Initial D

This anime has left a very deep impression on the way I see myself up to this point and the way I want to see myself from this point onward. It is surprising how an anime on something as extravagant and flashy as racing on mountain passes can have characters and plots that translate in a shockingly direct way into everyday life.

The characters, especially, are so ideal yet believable. Though there are several impressive characters, here I will just focus on three. The innocent and strong minded prodigy Takumi  Fujiwara who the series is built around, is a perfect example of a fearless executor, given the right guidance. His ability to grow from every challenge faced or every sticky spot he is put in is remarkable and makes one wonder if it is possible to grow so fast in the absence of a prodigious talent. This question is deftly answered by the determined and hot-headed Keisuke Takahashi who ultimately proves that exceptional natural talent is not the only way to reach the top. His masochistic attitude toward attaining perfection is definitely not viable to everyone but it doesn't take a genius to see that it certainly shows results. The fierce unspoken competition between the two only makes each of them grow more.

The third and perhaps the most ideal character (yes, its not the prodigy) is the charismatic Ryosuke Takahashi who is a brilliant logical and calculating machine, besides being one of the fastest street racers, nicknamed 'Akagi's white comet'. He is shown to be exceptional at deducing and copying driving styles of his opponents only by observing them drive ahead of him for a very short time. The brain of  'Project D', he is instrumental in developing winning simulations for both Takumi and Keisuke on each of their expeditions. He pushes both to their limits by setting rigorous training regimes for Keisuke and making sure Takumi doesn't rely only on his natural driving talent while being oblivious to the technicals of his machine.

These characters take shape revealing more about them in each battle. Their thought process and course of action instantly makes them believable and thoroughly enviable. How is all this applicable to real life, you ask? I think the ability to relate comes from the emotions experienced by the characters in troubled and challenging times which are bound to have come to everyone of us at some point in life, and the tactics used to overcome them and more importantly learn from them. For the rest, watch this epic series for yourself. If you have a thing for fast cars, this shouldn't be disappointing. I conclude with one favorite from arguably one of the best anime sound track.

A Good Bad Feeling

I had a rather unusual habit. Some would have called it crazy, some would have considered it bad. In any case, it made me happy. Not today though.

I had the habit of choosing monetarily or opportunistically rewarding options, the options that under usual circumstances would be too good to be true, and try to force my way to see them through to completion. In simple terms I would call myself greedy in a kleptomaniac-sort of way. Just as the latter steals as a habit and not necessarily for the thing itself, I gained happiness, more from the fact that I could squeeze out the maximum I could have from any given situation. Of course the 'maximum' also contributed to my happiness, but I hope you got my point.

This obviously came at a cost. There was often uncertainty, displeasing someone else (because obviously if you are getting something you wouldn't in a normal case, someone else is bearing the brunt of it),  relying on requests and favors and very often putting a herculean effort into getting through it. Once I saw that there was even a slight possibility of making it, I wouldn't care about the surrounding events or people.

Today, I had tried to make most of two such 'opportunities'. One of them was to make it to my flight in time which I was barely able to, after a nervous hour and a half and non stop running to the gate. But right then when I thought I was all good, the second one showed up in the form of angry flight personnel and I ended up having to drop the flight. Now, had I been ethically right in my decisions, I would have defining got on the plane. But I was in the wrong. Why? I had taken advantage of something I shouldn't have and the airline staff obviously didn't like it.

The good feeling I had for finally making it to the boarding in the nick of time was completely trashed away by this feeling of utter loss and helplessness. And the worst part was that I knew it was all because of my own choices.

I had to get a new ticket and I'm writing this on the same plane. Amid a flood of thoughts and a lot of contemplation. Something needs to change. It won't be easy. I won't be the same again. But this has to end. Why? Because I can't rely at all on living in this manner. I intend this note to serve more as a reminder to me, should I start to waver again, than a blog post.

The Murphy Day

The Murphy's law infamously states that if anything can go wrong, it will.
Well, this shit did get real.

A lot of things that day did go wrong, but that is not what I want to talk about. What I do want to list are the lessons I learnt.

