An Israeli doctor says 'Medicine in my country is so advanced that we can
take a kidney out of one man, put it in another, and have him looking for
work in six weeks.'
A German doctor says 'That is nothing; we can take a lung out of one person,
put it in another, and have him looking for work in four weeks.
A Russian doctor says 'In my country, medicine is so advanced that we can
take half a heart out of one person, put it in another, and have them both
looking for work in two weeks.'
An American Texas doctor, not to be outdone, says 'You guys are way behind,
we recently took a man with no brains out of Texas, put him in the White
House for eight years, and now half the country is looking for work.'
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
cross-selling smart Indians
A keen immigrant Indian SINDHI had applied for a salesman's job at London's premier downtown department store. In fact, it was the biggest store in the world - you could get anything there. The boss asked him,
'Have you ever been a salesman before?' 'Yes sir, I was a salesman in Kolkata in India', replied the lad. The boss liked the cut of him and said, 'You can start tomorrow and I'll come and see you.'
The day was long and arduous for the young man, but he got through it.
And finally 6:00 pm came around. The boss duly fronted up and asked,
'How many sales did you make today?'
'Sir, Just ONE sale.' said the young salesman. 'Only one sale?' blurted the boss. ' No! No! You see here, most of my staff make 20 or 30 sale a day. .' If you want to keep this job, you'd better be doing better than just one sale. By the way 'How much was the sale worth?'
'Three hundred thousand, three hundred and thirty four pounds' said the young Sindhi.
'How did you manage that?' asked the flabbergasted boss.
'Well', said the salesman 'this man came in and I sold him a small fish hook, then a medium hook and finally a really large hook. Then I sell him new fishing rod and some fishing gear. Then I asked him where he was going fishing and he said down the coast. So I told him he'd be needing a boat, so I took him down to the boat department and sold him that twenty-foot schooner with the twin engines. Then he said his Volkswagen probably wouldn't be able to pull it, so I took him to our automotive department and sell him that new Deluxe SUV 4X4 Blazer.
I then asked him where he'll be staying, an since he had no accommodation, I took him to camping department and sell him one of those new igloo 6 sleeper camper tents. Then the guy said, while we're at it, I should throw in about 100 pound sterling worth of groceries and two cases of beer.
The boss took two steps back and asked in astonishment, 'You sold all that to a guy who came in for a fish hook!!'
'No' answered the salesman, 'he came in to buy a box of Sanitary napkins for his wife and I said to him, 'Your weekend's screwed anyway, you might as well go fishing.
'Have you ever been a salesman before?' 'Yes sir, I was a salesman in Kolkata in India', replied the lad. The boss liked the cut of him and said, 'You can start tomorrow and I'll come and see you.'
The day was long and arduous for the young man, but he got through it.
And finally 6:00 pm came around. The boss duly fronted up and asked,
'How many sales did you make today?'
'Sir, Just ONE sale.' said the young salesman. 'Only one sale?' blurted the boss. ' No! No! You see here, most of my staff make 20 or 30 sale a day. .' If you want to keep this job, you'd better be doing better than just one sale. By the way 'How much was the sale worth?'
'Three hundred thousand, three hundred and thirty four pounds' said the young Sindhi.
'How did you manage that?' asked the flabbergasted boss.
'Well', said the salesman 'this man came in and I sold him a small fish hook, then a medium hook and finally a really large hook. Then I sell him new fishing rod and some fishing gear. Then I asked him where he was going fishing and he said down the coast. So I told him he'd be needing a boat, so I took him down to the boat department and sold him that twenty-foot schooner with the twin engines. Then he said his Volkswagen probably wouldn't be able to pull it, so I took him to our automotive department and sell him that new Deluxe SUV 4X4 Blazer.
I then asked him where he'll be staying, an since he had no accommodation, I took him to camping department and sell him one of those new igloo 6 sleeper camper tents. Then the guy said, while we're at it, I should throw in about 100 pound sterling worth of groceries and two cases of beer.
The boss took two steps back and asked in astonishment, 'You sold all that to a guy who came in for a fish hook!!'
