Lone Warrior

Truely India

2005-08-16T13:49:00.000-05:00

Somethings never change, took some pictures when I recently visited Chennai - India

Live 8 from the first row.

2005-07-05T16:59:00.000-05:00

I am still in the Live 8 mind set, so I thought I'll post my experience before I come out of this state of mind. From the pictures I posted in my last post, you must have got an idea about the magnitude of the concert. The biggest rock show I had ever been to was back home in India, where there were roughly some 2000 people in a small enclosed IIT open air theatre..and some local bands playing covers and their own crappy numbers. For me, attending the Live 8 with 1 million people in downtown Philadelphia with the biggest names in music playing their original songs is a dream come true! I knew it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me and I am glad I did not miss it.

The artists came together for upliftment of the condition of people in Africa, and they came together in a big way. Millions of people watched the show live and on TV across various continents in 10 different concerts happening on the same day. Could it get any bigger than this? It has been claimed to be the biggest music show the world has ever seen. Coming to the Philly experience, it was a nice hot day at the venue where people had come the previous day from various parts of US to reserve their spot for the big day. I went in an overpacked local train to the venue and reached an hour before the show was about to start. I was at the very end of the crowd and the stage was atleast a mile ahead of me. With a lot of determination and difficulties I moved to the first row, but after almost 3 hrs of squeezing in the crowd. But I was finally there...right in time to see my favorite band Linkin Park play.

The show started with Will Smith's talk about the poverty in Africa. He later announced the start of the concert by saying "Philadelphia are you ready to make history??" and the crowd went crazy. The opening act was by The Black Eyed Peas, I was busy moving ahead in the crowd then. On the way I saw the crowd having a great time, the air was filled with the smell of booze and weed. I saw people floating in their minds and also in the air, any random person would be lifted and pushed above the crowd. I lost my friends in the crowd, could not call them as the cell phone signals were jammed...but my only intention was to get to the first row before Linkin Park played.
On the way I made some halts to enjoy Destiny Child's (or rather Beyonce's) and Bon Jovi's performance. I had goose bumps when he sang 'It's my life' I had seen the song so many times on TV and local bands perform them back home...but Bon Jovi performing It's my life was something else. By this time I was half way through my journey..still a long way to go. The crowd was getting wilder as I went close to the stage. I was carried up in the air many times and people also climed my back as if I was giving a free ride till the stage...but it was fun!! Finally I reached my destiny, I was in the first row. I couldn't believe I could actually see the stage, getting there was close to impossible..but I made it. It felt like the biggest achievement in my life.

Took some rest while Dave Mathews and Will Smith performed, I was tired like hell and was hoping that I don't faint in the scorching heat. Then Natalie Portman announced that the next band to perform was Linkin Park..I was up on my feet. Suddenly I was full of energy, I was among a very enthusiatic crowd, who were also lost around. When Linkin Park came onstage, it was immediately obvious they would be one of the most popular acts of the entire day. They instantly got all million people to clap along to their anthemic, moshing rock. I sang along with them and could feel the state of trance.

They sang 'Crawling', 'Somewhere I belong', 'Breaking the habit' and 'In the end' then when Jay-Z joined them, the crowd went completely nuts. Here we had the world's hottest living rapper sharing the stage with a band of heavily tattooed white kids and together, they were enjoying what seemed to be the high-point of the day so far. As I listened to Jay Z's masterful Brooklyn flow meshing with Linkin Park's stomping, mathematically-precise drums and crunching distorted guitars, I realised maybe a new tribe is finally evolving, one based not on race, ethnicity, or religion, but on a shared idea. As I turned my back on Jay-Z and Linkin Park and gazed out at the crowd, all I could see was an ocean of arms, waving in the air.. white, black, and every shade in between, all moving in unison, heads and bodies bobbing and enjoying the beaty of rock and rap!! Their performance of encore/numb will stay in mind mind for a long time. That was it..I had the moment of my life - Watching Linkin park perform from the first row!! There are few more bands in this category..and I am sure those moments are not very far.

