Day 328/366

Sometimes, it's quite all right to be quiet and just listen. It's not about capturing a moment or anything. It's just interesting to know that the mind can stop you from going on and on thinking or actually saying your thoughts aloud. It's peaceful, especially when you're in the present elated state that I'm in. Whether it's one person or a group, having a conversation with you, directly or indirectly, it doesn't matter. Especially if there's enough of music talk going around!

Day 294/366

Today, I had an awesome conversation and I'm too lazy and high to write a proper blog post. So, I'm going to make the conversation the post itself:

(Context: I said that the number of friends I have in Bangalore, a new city for me, are so few that I could count them in one hand. Okay, maybe two :p )

G: Meet some other folks, no?
R: How?
R: When?
R: Who?
R: Why?
R: Answer one at a time
‎​G: How, by going out.
‎​G: When, when you have time to go out.
‎​G: Who, anyone you find interesting when you go out.
‎​G: Why, cause then you can ACTUALLY GO OUT.

What a guy!

Day 288/366

In today's world of super-fast communication, I don't think there's a point in having a face-to-face conversation anymore. I just met someone who follows me on Twitter, and hence, knows whatever there is I want someone to know of me. It need not be important but because we've simply trivialized everything, deeper conversations would probably be had only with those who have been around since before the social media boom. Is communication becoming too mainstream? Would it be too far as to say that? Or as is the case with the independent music scene in our country, is it too nascent to pass such a judgment?

Day 262/366

I just had one of the best conversations of my life with the keyboardist of Bonobo (live), Ciaran. We spoke about books and authors like Kerouac and Bret Easton Ellis. I recommended Into the Wild and A Million Little Pieces to him. He needs to read more Cormac McCarthy, I'd say.

He recently moved in with The Hibernian Jungle. But his previous roomie did a cover of Zombie by The Cranberries. Instead of 1916, they said 1918. The vocalist was an Englishman. Ciaran, an Irishman. He took great offence with this because the Irish revolution against the English began in 1916. When you do a cover of a band, you need to understand their history and where they come from, don't you? Such a pity.

He is going to be doing his solo project soon. On an island in Ireland that his parents took him on a childhood vacation for years ago. I hope he does. It would be the perfect setting for the fictional mythology on his own life and the songs he makes/has made based on that. I wish I could share more. But it just wouldn't do justice for the more than an hour long conversation we just had.

P.S. Ciaran, you need to chug faster. Regardless of the Irish hat you don!

Day 251/366

My mother is adorable. Technology's never been her strongest point and she's one of those loyal Nokia phones fan. Unfortunately for her, my sister and I somehow convinced her to get a Blackberry. I feel really bad for her for struggling with it but she makes me day. Every single day.

So, today's conversation went something like this.

Rohini (R): Good morning! Will call after having tea.
Mummy (M): Ok dude....hahahaha...I'm in a crazily nice mood :) :D
R: Haha, this is Didi, not Ma.

Later...

M: Did u receive a mail now?
R: Yep :)
M: Ok...just testing...I managed...(Her being excited that she forwarded a mail with photographs attached via BB) yohoho and a bottle of rum :)
R: Ha! Blue blistering barnacles! Thundering typhoons! Now go to sleep. Sweet dreams :)
M: Ok...as u say...(Yawn)...fast asleep

A few minutes later...

R: Mummy, she's too cute! (The mail she sent me had photographs of a 3-year-old niece of mine going for her first day of school.)
M: Who is this she?
R: Zizou! (Just a nickname. Don't worry. Real name's a normal Indian name)
M: ??? oooh! I thought me...well, I am, ain't I cute?
R: You are! The cutest, smartest, loveliest person I know! :)
M: Mwah..Now I will sleep. Good night. I love you.

She changes her status to 'Itul Pitul', which is her way of saying that she wants to pull my cheeks and treat me like a baby. Your mother is the one person you can count on to always make you smile, even in the hardest of times. I love you, Ma :) Thank you for always making my day.

Day 228/366

Somewhere, it makes me glad that I know you. And that you were born.

It's a sense of comfort knowing you like the music you do. You're not always there when you're not needed, which is a pity. I never asked you to make yourself scarce. So don't.

You smell nice. Most of the times. And you're such a good photographer. And you have a lazy but awesome dog.

I want to be on a terrace with you right now. Or having a nice conversation. Many of them with you have been nice. Especially our first. But you probably don't remember it.

I want to one day sing in front of you. I'm not sure what the song will be and what response I will want though.

I remember little things you mention. But I'm not a creep. (I think.)

I really like that you like Into The Wild and know the entire OST. Eddie Vedder at his finest. By the way, Long Nights is much better than Guaranteed. Tell me your stance on Society though. And hear the score.

Let's watch the Pearl Jam Twenty documentary together. Or the Floyd one. Or Led Zeppeling: The Song Remains The Same. Yes, I took the film from you and still have not seen it. Nor have I seen Paan Singh Tomar. I'll understand if we can't talk anymore.

Give me back my jacket.

Also, remember chocolate martini?

Get back, you.

Day 208/366

There was no sense to our having met. But then again, it was the same thing said when we had met for the first time years ago. The only difference was that this time, sparks of indifference went flying across the tables instead of nicer sparks of love to warm up to.

I lied to him and told him that this was just a social experiment. Perhaps, it was never intended to be a lie but sheer honestly that came out too brutal for him to hear. I'll always remember how his smile turned upside down and how good that made me feel. At least that's what I convinced myself to believe.

The alcohol did not seem to be running its usual course. As I downed one mug of beer after another, the vision did not blur as I had hoped for it to. The sense of comfort and familiarity felt ridiculous. I wanted to make myself feel contradictory feelings but nothing was going as I had planned. To be honest, nothing had been planned in the first place.

I wasn't sure what to expect from our little interaction. From the way my brain seems to have forgotten (purposely?) to make it's usual mental notes, perhaps the conversation went just how it was supposed to - covered by layers of indifference not waiting to be discovered. And for my own sake, I shall leave it uncovered. 

Day 109/366

Conversations with a stranger you know you'll only ever be having that one conversation with are the best ones. I met him the other day: tall, sweet looking and quiet chap. In the balcony we sat, talking much and little.

He told me about how he thinks that before we started declaring countries as those full of happy or miserable people, Africa's tribals were the happiest ones in the world. He told me his theory of how true sports like swimming and archery come naturally because it's instinct. For example, you learn to swim to survive in water; you play football to perfect your foot-eye coordination. "Sports like cricket & wrestling are just made up and require advertising," he'd said. I was merely amused and intrigued by this strange young man who was delighted at the possibilities of this theories being true. I kept making little notes in my head on the things he said.

He liked forests more than the hills or the sea. I told him why the sea appeals to me. We discussed how humans have completely screwed with the animal kingdom and in turn, environment. We spoke of music and global warming and categorizations (people are thinkers, listeners, writers and/or non-writers). He let me go on talking and ranting on about things he probably wasn't interested in. And I was just talking too much because I felt too nervous around him. But I must admit, it was a good kind of nervous.