Triumph of the Kill

I remember this one specific Culture and Communication class during my first year at MICA when we were being taught about Nazi Germany. The reason I will never forget that one is 'cause no class, in my history of classes, and trust me those have been a lot more than what I consciously signed up for, has ever reduced me to tears, as my favorite prof narrated the entire process of Jews being brought to concentration camps to their eventual fate in the gas chambers. After watching half a dozen to a dozen "Nazi movies" I knew this subject was going to be something that would remain with me even post my academic life.

So a few days back I decided to go book-hunting. Now, I haven't been able to read more than 2 non-textbooks in the past 3 years (not that I read textbooks either) and one of them include Two States (don't kill me, it costed 99 bucks!), so this was sort of me being very adventurous with my understood intellectual capacity. When I entered the book store, I was trying to figure out the genre I was looking for and as I stumbled on stacks of books on the floor of the narrow alleys, I was reaching the fag end of the store from where I could faintly read the word HISTORY. Unchartered territories, I thought to myself. Be brave and act casual. But no luck with the book. I strutted in with arrogance and walked out trying to merge with air.

Finally after another such store, which practically gave me a slap in the face by being shut altogether, I decided to make a trip to the only other one I knew, a tiny little place around the corner. It's obviously not going to have it, I assumed, maybe I should buy The Lost Symbol and the book that said "You have got to read this if you've read The Lost Symbol!"

However magically, as I made my first head turn in the store, staring me in the face was "THE RISE AND FALL OF THE THIRD REICH" Words fail me now that I'm trying to describe the instantaneous feeling. It was very "Hallelujah!-Shahrukh-sees-Sushmita in Main Hoon Na" I don't remember how my feet flighted and reached the shelf to pick it up.

The top view:

Nice, no? The picture is a shot from the movie "Triumph of the Will" by Leni Riefenstahl, which I have been dying to see since forever but haven't yet laid my hands on.

Now, the side view:

Apart from my worry about how much time it will take to finish reading this, the real issue was the price. Hold onto your horses women, it was a thousand bucks. I thought (again), let's get out of here. Forget this obsession, think about your track record. Two States, TWO STATES. What's more, bitch you even liked it! But after my 10 minute contemplative monologue ended, I headed towards the cash register.

Me - Pleeeeeease tell me there is a discount on this! *puppy face*
Cashier - Yes, there is! 10%
Me - I'LL TAKE IT! :D

And boy, I'm not regretting it. Though I'm just a few pages down I can tell this would be my read of a lifetime. AND since my brother's reaction to every interesting thing I read is Hmm. Hmm. Listen, I'm playing FIFA. So stfu, I thought I'd bore you guys instead.

You know, these people's personal lives were strange (Though only few can match Woody Allen's in barf-worthiness) For instance, Hitler's dad's last wife (Adolf's mom) was his foster daughter during his first marriage not to mention she was his own second cousin, and even Hitler's apparent "one true love" was his half-sister's daughter.

Did I mention 485 tons of records of the German Foreign Office from 1868 up till 1945 were recovered!
Did you know Hitler once worked as a building laborer and was rejected by art school and was told to apply to Architecture school instead?

I feel wise. I'll go read some more :)

So long...inspiration

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.
Best because I FINALLY see myself getting over nagging pains, worst because those were my biggest writing inspirations. So this post is dedicated to two of my biggest recent romances.

MICA

I fell in love with the place when I first heard about it back in 2005. Since then it had been my dream school. 5 years hence I'm still dreaming, but for all the right reasons. Though initially I felt I did not fit in, I realized no one else did either! And that's how we all came to belong. They gave me two most precious years to make it my own and now that time is up.

I wanted to love it more. But, so more could, it let me go.

An obscure place

in the middle of nowhere

you found me

or I found you

who cares.

I think I was born to be

a MICAn for life.

Mr.You-know-who-you-are
It's been so long I barely remember your face but I still remember a few events and words exchanged, however the feelings behind them have now blurred in my head. Though I've spent the past two years of my life in complete and utter misery, if I had the chance to do it all over again, I would not change a single minute of me being helplessly drowned in you. Where others derive their inspiration from your work, I got mine from The You! And I can't thank you enough for being my muse for as long as you have. But being cooped up in bed for 15 hours everyday thinking what's the point of even getting up? is not the way one should live their life.

You are a mystery I no longer intend to solve. So, I'm letting you go.

You play memories in your head
sometimes even fictional ones
hoping if you'd play them often enough
they just might come to life
and you replay
and replay
and replay
'til one day
you stop.

                               Meg, thanks for this. You're a doll :)

Uninspired writing is like a river without water, dull and cracked in places, not to mention useless. So I'm out scouting for something to excite me again. Till then, I will mostly be talking about how I want to drink espresso out of miniature bone china cups or how UTV World Movies and NDTV Lumiere are rocking my world. I will not stop my monologues for anything :)

Love 'em or hate 'em

You know what's more annoying than talking to your parents? Traveling with them.

So I'm mourning leaving college and trying to sob quietly on the upper berth of Rajdhani, when every few minutes my parents below would shove some food item down my throat.
You want soup? Are you going to leave those breadsticks? 
That chicken serving looks small, let me ask the guy to get you another one. Betaaaaaaa zara idhar aana...
They didn't give salt and pepper with the main course?!?!
You spent 25 rupees to get Pepsi that's not even chilled!
You want to have Jumping? 'Jumpin' Mom, not 'Jumping'!
You must put the creamer before you pour in the water? But I'm having black coffee. Oho, ok. (Puts it in the bag, along with the unused sugar, mango pickle, sauce pouches and Amul butter)
What! You don't want to have ice cream? Are you sure? It's vanilla. (What a pickle, how are they going to store that for future purposes?!?!)
This dhokla has tomato sauce on it, how come you're having it? Mom, it's imli ki chutney. I don't think so. Whatever, I don't want it anymore.

I would've asked my doctor dad for paracetamol for my head but there would've been more questions regarding consumption. But atleast it took my mind off MICA :)