Next on stage was Deff lappard, the veterans performed in style. Their magic still works and these guys really know how to rock! I emptied every ounce of energy I had and after 'Pour some sugar on me' I was done. My legs were breaking after standing for almost 6 hours, I had to get back home soon and give them some rest. Luckily there was a different way to exit and I came out of the arena in an hour...feeling bad that I couldn't watch Rob Thomas and few more bands play.

It's been 3 days after the concert and I am still there..or as Metallica would call it - "the echoes of the amplifier ringing in my head.."

I was there !

2005-07-04T11:58:00.000-05:00

LIVE 8 Concert - Philadelphia

The largest gig was in Philadelphia, where up to 1 million people crammed the streets, but people power was on display at 10 separate concerts across four continents..and I was a part of it. Hold your breath, there is more..take a look at the presenters and perfomers who rocked Philly. My favorite was Linkin Park, they stole the show and ofcourse the legends Def Leppard and Bon Jovi had their own standards, where no one could even come close! There were live screenings of Madonna, Pink Floyd and other big bands playing live in UK, Canada, Paris, Rome, Berlin, etc.

The Philadelphia Line Up

Presenters:

Will Smith
Salma Hayek (ohhh..yeah)
Natalie Portman
Chris Tucker
Jennifer Connolly
Jimmy Smits
Kami

Artists:

Alicia Keys
Black Eyed Peas
Bon Jovi

Dave Matthews Band
Def Leppard
Destiny's Child
Jay-Z
Josh Groban
Kaiser Chiefs
Keith Urban
Linkin Park
Maroon 5
P Diddy
Rob Thomas
Sarah McLachlan
Stevie Wonder
Toby Keith

Hit me!!

2005-06-25T12:38:00.000-05:00

Come to me...need another hand, and another heavy wallet!!

Go Veggie !!

2005-06-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

'The very thought of killing an animal puts me off !' , this is the answer I give to anyone who asks me why don't I eat non-veg...and they also make me feel as if I have committed a major crime! This blog is not an attempt to advertise vegetarianism, but to question non-vegetarians on how they simply don't care about the lives of the poor animals they are killing just to satisfy their taste buds.

I know this has been an age old and worn out discussion but I thought this would be the right place to discuss this topic in and out. The usual answers to this question goes like..God has created these animals just for this purpose, It's an Eco-Cycle, the Bible says it is not wrong, is it ok to kill the poor plants..they are also living things, is it ok to eat eggs?, do you know there is pig fat in your tooth paste?....blah blah blah!!! Not a single answer gives a convincing solution to the word KILL ! It simply proves that our sense of taste has taken over other basic things which differentiate us from any other carnivorous animal. I am not trying to be very harsh on it but it is the fact.

The temptation is huge, but we have to see the big picture. This is where the religion comes into picture; don't eat meat because the religion does not allow you to. Sometimes I feel it is right, but I don't eat meat just because I am a Brahmin... I have tried eating it just to taste it and I also liked it, but it was so stupid of me to do that. All this maybe easy for me to say because I come from such a background and it is not fair for me to question people who have been eating meat since childhood. This is just an attempt to consider the lives of the animals, the pain they go through when they are killed. Poor things are raised in a healthy atmosphere, fed well, bred well and all of sudden are killed in the most painful manner....if only words could explain the trauma they go through. The other day my friend told me how crabs are cooked..and boy its worse than a 3rd degree prison torture!!

I know this blog is not going to stop anyone from eating non-veg, but will at least make those poor souls feel happy that there people who care for them..am being too dramatic now :-)

I'll narrate a small incident which will tell the difference in mindset of veggie and a meat lover, once me and my friend were going in a car and in front of us was a truck with a huge cage filled with chickens. I was feeling sad looking at them for they never knew they were going to be killed soon, my friend just looked at them and the exact words which came out of his mouth were ' mmmmm...Yummy!! ' need I say more ??

Dedicated to all those chickens....

Bird Watching

2005-05-23T14:05:00.000-05:00

Foreword : This blog is dedicated to the members who belong to the Bird watchers Association.

