"Ataraxia" is an ideal state to achieve. As the Greek philosopher Epicurus would state - Its the ultimate ability to find peace in chaos - reach a perfect and lucid state of tranquility.
I am a big fan of Webchutney. They have the best bunch of creative people according to me.
Here are some of their Ads & spoofs I was checking through on this lazy sunday morning (I love this time of the week- waking up at 8AM, hot cuppa kaapi, jog around the park, browse through the net for all the little arbit happenings around the world).
Makemytrip: Moving train
Makemytrip: Udee.. amazing idea!
Aids Campaign: Simple and Awesome!
Don't forget to check out some of their previous beauties, the Happydent Ad still remains my all time favourite, if you find something better let me know through your comments!
The recent India-Australia test series has been really exciting. Since I am one among the herd who likes to watch, crib, cry, laugh and rejoice with cricket.... this was a treat for me.
After the second test at Sydney, I was wondering- what is the secret of winning... what more does one do to win? Why do some teams get all the half chances, marginal decisions while the other always ends up on the wrong side? Why, why... why? May be people who judge are biased or may be one team has the extra special way of appealing (to make it look only logical to lift the finger to indicate consent) or may be it is the home advantage..
I was actually thinking along these lines. But, after watching the third test at Perth, I just changed the reasons to much more intrinsic.. more basic level of human behavior. If you watch the decisions in Sydney and Perth- there were many decisions that were wrongly judged. But, if one watches the last day of each test... surprisingly the marginal decisions went to the team that had the extra bit of 'urge to win'.
Human beings are wired to believe that the 50-50 marginal decisions should always go towards those who deserve that a little more... Somehow, just like in the movie Cinderella Man where the old champion keeps fighting... giving that one last punch to the younger, stronger opponents; or like in Forrest Gump when one man running across the country gives hope to many others spurring them to follow him... It is intrinsic human nature.
It was really nice to see that willingness to give that little bit 'extra' (watching RP Singh fighting to make every run in second innings, Ishant Sharma bowling 9 overs in a row, Sachin Tendulkar chasing the ball from widwicket to long off boundary to stop one boundary, etc etc) to win in Perth. For millions of people who watch the game with religious fervour in India, it gives that little bit of hope... that some day they can have the same winning attitude... may be they are spurred to give that 'little bit extra' in whatever they do....
As I walked out of the theater, I could see grown men with moist eyes. There were no comments like- 'Aamir Khan stole the show' or 'The title song was good' or for that matter I did not hear any comments at all..
In a strange way there was a general acceptance that - a raw nerve was touched here. The movie demanded a minute's silence to digest the message it tried to convey.
It's a fast paced world.. men are breaking all sorts of records left, right and center. Man running 100m below 9.5s looks a real possibility, 20-20 cricket seems to be catching the craze waves, computers a commonplace now to accomplish our tasks at that lightening speed, 24hrs a day sometimes seem a little less for the work we try to accomplish in a day...
Speed, in short.. has become the name of game. Where is the place for those who do not fit into this world? What happens to the chap who finishes last in the class, where will a non-Engineer/Doctor/MBA be in today's world? Does one have hope if he does not perform academically? Does academic failure in short mean failure in life? Does everyone needs to run in the same track, is it necessary to always take the beaten path? Can one live life on the parallel paths along the mainstream...?
These are some of the questions that the film tries to pose.
In the midst of it all, one message come out strongly- 'It is OK to be different'. World not only requires the fast paced professionals who have become one-too-many, but also those who can bring in fresh ideas, remind us that it is still a beautiful world to live. We also require artists, poets, paintists, actors, musicians...
The story is reminiscent of Dickens caricaturization of Tom Sawer or David Copperfield. The difference seems to be more mental than the physical variety depicted in these classics of Victorian age.
All in all... without getting philosophical, let me just say- this movie is simply too good. This is just the right kind of wake up call for all of us.
As W H Davies has commented in the poem 'Leisure'- "WHAT is this life if, full of care, We have no time to stand and stare?"
I am an individual with lots of energy... so, motto in life for me has always been to make the best out of what there is.. be enthu.. have fun.. enjoy whatever you do..