'No' answered the salesman, 'he came in to buy a box of Sanitary napkins for his wife and I said to him, 'Your weekend's screwed anyway, you might as well go fishing.
God is there...
VERY INTERESTING CONVERSATION
An Atheist Professor of Philosophy speaks to his Class on the Problem Science has with GOD, The ALMIGHTY.
He asks one of his New Christian Students to stand and . . .
Professor : You are a Christian, aren't you, son ?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor : So you Believe in GOD ?
Student : Absolutely, sir.
Professor : Is GOD Good
?
Student : Sure.
Professor : Is GOD ALL - POWERFUL ?
Student : Yes.
Professor :
My Brother died of Cancer even though he Prayed to GOD to Heal him.
Most of us would attempt to Help Others who are ill.
But GOD didn't.
How is this GOD Good then ? Hmm ?
( Student is silent )
Professor : You can't answer, can you ?
Let's start again, Young Fella.
Is GOD Good ?
Student : Yes.
Professor : Is Satan good ?
Student : No.
Professor : Where does
Satan come from ?
Student : From . . . GOD . . .
Professor :
That's right.
Tell me son, is there evil in this World ?
Student : Yes.
Professor : Evil is everywhere, isn't it ?
And GOD did make Everything. Correct ?
Student : Yes.
Professor : So who created evil ?
( Student does not answer )
Professor
: Is there Sickness ? Immorality ? Hatred ? Ugliness ?
All these terrible things exist in the World, don't they ?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor
: So, who Created them ?
( Student has no answer )
Professor : Science says you have 5 Senses you use to Identify and Observe the World around you.
Tell me, son . . . Have you ever Seen GOD ?
Student : No, sir.
Professor : Tell us if you have ever Heard your GOD ?
Student : No ,
sir.
Professor : Have you ever Felt your GOD , Tasted your GOD , Smelt your GOD ?
Have you ever had any Sensory Perception of GOD for that matter ?
Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Professor : Yet you still Believe in HIM ?
Student : Yes.
Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn't exist.
What do you say to that, son ?
Student : Nothing. I only have my Faith .
Professor : Yes. Faith . And that is the Problem Science has.
Student : Professor, is there such a thing as Heat ?
Professor : Yes.
Student :
And is there such a thing as Cold ?
Professor : Yes.
Student : No sir. There isn't.
( The Lecture Theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events )
Student : Sir, you can have Lots of Heat, even More Heat, Superheat, Mega Heat, White Heat,
a Little Heat or No Heat.
But we don't have anything called Cold.
We can hit 458 Degrees below Zero which is No Heat, but we can't go any further after that.
There is no such thing as Cold.
Cold is only a Word we use to describe the Absence of Heat.
We cannot Measure Cold.
Heat is Energy.
Cold is Not the Opposite of Heat, sir, just the Absence of it.
( There is
Pin - Drop Silence in the Lecture Theatre )
Student : What about Darkness, Professor ? Is there such a thing as Darkness ?
Professor : Yes.
What is Night if there isn't Darkness ?
Student : You're wrong again, sir.
Darkness is the Absence of Something..
You can have Low Light, Normal Light , Bright Light, Flashing Light . . .
But if you have No Light Constantly, you have Nothing and it's called Darkness, isn't it ?
In reality, Darkness isn't.
If it is, were you would be able to make Darkness Darker, wouldn't you ?
Professor : So what is the point you are making, Young Man ?
Student : Sir, my point is your Philosophical Premise is Flawed.
Professor : Flawed ? Can you explain how ?
Student : Sir, you are working on the Premise of Duality.
You argue there is Life and then there is Death, a Good GOD and a Bad GOD .
You are viewing the Concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure.
Sir, Science can't even
explain a Thought.
It uses Electricity and Magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one.
To view Death as the Opposite of Life is to be ignorant of the fact that
Death cannot exist as a Substantive Thing.
Death is Not the Opposite of Life : just the Absence of it.
Now tell me, Professor, do you Teach your Students that they Evolved from a Monkey ?