Bird Watching starts as a hobby and later becomes a habit which is very difficult to get rid off. For many this begins in the lovely corridors of the school. The school corridor has a magical importance attached to it. The long hall way with the classrooms arranged one after the other and overlooking the open play ground is a perfect place for the beginners in bird watching.

As the school's most famous girl walks from one end of the hall way to the other passing each classroom, the overall excitement of all the boys in each room forms a Mexican wave. Each guy tries to have a glimpse of her as she walks by his class room for those few seconds. Then he patiently waits for the next girl to fly by. This habit reaches its peak when he goes to college, he is now completely trained and waits for an opportunity to show his expertise.

Let me try to analyze a real life bird watching process more closely. This is a simple situation where a guy is talking to other guys in a college canteen...a sneak peak into his mind gives us the following results. His mind is constantly telling his eyes to scan for the best looking girl around him and his eyes sincerely obeys the command. Once the girls are spotted, the signals are sent back to the brain and then follows a series of logical analysis. The best of the lot is chosen and his body is automatically adjusted to the best position from where bird watching can be done with ease. The initial glances are mainly to get the girls attention, they are short but intense. Once the girl realizes that she is being noticed, then starts the real game. She slowly adjusts her hair and starts expressing herself more loudly, just to keep the attention of the guy directed towards her. Now the guy knows she has realized it and he starts behaving like Salman Khan. He is least bothered about what his friends are talking around him but behaves in a manner as if he is involved in the discussion. He starts displaying all his expressions, keeps adjusting his hair every two minutes, laughs loud for the worst jokes, and does many weird things just to catch her attention. Both make sure that there is no eye to eye contact, but once it happens..there is a sudden rush of adrenaline. It makes them feel on top of the world! This goes on for a while until some good for nothing friend comes and disturbs them or the guy sees another rare species of bird, the brain gives the next command and he starts the process all over again. But this time he gets the least possible feedback so decides to go back to the previous girl. To his surprise he finds that she has also gone...and the famous saying 'A bird in hand...' comes to his mind. With no other option he finally decides to go back to class..the last thing he wanted to do. But he has learnt a lesson and promises to never repeat the mistake.

This was just a small analysis of a single instance....feel free to share any such instances which you have experienced or witnessed. My apologies to the Bird watchers Association in case I have revealed any secretes to the birds :-)

- A Proud Member

Chanting in Times Square

2005-05-12T19:55:00.000-05:00

ISKCON rocks NYC !!

Mother's Day

2005-05-08T17:33:00.000-05:00

Mom&Me

Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there ...especially to my Mom! I love you Maa!!

Identity Crisis II

2005-05-06T15:20:00.000-05:00

This is just a take off from my previous blog...I felt like I had to explain what I was going through or rather what I am still facing with the problem of lost identity. Its not exactly a lost identity but a confused one..living in more than 6 cities in a span of twenty years does affect one's sense of belonging. Thanks to my Dad and his transfers!

Being born in Hyderabad, I was happily calling myself an andhrite for the initial few years in school. Then later realized my link with Hyderabad was only the yearly visit to my grandparent's house during summer vacations. With my Dad being a Tamil Nadu born confused Andhrite (TNBCA)..my telugu had a typical tamil accent. All my cousins had a good time teasing me with this...then I started feeling I was more a tamilian than a telugu. As years past by, I kept traveling to more places in Tamil Nadu and started living a life of a normal tamilian...watching Kollywood movies, listening tamil songs, and watching all tamil TV channels. My telugu got even worse...and I used to be scared to go to Hyderabad because of this. Since my Mom had a good andhra background, I used to have a constant dose of proper telugu culture. She even tried to teach me how to read and write my mother tongue but I always keep myself away from those twists and turns of the telugu letters! Since I took Hindi as my second language in all schools...just to know our national language and to avoid the risk of not knowing hindi incase my Dad got transferred to north, I never learnt to read or write tamil, the local language. But over the years I managed to read Tamil..thanks to all the movie posters stuck in ever corner of the street throughout the state.