1. Be strong enough to say No. You may think that you are being impolite, or that somehow it could be managed later on, but more often than not, it will only make matters worse. If you have done something which you could have avoided did not owing to your laziness or preconceived notions, be honest about having done it. With yourself and the person you are hesitant to say No to. It will do both of yourselves a lot lot better.

2. If driving alone make sure you navigation system does not hamper with your driving. If the system is your phone, make sure it is fully charged. If not, carry a charger with you. If you don't have a charger make sure you note down the driving directions and keep them offline. 

If you don't manage to do even that, and your phone dies on you when you are right on a highway, take the next exit and get the directions right. When you are travelling back from a new location, and aren't very sure of the directions, Do Not hesitate to ask for help and directions. If you think you can find the way back from the signs on the highways, you might be able to do that, but if you aren't and get lost on an exit with no people around, good luck getting help from the trees.

3.  Never park your car in a bushy undergrowth without knowing if it is firm ground. A towing truck would become your only means of salvation.

The points should be suggestive of what transpired with me on that eventful day. It did cost me a hefty sum inclusive of a ticket, late return fees, towing costs and a pair of irreversibly damaged shoes.

Hoping people after reading this, don't undergo the same ordeal if not already wise enough.

Hare Krishna!

Janmashtami is round the corner again and it is refreshing to have a day off during the week. That said, the crucial question I want to bring up is how is this day meant to be spent? Another day of being glued to your laptop, picking up some random movie you can get your hands on, your Facebook profile and email continually logged in, running in the background, and if at all one gets tired of all this, bury yourself in the latest bestseller? Isn’t this what most of us do on a holiday these days?

I recollect the times when I was back in school, when there were no laptops, when TV shows weren’t addictive ( or utterly irritating ), come Janmashtami and Lord Krishna would be the prime focus of my day. All of my day’s activities would revolve around him, be it sketching his portrait, painting and cutting out paper peacock feathers, making a model of his famous “Sudarshan Chakra”, watching one of the movies on his umpteen childhood antics (Leelas),  oh, I was a huge Krishna fan back then. The evening would unquestionably be spent at the ISKCON temple near my home, the loud chants of “Hare Rama, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare…” infusing the space within and outside the temple. The ambiance built up really gave me a feeling of divinity; the Prasad was another temptation that drew me there. I craved the “lemon rice and chana” they served after the proceedings and rituals in the temple were completed. The night would witness an exhausted boy in his early teens, collapse onto his bed, with a calm, pleased look on his face, the chants still echoing in his head.

When I look at what has become of that energy-rich hope-filled kid, i feel disappointed at first. But then, I try to think of what I can actually do to experience even a part, if not all, of the hope and happiness as of earlier times.

During my first year in Delhi, this day, I visited the ISKCON temple there, with a few of my friends. As expected, it was huge, not just the temple, but also the gathering of people that day. After a few rounds of chants and watching the ceremonial dances, we returned quite pleased with the events. Sadly, I haven’t been there since. Neither have my friends. Why? Was I so bogged down with work and routine, that I could not squeeze in a few hours of mental peace and prayer? Or was it sheer laziness and indifference? Not that a visit to ISKCON was mandatory. Even a nearby temple would suffice, or even one's own room. Devotion is something that springs from within yourself. It doesn’t depend on where you are or what rituals you perform. But, then, where has this devotion in us disappeared? Indeed, most of us have forgotten what true happiness feels like. The monotony and mechanized nature of today’s lifestyle has no time for such spiritual and soul-stirring retreats. Now that I realize this, I will try my best to ensure that the now dormant aspect of my life is rekindled, and hope that this short article stirs up similar thoughts and brings about some positive change in your lifestyles too.

Happy Janmashtami.

Burn Notice

"My name is Michael Westen. I used to be a spy....", the line that goes at the start of every Burn Notice episode also befittingly concludes the series finale.