Professor : If you are referring to the Natural Evolutionary Process, yes, of course, I do.
Student : Have you ever observed Evolution with your own eyes, sir ?
( The Professor shakes his head with a Smile, beginning to realize where the Argument is going )
Student : Since no one has ever observed the Process of Evolution at work and
cannot even prove that this Process is an On - Going Endeavor,
are you not Teaching your Opinion, sir ?
Are you not a Scientist but a Preacher ?
(
The Class is in Uproar )
Student : Is there anyone in the Class who has ever Seen the Professor's Brain ?
( The Class breaks out into Laughter )
Student : Is there anyone here who has ever Heard the Professor's Brain, Felt it, Touched or Smelt it ? . . .
No one appears to have done so.
So, according to the Established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that
you have
No Brain, sir.
With all due respect, sir, how do we then Trust your Lectures, sir ?
( The Room is Silent. The Professor stares at the Student, his face unfathomable )
Professor : I guess you'll have to take them on Faith , son.
Student : That is it sir . . .
the Link between Man & GOD is FAITH.
That is all that Keeps Things Moving & Alive.
NB:
I believe you have enjoyed the Conversation . . . and if so . . .
you'll probably want your Friends / Colleagues to enjoy the same . . . won't you ? . . .
Forward them to Increase their Knowledge . . .
or FAITH
It turned out later that the student is Albert Einsten
An Atheist Professor of Philosophy speaks to his Class on the Problem Science has with GOD, The ALMIGHTY.
He asks one of his New Christian Students to stand and . . .
Professor : You are a Christian, aren't you, son ?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor : So you Believe in GOD ?
Student : Absolutely, sir.
Professor : Is GOD Good
?
Student : Sure.
Professor : Is GOD ALL - POWERFUL ?
Student : Yes.
Professor :
My Brother died of Cancer even though he Prayed to GOD to Heal him.
Most of us would attempt to Help Others who are ill.
But GOD didn't.
How is this GOD Good then ? Hmm ?
( Student is silent )
Professor : You can't answer, can you ?
Let's start again, Young Fella.
Is GOD Good ?
Student : Yes.
Professor : Is Satan good ?
Student : No.
Professor : Where does
Satan come from ?
Student : From . . . GOD . . .
Professor :
That's right.
Tell me son, is there evil in this World ?
Student : Yes.
Professor : Evil is everywhere, isn't it ?
And GOD did make Everything. Correct ?
Student : Yes.
Professor : So who created evil ?
( Student does not answer )
Professor
: Is there Sickness ? Immorality ? Hatred ? Ugliness ?
All these terrible things exist in the World, don't they ?
Student : Yes, sir.
Professor
: So, who Created them ?
( Student has no answer )
Professor : Science says you have 5 Senses you use to Identify and Observe the World around you.
Tell me, son . . . Have you ever Seen GOD ?
Student : No, sir.
Professor : Tell us if you have ever Heard your GOD ?
Student : No ,
sir.
Professor : Have you ever Felt your GOD , Tasted your GOD , Smelt your GOD ?
Have you ever had any Sensory Perception of GOD for that matter ?
Student : No, sir. I'm afraid I haven't.
Professor : Yet you still Believe in HIM ?
Student : Yes.
Professor : According to Empirical, Testable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says your GOD doesn't exist.
What do you say to that, son ?
Student : Nothing. I only have my Faith .
Professor : Yes. Faith . And that is the Problem Science has.
Student : Professor, is there such a thing as Heat ?
Professor : Yes.
Student :
And is there such a thing as Cold ?
Professor : Yes.
Student : No sir. There isn't.
( The Lecture Theatre becomes very quiet with this turn of events )
Student : Sir, you can have Lots of Heat, even More Heat, Superheat, Mega Heat, White Heat,
a Little Heat or No Heat.
But we don't have anything called Cold.
We can hit 458 Degrees below Zero which is No Heat, but we can't go any further after that.
There is no such thing as Cold.
Cold is only a Word we use to describe the Absence of Heat.
We cannot Measure Cold.