Then came the day to pack our bags again, this time it was Bombay. A completely different city in every aspect. I initially hated the city because of the language problem. Though I knew hindi, speaking hindi was something different. I used to speak in my bookish hindi and my friends thought I was speaking Sanskrit! But I got over this problems in a couple of months and within six months I was a proper Mumbaiya. For Mumbaites, anyone coming from down south was termed 'Madrasi' They made royal fun of Madras and madrasis, and I always had debates with my friends proving that Madras had the best of everything in all fields and just because they don't speak hindi 'they' should not be teased. That 'they' tells you how much I got involved with the city..I loved the fast paced life of the city and I admired the fun loving attitude of the people. As I was transforming into a complete Mumbaiya, destiny strikes! Madras calling me..

Came to do my Undergrad in Madras and it took me one complete year to come out of the culture shock. Later started loving Madras, and I felt it was my Home Sweet Home! I had the best set of friends and had a great college life. One of our favorite topics of discussion was the same old debate regarding the attitude problem between north indians and south indians especially tamilians. I used to support the northies most of the time..because 'we' simply assume a lot of things about northies..which are actually not true since I've been around with 'them'. Again my usage of 'we' and 'them' tells you more about my confused identity.

So that's my story, supporting Goltis from Tamilians, hindikaaranga from Tamilians, madrasis from Andhrites and madrasis from Mumbaites. Now when I look back at this journey, I feel like I've seen so much in different cultures and moved around with people from radically different cultures. But whenever I face the haunting question, "where are you from?", I get slightly confused. Right now I feel I've found the answer, cause I've spend the majority of my life here and I simply love the city - its Madras namba Madras!

PS : Currently located in Delaware, USA..gypsying still continues across oceans!

Identity Crisis

2005-05-06T10:02:00.000-05:00

Hyderabad, Salem, Tiruvannamalai, Coonoor, Pondicherry, Mumbai and Madras...these are the places I've been gypsying around for the past two decades of my life. The question I hate to answer - "Where are you from?"

Big Apple Experience

2005-05-03T11:59:00.000-05:00

26th of March 2005, a day which I can never forget in my entire life..my first visit to the New York City. I feel so happy and excited writing this, since its a dream come true for me. Right from my school days NYC was like my wonderland, mostly due to the Hollywood movies showcasing NYC as the best place on earth..and also due to the general consideration in India that it is the NO.1 city in the world. To most of them, America meant the skyline of NYC with the Statue of Liberty...and of course Hollywood. My interest for NYC grew when I was in college; this is when I started watching more movies where NYC was always under attack like the Godzilla, Tomorrow never dies, or movies like Cocktail, Coyote Ugly, Phone Booth, etc showing the City's culture and lifestyle. TV shows like friends displayed the attitude and the daily life of an ordinary New Yorker, which I admired a lot. All these inputs gave me a mental picture of NYC, where I often visited in my dreams...oh yes dreams again..

After coming to US (24th July 2004), I visited a lot of places. I liked most of them because they were very scenic. But most of the places/Cities had a common factor..I had the same feel in most places. Its like if you blind fold me and leave me in any of these places, and when I open and see I wouldn't know where I was. It lacked that uniqueness...Unlike in India, where you don't even have to open the blind fold! My mind always kept telling NYC would be different and will be very similar to my expectations. The day finally came when I visited my relative's place in New Jersey and we planned a trip to the Big Apple! I was overjoyed and became restless to hit the city. The day was beautiful with the sun shining bright and the freshness of spring in the air. It was a three hour drive to the city (Thanks to the traffic) and we entered the Lincoln tunnel which runs under theHudson River and as the tunnel ended.. booom! there I was in Manhattan. I was suddenly in this concrete jungle filled with so many people. I experienced this strange feeling of accomplishment. There was no bright sunlight as these tall buildings behaved like sunscreens to the streets. Most of them were more than 40 storeys high and I was gazing at these beautiful structures till my neck started to ache. The streets were filled with people and the whole place looked so lively. We lowered the car window to hear the sounds of the city and it was filled with thousands of the continuously blowing horns, the shouting street venders, foot tapping music of the street performers and the sweet sound of the cold and buzzing breeze. It had every essence of a perfect metropolitan city.

