The quintessential mid life crisis

Nothing much has caught my attention in recent times that is post worthy. The few lines below will hopefully keep this blog in refresh mode. While surfing channels on a leisurely evening in the living room, I came across that groovy song which I enjoy every time it plays on my iPod. Let me quickly take a moment to help you visualize the setting. There were four souls in the vicinity of the idiot box. Wifey was on her laptop (WFH), the little one was undecided if her drawing interested her more than watching TV as she lay stretched across the carpet, mom was on phone right in front of the TV and then there was me with the remote control. Shakira proclaimed her innocence by passionately appealing that her “Hips don’t lie” and to lend credence to her claim, started moving her posterior sideways. To build pressure, she would gyrate along the stage with shimmery stars on her bare back and further persuade the jury. With that naughty voice, hip Latino music, and the erogenous video, t...

Ever since Adam and Eve started dating (due to lack of entertainment options in BIGG BOSS and Ishant Sharma), they nurtured two dreams. Beyond the immediate need to cover themselves up with Armani products, they wanted to get out of the stigma of a live in relationship and get married with Hawaiian flora and fauna in attendance. After all they also had a mandate to be the trendsetters for millions of people worldwide and billions of Indians. It (marriage) would happen in due course of time and it is alleged that they also received a wedding gift. It was a dinner set. Elsewhere at around the same time (OK - maybe a million years here or there), in a different part of the world, Sri Ramchandra was growing up to be the king in waiting. Guru Vashisht had taught all the four brothers the noble and purposeful ways of leading life and also how to blow away the CAT and get into IIM-A in the first attempt. Armed with killer looks, charming manners and knowledge of the format of 'Bach...

"Mr Mitra - your turn. Do you have any metallic objects with you? Anything like a gold chain, belt, wallet etc.?" "No" I said. "Then please remove your slippers and lie down." The consulting radiologist pointed to the patient table. "So how long will this take?" I asked trying to be brave. "About 30 minutes." The reply was extremely business like. Before I knew, the assistant had finished padding my head and strapping my feet - all of this before I could exhale. "This is the nurse calling switch - just in case you need to summon us." Flashback. Couple of weeks back, tired of a persistent headache (caused by daily doses of Arnab Goswami, playing stick tennis, text mining the Facebook and a nagging migraine) I went to see a general physician. It seemed safe for him to recommend a CT scan originally, but which was later 'upgraded' to a MRI scan upon further consideration. I did go through some bouts of depression a...

This one is only for us men. You see there are certain facts about women that intrigue us. Here I am narrating one of the zillion. Ladies - if you still have not been dissuaded by the opening statement and want to continue to read ahead, you can do so only if you agree to willingly give up the rights to present any rebuttal. Neither would you publish an article against us in vengeance.   One of the modern day wonders is a woman's handbag.  Let me get to the point straight away. It is not so much about the handbag itself that holds the mystique. It is about what (all) it is engineered to hold. I may be stirring a hornet’s nest here. So menfolk, in the interests of your marital peace I must caution you - "Try this at your own risk." On second thoughts, maybe "Do not try this at home." Has your lady ever asked you to quickly reach out to her handbag and give her a pen? Well, you think it is a dumb task which should not even have come your way ...

Be fair. You cannot solely blame me for being late in publishing the second edition of this hugely awaited blog (by all of 3 people - including me). A lot happened in the last 25 days or so. Chennai Express has become something like a 'smashing ultra super mega blockbuster hit'. We are told that the film has earned enough for Rohit Shetty to splurge  invest (collectively) in the following activities - Buy the Rashtrapathi Bhawan Finance the food security bill for the next 3 years Pick up a majority stake in Microsoft Buy out Zimbabwe  (in an all cash offer) Blow up Ashton Martins in his next magnum opus Hire Angelina Jolie to do an item number.  In other eventful occurrence, Rupee has become very popular in schools worldwide especially with physics teachers who are now explaining the concepts of 'gravity' by using the example of our national currency. Professors teaching accountancy suddenly find the concept of 'depreciation' being understood by stud...

People have such profound misconceptions about themselves. Mine is/was that I can write. And recent developments (such as the one below) have further fueled that carnal desire within me. Ever since the Rs. 5 crore cheque was presented to Amish Tripathi as an advance for his 'yet to be titled' book on a 'yet to be thought of' topic to be published in an 'open time frame', wannabe writers like yours truly have been truly inspired. It does not help that his holiness Lord Shri Krishna in a highly divine moment has tried to show us the path to enlightenment by preaching - "You have a right to perform your prescribed duty, but you are not entitled to the fruits of action"   (Bhagwat Gita: Chapter Two verse 47) .  Lesser mortals like us however, have found our inspiration in the following verses - "That Aston Martin is the reason why Thou was born and no SOB can deprive your holiness from owning her. Go slog it out now!" But as much scorn you...

PART II Houston - we have a problem Now if you have not been to the IIM-K campus, you will mistake it to be a resort. It is located atop a hill with snaking roads leading you up to the campus or guest houses - depending upon your destination. The clouds add an element of mystic that is often seen in hill stations while also producing enough rains to keep the surroundings clean and nourish the innumerable trees that adorn the landscape. The design and architecture of the campus is so stunning that it makes you forget academics and immediately infuses a vacation like feeling. But I am not documenting a travelogue here, so I will stop romancing it all. Back to my lecture. I was led to the main entrance of the campus where two things caught my attention. One, there was an large and impressive statue of Arjun. Although the extremely well sculpted body of Arjun makes him seem more like Bheem - but that is not the point. Arjun stands for focus (among other virtues),...