Heat is Energy.
Cold is Not the Opposite of Heat, sir, just the Absence of it.
( There is
Pin - Drop Silence in the Lecture Theatre )
Student : What about Darkness, Professor ? Is there such a thing as Darkness ?
Professor : Yes.
What is Night if there isn't Darkness ?
Student : You're wrong again, sir.
Darkness is the Absence of Something..
You can have Low Light, Normal Light , Bright Light, Flashing Light . . .
But if you have No Light Constantly, you have Nothing and it's called Darkness, isn't it ?
In reality, Darkness isn't.
If it is, were you would be able to make Darkness Darker, wouldn't you ?
Professor : So what is the point you are making, Young Man ?
Student : Sir, my point is your Philosophical Premise is Flawed.
Professor : Flawed ? Can you explain how ?
Student : Sir, you are working on the Premise of Duality.
You argue there is Life and then there is Death, a Good GOD and a Bad GOD .
You are viewing the Concept of GOD as something finite, something we can measure.
Sir, Science can't even
explain a Thought.
It uses Electricity and Magnetism, but has never seen, much less fully understood either one.
To view Death as the Opposite of Life is to be ignorant of the fact that
Death cannot exist as a Substantive Thing.
Death is Not the Opposite of Life : just the Absence of it.
Now tell me, Professor, do you Teach your Students that they Evolved from a Monkey ?
Professor : If you are referring to the Natural Evolutionary Process, yes, of course, I do.
Student : Have you ever observed Evolution with your own eyes, sir ?
( The Professor shakes his head with a Smile, beginning to realize where the Argument is going )
Student : Since no one has ever observed the Process of Evolution at work and
cannot even prove that this Process is an On - Going Endeavor,
are you not Teaching your Opinion, sir ?
Are you not a Scientist but a Preacher ?
(
The Class is in Uproar )
Student : Is there anyone in the Class who has ever Seen the Professor's Brain ?
( The Class breaks out into Laughter )
Student : Is there anyone here who has ever Heard the Professor's Brain, Felt it, Touched or Smelt it ? . . .
No one appears to have done so.
So, according to the Established Rules of Empirical, Stable, Demonstrable Protocol, Science says that
you have
No Brain, sir.
With all due respect, sir, how do we then Trust your Lectures, sir ?
( The Room is Silent. The Professor stares at the Student, his face unfathomable )
Professor : I guess you'll have to take them on Faith , son.
Student : That is it sir . . .
the Link between Man & GOD is FAITH.
That is all that Keeps Things Moving & Alive.
NB:
I believe you have enjoyed the Conversation . . . and if so . . .
you'll probably want your Friends / Colleagues to enjoy the same . . . won't you ? . . .
Forward them to Increase their Knowledge . . .
or FAITH
It turned out later that the student is Albert Einsten
Solving Crisis...
I'm against the $85,000,000, 000.00 bailout of AIG. Instead, I'm in favor
of giving $85,000,000, 000 to America in a 'We Deserve It Dividend'.
To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S.
Citizens 18+. Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man,
woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up..
So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00.
My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a 'We Deserve It Dividend'.
Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let's assume a tax rate of 30%. Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25,500,000, 000 right back to Uncle Sam. But it means that
every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket. A husband and wife have $595,000.00.
What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?
Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved.
Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads
Put away money for college - it'll be there
Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.
Buy a new car - create jobs
Invest in the market - capital drives growth
Pay for your parent's medical insurance - health care improves
Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean - or else
Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who
lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back,
and of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces. If we're going to
re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling out a puny
$1000.00 ( "vote buy" ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our
candidates for President.
If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U S
Citizen 18+!
As for AIG - liquidate it. Sell off its parts. Let American General go
back to being American General. Sell off the real estate. Let the private
sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.
Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't. Sure it's a crazy idea
that can "never work." But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party!
How do you spell Economic Boom?
I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion 'We
Deserve It Dividend' more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC.
And remember, The Family plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5
Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam. Talk about a stimulus
package!
