Friday, August 13, 2010

Sigh.. Sigh

It is saddening... the state of women today. The difference between the past and the present being their acceptance of what gives them happiness-Emotions which were freely expressed, colourful hues, a tinge of silver, pretty faces, made up eyes, laces and ribbons and visible efforts added just for them :)

Now it seems there is dual pressure because 1) more and more women are constantly struggling to gain ground in a male-dominated society, I mean its only fair if they sleep with the VP for a promotion just like Mamta Didi has all rights to earn her own share of money- why should Lalu be a single player in the game AND so it is also right if one appears to play cool and go with the critics and ROW. and 2) Due to the fact that they can spot a lot more well groomed, attractive, fair-faced or rich women than earlier there is a greater degree of differentiation required because they sadly don't have the beauty card- hence the intelligence quotient becomes top gear; their mantra (talk about existentialism and jean paul sartre, condemn every other woman who looks like a piece of art, envy the privileged 'green' few and label them as women who just married right while they themselves look like a broom..LOL).

So i get it when most movies celebrating womanhood are about brave rape victims, successful entrepreneurs, idealistic models or plush politicians. But what about balancing femininity, grace and elegance alongwith. What about the forgotten truth that women call a spade a spade, they feel, they relate and empathize. Maybe the large bunch of man-ish freaks reading this post are already in the process of developing testicles ;)
What about complicated emotions not of a female war-hero but of a selfish, shallow, fashion-obsessed barbie-doll who can still be worthy of love by a completely grounded man (also seriously ask yourself which part don't you like the rich part, pretty part or the part where it hits you that men think you've got brains but still treat you as invisible as you lack the former to be drool-worthy). It might not be a manifestation of reality but you are kidding yourselves if you think thats a non-section.

Well some movies are just meant to entertain, please the eyes and soothe the mind, if you scoff at them you know beforehand you're not the TG so give ppl on your FB a break- Don't go and watch it. And for fat old corporate losers who try and rip the movie apart at work... take a break..you're just sour because such women have always been out of your league.

Cheers!

Monday, August 9, 2010

Uncoupling

I am compelled to discuss this considering I am at a stage where I may have to forgo karaoke parties (my love for them is evident now) for my married friend's birthday dinner because I feel it might be considered rude to ditch them just because they are married- which has strengthened their equation of being able to suck everyone into the 'couple' zone.It is their inherent ability to perceive two people as extensions of each other devoid of the fact that as individuals their choices and tastes could be like chalk and cheese. Their idea of space and doing your own thing is that men get shoved to a separate place to discuss things over a mug of beer while women sip their wine and discuss the men. 


It is i am sure a great feeling when you know you're the centre of the universe for someone but i was always under the impression that a center is something you always want to come back to after strolling through the nooks and crannies like in one of those green circular plastic maze puzzles. There is a sense of achievement when you're able to get the three silver balls to the center but the challenge ends when you let them stay there for too long.  I am guessing the awesome-twosomes take Newton's first law of motion very seriously. 


They also tend to assume that most people around them would adore the 'my bonnie lies over the ocean' talks. What does not hit them is that people like myself need a babel fish (wiki it you would love me for introducing you to this world) in their ear to be able to get it. It is galling that they go on about the surprise dinner they have arranged for their partner, then about what they should wear for it... and then expect one to be completely engrossed in their debate over whether purple orchids or white lilies make the cut.


One trait which permeates all couplekind is like Trillion they would leave the planet for the two-headed Beeblebrox. For you to get the context I shall elaborate. i.e they will abdicate the rest of their equations with one and all. It is a rarity to see them join in to celebrate your new job because for starters they would be so out of loop that they'll hear about it a month from when you bagged it.


I am halfway from pressing the panic button when it dawns on me that I'm not the only one who does' nt fit in, I'm hitched to a guy who tacitly agrees that it is extremely bothersome when you're expected to pick up the phone mid-way an Atlas Shrugged or your next blog post. 

