Converted and Relocated

I have converted, they kept telling me it was better. I finally succumbed and converted. My conversion has led to my relocation to avoid the persecution. I have also tweaked my name a bit due to the conversion.

I'm no longer http://jollygabrielogs.blogspot.com,

I'm now http://jollygabriel.wordpress.com.

See you all at my new location but conversion or not its still going to be Mutterings that Matter.

So long...Farewell!

An Excerpt from the song by the late Roy Orbison and KD Lang - Crying...

I was all right for a while
I could smile for a while
then I saw you last night
You held my hand so tight
when you stopped to say hello
You wished me well, You
couldn't tell that
I've been crying over you,
Crying over you and you said "So long"
Left me standing all alone,
Alone and crying, crying, crying, crying

My love just left me and I probably can’t love anymore. I feel numb, cheated, hurt, let down, stunned, depressed and god knows what else. All my fantasies are up in smoke. I'm ashamed to interact with my neighbors; I was always their big brother, but now they tower over me. I can't switch channels lest I am reminded of my love. They will talk about it as if there is no tomorrow. They will analyze and dissect every decision. I want to stay away from all this; I hope I’m not helped by that kid I beat up so badly the other day – I’ll have no face to show after that. I’m hoping this too will pass and I’ll have a chance to make amends another day.

So long then…I would like to be left alone…farewell!

The City of Hope

For those who haven't yet been to Mumbai, have definitely seen this long shot of Victoria Terminus Station (VT Station previously now Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus) in most movies that have the protagonist first steps in this city he/she will soon call home. A city that they come in search of hope to making a living, to be successful and to live in this never say die spirit of this city.

There is something about this city that its residents will never go hungry if they have the will to do something with their lives. This is a city that rewards the entrepreneurial spirit of the individual without the bias of race, religion, caste, creed and sex.

Just today on my way to work, I saw the guy who supplies newspapers and magazines to the office pass by my rickshaw on his bike. He saw me and raised his hand in acknowledgement. Having recognized him I reciprocated as well. He passed by again and asked me if I remembered him. I remembered him as someone who had started selling newspapers when we had just moved into our new office three years back. No prior experience but with a will to do something with his life, he has requested to supply newspapers to our office. He was a migrant from one of the northern states in India then, today he seems more like a Mumbaikar (citizen of Mumbai). I’m a sucker for the underdogs so I was obviously pleased with his success.

I’m sure he too had come to this city in search of hope and he found it. Maybe this story will not make it to the movies but there are many others who do. And then there are the cynics who complain about this city.

This is for me the city of hope like it is for the millions in this city. Thank you Mumbai for giving us hope; Me Mumbaikar!

Web - The second coming

I, who has grown up in a generation of snail mails, Video and Audio Cassettes, 1 TV channel, pen pals, telephone etc., some of which the new generation hasn't even heard of or experienced.

I, who is lucky enough to be associated with areas that have allowed me to have the best of both 'worlds'. To be able to make this transition - to share my thoughts, views, photos, videos to people other than 'friends'. Making friends with people I don't know.

It's been sometime now for those who haven't noticed as yet - a silent revolution is taking us over. Collaboration is the new thing, collation is the by product, knowledge is the new economy and all you users of anything Web 2.0 is a part of it. All you Bloggers, Orkutters, YouTubes, Flickrs, are a part of this revolution - you are making it happen with your participation.

A video that a colleague pointed me to makes one aware of Web 2.0. Welcome to the new world for those who just clicked in.

Basics basically

basically the
basis of this is
based on the
basis that the
base is
basically
baseless and thus
based on this
basis the
basics are
basically
based.

Predicting the future...?

Sleepless night are about to begin within the next 5 days. Productivity and attendance will suffer. You will use up all your leaves calling in sick to office. If you are already droopy eyed and groggy you will be part of the fashion movement.

Sitting on armchairs will make you look intelligent especially when you give opinions. Your analytical and strategic skills will improve. You will be a master of the most important topic being discussed. If you were poor in geography your time to make amends is now.

While you watch 240 guys display their individual skill and as part of the 16 tribes fighting for glory you better watch your weight due to your sedentary life. Your concentration will improve though but you will undergo moments of depression and ecstasy so better stay cool. You will finally thank your Math teacher and forgive him/her for that caning you got. Oh by the way you will remember the almighty more often well in that sense yes you will become religious too.

And if you are someone for whom the above prediction doesn’t hold true – why haven’t you figured it out yet what I’m talking about. If you had put in the time taken to read this post to embrace and accept the religion I’m talking about our mission would have had one more soul.

Repent and ask for forgiveness now and catch the fever that’s spreading like an epidemic.

.....YAAAWN!!! (Oops sorry...that was net practice)

Belief!

Belief!

Does it ever matter if someone is made to believe the truth or the untruth? Both ways the end objective remains the same – getting someone to believe. A lot of people believe that there is someone who will come and redeem them of their sins. Others believe that the elected representative is going to take care of their needs. Parents believe that their sacrifices are going to give them a happy old age with their children. Etc etc.

We are all gullible people!

We need that sense of security – we need that cocoon to protect us from harm.

On a different note a dialog from one of my favorite movies “The greatest trick the Devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist”. - Verbal Kint (Kevin Spacey) in The Usual Suspects.

While this dialog per se may not be directly linked to our lives – let’s look at our daily lives, we read the newspapers, watch the news, listen to people – politicians, celebrities etc. They tell us something as we believe or do not believe. We classify them, worship them, ridicule them, adore them – setting for ourselves perceptions of what they really are.

Some political parties for instance, and this came up while I was discussing with a colleague, promote their agenda of being religion based, caste based etc., and we choose to hate them or follow them. Incidentally we do not realize that those who do not promote themselves live off the remaining flock who do not owe allegiance to any agenda based party. But for most of us we believe that they are nationalist parties. Well they made you believe that, didn’t they?

The list goes on – at the bottom of it one thing comes out clear, we are gullible to the concept of belief – I wonder what would happen if we didn’t believe at all?