Our first stop was at the Empire State Building, we went up the 86th floor to have a view of the city and words can't describe what I saw from the top. It was an amazing experience and to add to this, we took a virtual helicopter tour of the city. It couldn't get better than this..I could almost start jumping with joy. Then we stopped for a quick lunch at Dosa Hutt, a South Indian restaurant in Lexington Avenue which is the Little India, filled with Indian restaurants and shops (Including Beeda shops). For a moment I had the feeling that I was in India...rather a developed India. The food was very authentic; I had mini idlies (named Khushboo idly in the menu) and a jumbo size paper dosa after almost seven months! It was late evening and the city looked very different in the night, the lights from the buildings and the advertisement boards made the city glow like a jewel. As we headed towards the Time's Square and on the way I kept looking at these never ending streets and Avenues and the ever lasting energy these New Yorkers had. After hours of search for a place to park the car, we finally found one. Sipping a cup of hot Star Buck's coffee, we walked towards the heart of NYC - The Time's Square. As I got closer to it, I could feel the lively vibrations in the air. It was like a fun fair with thousands of people around me enjoying the moment. I took many pictures here so that, the memories can last for a lifetime. The streets around Time's square were so busy and crowded, which is not a very common site in US. There were many street performers and entertainers exhibiting their talents, there was also a group of ISKON people chanting the "Hare Krishna" song, I also joined them for a small dance. As the night got colder, we had to go back home. Left NYC with a heavy heart...

The next day was a bigger adventure as we planned to go visit The Statue of Liberty. The ferry ride to the Liberty Statue was one of a kind...though the wait for the ride was long. But the view of the city skyline from the ferry was worth the wait. It was like as if a small kid had arranged building blocks with perfection. The view is really an architectural marvel! The statue of liberty stood magnificently facing the skyline and it was the sight I had been waiting to see all these years. The green statue symbolizing the very right of freedom of every human being gives you a feeling, which cannot be described but can only be experienced.

The next stop was at a Ganesh Hindu Temple in Queens. The temple is very old and has a historic importance amongst the Indians. There were so many Indians dressed in traditional attire and it was like a typical temple in South India. The city was getting better and better by the night. People were rushing to catch the subway, I took a look at the subway station and it is said that subway is a separate world under the streets connecting all parts of the city.

Having seen so much of NYC in two days, it still remains as beautiful as I imagined it to be and will always be so. New York City - I just can't get enough of it!

Welcome to Planet M

2005-04-23T18:59:00.000-05:00

The soul dances, mind relaxes and the body loses control...thats the power of music. Be it "Sad but true.." by Metallica or "Enna sattham inda neram" from Punagai Mannan, music can alter moods and take you to a different galaxy. For some music is the way of life, I am also a proud member of this elite club. Kollywood and bollywood were my source of introduction to this magical world not to forget Oliyum Oliyum and Chitrahaar. Being a hard core fan of Kamal Hassan, I first started listening to music from his movies. Started dancing for his title song from "Vikram" at the age of 5. Slowly and steadily started 'listening' to music and learnt to appreciate it. Thanks to one of the greatest musicians India has seen, Ilayaraaja. I started listening to all his songs and my favorites were from Kamal movies like "Raaja parvai", "Punagai Mannan", "Moonram Pirai" and the list goes on. I slowly came out of this Kamal trap and started exploring all kinds of music. This interest made me learn musical instruments, I took drums classes for three years and mridangam class for a year. Then over the years I learnt that I was more a music admirer than a performer.