Moreover, this is just the beginning... We have not even factored in the
"initial" $700 billion bailout of the banking industry...
of giving $85,000,000, 000 to America in a 'We Deserve It Dividend'.
To make the math simple, let's assume there are 200,000,000 bonafide U.S.
Citizens 18+. Our population is about 301,000,000 +/- counting every man,
woman and child. So 200,000,000 might be a fair stab at adults 18 and up..
So divide 200 million adults 18+ into $85 billon that equals $425,000.00.
My plan is to give $425,000 to every person 18+ as a 'We Deserve It Dividend'.
Of course, it would NOT be tax free. So let's assume a tax rate of 30%. Every individual 18+ has to pay $127,500.00 in taxes. That sends $25,500,000, 000 right back to Uncle Sam. But it means that
every adult 18+ has $297,500.00 in their pocket. A husband and wife have $595,000.00.
What would you do with $297,500.00 to $595,000.00 in your family?
Pay off your mortgage - housing crisis solved.
Repay college loans - what a great boost to new grads
Put away money for college - it'll be there
Save in a bank - create money to loan to entrepreneurs.
Buy a new car - create jobs
Invest in the market - capital drives growth
Pay for your parent's medical insurance - health care improves
Enable Deadbeat Dads to come clean - or else
Remember this is for every adult U S Citizen 18+ including the folks who
lost their jobs at Lehman Brothers and every other company that is cutting back,
and of course, for those serving in our Armed Forces. If we're going to
re-distribute wealth let's really do it...instead of trickling out a puny
$1000.00 ( "vote buy" ) economic incentive that is being proposed by one of our
candidates for President.
If we're going to do an $85 billion bailout, let's bail out every adult U S
Citizen 18+!
As for AIG - liquidate it. Sell off its parts. Let American General go
back to being American General. Sell off the real estate. Let the private
sector bargain hunters cut it up and clean it up.
Here's my rationale. We deserve it and AIG doesn't. Sure it's a crazy idea
that can "never work." But can you imagine the Coast-To-Coast Block Party!
How do you spell Economic Boom?
I trust my fellow adult Americans to know how to use the $85 Billion 'We
Deserve It Dividend' more than I do the geniuses at AIG or in Washington DC.
And remember, The Family plan only really costs $59.5 Billion because $25.5
Billion is returned instantly in taxes to Uncle Sam. Talk about a stimulus
package!
Moreover, this is just the beginning... We have not even factored in the
"initial" $700 billion bailout of the banking industry...
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Hear the sound from Los Angeles
Seven thousand miles away was the city of my dreams, Los Angeles, commonly abbreviated as L.A. When I was a kid, living in one of the developing countries called India, I actually thought that angels lived there. This was all I knew about the city, until I grew up to 5’3”. When somebody asked me to fill one of those slam book questions, “Which is your dream place?” or otherwise commonly questioned by the public, “where would you want to go for your honeymoon?” (Honeymoon is a big thing in India. Everyone dreams to have a rich spouse, who would take them to their most desired place. But not every guy is a prince, and if he is, then he would want a princess. Every girl thinks she is one of the beauty queens, who would with no trouble win the Miss Universe crown. Phew! What I think? Let it be; I do not want feminists protesting in front of my house, just because I showed queen the mirror and it said Snow White. )
Days passed and I grew more attached to my family, friends, and surprising to a lot of Indians, I got fond of India. There was a small patriot budding inside me. To give fire some more fuel or to keep the “India Zindabad” engine running were a few good movies like “Rang de Basanti” and “Lage Raho Munnabhai.” - hats off to the geniuses who give us the films, which we could watch a million time, and still laugh or cry at the same dialogue. And I sincerely thank Anacin and other pain killers, for giving us one of the solutions to headache, because that is what we get after watching some of the films.
So as you might have guessed correctly, I was already involved in motion picture, like the eighty percent of Indians. But I was not the kind who would sit back and watch a movie in theatre, eventually tear and throw the ticket and the movie out of their sight and mind. (Tickets are to be thrown. The purpose of this article is not for its reader to start a ticket collection.) I would watch and analyze the movie, not critically, but creatively. There was something about those moving pictures that though broken by the editors, only made them a whole. Something that was so exciting and engaging that the entire world was talking about them. This was it, I thought.
