(R)evolution

It's tough to think of a tiger as a cat
Or to imagine a cat as a tiger. That
is a stretch- literally.

A killer who accepts leftovers?
Shrinking in size, a roar that cowers.
They say tigers don't change their stripes.

Evolution, with time, changes every being.
Is it a pity, or is it not? With every singe
Survival, the herd instinct, and the bio clock
All rear their heads, to stalk the one who stalked.

Memories remain of the wilds, the air of the unknown
The promise of prey to come, which tasted overblown
Will the tiger drink of the milk of human kindness?

Or will the cat bolt, seeking to sharpen claw once more
Breathe life in a skeleton, search hills again for blood, gore
Is it even possible? Or will it be too little, too late
The spirit remains, even if the flesh falls to fate.

Cal Rain

Rain. Everywhere. You just need to look up.

Sometimes it finds you, amidst gupshup.

The rain has a voice too, chattering away.

Sometimes it drowns you out, on its day.

Often it's in the background, like the generator

Which kicks in when lights go out. What's more

Is that it demands attention, khichdi, pakodas

As we snuggle in again, excuse for samosas.

It may irritate, being housebound for a day

Brave knee deep water, only to find no way

To cross rain's dominion. Buildings are islands

Calling out for paper boats and magic wands

To hold our weight. Umbrellas, upside down

Would help us sail through the town.

Until then, our heads are bowed

As we wait till it's cowed.

The need for IIPM

It's a reality that not all of us are bright enough to get in a top B-school. Maybe we don't want to drop years to get in an IIM. Or perhaps we are socially intelligent, and only of average academic intelligence.

But we want to do an MBA. And we can afford it.IIPM was constantly mentioned by our Advertising management professor, as an example of advertising that got results. By the time the students exited the course, it was too late to ask for a refund.

Maybe they know what they were getting into. Those larger than life ads, the silly "Dare to think beyond the IIMs slogan", the guru.

Ultimately it's what you make of your degree. The degree doesn't make you. When Arindam Chaudhuri is brought to book, measures should be taken so that those wanting to buy in the dream he sold have an alternative.

Otherwise, the cycle will be repeated with a sequel.

Fashionably You

If fashion is related to our clothes, social media is getting connected with how we fashion our inner selves. I was reading this and it has a point. We create content on social media, which is read by marketeers who shape products which we buy again to showcase our identity.

Is there a way out of this circle? Do we want an out? Just as fashion is sometimes what we chose to rebel against, but can't ignore, social media is similar. Even if we choose to not be on social media, it says something about us.

We construct different selves for different audiences- family, friends, colleagues. On social media, they are grouped together as 'Friends'. Can we have one identity online and split it up offline? A Limited Profile can hurt the feelings of people you exclude.

How do you explain to them that you are vainly trying to compartmentalize your life? Is it even possible? Parts will leak through, often in a graphic manner. tagging, comments, the system basically- keeps you on your toes deleting, untagging and so on in a vain attempt to keep silos intact.

Be yourself. Offline and online. Or else, you could go crazy :)

What's his face- Mark Zuckerberg a.k.a Frankenstein

After watching The Social Network, I wanted to know more about Mark Zuckerberg. I went to Wikipedia, which factually more or less confirmed what was mentioned in the movie. I watched an interview of his on YouTube, in which he came across as very different from his movie persona.

As I was multi-tasking while listening to the interview, I stopped paying attention to what Mark Zuckerberg was saying after a while. A comment by the interviewer stayed with me though. He said that Facebook seemed to enroach on our privacy as a default, only stepping back and raising its hands when it was obvious that it had gone too far.

That seemed to check out with the movie's portrayal of Facebook's founder too. Sometimes I think that privacy on Facebook is oxymoronic. If we wanted privacy, we wouldn't be on Facebook. I think Facebook is breaking new ground because it is media that is personal and social. Unlike books, radio, TV, internet.

Maybe that's why we spend more time on it. It's our filter for other media. Will the collective consciousness improve? Will we know more, read better articles, watch more educational videos as they are shared by our more learned friends?

Or will we click on titillating links, treat Facebook like our personal idiot box? Will there be a mass dumbing down? We still don't know what Facebook is, can, or will be. It evolves constantly, and we evolve with it.

It is truly two way media. Often we find it's intuitive, easier to use. Another part of Mark Zuckerberg's interview stayed with me. This 27 year old asked high school kids what email they used.

They thought email's slow. I too find it cumbersome nowadays to type out a subject line and text. It's just easier to keep others in the loop by writing on one friend's wall on Facebook. I also watched some hilarious videos of Facebook in the offline world. People poking each other actually, writing on wall, and shouting out comments.

We write about the real world online. It's still funny to imagine the virtual world offline. Maybe one day it will be the other way round.

Facebook's not our Newspaper, it's our Ad

I'm often irritated when I see photos of happy friends at birthdays etc on Facebook. People don't seem to share the downs as much as the ups here. Although no one likes a wet blanket friendship does mean sharing the good with the bad.