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Are we even Steven?

If there is someone who strongly goes against the Apollo Munich tagline 'Lets uncomplicate' it is a Cancerian. I need a pat on my back for stating that in black and white because had any such judgement come from a true blue Cancerian it would have taken about a month; they will first create a corner in their mind, place that judgement and then weave a situation around it so that they are truly convinced. So now you know that they will say it only if they are able to artificially justify it to themselves so that they derive the satisfaction of being neutral.

Next they will take about 15 days to blurt it out even to their closest people because words once spoken cannot be taken back and they'd want to have the luxury of doing that. Now they'd argue that its just about being judicious but don't you get fooled. This is how they justify their non-committal nature in their head ;) Yes I would tend to agree that their perception of being diplomatic actually stems from here.

I have had the privilege of having a Cancerian room-mate, dating a Cancerian, being great friends with one or two of that breed (tags: Gupta and http://purple-karma.blogspot.com) and now also spending my travel time to work with a Cancerian friend. With all due respect (only because I love my roomie and am buddies with my ex) all that I know about Cancerians and their mode of operation is a product of my efforts only and maybe my prolonged association with them- they are'nt a book, they're a password protected ipad.

'He will take his secret to the grave' I'm sure the person who invented this phrase must've been close friends with a Cancerian if not a Cancerian himself. They harbour, button-up, bottle it up, gulp it down I don't know what they do but they do it very well. They'd make you want to put them at gun-point and have them give it all out (though they'll manage to confuse you by putting you in a loop). This trait of theirs according to them should be defined as being 'mysterious', let me give them a reality check - this ability to be restrained peppered with how ambiguous they are is what gives them a tint of being 'detached' something which will keep their closest friends from banking on them when they really need you because Cancerians are not very helpful during SOS are they? 

But more often than not their taste in music is just what you're looking for, I have connected with every single one of them mostly on that. They also have a penchant for being clued onto random scraps of information which make them excellent conservationists. You cannot get bored with them. Also a peculiarity I've noticed about them is when they get entranced they flout all the above rules and just be themselves, be it their cribby, cranky selves or self-less give-it-all -i've-got selves (In fact this is so rare that their true self almost comes across as an oddity..lol). I know how one of my extremely sane Cancerian friend's obsession with Katrina Kaif is almost scary and unlike himself :)

If Libra embodies balance (which it does not!) Cancer signifies pseudo-balance. They are always looking for a middle-ground and their interest behind it is not tact or prudence, they're just looking for a safe place to bury their heads.







Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Back in the game!

I oscillate. Sometimes I wonder if thats a kind of disorder. Besides myself I know just this one other friend of mine who has this tendency. Let me try my best to explain this.


See the both of us we're neither conformists nor whackos. While we do not judge people on their no-labelled trysts, we're also least likely to renounce a fast paced career and use up the savings (did i mention we're most likely to not be left with any savings) for a course in bar-tending. So we pretty much are yaba-daba-doing between the halo and the horns. Being in the middle however has its side-effects, in fact as per my theory the ones in the middle tend to, at times be at the most extreme end of one extreme compared to the extremists.


Second both of us love the spotlight in a not-so-obvious way. It is almost like we continue to do our own thing but we like to glance sideways every once in a while and pat ourselves on the back (mentally) for being natural crowd pullers.


Sigh.. I'm guessing this needs simplifying.. its just that every ordinary thing that people of the above cadre indulge in usually makes headlines and gets them the attention they pretend not to thrive on..NOW from here if they're suddenly thrown into a comfortable scenario where it is assumed they've lived their life, done their deeds and packed their bags; in short they're passé like a former-it rockstar who is now an old hag, what does one expect?