A popular synonym for the film industry is Hollywood and in India Bollywood. So I fight with my “no skills” – skills of writing and mathematics to pass several exams and make my way to the great, “Hollywood.”
I was a little disappointed when I got down from the plane. No Angeles were lost and roaming around the Los Angeles. There were only people getting crazy with their luggage and cars. An anecdote for those who haven’t been to Los Angeles – people here eat, drink, sleep, breath cars. If there is any other mode of transport, it’s called ‘bike’, which is a bicycle in simple English. I don’t know if there will be a statue of a man who walked last in Los Angeles put up in Madame Trousseau, London soon.
Next was this terrific road I got to – full of traffic and uneven. No, it was still not as congested as in Mumbai – no wonder people in Mumbai develop a sense of great patients when it comes to traffic or politics. After sleeping for almost 22 hours of plane, oops I am in America; I need to call it an aircraft, with in between breaks for Kung Fu Panda and U Me or Hum, and with All Mighty’s grace I had no jet lag. This was a pretty unusual phenomenon and unheard of…
I was finally happy when I saw my apartment and met my hosts. Both of them were the best part of America I have experienced so far, apart from Venice beach, where people keep their zips open to show their unddies and some weird people all over the place, dancing and singing or showing some out of the box talents or even displaying a two headed turtle – the owner called it “together turtle” – all for their living. I was dressed absolutely not perfect for the occasion – a full length jean, long t-shirt (that of the size of most dresses here) and my all time favorite, sport shoes. Wow! It was a scene when I walked fully dressed on a beach where girls were just in bikinis. But nonetheless, it was a fun-filled trip. When I saw my university campus, I was equally amazed. That night I wrote to my mom,
“Dear Mummy,
It is in the catastrophe of my traveling to the United States with several other hitches and glitches to leave our country, there is one thing I certainly cannot criticize about this place: It has an excellent education system setup. I now know why people leave their hometown and come here to hunt their fortunes, for they value brain and people, more than money. Everything is very expensive, albeit, it is a place worth experiencing. Thank you for sending me here.
Love,
Aditi”
Monday, February 11, 2008
story about me
This is a story of a girl. She is ambitious, determined, and worthy, which sets her apart from her peers. During her early days, she realized she would have to struggle passionately for what she wanted to achieve. It was not about her parents, who were just about well-to-do, but it was about herself. She never wanted to spend an extra penny from what she had collected through her vacation jobs. These were, though, not sufficient to pay her school fees, but enough to pay for other activities she immersed herself into. She spent the hard earned moolah develop her talents by learning music, dancing, and dramatics, as well as buying new books. When her small feet working hard during the vacation, she got involved in various activities during her school days.
“What do you get by doing all this?” one of her school friends questioned her, wondering if she had any time to play.
“One day I will become the world's best scriptwriter, and for that, I have to train myself. I have to learn all the nuances of cinema – a complex whole.”
“You are stupid. There are better things to do than to be a scri… scribble writer… or whatever it is…”
The days passed like gushes of wind. Like everyone else, she had her ups and downs, but all that mattered to her was to achieve her final goal. She always loved her independence. Every holiday, when her friends were partying, she was serving. Soon she entered her college, where her earnings seemed to be a little part of what she could pay for an expensive media course. She asked her parents for a loan, which she tried to repay as and when she earned a little dough. It was her determination to be a creator, one day.
“One day mom, you would see me on that stage receiving the Oscar for Best Screenplay and you would hear the whole world applauding.”
The loan was obviously agreed upon. Finally, she completed her Bachelor’s degree. All set to be a writer, at least. Is it all that simple? There were almost negligible doors opened for writers, and they demanded experience. It was a Catch 22 situation.
“Oh, don’t worry about my daughter;” I heard my mother telling her friend, “She is one of those go-getters.”
