Thursday, June 29, 2006

The Comparison Game

How often are we a part of comparing people, things etc? We compare Kishore and Rafi, Maradona and Pele, Sampras and Federer, Sachin and Lara, Asha and Lata, A R Rahman and R D Burman and many others all the time. We all have our favorites and in the quest to elevate them or to win the argument we will ruthlessly bring down the other person. Why dont we give importance to the great service they have done to their respective fields? Why dont we give importance to the joy they all have given to us? Why "comparison" is the only thing important? I feel, By comparing and criticizing I dont elevate one or bring the other one down, what I do is I bring myself down. To have your likes and dislikes is fine, expressing your love for one is fine, expressing your dissatisfaction for the other is fine too. That's your perception, your view and is not wrong. But why do we always tend to compare? Why do we think that to compliment one, we always need to criticize the other? Why cant we just settle on the fact that they all are simply great?

Monday, June 19, 2006

Creativity: an art or science or something else?

Have you looked at the recent Travel Insurance advt?? (The man who can fly but cant swim) Or the various mastercard advertisements (Somethings money cant buy, for everything else there is mastercard)... How creative?? Creativity is everywhere. Its in Beckham's kick and its in our day to day excuses. Now science and art are supposed to be two different things. The bridge between them is talent. If you have the talent you elevate it to the level of art as a Tendulkar, if not, you will play a methodical and bookish but stylish shot as a Dravid. Some gifted people between us have crossed the bridge several times. Earlier sports, painting, singing were considered art. Today too, but constant practice, understanding and studying has made all these subjects possible for common beings too. You might not become a Tendulkar or a Federer but with constant efforts an average man can become a Dravid or a Patrick Rafter. Many factors are out there to help you. Coaches, Technology, Literature -- you need it and you have it. What I mean to say is that the things which were earlier considered as purely art are now becoming more and more scientific. Balance is shifting towards science. So I wonder whether creativity will one day shift towards science too. Today I doubt it, but so did many people who long back thought the same about sports. Today it seems highly impossible as creativity is just an intuitive thought you will either get in a moment or never in years. This way creativity is different than both art and science. Then where do we categorize creativity?? I guess just considering it as a talent or god's gift is fine.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

The Dudes

I was born and brought up in small towns in India like Gwalior, Jabalpur, Indore, and therefore never really came to the terms with the "dude language". I now live in US but somehow couldnt get accustomed to the dude lingo. I sincerely dont want to speak that kind of a language. Not that I am here to pass any decisions, but I just wonder and feel amused how quickly people adapt and follow to what they feel is funky and in vogue. On top of that, how quickly they also start to feel uncomfortable with the same people they were living all throughout there past life. I can understand Americans speaking something like that because thats the environment in which they have grown up. But 3 months in US and some of us are just masters of the "dude language".

It actually is quite an entertainment for me to listen to such people saying something like "Just take out that freaking phone of yours from the freaking pocket, maaaaaaaaaan!!!" or the more common "Jesus Christ" or "Jesus H. Christ". I wonder where "Hey Ram" or "Hey Bhagwan" have gone. You can find more such stuff on various scrapbooks.

I recently went back to India and was surprised to see "dudes" all around me. Metros like Pune, Bangalore besides the usual 4 have changed quite a lot. Some for good and some I am not sure.
Just wonder where are we heading?? Well, who cares? Just enjoy.