They will graciously succumb initially for I am sure they will have strong reasons to have made the dive in the first place but occasionally there will be some swimming against the tide. This I equate with my moments of pseudo single-dom where I dress to kill and when I simply love making conversation with those around me whom I will never make an effort to call back.  (One of my Golden pointers again: while doing this hold your drink in that hand where you're not wearing your wedding band ;)


In all fairness .. there is no harm in knowing you're back in the game that you created cheat codes for!

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Preetika Verma vs Chanel

Its a pleasure, seeing people who are always impeccably dressed with powdered noses, dangling earrings, shiny straight hair and a pair of hot ballet flats, not to forget people who follow Chanel's famous aphorism without fail every single day: 'A woman who does'nt wear perfume has no future'.
It is even more intriguing how another breed as conscious about femininity and fashion hangs around in a pair of black on white thin-striped shorts with a soft baby pink snug t-shirt and flip-flops and hair scrunched up in a half pony.

Both the types mentioned above have just one difference: For the first lot fashion is defined by a string of pearls as popularized by Coco-loco or feminine drapes by Madeleine Violette or even signature Satya Paul prints. They would look prim and stylish (Black dress-meets-gladiator sandals) in a mall, at a movie, at a party, for brunch, while shopping, at the gym, at work- EVERYWHERE. And i'm proud of such women who are so motivated to look good all the time, well.. for people who'd turn around and say it comes naturally..lets just say, we all know theres no such thing as a permanent blow-dry and not everyone is blessed with a flawless peaches and cream complexion though for those who know the magic of Mac Studio Fix its very achievable.. add on a trip to the parlour every 15 days for those well manicured hands and feet.
For the second species fashion is who they are, its ofcourse how they dress coupled with the way they talk, their mannerisms, their passion at work and in relationships and how they manage to stand out in a room swarming with people- a lot of whom belong to the first lot. They would prefer a cute casual blue flannel summer dress with an off-white raw-silk satchel because the thought of putting on a their expensive LBD is (i'd like to credit Preetika Verma for these brilliantly logical explanations)  either too exhausting and over-the-top or a sheer waste of a beautiful garment for an occasion not befitting it. In fact if you observe well you'd find that unconsciously their matra is to remain slightly under-dressed. Even if they have fashion acumen and taste which is unparalleled they might want the effort that they put in to be worth-its-while for people and events worth the trouble.

I'd also want to leave you with a tip which might be of use to some of you: If you feel you are a person low on character and personality you must invest some time everyday to match your new pair of heels with the red dress in your closet (the one with hideous horizontal red lines on the black bottom border) ;)

Monday, July 19, 2010

Riding high..riding fast

There has been an eternal battle between Power, Money and Fame-Who quashes the other two is as much a matter of individual whim and nature as ones state of inebriation after a glass of wine; for some the high may not be enough while for some others the craving for the next dose is magnified while they swirl the glass under their nose, take a whiff and roll their tongue letting the wine spread across it from front to back, side to side with a slurp of air and savour it.
When it comes to riding these three horses it is uncanny how almost everyone you know can be typified except ofcourse the tea-totalers or the L.I.T drinkers. 
Lets start with what according to me is far behind in the race-Money- the torch-bearers of 'money makes the world go round' syndrome are comfortable, mechanical, safe, they'd tweak themselves a little bit here and there to keep themselves happier and derive some joy of out doing things differently because they hardly indulge in that. A CEO who would just do anything to safeguard his precious spoils, from flower arrangements for the owners' daughter's wedding to entertaining her husband when he has a hairline fracture. Money paralyzes you if that is what you are singularly gunning for. The cardinals sins associated with this, greed, envy and sloth either makes one lose their mind or numbs them completely. It is because of people like them who are incompetent or inflexible that some bright others have to rollover and play dead.