She soon found herself some worth and joined a company as a content writer. It was not screenplay writing in anyway, but ‘work is worship’. At last, she was able to pay the loan. Being close to the industry, she realized, there is something still missing in her to write a terrific screenplay. The only way to achieve her aspiration was to complete her Masters in the said field at Hollywood, USA.
She lived in a “third world” country. Her currency valued only one fortieth times the dollar. It was like a major blow to her. If she wanted to study, she would have to pay the fees in dollars. It would take her five more years to collect such a huge amount. The only source was her parents; but, it would mean they would have to spend all their savings and earnings of a lifetime. Her parents agreed to give her the credit. However, she knew they were growing old and would need this money. She would repay them, but that would be after a minimum period of three years. Does this mean she has to put an end to her dreams?
Just then she came across, something called scholarship grant. This was the solution she was looking for. At last, here was a chance to fulfill her ambitions. Her desire to be the most passionate scriptwriter, devoting her life to entertaining movie lovers worldwide was now set to be a reality. No more would a lack of money come in the way of her embarking on her career in films. This is a story of a girl, who is me.
“What do you get by doing all this?” one of her school friends questioned her, wondering if she had any time to play.
“One day I will become the world's best scriptwriter, and for that, I have to train myself. I have to learn all the nuances of cinema – a complex whole.”
“You are stupid. There are better things to do than to be a scri… scribble writer… or whatever it is…”
The days passed like gushes of wind. Like everyone else, she had her ups and downs, but all that mattered to her was to achieve her final goal. She always loved her independence. Every holiday, when her friends were partying, she was serving. Soon she entered her college, where her earnings seemed to be a little part of what she could pay for an expensive media course. She asked her parents for a loan, which she tried to repay as and when she earned a little dough. It was her determination to be a creator, one day.
“One day mom, you would see me on that stage receiving the Oscar for Best Screenplay and you would hear the whole world applauding.”
The loan was obviously agreed upon. Finally, she completed her Bachelor’s degree. All set to be a writer, at least. Is it all that simple? There were almost negligible doors opened for writers, and they demanded experience. It was a Catch 22 situation.
“Oh, don’t worry about my daughter;” I heard my mother telling her friend, “She is one of those go-getters.”
She soon found herself some worth and joined a company as a content writer. It was not screenplay writing in anyway, but ‘work is worship’. At last, she was able to pay the loan. Being close to the industry, she realized, there is something still missing in her to write a terrific screenplay. The only way to achieve her aspiration was to complete her Masters in the said field at Hollywood, USA.
She lived in a “third world” country. Her currency valued only one fortieth times the dollar. It was like a major blow to her. If she wanted to study, she would have to pay the fees in dollars. It would take her five more years to collect such a huge amount. The only source was her parents; but, it would mean they would have to spend all their savings and earnings of a lifetime. Her parents agreed to give her the credit. However, she knew they were growing old and would need this money. She would repay them, but that would be after a minimum period of three years. Does this mean she has to put an end to her dreams?
Just then she came across, something called scholarship grant. This was the solution she was looking for. At last, here was a chance to fulfill her ambitions. Her desire to be the most passionate scriptwriter, devoting her life to entertaining movie lovers worldwide was now set to be a reality. No more would a lack of money come in the way of her embarking on her career in films. This is a story of a girl, who is me.
Monday, February 4, 2008
Dangerous illusions
Since couple of days, I have been listing down number of topics that I can write for this blog. These, as I may say so, are day-to-day occurrences and consequences. Alas! I really regret the fact that the list has been always made in my mind. Thanks to my short-term memory, due to which I fail to type them in morning. So, I decided to select the topic only in morning, while venturing to my work-station.
It all happened when I was making my way from Metro theatre to office. I idiotically had a collision with a bicycle. It was my mistake and I admit it. I could see the bicycle goading towards me at full speed, yet, I stood there like the Statue of Liberty (she is the only lady effigy I can remember). Why did I stand there like a fool? Well, that is the story and it starts some years back… fade out (can’t get rid of my filmy touch).
