First Shave, the Sacred Ritual

A boy's first shave...I tell you its a moment and a sacred one for all I can say. It is a moment which a boy waits for ever since he comes to realize that things about him aren't going to be forever the way they are today, as a boy. Forgive the exaggeration but I believe the journey to manhood begins that very moment in a boy's life when he start caressing his cheeks in search of those soft strands of hair which will set him apart from the boys and will become his permit to cross the threshold of manhood.

Some wouldn't wait for it to come to them naturally and would steal their father's or brother's razer to draw it forth and others would yearn, pray , wait for the day of the days when those near invisible strands would turn into something substantial , something worthy of the touch of that mighty and revered tool called The Razor.

Some would go to a barber's and let the barber perform it but the braver ones would settle at nothing less then trying it themselves. It starts with applying a week's worth shaving lather until the whole face except eyes are visible from the coat of the shaving foam. The boy's spirits are lifted like never before by then, he feel exalted and nothing else seem to matter.

Next comes the use of razor which in his mind is nothing less then the sword of a knight, waiting to be handed over for a greater cause. Next comes a series of haphazard strokes through the puddle of foam which would leave him befuddled. It looked so simple he would think. Doesn't matter though, once it is over he wouldn't leave the mirror, his fingers could forever feel his cheeks. Nevertheless, most would still do it twice as they remember their fathers do and couldn't wait for it to appear again.

The first shave which some lesser mortals would never even experience for reasons unknown is indeed a moment to reckon. Lets not talk about the days to come when the ritual becomes an ordeal which has to be performed everyday and if the job demands then twice a day for some. Those days when you left home in a hurry without scraping your cheeks, looking closer to our ancestors , the monkeys. Those days when you cut your cheek and carry the scars for days. Those days when your youth bulges on your face in form of pimples and the bloody razor wouldn walk all over it , leaving the footmarks behind.

That may be the story for some other day but for today lets leave our boy staring at the razor and shaving foam thinking , he would do it everyday even if not required. The boy is the man.

My hypocryte self

Was thinking about the hypocrisy embedded within all of us. Yes..yes I know it sounds preachy but the fact remains that we are more comfortable and life is easy going when we are hypocrite.

A very stupid example here: I watch Oprah and I get pretty emotional at time while watching it. Now if you ask me I won't admit it. I would die trying to look unfazed and emotionally detatched. Sounds familiar ?? Admit it or not but I know it does..:-)

I wonder why wouldn't I admit it. What is the big deal. Would it make me less of a man then I am if I say alright...I get carried away at times. What now? But I wouldn't dare do that...why? cause life is easier this way and I have bigger things to worry about then justifying my personal preferences to masses who has nothing to do with it.

This is my excuse ...what is yours??

:->

Khamosh Paani

Finished watching this movie Khamosh paani and I have a lot of thinking to do for a few days...nothing radical thinking ...nothing thats going to change the world....plane thinking ...like turbulations in water after throwing the stone...

'Mainu ta Aisha chahi aaj bhi yaad hai, par ki fayada...onnu yaad rakahn te ganthea da bhai te ahi badal jayega....(I remember aunt aisha very well but whats the use...remembering her doesn't change the price of onions)...this is what a character said about the main protagonist of the movie in closing remarks.

So brutally true yet truth nevertheless....a cliche'ed question though yet why is the world the way it is....things happened ...people died...innocent people for no reason at all....we forget and it happens again....after a day or two i won't even be thinking about it unless I watch another movie of this sort or read another book...but right now when I am thinking about it ...it kinda hurts..

Chakra in my feet

My parent says I have a chakra in my feet...this chakra they talk about is not some auspicious sign if that is what you are thinking. This Chakra refers to my tendency of being constantly on move....I love traveling...I dont mind changing places...seeing new things ...meeting new people...learning new things...

Anyways the reason I brought it up is that this love of travel doesnt come for free ...it comes at a cost ...infact it comes at a very good cost and I often hear these remarks about the sanity(or insanity) of these expenses. Remarks come from all side like friends , families, acquaintences ...The question arise that in a society where the moment you finish education and start working you must start saving for your daughter's dowry, your son's school donation, a 2 bhk house and a second hand luxury car how do you justify your need to see the world, experience things you always dreamt of.
Yes there is a way to turn a deaf ear to all this and carry on but you still cant ignore daughter's dowry, son's school donation, a 2 bhk house and a second hand luxury car.
Alright lets say one can manage the monetary part of it but you still have to justify your act to the people you care about.

If you ask me my stupid but honest to God answer is that down the line when i turn 60 (If i live that long) and i sit on a rocking armchair i want to have a lot to reminisce about...I must say I want to have a lot of important things to reminisce about....something like 'Been there seen that all' kind of feeling. I realize that while dying I would have a list of things which I would wish I could have done but I want that list to be as small as possible....

'The Kiss'

When your lips melted on mine
Everything froze and,
the moment was electrified
Our bodies formed,
a magical alloy in that moment
The union of our lips,
begot a spark
A spark which illuminated every corner of my heart
Its been ages since our lips parted physically but,
in that electrifying moment
When they melted on my lips
They left their soul there
My lips are still afire
My heart is still glowing

Lunch???

Everyday sometime between 12 and 12:30 noon I get this one liner call ‘Coming for lunch?’…Sometime it is reduced to one word i.e. ‘Lunch???’. Five minutes past this call all of us or to be more precise all three of us would be sitting somewhere in that over crowded cafeteria which houses nearly 5000 ppl during lunch hours. It was at this moment that without telling you know it is imperative to talk while you munch the lunch. Infact it is for this reason people come to lunch in groups else who want witnesses while I gobble, nibble , gulp and swallow stuff. Anyways coming back to the point of interest , I have realized oflate that though talking itself is an art yet talking while eating is a different art altogether. After all you wouldn’t want to shower half of what you eat on others. At the same time an argumentative Indian cant help giving his/her two cents on any topic and several cents if the topic interests you and one can as well forget about lunch if the topic is corruption or comparison between US of A and India. Then there is that stylish movement of spoon/fork which if not used judiciously seems like you wanna feed the guy in front of you with your own hands. Not to forget while you have to seize the moment when you can take charge of the whole talkshow you also have to manoeuvre your way through maze of chapattis, rice , curry and salad so that you don’t fall behind on this front. At the end the quality of a lunch is in direct proportion with a quality discussion.