Unbridled

And I'm back to post, besides having drawn something fairly complete after a very long time. Done in charcoal in a bout of enforced sleeplessness while trying not to torture people awake at ungodly hours to keep me company (I think I failed there). I had no particular inspiration to draw this piece, it was more of an attemt to force myself back to my pencil having lost the feel of it for quite a while, and the high I reached at 3 in the morning having completed it made me conclude that the inspiration is in the blank sheet of paper that cries out to be conquered and the pencil that so teases you with its pretentious compliance. 

I cannot do without something which is greater than I am, which is my life, the power to create. 

-Vincent Van Gogh

Not bad at all

I am referring of course to the Consortium of Pubgoing, Loose and Forward Women that figures they would like to send pink underwear in protest against violent attacks against women in pubs and threats of moral policing on Valentine's. Naturally, anything peaceful in protest against conservatism would gain my unflinching support, even something as perfectly obnoxious as couriering pink underwear. Not to mention going ahead with any Vday plans, knowing fully well that marriages (allegedly to be performed according to Hindu rites by priests prowling the streets with mangal sutras) where consent is obtained by force are voidable, at any rate.The threat of violence may be harder to avoid; I've heard that there are suggestions of taking advantage of this moral policing in order to get married where the couples' families are uncompromising.

Did I also mention that I love Amul? They always manage to get the best ad campaigns up in context and this time round havecome up with ads in support of the pink chaddi brigade. Amul will always have my loyalty for aye (coming to think of it, I've always liked their products anyway.) Meanwhile, college has its own box for contributions; they've stated unequivocally that we could put in anything wrapped in a polythene bag, from chaddis to contraceptives, anything that right conservatives disapprove of are welcome.

Meanwhile, I'm curious. How many forced marriages will Vday see? Bangalore police stations welcomed eloping couples and married them as long as they were of a marrigeable age and registered them; what will they do when faced by right wing brigands forcing a couple to tie the knot? Indeed, what of dating teenagers? [Though I recently came across a statistic that gave the average age of marriage of Indians as the minimum age of marriage. Freaky.]

Happy Valentine's y'all, and lots of love.

Highs

Wistful

Delusional

Playfulness and Caprice

Enamoured and Bewitched

Flames. 

Eye!

The problem with drawing yourself is that you can either begin to love or hate yourself, or in my case, a little bit of both.

Losing control over the pencil

I have this strange inkling that it has started to develop a mind of its own.

 

Technocrat

"Do you cyber people have an antivirus?"

I really don't know whether to laugh or to cry. 'Cyber-people', yes, that's who (rather what) we have been sidelined into. Naturally, we see ourselves in a rather different light; more along the lines of the geeks that decided to join law school only because it suited our antisocial desires. Imagine trying to be geeky in a place where everyone else is, it just wouldn't work. So we created our own esoteric group of jobless people that really ought to have been found trying to correct syntax instead of legal authorities. But now we only exist in some remote corner of cyber-space as virtual people that only materialize when the LAN malfunctions or when someone's laptop decides to take a break, and then de-materialize into their natural state as electrical signals whose sole purpose in life is to offer a comfortable pillow to cushion data losses. Acquaintances now only knock in situations of dire need....

"LAN not working on my floor"

"Is the Cisco plugged in?"

"Oh yeah..."

But it has its benefits... My room, for example. Comes at the cost of being responsible for the switch connecting the floor and being at the beck and call of the technophobic masses; but on an objective cost-benefit analysis, considering we only do the work because we enjoy it, not very expensive. Unless of course, it's that time of the semester when everyone has a deadline and all computers decide to crash in unison. You also get an excuse to sample the food in the distressed subject's room, and seeing as we're all living in a hostel, any good food is spontaneously consumed with pleasure.

"My comp is slowing down"

"That's because you don't love it enough. Always remember the second commandment, love thy laptop like you love thyself..."

"It's a non living entity। I know you connect on higher levels but face it. Technophilia will get you nowhere"

(shuts ears tight, refusing to be the passive recipient of such sacrilegious ideas)

"So what's the first commandment?"

"Love your friendly neighborhood Cyber-committee member like you-"

(gets beaten up)

Naturally, the abuse of technology is when it disjoins humanity from gadgets.

"Your laptop is old and disabled."

"Don't say that!"

"I apologise, I meant, your laptop is old and differently-abled."

Why I am.