I had come across this series a few years back but though I did like it, it didn't give the feeling of an exceptional series. Probably it was because there were only three seasons out and the episodes were following a predictable pattern. However, I stumbled upon it recently again and this time it had me hooked to it bad. After Season 7, I can affirmatively say that this is one of the best spy/action series I have ever watched. Also, it is highly underrated which is one of the reasons I decided to write this post in the first place. The other reason, of course was the overwhelming feeling you have when you watch something epic and feel the need to record it.

One remarkably different aspect about this series is the set of intermittent narrations throughout the series giving rather informative tips on espionage strategies, spy gear, and often the plot build up for the following scene. The characters are fantastic and blend in realistically all through the series. Unlike many other series where there is one central and all important character with the others purely in supporting roles, this series cleverly balances the focus between all the characters making you fall in love with each of them.

Michael's character and his inner battles are powerfully displayed, more so in the final season. Though he is portrayed to be the best field operative, his mistakes and weaknesses are also shown making his character very relatable. The importance of Fiona, Sam, Jesse and his mother Madeline is repeatedly and amply displayed making each of them a crucial part of their 'family'.

The way operations are conducted by the secret service agencies are shown in poor light which is debatable, but if that is assumed, the dilemmas and fights faced by our favorite team indeed make you feel the toughness of the decisions being taken. This series, in a way, captures the psyche of a non-typical burned spy and takes you on a roller coaster ride filled with emotions, a lot of C4, blazing guns and plots of betrayal, manipulation and friendship. A must watch, by me.

Just Another Day

Though with considerable effort, I start off
My limbs shaken out of their idle mundaneness
I then begin to feel their existence, purpose,
I say to myself, it’s just begun

After a while of relentless duty, they sigh,
Glistening beads trickling down my forehead
And then my cruelty sets in,
Forcing them on, straining and stretching,
The drops trickle to my lips,
Somehow making the agony desirable

Now they start to wail, I pay no heed,
Trudging on, forcing my weight on them,
Enjoying the fatigue and pain setting in,
My heart become audible now, the beats in sync with my feet
My body drenched completely, every muscle strained,
I go on

It is then that I escape it, effortlessly
However deceitful it may seem, I did want to,
I lose myself in the green around me,
The grass being trampled in a clocked habitual rhythm,
I face myself, watching the struggle,
Bound by the limitations of flesh, human life,
I try, desperately, to reach my limits, knowing well that I won't.
I run.

My Muse on HIM

"God... Oh God... Make my paper go well..." This would usually be my last statement before I began my exams, and as far as I know the last statement of many of my fellow theists. But this statement of mine would also accompanied by a feeling of guilt... A feeling of being a really selfish person pleading God for something which should actually be determined by my own endeavors and efforts... nothing more, nothing less… then I thought about what God had become to me.. Something that I entrusted all my testing situations and wanted them to go through well… What had God got to do with it?? What troubles me more is the fact that we hardly remember him in good times and just blame him and “luck” for our bad happenings. I don’t deny that there may indeed be something called “luck” but we can’t let it decide our life!. We squander our time on countless diversions and expect “GOD” to make everything right. WHY the heck should he? Just because you believe in him? If that’s the case, why do anything at all?? The very thought of people just sitting around chanting his name doing nothing is quite amusing. But don’t get me wrong here... I am a devout worshipper of God and I do believe in miracles. But I despise the notion of expecting him to set up your life. You are the one that ought to be responsible for your life. What then, you may ask, is God for?

Well, to this I reply with belief gained from the past few years that he silently observes you, your actions, decisions and thoughts and when even after your best efforts things don’t go your way he “MAY” set them right. This “MAY” is highly provocative. People as always have many ways to explain it: “luck” for instance; more widespread is the notion of “karma”. I won’t delve into those issues now... Each is sufficiently complex and people do have their own experiences and beliefs to accept any of them. Coming to the point, if this is the case with God, how then do we treat his existence? I for instance, chose thus to treat him as a friend, a really good one before whom I can proudly say “There, I have done my part. You just keep an eye over me” and smile away. No expectations. No chants or offerings. Just the confidence in yourself and the warm feeling of being watched over by a trustworthy and reliable friend.