Is Facebook making us more optimistic? I don't think so. Our editing skills are improving definitely. We may not be happier but by choosing to only share our high points we are projecting illusions. These are only part of the truth.

Would any purpose be served by status updates which moan, grumble, and seek reassurance? Maybe not. Facebook is not a personal newspaper, it is an advertisement. You don't objectively report the good, bad, and ugly in your life.

You try to sell your life to others and yourself. Look at the fun I'm having! See how wide I'm smiling! Rather than candid photography, it seems posed. A Polaroid which gets instant reactions. Ironically half the time the people who react to our updates are the ones to whom we are supposedly close.

The real conversations happen offline, where we share our desires, dreams, and fears. I too like posting happy updates. If I don't post one for a while I wonder whether my life has become unexciting.

But life is like that. Chronos lasts longer than kairos. We would get tired if we were cutting cakes, dancing, or climbing mountains all the time:) So let's not forget Facebook's our movie, offline's our reality to which we return when we finish watching pictures of others' lives.

On the loss of a kilo

Motivation. No shortcut to working out, eating healthy, and keeping on working out and eating healthy. Initially I did feel more hungry, and would fall asleep promptly at 10 PM. In week 2, my hunger pangs are a little less, but they are still there. And I still feel like crashing by 10.

Your social life takes a hit- if you have to go for a workout early in the morning, you can't have a late night. On Saturdays, you theoretically can, because Sunday the workout place is closed. But because you have worked out on Saturday, you will still fall asleep at 10 PM:)

I struggle to catch Desperate Housewives at 11 PM on weekends. Have now decided to catch the repeats at 8 PM on weekends. It seems like a small price to pay for feeling lighter, better, and fitting back in the clothes I had given up :)

Weight Poem CaPoWriMo 2.07

This war is one which is more deadly

Than nuclear ones for it is a medley

Of water (zero calories), negative calories (herbal tea)

And another relevant myth and mythology.

Will I lose weight by going to the gym?

Some say yea, some say nay, not thin

Permanently will you be, only till you keep going there

A bit like using Fair and Lovely. I’m tired of greens everywhere

On my plate, whether it is lunch or dinner. I never feel full

Only look it, alas. The stubborn scale smiles scornfully at me, gull.

CaPoWriMo 2.03 Favorite Trinket

Baubles which I have a fondness for

Are dolphin earrings from Singapore

I bought them when I went to Sentosa

Though I knew they were priced like ambrosia

The moment swept me away like the waves

Where I saw the dolphins frolicking, octaves

Higher than we speak were their calls

But I heard, wished to remember dolls

Of the sea, so I bought then and there

Now they live on my ears, people stare.

CaPoWriMo 2.02 & CaPoWriMo 2.06

It is cricket’s last day

The winner is the best team

At least for today.

Again the madness in May

Will begin with IPL’s cream

Battling it out, pundits say.

The crowd is currently fey

As reality mirrors a dream

We say sometimes yay!

When the ball turns, it’s nay

Cassandra croakings stream

Online, for blue blood we bay.

With a reverse sweep by the way

Our hearts beat again as we lean

Towards thoughts of a win gay.

We clutch at straws to make hay

Utter curses which are mean

Only to forget when we lay

Down to sleep, the cost we pay.

CaPoWriMo 2.01

A good gambol with gossip

As a topping is energizing- a tip-

To tweet a twoosh is not tough

Know when you’ve said enough.

Communal Cricket

The Match yesterday gave us a chance to watch it together, on social media. We hollered audibly, and made sure we were heard by our friends on Facebook and Twitter. Although many status updates were an expression of our excitement, they also gave us a chance to do something other than twiddle our fingers while the boys in blue did their part.

Games watched at home in childhood, in college in common rooms, and at work in conference rooms all melded together, as all the people we shared these moments with were on social media. We could exult over a stylish shot, groan in despair when a catch was dropped, and pray together when times were tough.

Otherwise, the internal energy would have no outlet and may have resulted in more heart attacks :)

The Vicious Circle of Social Media

Social media is logically the best way to learn about what’s happening in social media. There’s something constantly happening in this field. We feel like we always need to be plugged in, otherwise we may miss out on something important.

Just like poets are often the audience for other poets, social media too is populated with social media experts, who advise techniques for blog creation, for instance. Voila, there’s their blog. It’s a bit like the only people who get rich from self help books are self help authors.

This also remind me of college classes, where we analyzed texts. It’s a cottage industry, producing material to criticize works, by past products of the system. The consumers are the current students of these courses.

I’ve learnt many useful tips regarding social media, from social media enthusiasts, who I found on social media platforms. But, too often I come across posts for the newbies. So sometimes I feel these are to make sites content heavy.

We pick and choose who we track on social media. On Twitter, it is an effort to stop following someone, once you start. You only do it if the volume of tweets is too much, or the quality dips significantly.

