Top 10 Quirky Albert Einstein Quotes, Plus 1 Quirkiest

Yep, spot on. I always knew I didn't like people quoting  "Curiosity killed the cat."

This sounds nice. A tongue-twister.

Picket 43 : A Movie Review

                      Imagine an ordinary soldier of Indian Army, alone in a small hut by a wire fence. To add more elements to your imagination: that fence is the Line of Control (LoC) that separates the snow-clad Himalayas into India and Pakistan; that part (or 'picket') of LoC is generally lightly guarded by one soldier each from  the two countries, defending their side; that part is called 'Picket 43', by the Indian side; that also happens to be a part where ceasefire violations are looming as a deadly threat over any soldier's fate, who is living a hermit's life there, removed from human company and comforts; Now, this soldier who is defending the Indian territory: he is lives in the Indian hut at the picket 43 with a lone army dog and a transistor radio as companions, waiting with mounting frustrations, for letters from home that might arrive with weekly rations ; he is a south Indian, unmarried, has a ailing mother back at home in Kerala, and he is percieved as weak-willed by his immediate senior officer.  And he is posted to this picket after his predecessor was killed and beheaded by militants while guarding the same picket. That is the setting of this beautifully scripted movie Picket 43. If you think that with such a setting, it has to be a gruesome action drama, you can only be less than half right.

Why do I Love Poetry?

A conversation with the closest friend of mine from my college days recently, made me reflect on this question: why do I love poetry? It led to some surprising discoveries. Nothing could be more surprising than the recollection that not long ago, if you had asked me, ' Hey, Jijnasa, who's poetry you love the most?', I'd have gone blank and said,' Urgh! I do not read any.'

But, then, when did I fell in love with it?
Hard to say. Because I do not remember falling, you know.

Mr.#SaudiDiplomat and Other Little Troubles in Diplomacy

              Last week, when our dear newspapers and twitter folks, Indian and global alike, raged on over the scandal involving a diplomat of Saudi Arabia posted in India, many a naive souls would have thought: ' This is the last straw! All the values of democracy are at stake! Human rights so horribly violated, terrible crime committed, by the very person who was expected to behave as an example of solidarity of nations for the cause of global peace and wellbeing?! No, we are not taking it anymore.This is the end. We are going to see a major revision in Vienna Convention or such stupid treaties on 'Diplomatic Immunity' very soon. We can not just let rapists and murderers go on committing, well, rape,murders and other horrible things....'

Here is Ms. Naive Person, in conversation with Mr.Saudi,Mr.America and Mr.India. Of course, all characters are imaginary. All the usual disclaimers apply.

The Dream

Blue skies and green lands;
  Lush fields and roaring waterfalls;
Fruits, flowers, lawns and palaces;
  All are yours.

Kind smiles and nice talks;
Sweet children and loving embraces,
Respect,rights,friends and admirers;
   All are yours.

Animus

I cannot wait to know this man.

My words, whispers and secrets find way to him.

Ever so near he is, though I see him not.

I worry, he pacifies; I weep, he consoles;

When I try to hold him to me, he exists no more.

Love

Love....
Is that what you call it when
  you have sleepless eyes and restless mind?
When all your thoughts keep falling off the same cliff,
    And somehow your soul seems to be lost?

Each of your sighs take you further away
   Leaving all the paths of your life in tangles.
You sense a mystery, feel it weighing you down
  Yet, dare not push it away, nor to unravel it.

Home

My legs lead me as easily as heart beats;

With each footfall, wind soaks me 

with fragrance of familiarity.

Every murmur heard is in the language of my blood;

Every giggle is in harmony with my own.

Cat and dog, man and woman all know me;

I’m home. I know them too.

Rest

Time-tables none are thrust upon me

                             To race with Time,

Nor do lists of unfinished tasks

                             Haunt my dreams.

Eyelids mine close when they want to,

                             Open not shocked by alarm’s shriek.

Passions, colorful, are  my only visitors

                             During the day; peaceful dreams in sleep.

I am at rest.

Photo of The Week: Shades of an evening

Shades of an evening

Photo of The Week:Sunset through the palace gate of Mysore Palace

Sunset through the palace gate of Mysore Palace

Where was this taken and when? - Mysore,Karnataka; on 23.08.15
Photo Credits?                               - Myself  (Isn't it beautiful? Thank you!)

What is so special about this?     -Taken from the bus, while I was returning home from Mysore,   after appearing for Civil Services Prelims. I am excited to have such a nice souvenir of my detour to Mysore, despite the very short stay.

Living Root Bridges Of Meghalaya

In UPSC civil services Prelims Q.no. 44 in my question paper read:
In a particular region in India, the local people train the roots of living trees into robust bridges across the streams. These unique 'living root bridges' are found in:

Wow! How cool is that..


Photo Credit:Timothy Allen
You can read more about them here:.http://humanplanet.com/timothyallen/2011/03/living-root-bridges-bbc-human-planet/
Answer is Meghalaya, of course. As for why UPSC asked it, I am yet to connect the dots.

My very first blog post

It has been  a year and half since the idea of this blog materialized in my head and I haven't published a single post. Beginners' Block, is that the name of it? Anyway, I couldn't decide what should be my very first blog post, and felt stuck.

 So, this tentative leap from being a silent witness to this Internet phenomenon towards being an active participant...Why did it happen and how? You might be familiar with the process: 

• that longing to write pushes you to search for a platform to write on; 
• being a rather opportunistic but regular reader of countless articles in countless blogs one cannot really recall the names of, you figure it out that you can begin one too; 
• then search " blogging for beginners" on google, follow the links after links like 'SEO', 'how to make money', 'top ten reasons why blogs fail', 'how to write your very first blog post' (oh yes)......Urghh!
• By the end you discover that there are millions of blogs cluttering the webspace ; that you ought to possess reasonable writing skills and good vocabulary ; that you need to be pretty good with your English; that you ought be certain on the premise of your content, your goals and expectations. You learn many other things too, but you know minds resist change and fear over-exertion.
• 'Alas!', you say, ' I'm no writer, I have no unique things to sell and my language skills are just basic. I have no idea how to write an introductory blog post let alone hundreds of interesting articles. Why should I burden the blogosphere with one more mediocre thing. Let me learn to be a better writer, perfect my English, then come back.'

I came back here not because I have become perfect in everything, but because I know, and I always knew, that world is accommodating.Rich and poor, black and white, living and non-living and innumerable things that exist in between, are all welcome here. So, why not me writing a blog, here and now,the way I am?

Welcome!