Fidgety Foots

A favorite poem, re-discovered on the internet. I’d left my paper copy back in India.

…But let there be spaces in your togetherness,
And let the winds of the heavens dance between you.
Love one another but make not a bond of love:
Let it rather be a moving sea between the shores of your souls.
Fill each other’s cup but drink not from one cup.
Give one another of your bread but eat not from the same loaf.
Sing and dance together and be joyous, but let each one of you be alone,
Even as the strings of a lute are alone though they quiver with the same music.
Give your hearts, but not into each other’s keeping.
For only the hand of Life can contain your hearts.
And stand together, yet not too near together:
For the pillars of the temple stand apart,
And the oak tree and the cypress grow not in each other’s shadow.

-Khalil Gibran

As a teenager, the poetry touched me.

Six years of marriage, and its practicality blows me away.

Musings from one of my favorite writers, Shashi Tharoor.

More like intolerance of expression. Another sign of how society in India has become increasingly intolerant with every loser taking on the self-imposed duty of a moral policeman. Its become so commonplace in India, try to assert your right to freedom of speech and you run the risk of being attacked by a mob, arrested by the police and censured by the government. It happened to an artist depicting fictional characters in an “unsavory manner” and it has now happened to a web surfer who downloaded certain objectionable material onto his Orkut page.

The problem lies in the fact that before the internet and globalization era, these goons could control the spread of information and make sure dissenting opinions did not spread too far. But in the age of personal blogs and google searches, it is easy for an individual to explore and express views that oppose those of the general populace. The mindless thugs find themselves powerless to fight the information that is out there and instead target the individual. And it finds a powerful ally in an administration that is ever willing to suppress any thoughts that may contradict the notion that Indian culture, history, and customs are perfect and unquestionable. Disagreement with someone else’s point of view is an opportunity for debate, but it doesn’t give anyone the right to physically assault them or have them arrested under draconian laws.

Ouch!! That is the word every man reading this story will be uttering. Boy, talk about a guy going absolutely nuts……..hint, hint.

Here’s a new one - a boy robot who can walk, talk and express emotions. Very cool. Somewhat creepy.

bright tastes burst in me
milling about streetside cart
sweet and hot, tangy spice
samosa, tikki, choley chaat

beads of sweat on my brow
kerosene light, so bright
shoulders rubbing other ones
spicy tears blurring sight

this, my country’s culinary add
to the world of haute cuisine
communal, al fresco, fresh made
is the bestest way to finely dine

Can you tell I’m hungry?

The last week has been eventful - we got lots of nice shots.

• Lunar eclipse - Aug 28th 2007: Sunil woke up in the middle of the night, set up in the parking lot and got great shots of the eclipse. (More info on the eclipse)
• Moon born of mountains - Aug 29th 2007: Through the winter, the full moon rises over the mountains while the sun sets in the west. Our pictures don’t do it justice at all. It’s magic. (More on moon phases and seasons)
• Mission Peak - Sept 1st 2007: We hiked partway up Mission Peak to watch the sun set over the bay.
• Day in the city - Sept 2nd 2007: We spent a warm Sunday in SF with Vindo/Din. Lunched at House of Nanking, watched a bit of Shakespeare in the Park, walked around, got dinner at Naan n Curry. Purrrfect day.

This post is total timepass.

It’s the first morning of a long weekend, Sunil’s making eggs for breakfast and we’re watching MSU’s first game of the season. I’m ensconced in a chair, trolling friends’ blogs, connecting dots.

Idris once asked: “What is the purpose of your art?“. I thought about it long and hard. Must my art have a purpose? Must it be an art? Does purpose diminish or contain? Why do I confuse myself so?

Back to blank. It’s much more comfortable.

This website is ultra-cool.