I do have some respect left for the 'fame-seekers'. Full of fire, they want to create. They love the limelight and nothing pleases them more than appreciation and acknowledgement. The struggle seems sweet to them, its almost as if they are prepared for it. The guy who shrugs off a high flying corporate career for a brand consultancy, a copy-writer whos here to do his own thing, a freelance photographer, a director poised to make a mark... And then it happens, something that makes me think these dimwits should just survive on air and water, infact its probably this breed due to which the word pseudo got its place in the Oxford English dictionary. Anyway, when they're done with getting hit by pride, lust and gluttony they decide to dedicate their sympathies to the leftist-type as neither has any substance left. Truly then and literally its no surprise that this class is and always will be in the red.

Coming from a class A capitalist, who very frequently wants to live the high life, read this thread-bare. Money is a very very significant tool no denying that, but what next.. Wheres the wow factor...in 10 years if you earn a salary to the tune of one million.. what difference will it make.. you'd probably be able to buy your wife a bigger rock or your kid may have a PS3 when hes 5.. you will however 'be a slave to money then you'll die' (if u dont know what I'm humming now you've got to be kidding me!). The king of aces is nothing but Power. Its the inherent desire to run, control, possess and influence. You start with getting a grip on yourself, racking your brain and implementing the single most idea that enjoys your conviction. If it works, money and fame are just goodie bags that come with power. If it doesn't you can try a new drink or ask for a repeat- either ways you'll die regret-free. 
So if you think success is when your name flashes on afaqs.com when you switch jobs, or when you buy a jetta, its not. It is when you enjoy your vacation at the beach, your night-time read and your work as much. It is when you're no longer the pawn, you're the hand that moves it :)


  

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

Mr. Right Now

Extremely fascinated by the idea of finding the 'one', I took a friend's recommendation quite seriously and bought Richard Bach's 'Bridge across forever'. After all that friend of mine, he was really into it, he hadn't been single since he was 14 and his girlfriends were the kinds who'd feed him grapes while he would stretch himself on satin sheets with one cushion under his head and one under his legs. We thought he'd found his calling in the girl he hooked up with in the dramsoc in the second week of college, but three years into that relationship, his quest for the 'one' finally ended. He decided to marry his close 'platonic' friend who'd seen him through 3 of his relationships- he decided when he was drunk and she was drunk and about 1407 kms apart from each other.

I stopped reading mid-way...

I've seen many an arduous affair fall flat and a lot of placid and bland equations blossom into something everlasting. And then it hit me, this thing, about finding the right person is almost like finding a new job. Its's not about how hard your search, how many interviews you go for and how brilliant you are- Its more than that-
1) You need to know the right people in the right companies from whom you hear about an opening or bright consultants in the sectors you're aiming to get into 2) there has to be a fitment in terms of work, number of years of experience, salary expectations, location etc. 3) The number of people applying for the job, their experience, institutes and packages 4) Saying the right thing at the right time to impress the right people.

So net-net, you might cross paths with a handsome man, a charmer who shares the same looking glass that you  do, to see the things around him and still part ways because he is looking to settle down and you've only just started discovering yourself.  You might find yourself extremely attracted to a friend of yours in June while he might begin to see how cutely you eat or roll your eyes or how pretty you look even while you're asleep in November but by that time you've simply gotten over him.

It boils down to one thing which always HAS to be going for two people who eventually get together- the timing, they have to be in the same phase! By that logic there is no Mr. Right.. but there is indeed a Mr. Right Now...

So what if you meet the right person after you've sealed the deal? Here's the test which is likely to give you a formula you can work with- a) You have the funnest conversations with him b) You never get bored talking to him c) Theres one thing both of you are passionate about-music, sports, films..the blah d) You can rub your eyes when you're sleepy till your kajal spreads and till you start to look like Veera (if you don't know this get off my blog now) and he still is very nonchalant about it- In simpler words you can just be yourself and feel most comfortable e) Ofcourse if he is great in bed you can do away with either a, b, c or d.
But this is no sure-shot way, as I've also heard: Most often, you come across the right person when you're already married... and all you can do then is hope she gets fat real fast!