What single minded effort can achieve

It is so funny that some things can happen. Things which you would not have thought possible. Last weekend I was at the Milpitas temple for a couple of hours helping out with preparations for a function the next day. Starting with an empty auditorium at 9.30 pm everyone had managed to put up an impressive display within 3 hours.
In one of those being-by-my-self-in-the-crowd moments I realized how amazing a job everyone inspite of being amateurs had done. In a matter of just one night, we had assembled all the 9 points ("toonks") of the fagun shud 13 jatra. And that involved actually building a mini-mountain for each of them and a lot of beautiful decoration. I was truly awed then. Single minded pursuit of a goal can literally move mountains.

Ma! look no hands!

Well the title doesn't say it all. In fact it does not say anything at all. It was just a means to get the attention of my mom. Well why? Well coz she happened to know about one of my past posts about perfection. And well she did not think it was perfect.
So this is for you mom, do not worry about me, that post had nothing to do about me, it was just one of my many ramblings that I have started trying my hands at, no doubts the post was inspired by some incidents but well they have nothing to do with me and have not affected me in any way except making me wiser. Believe me! And I promise not to be a bad boy and always keep my hands on the cycle handle :))

What can I give you thee?

Today morning I woke up with memories of an amazing dream. Well, since I let a few minutes pass after I woke up, I am not very clear about some parts. But nevertheless here it is, some thoughts collected from those wisps of groggy morning thinking -
It was my parents birthday and there was this birthday card for them that my brother or sister had selected. The card had a part that read like this(from parent to the child) -

"What can I give you thee?
When I die, where will you bury me?
Take me the field and bury me where the farmer ploughs.
so that I can continue to nourish you oh my child."

The thought was so strong that I woke up with a start and immediately called home. I do not remember having read this beautiful thought anywhere before, so how did it come to me in my dream? But it really touched me and made me think about a parents perspective.

Life is not perfect

A couple of days back I had this realization. And it was a surprising revelation, things which you have taken to be perfect - suddenly their perfection is shattered before you. You see the faults so clearly, and it lets you down.
Can there be anything, anyperson that is perfect? In any sense of the word? I would have agreed until a few days ago, not now.
Let me just consider people right now. Have you ever looked up to someone as really perfect? And then come to realize that it was just an illusion of perfection? It left me stranded and confused. And now that I think of it, I have had two occurances of this happening in the last few years. How do you react to such a situation? Do you become cynical and stop thinking of people as role models or people you look up to? Or do you live with the fact and be wiser the next time?
I guess whichever option you decide to go for, there is going to be hurt that you will have to withstand.

Rang De Basanti

Saw Rang de Basanti last friday. Amazing movie, completely worth the effort I put into getting to see it on the first day itself. Some people really have a creative genius in them. The makers of Rang de Basanti all belong up there. People who get in me the strong urge to do something creative, constructive, satisfying, worthwhile.
This was one heck of a movie, a movie which gave me so much to laugh at ponder over, feel about, identify with. Very raely does a movie touch the innermost cords of your heart. This was one. A world of happiness. A world of colors. A world where everyone plays without pretense, cries without fear. DJ, Karan, Aslam and Sukhi lived in such a world. People you would want to be with, be friends with.
It is said that circumstances bring out the best in a person. And so I believe strongly. It could have been just another movie where a friend dies unfairly and his dear ones try to get justice. But then there is something different about Rang de that takes it in a different plane. Is it because you really start liking the character and thinking of them as real people? Or is it the lilting music? I saw an interview of Rakeysh Mehra where he praises the film's music saying that even without any dialogues, the films music simply applied to the scenes would convey the message of the true. Very true. For me both the music and the lovable characters did the trick. When they were dancing in joy, I felt ecstatic, when I saw them hurt, I felt something melt deep inside me. The song Khoon chala and the accompanying scenes, really can make you cry out.
I am not an emotional kind of a guy when it comes to movies. Hence this wasn't a normal reaction. Nevertheless there was something real in there for me which was time and again making me forget that I was watching a movie.
So different were the two halves of the movie. The first half so happy, so carefree, so colorful. The 3nd one, so emotional, so serious that it really forces your mind to cease all activity and be with them in their battle. Yet surprisingly it all seemed to progress all so naturally, blended so well. There I was - a bystander watching DJ down his beers while perched up there precariously, the daredevil bike racing, bantering away to glory in college and around that beautiful fort and then gradually as they warm up to Sue's mission.
What the four of them go through after that was both heart wrenching and joyful at the same time. Heart-wrenching to see the cynical injustice of life and joyful in the face of their full-hearted and cheerful response to the same.
Four ordinary men, in and extra-ordinary situation rise to right the wrongs. Haven't we seen this innumerable times? Even their approach may be considered questionable by some of us, but their conscience was clear, they did what they had to. Their point proven, they are at peace.

A lot of movies

This was a movies week. Saw four movies this week! They included Apaharan, Hanuman, Ek Ajnabee and Zinda. The common thread among all of them was that all of them were different from the typical run of the mill movies, each having a unique story to talk about. Infact none of them had the routine song-n-dance sequences or even a love story for that matter. A refreshing change indeed for movies nowadays.
Did not get a chance to catch up on reading though, plan to do it this upcoming week. Have started Richard Bach's One now. Kind of sequel to bridge across forever. Lets see how it is, but i have a feeling that i will like the bridge more than the one.

Some more reading

Am feeling happy that I am able to spend more time now reading, now that life is not so busy. No India trip to prepare for! What did I read last week? Hmm I read Michael Crichton's The Great Train Robbery. That was a very interesting book. It said that it is based on fact. Well after reading the book I was really curious about whether such a robbery took place. Searching led me to this website. So it turns out that it was true after all, though many aspects of the robbery have been changed and made much more fantastic. But all in all I would say a surprisingly smart robbery for the time.
Another book that I read was Agatha Christies Appointment with Death. A typical Christie mystery where the suspicions fall on every possible person, with conflicting clues. Though this one was a little bit predictable towards the end, an interesting read overall.
This weekend I spent in San Diego, nice city. This was my 3rd visit and I liked it more every time I went there. Will be uploading pictures soon. The best part is that the ocean is so easily accessible, and there are some really good beaches.

What are the odds?

Yesterday I had dinner at a friends place - Vivek. Now consider this. Out of 5 of us having dinner, what do you think are the odds that one of them shares the same first name, middle name and last name as me? Yes thats true there exists another Neerav Bipinchandra Mehta in this world, same age as me! Thankfully we spell our first names differently. And this isn't all, there was also another person who has the same day, month and year of birth as me! That is Vivek also born on July 12, 1981! As if this wasn't enough to freak anyone out, there was another guy Luv who had the exact same shoes as me! And people talk of coincidences! Can anyone beat this?

A sluggish week

Well looks like most of the world is on leave nowadays. Christmas and new years being the cause, most people are away from office leaving a dull and empty workplace. What could perk up work in such a time?
Finally I am getting back to my normal sleep cycle. Why is it that jet lag never hits me when I go to India, but almost always gets me when I am back here! To beat it now, I am planning to go to the city library in Mountain View and get a couple of good books to read. Any suggestions any one?

Back to the grind

So am back after an eventful and hectic trip to India. Work is going alright, but yet to get my sleep times in order. What have I been reading? Just finished Richards Bach's Bridge Across Forever today. Nice book, definitely not a quick edge-of-your seat read, you would want to read it at leisure and savour his thoughts.
The book has some really interesting conversations about the author with himself about his soulmate. Let me know if you have read it, and we can spark off a discussion.