I enjoy all kinds of music and I feel happy that I don't stick to any particular genre. The choice depends on my mood...if I am relaxing I'd love to hear a classic melody by A.R. Rehman or a nerve relaxing ghazal by Pankaj Udas or a soothing number by Eagles. When I am full of energy and I am on a drive, I feel like listening to "Dil Chahta hai" or "Uyirin Uyirey" or a "Keep Rolling" by Limp bizket. There is a song for every mood..and we should learn to chose the right one to completely enjoy it. Whenever I listen to the right songs in the right mood, I feel like I am part of the song and I am very much into it. Rock music makes me do weird things, which I can never even imagine of doing it otherwise. The rock concerts are the best place for the metal fan within me to come out and display his attitude. At this point I remember me and my friend Sanath singing Linkin Park songs in the mic with the lyrics in hand and the original song blasting in the background...boy that was fun! Then there was a time when I sang "Rock you" in a college event and the crowd going wild, that was the first time the entire college had seen me doing something like that, which was so unusual of me. There was a period when I was madly addicted to Iron Maiden and Metallica, searching for their lyrics, memorising them and singing them loudly just for the heck of it. Those were the best days of my life...if I may say!

There is a completely different side of me which is addicted to true classical Indian music. I love the sound of the south Indian classical music instruments. The voice of Jesudas set to the ensemble of veena, mridangam and flute can take me to heaven and back. Most of the telugu songs I listen belong to such catagory. I should consider myself gifted to know so many languages to admire the musical beauty of each of them. Coming back to telugu songs, one of my all time favorites if from the movie "Annamayya", its a collection of songs written by a poet who lived centuries ago. The number "Antharyaami", I feel has some special powers..ok am jus getting carried away. Telugu carnatic songs are sweetest of all and can easily melt anyones heart.

Either shaking a leg to a Bhagra number by Daler Mehndi or Dappankuthu by Deva, dance numbers can make even baby to start moving. Though they are not evergreen like the melodies, dance numbers are best experienced only by dancing. India is a country where any kind of celebration is accompanied by music and dance. From school parties to marriages, dance and music is always present. Everyone's happiness is let out in the form of dance and its a true mark of fun and enjoyment.

There is so much more to say about music but it is time for me to get my headphones and go to bed... this is something I have been doing for a long long time. Well I am in the mood to hear some Bryan Adams tonight.

Peace out..its music time.

- Lone Warrior

The Battle explained..

2005-04-22T12:23:00.000-05:00

Dreaming is my favorite pass time, or even call it a hobby. Being a trained day dreamer, I can dream of anything and everything which makes me happy. It is like a refreshing exercise to my mind which is constantly dealing with confusions, pressure, tensions and more. This is one place where I can do whatever I feel like doing and posses anything I want. I am the king!

"Don't be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so." --Belva Davis.

This quote makes me think a lot. I am not afraid of the space between but I am afraid of how big the space is and how long will it take to shrink that space? Here I am talking about those dreams which are not totally impractical. This maybe a dream of cruising around the city in my own sleek Mercedes with a loud blast of summer tunes. The question is how long will I take to realize this dream? Will I be in the same state of mind to enjoy that moment?? This is just a small example showing the conflict between dreams and reality.

I always dreamt of coming to US, I used to dream about it ever since I was in school. When I really made it to the US, I couldn't feel the excitement. The thought of leaving my family and friends was more concerning than realizing my dream. So does this mean, dreams are deceiving?? Does it mean dreams are only good to be dreamt? Why follow the dream when it does not make me happy and misleads me? All these questions instantly disappear when another dream flashes in my mind. It is like an addiction which is very hard to get rid off.

In this battle, reality seems to be the clean winner. So should I use destiny as an excuse and stop dreaming? Stop dreaming?! This thought makes me very weak...I am a kind of person who dreams about the dreams so it is impossible to stop breaking the habit. It is such a soothing thing, imagine relaxing in a cozy place with your favorite drink in hand, Elton John's "Sacrifice" in the background, and dreaming about something you always wanted to do or wanted to be. I can see you stretching your feet already. Before you start dreaming just hope these dreams come true and more importantly hope it makes you as excited and happy you were, when you had that dream.

Wondering if I am all alone in this battle,

- Lone Warrior

First Blog

2005-04-21T17:47:00.000-05:00

Hey world,

This is my first blog. Wondering what to write...
There is so much I want to share when I get the feeling that the world is my audience. Hope I contibute something useful in this blog arena.

- Lone Warrior