Reminiscing

Every once in a while you come across an article in the media that hits home. I found such an article in a magazine called Transition, I had never heard of before.

The author, Kai Friese, speaks about his fascination with The Phantom comics, available in India.

 

……And a comic book was a Phantom.

Of course we hoarded, borrowed, or rented Superman, Batman, even Aquaman, when we could. But the Phantom was a more dependable hero, always there when you needed one—and cheap, at one and a half rupees. There were none of the cruel advertisements for unobtainable goods—Schwinn Bikes and Hostess Twinkies, Incredible Sea Monkeys and Amazing Inflatable Raquel Welch Dolls. The Phantom had matte covers and reassuringly crappy production values. He was a castaway on our side of the pond, a Third World kind of guy…….

 

It hit home, not for the penmanship, which was excellent, but mostly for the nostalgic visuals it threw up.

The rest of the article is here.

loving your job

"The rush of battle is a potent and often lethal addiction, for war is a drug."

-Chris Hedges, from the opening quote in “The Hurt Locker”

 

I was watching “The Hurt Locker” the other day. One of the things that struck me was the honest attempt at giving credit to the efforts of the soldiers fighting the war. While there will be the eternal question about whether the War on Terror was justified, both in terms of the intention as well as the methods, the truth remains, that barring a few bad eggs, the personnel involved are doing their job the best they can.

But moreover, there was a different point that struck me, something that the film was reaffirming all along.

The point is that when you come to the realization that you’re damn good at the job you do, when you know that you’re the expert, then your work is no longer a chore. Its a work of art, a masterpiece you end up filling with every masterful stroke and shade that you possibly can. Eventually for those who love their work, the work is a lethally addictive drug.

Down to earth!!!

I seriously did not plan this. I was at this conference in The Rennaisance, Powai [4th of September, 2007] and while having a conversation on my cell, I happened to glance down at floor…… and voila, that carpet was really beautiful.

Now its real strange to find a guy examining the carpet at a business conference, and this was no upholstery manufacturer’s meet……. much less finding someone clicking photos of the carpet. But then, being the maverick that I am, I did it.

I loved the yellowish leaves on the rich red background…. that was pretty.

Then the carpetsnappers bug got me and I started to pay a bit more attention to carpets. For your viewing pleasure, the carpet in my workplace!!

Its funny, but the things we do not notice, even though we see them everyday…………….

Perspectives – Statement of purpose

I thought I’d start the blog with a description of its purpose. I’ve always wondered whether sometimes the things we see or think at a moment, usually a reaction to the outside world as perceived by our senses, would ever repeat again. I’m sure there are things that are part of your routine, like the Safety notice on your elevator or the neighbour’s dog barking at you as you pass his gate on your way to work.

Then there are things that are for the moment, like dew on a leaf or a spider spinning its web, and you wanna capture that!!! I snap the most idiotic things, but then I’d love to share my general curiosity. So this blog is the platform for that!!! Just sharing………….