Time seems to be struck.. did some arbit things over past few weeks.. but the restlessness within is not rubbing off..
Went to an orphanage to give some food stuff on a weekend.. somehow the kids seemed so happy.. why not me? Just the smile at taking a bite of food seemed to cause so much joy.. may be I have got accustomed to the luxury of good food..
Been on a trek to kemmanagundi.. spent time with old friends enjoyed the moment.. But, once back.. the serenity of place seems to be haunting me.. I've been thinking of WH Davies poem.. 'what's this life if full of care, we have not time to stand and stare?'
Work is not that hectic.. getting more time to spend with family Now, I regularly have dinner with family- a luxury from past few weeks.. But, somehow is this because I am not working enough.. hope not, because i seem to be doing the same things faster..
Met up with all my old friends over weekend, everyone seems to be in the same phase.. doing same things.. Some have moved, some have struck onto the same places, but generally not much change.. Oddly felt withdrawn.
Just trying to see what needs to be done differently.. where to make a difference?
I categorically hate english songs, videos... I am one of those characters who fail to understand english if spoken at that speed! Also, flashy videos where the music, background, everything else keeps changing as if the whole scene is enacted straight from matrix... I simply fail to understand! So, I stick to our mushy videos, songs from Karan Johar films, Adnaan, Shaan and recently a guy called Atif. I am not a big fan of any music apart from run of the mill hindi ones...
I fail to sync with my regional songs (kannada music), thats something which I have developed over time and simply can't change.
But, wait... from past couple of years, I have started selectively listening to English music wherever the lyrics is good. So, slowly the music I listen to has expanded to Include- Greenday, Linken Park, Pink Floyd and Brian Adams.
A few weeks back I listened to this number from Baz Luhrmann... and simply fell in love with it! One of the most inspiring songs I have heard... thought lemme share it here!
Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of ’99 If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience… I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked….
You’re not as fat as you imagine. Don’t worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday that scares you Sing, Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours. Floss Don’t waste your time on jealousy; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind…the race is long, and in the end, it’s only with yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements. Stretch Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life… the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t.
Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees, you’ll miss them when they’re gone. Maybe you’ll marry, maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll have children,maybe you won’t, maybe you’ll divorce at 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary… what ever you do, don’t congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either – your choices are half chance, so are everybody else’s.
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can… don’t be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it’s the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.. Dance…even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room. Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them. Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when they’ll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard; live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old, and when you do you’ll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders. Respect your elders.
Don’t expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out. Don’t mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it’s worth. But trust me on the sunscreen…
I was just thinking about certain aspects of my work, expectations, etc. In the next few weeks, I foresee loads of challenges with hectic travel on cards.. Searching and researching the net, I got bored and started checking some good ads...
The most interesting Ad in recent times I feel is from Mountain Dew-
Creative agency JWT has done a wonderful remake of PepsiCo's Mountain Dew! They have moved away from the thrill of adventure theme to one that seemed more believable: 'conquering the fear within'.
Working on the concept that fear holds back even confident, capable people, the campaign went on to say that those who overcome fear get success, recognition, and adulation.
The new tagline, therefore: “Dar ke aage jeet hai (beyond fear lies victory)”! Few brands acknowledge vulnerability. The theme gave a powerful philosophy to the brand.
The new campaign, which broke in March 2007, stood out for more reasons. It showed older teenagers riding a vehicle over dangerous terrain, striking a fine balance between believability and thrill. More importantly, it heralded a new, punchier product formulation and a new green-black logo.
“It is much more difficult to turn around a smaller brand that’s declining, than reviving a bigger brand that’s losing share,” says Pota from JWT. Also, the consumers and even the brand owners are willing to give larger brands a decent second chance.
Perhaps Dew would have revived itself, but it still has a long way to go before it becomes a worthy challenger to Sprite. The clear lemon drinks segment makes up 35 percent of all carbonated soft drinks sold in India. Dew certainly has a lot more to conquer than just fear.
But, hold on... I am deviating from what I had in my mind... for now, this has become a tagline for me- 'dar ke aage jeet hai'!
