overcome her defects SO well that it’s really amazing. I really respect her.
15th November 2004
Prima Donna Stuff!
I don’t understand why this Amma has such lack of interest in any thing that seems important to me and such overly FAKE interest and excitement about everything I so DETEST in MY life. I guess I’m side stepping the main issue, comme d’habitude (as usual).
I have decided to quit eh goddammed movie. I have 2 options.
1. wait for the director to call and ask me if I practices and then say I didn’t and get him a little worked up and stop him when we starts sermonising like so. “Mr. Director, when I agreed to take part in this movie, you told me it will be done in a week or two. That’s why I agreed. You drag it for months so that the recording is just when my exams are approaching and do you expect me to leave everything to do this? My father’s right, I should have asked for a written contract. But NO! You shoot this movie in a week and you believe me, for the time you took, the editing is pathetic and the movie as whole is so unimaginable repulsive. I could go on for days pointing out its shortcomings but I don’t know if you would ever bother to listen. But I must give you some advice for your next movie though I hope you never one-please be professional. Try to work efficiently and give your co-workers minimum respect by at least informing them what exactly you expect of tem and when. Another thing, it’s not professional to call at 10.30 p.m and say do this at 5 .00 tomorrow morning. Ask them if it is possible. Respect their time and I don’t just mean thankyous and sorrys. I have wasted enough time on the movie-I’m done and I’m willing to return your money with interest. Nothing you say is going to change this and the pity appeal has gone far enough. I don’t want to meet you or speak to you and waste more of my time. I’ll give the book and your money to S. Collect it!”
2. Could call and say I’m dropping out. Wait for his predictable response and then blast off in much the same pattern.
I guess I’ll wait for him to call, if he doesn’t then I’ll call and use option 2. Of course option 1 is my personal favourite as it also saves my phone bill. Or maybe I should call ask him to call back and then blast him. I guess that’s too cool. But it is also too cheap. Ramaramaramarama… please God help me and make this happen today!
Its 1:15 in the afternoon. I just called the Director and told him I can’t do it. Hammayya! I sure am glad to escape. But darn it-I didn’t tell him any of the stuff I wrote about and planned to. The entire discussion was far more civilised than I expected it to be. But he wants to know why exactly I want to leave. He want s me to email him today .what do I say?
DARNATION! I actually called back and said I’d do it because I was feeling so bloody guilty for ditching at the last moment in so ruthless a manner. Damn me. But I feel better!
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