Long Long ago, an inquisitive boy asked his dad, “Dad, is God Black or White?”
“My Dear Child, God is neither Black nor White”, answered his Dad with a smile on his face.
“Dad, is God Male or Female?” The child asked out of curiosity
“Son, God is neither Male nor Female.” Replied his dad.
The next day, this kid goes upto all his friends and says “I know who is God. It’s Michael Jackson.”
That was the day when entire Gamut of people started worshiping King of Pop. He was indeed a King. He changed the definition of Music. There was a time when one could see kids moon walking to their class rooms. 7 out of 10 kids would dress up like MJ for a fancy dress competition, not only because they admired him but because he was the easiest to replicate. Long curly hair shabbily tied with one streak of hair falling on forehead, lotsa powder on face, Dark Red Lipstick, white shirt, black over coat, black trousers upto ankles, White Socks, Black Shoes and a Black hat. That is all you needed.
I have always known MJ and heard his music, but it was only during MBA days that I actually observed him and started admiring him. Thanks to Debu, who was glued to MJ. He would make us sit in front of his Laptop while he played MJ’s videos. And when we tried to protest, he would threaten us in MJ Thriller style… Debu was right… This guy did dance like a melted piece of butter falling off a spoon. But I wasn’t the only one who had been inspired by Micheal Jackson. A Telugu movie director made his own Indian version of ‘Thriller’ and the video on Youtube has got 15,741,543 views. (Code word: Indian Thriller)
Apparently, in the late 80s the comedians the World over had started to target Michael Jackson. He was an easy butt-end for various jokes…what with skin color, skin condition, child molestation controversies, his pet monkey which used to sleep in a crib inside his bedroom, his Peter Pan pretensions, his ranch called Neverland, his military clothes, etc.
The first Michael Jackson joke I heard was:
Question: “How does Michael Jackson pick his nose?”
Answer: From a catalog.
Now since he is dead he is free from all those controversies. I am sure they’ll accept him well in Heaven. (They do accept Plastic right?)
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Little Drops From Heaven
After days of sulking in hot sun, continuous praying to the rain god and non-stop cribbing about the constant rising heat, rain birds have finally shot their arrows at the clouds and inaugurated the much awaited monsoons. Hooray!!! It rained yesterday. Mumbaikars finally had a smile on their faces, everybody seemed to be rejoicing. I could see people sitting in their balcony and admiring the little rain drops from heaven. The weather was never so romantic and never so pleasant. This was the time to go out with a loved one for a long drive on a bike or simply take a stroll in the rain while holding hands. The entire evening was so peaceful and soothing. The scene was a feast for the eyes and treat for ears.
While I stood in my veranda and saw children of the colony came out to play football in the rain, I extended my head and opened my mouth to catch a few drops. It was delicious, much more than any exotic ice cream. The ‘first rain scent’ or as we call it ‘mitti ki khushbu’ is much more enjoyable and pleasurable than any exclusive Aroma.
To some, rains bring joy by its aesthetic appeal but to some it has negative effect. Rain metaphorically has a sad connotation- reflected in children’s rhymes like “Rain Rain Go Away”- in contrast to the bright and happy sun. While some people play and dance in the rain, some prefer to shut their doors and windows and stay inside their houses.
Ever wondered what would happen if there were no rains? Except for the ecological imbalance, what would be the other consequences? Rain coats and gum boots would seem pointless, there would be no fun in jumping into a puddle and slashing nothing at people, we would never experience the joy of having garam pakodas and sipping hot tea at a roadside tapri with friends. We would never get to see a rainbow (not that we get to see that in Mumbai anyways). Romance in hindi movies would be in hot sun under a tree; songs like “tip tip barsa pani”, “rimjhim rimjhim”, and “dekho barish ho rahi hai” wouldn’t make sense. Mumbai would never get flooded and we will have to work without expecting an off. There’ll be no more paper boats floating on stagnant water and no more wet football grounds.
I personally love rain, as long as I don’t dirty my clothes on my way to work.
While I stood in my veranda and saw children of the colony came out to play football in the rain, I extended my head and opened my mouth to catch a few drops. It was delicious, much more than any exotic ice cream. The ‘first rain scent’ or as we call it ‘mitti ki khushbu’ is much more enjoyable and pleasurable than any exclusive Aroma.
To some, rains bring joy by its aesthetic appeal but to some it has negative effect. Rain metaphorically has a sad connotation- reflected in children’s rhymes like “Rain Rain Go Away”- in contrast to the bright and happy sun. While some people play and dance in the rain, some prefer to shut their doors and windows and stay inside their houses.
Ever wondered what would happen if there were no rains? Except for the ecological imbalance, what would be the other consequences? Rain coats and gum boots would seem pointless, there would be no fun in jumping into a puddle and slashing nothing at people, we would never experience the joy of having garam pakodas and sipping hot tea at a roadside tapri with friends. We would never get to see a rainbow (not that we get to see that in Mumbai anyways). Romance in hindi movies would be in hot sun under a tree; songs like “tip tip barsa pani”, “rimjhim rimjhim”, and “dekho barish ho rahi hai” wouldn’t make sense. Mumbai would never get flooded and we will have to work without expecting an off. There’ll be no more paper boats floating on stagnant water and no more wet football grounds.
I personally love rain, as long as I don’t dirty my clothes on my way to work.
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
World gets blurry without them
My Grandmother is over eighty and still doesn’t need glasses. Drinks right out of the bottle.