I met a guy, Ashish (name changed) for the first time in my sister’s engagement party. Since then we had been pretty close friends. We talked with each other for hours on phone. I had no “love” for him at all even then. We were just good friends. No boy was ever so friendly with me as he was. Being an adolescent, I was vulnerable to the situation (not physically, but mentally), and so, I thought it was like a film, and we were friends forever. But this was not to last very long. Like a usual scenario - there were misunderstandings, fights, unpleasant occurrences between the two of us. This was mainly due to my inclination towards career, which he did not quiet appreciate and I stepped out of the cocoon to experience the new world, where people like Ashish were described as nothing but a male chauvinist pig. This just added to the situation and I realized how fragile it was. It made me coerce to leave him and move forward. Later, since he belonged to my community, he started spreading rumors about me. Soon he understood I was least affected by any of those and everything finally ended. This I now describe as the worst period of my life and my biggest mistake. So what this story has to do with the tiny accident I had with the bicycle today?
Hmmm…I was listening to one of his favorite songs, unfortunately happen to be my preferred one too, and was suddenly dragged into the past. Being a scriptwriter, things often come to life when I am thinking something, as if I was watching a film. I was not aware of the surrounding and that is exactly the moment, “bang”, the bicycle came and knocked me off. Well, the rider had all the rights to abuse me, as I was standing in the middle of the road staring at him but not even moving by and itch. But you see I am a girl and he really couldn’t do anything. Neither of us spoke a word and departed continuing our journey.
Sometimes, unconsciously though, we jeopardize our lives for someone who does not even matter to us in slightest of its sense. But when we think about them, our mind takes us to another plateau, where things are not like the way we see them, and yet, we are compelled to believe their existence. What happened today was not in my control. So I cannot blame myself for it. Ashish or the bicycle riders were too not at fault. Yet what happened could have been graver than just a passing by affair.
It all happened when I was making my way from Metro theatre to office. I idiotically had a collision with a bicycle. It was my mistake and I admit it. I could see the bicycle goading towards me at full speed, yet, I stood there like the Statue of Liberty (she is the only lady effigy I can remember). Why did I stand there like a fool? Well, that is the story and it starts some years back… fade out (can’t get rid of my filmy touch).
I met a guy, Ashish (name changed) for the first time in my sister’s engagement party. Since then we had been pretty close friends. We talked with each other for hours on phone. I had no “love” for him at all even then. We were just good friends. No boy was ever so friendly with me as he was. Being an adolescent, I was vulnerable to the situation (not physically, but mentally), and so, I thought it was like a film, and we were friends forever. But this was not to last very long. Like a usual scenario - there were misunderstandings, fights, unpleasant occurrences between the two of us. This was mainly due to my inclination towards career, which he did not quiet appreciate and I stepped out of the cocoon to experience the new world, where people like Ashish were described as nothing but a male chauvinist pig. This just added to the situation and I realized how fragile it was. It made me coerce to leave him and move forward. Later, since he belonged to my community, he started spreading rumors about me. Soon he understood I was least affected by any of those and everything finally ended. This I now describe as the worst period of my life and my biggest mistake. So what this story has to do with the tiny accident I had with the bicycle today?
Hmmm…I was listening to one of his favorite songs, unfortunately happen to be my preferred one too, and was suddenly dragged into the past. Being a scriptwriter, things often come to life when I am thinking something, as if I was watching a film. I was not aware of the surrounding and that is exactly the moment, “bang”, the bicycle came and knocked me off. Well, the rider had all the rights to abuse me, as I was standing in the middle of the road staring at him but not even moving by and itch. But you see I am a girl and he really couldn’t do anything. Neither of us spoke a word and departed continuing our journey.
Sometimes, unconsciously though, we jeopardize our lives for someone who does not even matter to us in slightest of its sense. But when we think about them, our mind takes us to another plateau, where things are not like the way we see them, and yet, we are compelled to believe their existence. What happened today was not in my control. So I cannot blame myself for it. Ashish or the bicycle riders were too not at fault. Yet what happened could have been graver than just a passing by affair.
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