A Very Happy Diwali to all you kind people who've not yet given up their hopes and still visit this blog for some signs of existence.
Oh I exist alright - just don't commute my thoughts on existence as often or as gladly as before. Anyway, today is diwali - so no cribbing - lucky you!
The day started with phonecalls. It progressed into distributing the usual presents and sharing cheer amongst relatives and friends. Further up, the diwali puja took place and then finally wee bit crackers.
And that was diwali for me.
A lot of curious questions crop up regarding the festival. There are people who don't even remember the mighty Rama or pray for the new year - yet burst crackers till the wee hours of the morning. I mean, what are they celebrating? And how are crackers related to celebrations?
Why don't we burst crackers on our birthdays, anniversaries or graduation? Why just diwali? Did people have firecrackers when Rama returned from the Vanvas? Did they even think that years down the line pollution would be such a serious problem that the night of Diwali - many people suffer from severe breathing problems?
Feels good I guess - rambling away to glory!

You're standing at the edge of a high mountain. You look down below and you only see vast space - nothing solid in sight. You don't know where you will drop or what you will hit once you leave the ground beneath your feet.
You hate your life - you can't live it anymore. You need to let go of all thats holding you back. You need to take just that one tiny step and you will be relieved of all your agony. What would let you take that step? Hope? Belief? Or Courage?
Courage. A higly-underrated term. We begin showcasing our courage from early age where we mask it as 'guts'. But courage is not facing the world and doing something unacceptable in the open. Courage is accepting that you're responsible for the task you have undertaken. And you alone shall bear the consequences.
Experimenting with your courage makes you a stronger, more aware person. I believe its important to face your fears and challenge your beliefs - for this life only comes once. And you're too special not to be courageous...

Here's an update on the Tournament. My first entry won me through the first round. The second entry got me through the second. So I am in the final round now - against Whosane. He's damn good!
Am busy working on my entry - will show it to you guys by tomorrow night - since thats the deadline anyway. Also, I am in a graphics battle against Raunaq.
So, you know I'm being pretty productive nowadays...

Dancing is an interesting art. Not your authentic classical dances or the complex western forms - but the general dancing each one of us indulges in when some form of music fills our ears.
In recent times, the funky word 'choreography' has given a new meaning to dancing, but who choreographs your moves when you're in a party and the DJ blears the music? Who tells you what step to put forward and what hand to put behind. What move or what shake is acceptable.
It just comes naturally, you may argue. But then why are we discriminatory towards something so natural? Why do we insist that some people have better dance sense than others? What defines or standardizes dance?
The recent diwali mela at school introduced me to the new forms of this freestyle dancing -

a) Back from the Jungle - defines those who don't have much control over their limbs. They just seem to fly everywhere. Whether its aping some sort of Physical Training exercise or truly a natural outburst is still under consideration.

b) The Clap Dance - best suits those who don't let their bodies move. The best they can do is clap along with the beat - and sometimes that too becomes a difficult task.

c) Monkey See Monkey Do - the perfect call for those who copy the next person to the best of their abilities. So whether its their hipshake or armsway - its all chori ka maal.

d) The over-achived - those on the dance floor who own it - or pretend to. They never stick at one place for too long and their moves differ from inch to inch. Very flexible - but stability is not one of their virtues.

e) The centre of Attention - Of course those who don't care if dancing is a decent art, if not an orthodox one. Their moves are wilder than rest and hence the maximum attention. For them good or bad is not the question - the answer is attention.

So which one are you?

Reached the finals - here's the final entry. I am yet awaiting my competitor's entry. Wish me luck you guys - it totally worked last time!

While coming back from school this afternoon, the guys on the rearmost seat suddenly hit high energy levels and began excitedly murmuring amongst themselves. For some reason, my presence on the seat before made them uncomfortable to talk in open.
I returned to my pesky worries about boards and the likes but soon I was to find the reason for the sudden cheer. Apparently, right behind the bus was a gray Maruti Esteem with a chauffer. On the backseat sat a girl. Turning back continuously one of the excited friends exclaimed - "Look, there she is again. Isn't she something?"
The other three tried desparately to clarify their view - but in vain. Soon the Esteem moved ahead and the view was hindered by a three-wheeler. Agitated, the three poked their heads out of the windows to catch a glimpse of the girl their friend had been raving about. But of course, the friend himself had only seen her moments ago for the first time, and felt she was attractive enough to be discussed with the others.
Soon the Esteem came clearly to view and the three gasped. While one of them sat reclined next to his girlfriend who gave him the dirtiest stare, the other two disposed her immediately as 'very average looking' - one of them even going ahead to say - 'whats wrong with your choice?'
I wonder what those guys would've done if she was according to them 'something'...

Tournament Update - Whosane's entry. Check it out!

Took a day off from school today to catch up on studies I have been missing for the past two weeks due to some unforeseen so-called-commitments. I know, you must be thinking - how can commitments be unforeseen - try being me for a day, you'd know!
Anyway - so how could the day go waste? Dad badly wanted to catch up on a good movie so we went for Pinjar. More about the movie later. But for those wondering if its a go-for you bet it is... a straight 5/5 - no questions asked!
What spoilt the fun were innumerable kids roaming about in the theatre during the entire movie playing perhaps a game of hide and seek. Continuous chattering from their end and funny little kiddies poking their faces to see if you're their parent. Frequent calls of 'Mama?' and wails could be heard. Parents tried to act oblivious to everything - so when Manoj Bajpai said 'Puro' - so followed the kids.
For one moment I just felt like getting up and asking these parents why they spend Rs.150/- for a ticket for someone who doesn't even understand whats happening onscreen - and distrupt all the others who do.
More of these small ones haunting the theatres will see the end of movie-watching altogether...