- Henny Youngman (1906 - 1998)
I have been wearing glasses (not the whiskey ones) since I was in class IX. As proof I even have a mark on the bridge of my nose. My glasses have now become an indispensable part of my life. My mother, when she wakes up in the morning, first thing, she folds her hands and prays to god. My morning begins with a hunt for my glasses; else I won’t be able to see God.
As a kid, I have always wished for glasses. I was awestruck with those big sunglasses Karishma Kapoor and Divya Bharati would wear, making it a style statement. When I put my desire of buying similar sunglasses, my mom bluntly refused saying that I was too young for Fashion. (I wonder what the right age is for Fashion). That is when it struck me that spectacles are no different from sunglasses.
Anyways, so after years of rigorous practice, watching TV in the dark, studying with my book almost touching my nose, etc. Finally in IXth standard, during our medical check up, I was unable to read the alphabets on doctors’ screen. Even though I had mugged up the order of alphabets, being the honest person that I am, I was true to myself and the doctor and finally was declared half blind.
My parents were then called to school by my class teacher.
“Please, get her glasses… I don’t think she can see what I write on the black board” she told my mother.
I interfered, “Madam, will I be able to read after I start wearing glasses?”
“Sure Deepali. Why not?” My teacher was very encouraging.
“Because my mother thinks one needs to learn ABCD… before one can start reading.”
Anyway, like I was saying… the first time I landed at an Optician for my pair of glasses, my father looked at a few spectacles, placed a fewer still on my nose and looked at me from far and near… and then handed me a pair that were NOT so cool. They were big, round, Grandpa Type spectacles which would cover my entire face. Sure I wanted those BIG sunglasses, but the time gap from when I prayed for them and now was tremendous and they were out of fashion. I told this to my dad, but according to him “Fashion moves in a cycle, and after a couple of years, these spectacles will be in style again”. So I was supposed to wait for that time with this bulky asset on my nose.
If you are somebody who has spent a good amount of time with bad eyes but no spectacles, you will agree that the world becomes a lot more colorful and clearer with glasses on the bridge of your nose. I could see everything now. So much so, I could see right through peoples’ character. During our exam, I could see Mahesh, my desk-mate, copying word-to-word of what I wrote. Earlier I always thought he was just being nice and trying to see, if I had copied the question correctly from black board.
Spectacles help build a person’s character. I learnt this fact when I had to go on stage and give a speech in school. I decided to go on without my spectacles, so I couldn’t see people making faces and boo hooting me. That’s when everybody thought that I was a very confident person and it boosted up my morale.
It’s been 10 years now (a few years of contact lenses in between) that my eyes have been through good and bad times. And after so many years of different frames, I have again shifted back to my first type, “Grandpa Type”. But a lot more classier.
- Henny Youngman (1906 - 1998)
I have been wearing glasses (not the whiskey ones) since I was in class IX. As proof I even have a mark on the bridge of my nose. My glasses have now become an indispensable part of my life. My mother, when she wakes up in the morning, first thing, she folds her hands and prays to god. My morning begins with a hunt for my glasses; else I won’t be able to see God.
As a kid, I have always wished for glasses. I was awestruck with those big sunglasses Karishma Kapoor and Divya Bharati would wear, making it a style statement. When I put my desire of buying similar sunglasses, my mom bluntly refused saying that I was too young for Fashion. (I wonder what the right age is for Fashion). That is when it struck me that spectacles are no different from sunglasses.
Anyways, so after years of rigorous practice, watching TV in the dark, studying with my book almost touching my nose, etc. Finally in IXth standard, during our medical check up, I was unable to read the alphabets on doctors’ screen. Even though I had mugged up the order of alphabets, being the honest person that I am, I was true to myself and the doctor and finally was declared half blind.
My parents were then called to school by my class teacher.
“Please, get her glasses… I don’t think she can see what I write on the black board” she told my mother.
I interfered, “Madam, will I be able to read after I start wearing glasses?”
“Sure Deepali. Why not?” My teacher was very encouraging.
“Because my mother thinks one needs to learn ABCD… before one can start reading.”
Anyway, like I was saying… the first time I landed at an Optician for my pair of glasses, my father looked at a few spectacles, placed a fewer still on my nose and looked at me from far and near… and then handed me a pair that were NOT so cool. They were big, round, Grandpa Type spectacles which would cover my entire face. Sure I wanted those BIG sunglasses, but the time gap from when I prayed for them and now was tremendous and they were out of fashion. I told this to my dad, but according to him “Fashion moves in a cycle, and after a couple of years, these spectacles will be in style again”. So I was supposed to wait for that time with this bulky asset on my nose.
If you are somebody who has spent a good amount of time with bad eyes but no spectacles, you will agree that the world becomes a lot more colorful and clearer with glasses on the bridge of your nose. I could see everything now. So much so, I could see right through peoples’ character. During our exam, I could see Mahesh, my desk-mate, copying word-to-word of what I wrote. Earlier I always thought he was just being nice and trying to see, if I had copied the question correctly from black board.
Spectacles help build a person’s character. I learnt this fact when I had to go on stage and give a speech in school. I decided to go on without my spectacles, so I couldn’t see people making faces and boo hooting me. That’s when everybody thought that I was a very confident person and it boosted up my morale.
It’s been 10 years now (a few years of contact lenses in between) that my eyes have been through good and bad times. And after so many years of different frames, I have again shifted back to my first type, “Grandpa Type”. But a lot more classier.
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