Let’s only write what we would like to read?

All I Really Need to Know, I learn on Twitter

The other day, someone asked me, “Which class are you in?” I smiled, explained that it had been a while since I finished my education. But that interaction got me thinking. Does learning stop when we leave school? Is education ever really over?

Now we have a tool to help us through life. Search engines can seem impersonal, and sometimes we may question the veracity of the information. On Twitter though, you can find answers to most questions. And since they are by actual people, you can follow up with them for clarifications, supplementary questions, or hand holding

Why not use Facebook? I feel that is our comfort zone, because we are particular about who we add as our friends. They may know as much as we do, particularly if the subject is esoteric. Tapping experts on Twitter is a better bet.

Facebook reminds me of a swimming pool, where groups of friends do their own thing. You smile, wave, laugh with each other. It’s for the good times. Twitter is this vast ocean you can drown in, or learn to swim in.

Good luck.

IWD

Happy Women's Day. The argument has been that if women want equality, why do they also want a day set aside for them? The fact remains that women are still exploited all over the world, so I think in this context, if initiatives around these women are helped by this day, then we should definitely mark this day.
Wikipedia informs me that this was originally International Working Women's Day. Originally a Socialist event, does it still have teeth, on the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day? Let's not limit it to wishing each other, celebrating womanhood, and meeting galpals.
When I was a child, it was a distinct mental jump to watch women in managerial roles on cable TV- Star World soaps and the like. Gradually, as I saw women achieve more, be as good at tasks which were considered male, I internalised the fact that we've arrived.
Womanism still resonates more with me than feminism. Sometimes, catfights prevail over better sense. But I still think we've come a long way. I still don't like the fact that #bootyappreciationday is trending on Twitter worldwide now. Let's get it off the charts!

Note to Myself

I've learnt a lot from the Open Forum on Saturdays (1-2 PM) at Kornash. It's fun connecting it with Psychology classes in school. Heat and tempers rising are related, so need to be careful now:)
Acceptance- the past is past. It can't be changed. Accept that, and move on. Don't let it poison the present, and worse still, the future. Although it is important to vent, once that's done, it's time to move on.
Internal chatter- read an article in Femina on how music helps drown it out.
Karma- if people have forgiven you in the past for similar incidents, return the favor. Even if they haven't, you can pay it forward.
Depending on others for help can only be temporary. It's important to internalize lessons, so that you don't repeat mistakes.
I still love the definition of learning we studied in psychology class in school- Learning is any relatively permanentchange in behaviouras a result of experience.

Speed sales

Fighting with plump aunties for salwar kurtas that will make me look like a Christmas tree, as early as 10 AM, left me drained. The exhilaration of getting bargains was cancelled out when I discovered that my credit card would not work- cash please! So I went to withdraw money.

Last time I got suits from here, they were useful. People keep getting married unexpectedly, so at least this way I won't have to scramble for suitable outfits. Sale shopping is best done in twos- so that one can hold the fort while the other scouts around/tries the outfit/finds a mirror which has some face space.

Had to keep taking rounds, as discarded stock was put back on the racks. A useful filter is to dog someone whose taste you like, so that you can pick up the ones that don't fit her/she doesn't like on second thought.

Speed dating must be similar. Instant decisions have to be made, before the kurta in question weighs your arm down. In both cases:)

The Death of Blogging, the Birth of Twitter

Read an article today in the New York Times on how blogs are dying. The younger generation prefers Twitter. Although Twitter's great for sharing links and thoughts, it's not as satisfying as a good long blog post I can get my teeth into.
Twitter's a Hi! and a blog's a how are you? the one that friends can take half an hour to answer. If Twitter's 20-20, a blog's a Test match.
A blog tells you more about a person, the way she thinks, speaks, and writes. In a tweet, I'm always conscious of the fact that I have only 140 characters. Reminds me of the STD calls earlier.
A blog can be thought similar to a magazine, while a tweet is akin to a newspaper. Although Twitter may be more social, a larger ego boost, what will you tweet about? That's where a blog can come in.
Although I still believe brevity is the soul of wit, short blog posts seem like a good compromise between a tweet and a post which is closer to article length.

V- Day

Valentine's Day. A day we singles regard with dread. The very air seems sickly sweet, mocking us as we breathe in.
I remember the hicks who used to invade K-nags when we were in College. I warned my brother to be careful (he's in Delhi for Valentine's).
This year, a friend got a rose on Rose Day. Airtel informs me that today is Propose Day. The run up to V-day is gaining mileage this year, the supporting cast getting airplay as V-day fatigue sets in.
We used to go out in a group on V-day, in College. I like the Ebay ad---self-love, self-indulgence, so what if no one sends you gifts.
I don't think love really needs a day. It's on our minds 365*24*7 :)

So simple...

Sounds right...will try. Weight loss focus hasn't worked so far, focusing on health may!