Anshuman had once decided that I was quite a frustrated little imp. In order to prove it, he decided to draw up a nice long list of 101 things that frustrate me. He managed to get 30 before work and other obligations called us away from that particular enterprise ;) I clearly remember them including not having aCisco/Ubuntu Tee; Not enough hard disk space; Male chauvinism and so on. That list was safely tucked into his wallet for future perusal/completion/reference; unfortunately the wallet was subsequently lost. (That fact could get added to the list as well). I'm feeling rather light today, though, and since my blog has been crying for attention, I've decided to honour our insanity and make another list, only this time, of things that make me happy, just to prove you wrong. I've always claimed that its very easy to make me happy, now I'll set out to prove it. So here we are, 101 things that make me happy:

1. Family. The very thought is enough.
2. Friends. 'nuff said.
   
3. Being alive and healthy, mentally (well, at least I'm not legally insane) and physically.
   
4. Hugs. Simple, effective and comfortable.
   
5. Stationery. Pens, pencils, brushes, paper, books, paints... name it, I'll go crazy over it.
   
6. My cat, asleep and purring on my lap.
7. Sleep. Pure bliss.
8. Cuddles. ^_^
   
9. Food. Home cooked food. (mom's cooking. unbeatable.)
   
10. Bananas!!!!
    
11. Ice creams, milk shakes, milk, milk products.
    
12. Animals in general.
13. Letting huge dogs take me for a walk. (I miss that one)
    
14. The smell of the air preceding a storm. Feels like nature's high.
15. The smell of oil of olay, shower to shower, juniper, sandalwood;
    
16. Basking in sunshine
17. Thunderstorms, just the idea of wind and water playing with your senses. (contradictory? They both have their own charm)
    
18. Music... my language. I'd like to elaborate, so forgive the next few being separate items on this list
19. Singing. Half a day with me should give you an idea; I really cannot stop myself. To those that actually put up with this, I love you just as much.
    
20. The sound of an instrument being played like it controls the person playing it. Violins, Pianos, Guitars, the list is endless.
21. Playing Fur Elise on a piano. (I'd like to thank Rukmini for this one, I'd only played keyboards before that.)
    
22. Old songs, new songs, meaningful songs, abstract tunes that don't need lyrics to convey their emotion, classical songs, listening to them, singing them, singing along with them...
23. Singing in the car!
    
24. Art, my religion... further elaboration.
25. Sight. The ability to enjoy this.
    
26. The smell of oil on canvas when I paint
    
27. Every stroke of the bold pencil upon art paper, each smudge that softens the strokes.
    
28. Colour, wherever.
    
29. Digital Graphics.
30. Animation. aaaah.
    
31. Getting that twinkle in the eyes when I draw
    
32. That twinkle in your eyes when you laugh
33. Laughter.
34. Having people who care and people to care about.
    
35. Snaps with good composition
36. Taking the above mentioned snap.
37. A certain Video that can always lift my spirits ;)
38. An optimistic nature, for most part. I really wouldn't be happy if I didn't look at the bright side.
    
39. Constantly having something to do, even if its just lazing around.
40. Being able to laze around.
41. Good poetry. (subjective, yes, go along the lines of Tagore and Wordsworth to know my taste).
    
42. Good books with happy endings.
    
43. Cold showers in Kolkata heat.
    
44. Swimming. Exhileration after the exercise.
    
45. Love. Loving. Being loved. People in love. Collecting quotes on love. Despite my complaining, it actually makes me high.
46. Pictures by Anne Geddes.
47. Babies that don't mind me carrying them.
    
48. Feeling the keyboard beneath my fingers as I type; hearing them click in the night's silence.
49. Comments on blog posts.
    
50. Technology. Software that supports my laziness.
    
51. Long conversations where there's always something left unsaid for the next one.
    
52. Finding imperfections, weirdities and the para-normal.
    
53. Arguing. Yes, it's only fools that do, but it just makes me so damn happy.
54. Soft clothes, the kind that feel nice.
    
55. Feeling squeaky clean after a bath.
56. Playful fights.
57. Thumbfights!
    
58. Carving quills, putting them to ink.
    
59. Buzz of nonsense on the hostel lan
60. Corny movies. (Yes, yes, softie)
61. Figments of my imagination running wild across the mind's stage.
    
62. Perusing blog posts of friends and family.
63. Autorikshaws without mirrors.
64. Reminiscing. I've had quite an amusing life. Done amusing things.
    
65. The fact that I look back and smile at what was, and smile at what is.
    
66. My determination seeing me through.
    
67. Anything anti-Microsoft.
    
68. Walking in Kolkata.
    
69. New glasses. So clear. pristine.
    
70. Star gazing. Clear skies.
71. Skipping stones.
    
72. Letters.
73. Watching good dances.
    
74. Writing, the feeling of an inspiration hitting me.
    
75. Mythology.
    
76. The feeling of understanding and being understood.
77. Holding someone's hand. Interlocked fingers.
    
78. Puns.
    
79. Running barefoot on wet grass.
80. Computer games.
    
81. Compliments. Duh.
    
82. Thinking. Dreaming. Same difference.
    
83. Being trusted.
    
84. Listening to interesting stories.
85. Competition. Playing.
    
86. Raising my hand in class. It's almost a reflex.
87. Knowing.
    
88. Acceptance.
89. Good comebacks.
    
90. People that restore my faith in people.
    
91. The sound of birds at 5 in the morning
92. Sunrises, Sunsets, Moonrises (never witnessed a moonset...)
93. Doing.
    
94. Feeling the texture of leaves.
    
95. Smart kids that get the better of me.
96. Quenching thirst.
97. Sitting down on a cold floor.
    
98. My own ego.
99. Cyberspace
100. Jumping fences, climbing walls. When they're small enough, of course.
     
101. Life!!!!!