I am a big fan of the analytics/stats tools available online... well, why do I usually write on my blog? When I asked myself this question, I realised that the most potent factor seems to be... that elusive small red dot on the cluster map from far off Greenland, Singapore or Sweden that keeps increasing in size.
This is a poweful tool, highly motivating... Whoever you are, 'thank you' to all those nameless friends from around the globe who take pains to browse through! It does'nt matter if they read anything or no, what matters is just that intent to visit..
Recent turn of events at home made me think a lot about terms which usually remain un-thought off until one actually becomes old.
Now, if you ask anyone: how old do you want to live? - I am sure the answer would be- as old as possible or rather just a guffaw with a muted- ‘what a silly question’ quip. Believe me; it is not easy to get old and still long to add more years to one’s baggage. I have a granny who is close to hitting the nineties and another great granny who is close to hitting triple figures.. no fun living upto that age..
Well- how old is really old? Though it’s not easy to answer, I have formed this philosophy of mine. The number of years you add to your bag is not an indication of real age once you are past the half century mark, but rather the number of problems, niggles, issues, ailments, etc you add along. These tend to become the true indicator of age..
The trick, gentlemen remains’ to live - as young, for as long as possible. After being in close quarters for sometime now with some really old people, I have observed some things with a lot of care. If I can summarize the gist in 4 points, these would be it-
Eat less, eat healthy
Walk, run, don’t sit idle
An idle mind is a devil’s workshop- so keep your brain cells ticking: tic tac tic..
Remember- rich+old is always better than poor+old
Well, I really don’t know why I jotted these down, but I hope that I personally keep these things in mind. Hmm, for now; let me revisit gym regularly, add some moolah into my bank balance and start looking at our sensex with more elan!
Feeling a little low today, somehow fate plays the wrong cards when you lest expect them.. anyways, here I am just trying to browse through all my favourite poems.
Here is a poem "If.." from Rudyard Kippling-
If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you,
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you
But make allowance for their doubting too,
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise:
If you can dream--and not make dreams your master,
If you can think--and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster
And treat those two impostors just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to, broken,
Back after a long hibernation. Writing again fighting all inertia, because after watching this awesome film....somehow the patiotic jingoism has caught up with me too!
One of the better made films of our times, gives a patriotic fervour to anyone watching it- especially if you happen to see the film in a run down theater... in first row... with ppl whistling at every dialogue... well, actually quite a experience to me after the pvr's and inox'es of Bangalore!
Aficionados would vouch for Shah Rukh's performance. He carries off the role of a hockey coach aplomb bringing reminiscencesof Swades. Most others are nameless actors carrying off the roles of nameless hockey players... a pity goes out for sports in India (I do not call cricket a sport in India any longer- It is more akin to religion).
Making a mockery of cricket (particularly a poor punjab lad who happens to be one of our better cricketers- Yuvraj), a jig at Jharkhand, Andhra, North East... somehow the film manages to carry off that message it intends to ingrain in us: we are a nation of over-emotional people.
Be it cricket, caste system, religious animosity, blazen-headed babudom; we are emotional about everything... we fight one another with passion- bomb blasts, territorial fights, naxalism, what not... love with such a passion tht you can't let go- every newspaper has a acid attack/rape case in the first page, dry hoarse about security issues- be it nuclear agreement, indo-pak, indo-china border issue... ad infinitum...
There is also a subtle message which comes out beautifully in the film- We are a bunch of individuals, never a team. We can excel individually, never brilliant on team spirit. Finally- most of us have EGOs which can dwarf a hockey field.
Well gentlemen, if you have not seen the film yet- go see it now. Chak de India!
Here are some interesting reviews on this film- Wiki Imdb IE
PS- Well, I have been reading some interesting books in past few weeks- will come up with some reviews if time permits. Here are the ones which I have read in past month & think is worth reading- Seabiscuit, Harry Potter- Deathly Hollows, Reminiscences of a stock operator, Every business is growth business from the one and the only Ram Charan, The Leadership pipeline- from him again, Copycat marketing 101..
