Names

“What’s in a name?” said Shakespeare. Well frankly speaking in today’s world where a number of things are contact based, I would say everything. But then why am I blessed with this amazing characteristic to forget them?

I meet a so and so and we get on very well. We exchange names and a lot more info that may prove useful. Blimey! It does in most cases and I for one, quite happily forget the name by the end of our first meeting. Sometimes, well this is that rare case when I manage to listen to the name, I remember the person’s name even when I bid them adieu. You have no idea how nice I feel about myself on such occasions. But, the horror of this names and remembering them comes when you bump into this individual somewhere and they come to me beaming all the way. All the while I have this most nagging feeling of, ‘I have seen this face and this face is so so familiar’. And there on starts the eternal search for the links that might help me remember who this person is and where did I meet him/her. Let’s assume I do manage to remember that, well I can do that 95% of the time, I invariably am clueless about their name. Adding insult to injury is the fact when the other person remembers what’s my name and where did we meet.

There are very few people on this planet whose names I have remembered without much ado. The reason can vary from a great liking to abhorrence. So people who do manage to swing my emotions and manage to create some strong impression are the lucky ones. One should not be judged based on a single meeting, say some, but then if it helps me remember, then I guess it sounds better. At least I can avoid the highly embarrassing situation where the other person comes to me and starts talking as long lost friends and uses my name in every alternate line. There are times when I conveniently blamed it on my memory. The actual reason presumably would be that trivialities are ignored by some of my clan. No offense made to anyone, but then I love Shakespeare and go by a lot he said. :-)

Impossible relationships!

“My gift to impossible relationships…” says Richard Gere in Pretty Woman and gives the money agreed upon. I have lost count of how many times I have watched this movie. It keeps me mesmerized every time I see and every time I do, I come across another nuance of the relationship that the central characters share. Call it an obsession but then all said and done I probably enjoy it so much may be because I can relate to it in some ways. How many times have we wondered about the way relationships take a turn? I suppose every time one touches that discordant chord. For sure this does happen quite a number of times.

I have lost my appetite over them. I have lost my peace of mind over them. Can’t imagine such things happening to me. These seem so alien, I mean why would you want to spoil your health and most importantly mess your mental state because someone you have come across and have started liking and eventually loving to an extent that the above mentioned things seem trivial. I am selfish and arrogant and still am capable of such feelings! Agreed am not some robot, who lacks feelings, but still this quandary beats me. The rationale tells you its pure stupidity but then your heart contradicts it with vehemence. So what should the poor being do? Follow your mind and try to tell yourself that its ok, these kinda things are not for me and are practically impossible or follow your heart and hence pursue the feelings… and in some extreme cases may pursue the interest that has caused this. :-)

Impossible relationships… the phrase seems more than apt. Just makes me say, “Can’t live with it and can’t live without it.”

Having said this, I want you to express your views. Not to present a solution, because that seems a stupidity to ask, but a point of view, a perspective.

Memories

Memories, memories and more of them. Sometimes one is left with nothing but them. One cannot touch or change or mar them. Instances of the past those remain frozen in spite of the changes occurring all along. How marvelous are some and also are some causing the pain that one never wished would have been through. But then, what is the fun having just good memories? Personally, the trying ones tend to linger longer. It definitely puts a person’s perspective into picture. How would you take it? Learn from it and tackle it or run away from it for the rest of your life? The latter somehow seems easier, though the former is called a best practice. By whom? Well the people in gen. Or more aptly the people who do not wish an individual to get bogged down by them in future. Those people who care for that individual.

The irony remains that at times one doesn’t even want to forget those memories. Tend to cling on to them. I really wonder why. Does this give them a reason to sympathize with what happened to them and then point out the plausible reasons? Kind of self-pity. Or do these memories just happen to recur when one comes in contact with some Memory from the past that links to the main incident? In the process of clearing that old closet did you accidentally dust the dust off those things, which were meant to be dead and bygone?

Reasons could be many, but a Memory does remain yet another fascinating facet of the mind. Always in awe and always trying to know more about yet another enigma.

Urs truly.

Childhood lost!

Precocious! I heard myself say every time I had an encounter with my little cousin. Children have fascinated me in their own special way. But, off late am facing a certain degree of skepticism when approaching those above the age of seven.

I have found myself enjoying so much with children because of the single reason that I tend to relive my childhood every time I spend time with them. Am glad that I have had quite a splendid time as a child with most of my whims taken care of. Interestingly, I am being pampered at this age, more than I can ever remember. Thanks to my friends and well-wishers. :)

It is quite natural to have one’s mom or dad pet the child. In the nuclear families it is but the only thing to do. Parents completely devote their entire attention and energies toward the single child or max a couple of them. Seems a pretty decent proposition. But then, how often do we see children throwing a tantrum and parents acquiesce it? Quite often is my observation. I wouldn’t comment upon the ways of parenting, as I lack experience. What I cannot fathom is that how is it in the interest of the child to give into every whim? That’s quite exactly the case with my little cousin. She is an intelligent and well behaved child, but then the excessive doesn’t gel with it.

Owing to remarkable technological changes, children today seem to be quite knowledgeable about a number of things. Saying this might sound a cliché on my part, but I had another cousin of mine, eight years my junior, support the same. The cause for concern is that these children in their quest to grow up faster are missing some of the best years of their lives. The innocence which is the essence of childhood is lost. No more can one marvel at their thoughts, if all the while it seems so very precocious.

Some day, I hope to have children of my own and can only hope I am not an excessively indulgent parent and that they preserve the essence of childhood for the time they should.

Which mythical character do I represent?

And The Phoenix's cycle had reached zenith,

so he consumed himself in fire.

He emerged from his own ashes,

to be forever immortal.

Some examples of the Phoenix Form are Quetzalcoatl (Aztec), Shiva (Indian), and Ra-Atum (Egyptian).The Phoenix is associated with the concept of life, the number 0, and the element of fire.His sign is the eclipsed sun.

As a member of Form 0, you are a determined individual. You tend to keep your sense of optimism, even through tough times and have a positive outlook on most situations. You have a way of looking at going through life as a journey that you can constantly learn from. Phoenixes are the best friends to have because they cheer people up easily.

Now, this post is for some who know me. Am I a Phoenix :) ?

Tech blogs.

The last three days have been devoted into extensive blogging :-). Well this time around been prowling the technical blogs. Frankly admitting, I was intimidated by some of the articles I read. Here I am, trying to decipher the basics and these people write a technical blog! Can’t stand this and have a need to understand the underlying concept. So started reading the blog of one of the senior DBA and a self-professed Oracle geek. Really, enjoyed the way he wrote and actually enjoyed the way he presented the various concepts.

Back in school, I realized that only if one has a good teacher for a particular subject can one really relish that subject. Automatically, one can delve deep into the subject and think of many things just beyond the realm of w hat is part of the curriculum. A genuine interest can be aroused among any, even for a subject that might seem as dreary as history. Well thanks to Sister Leela, I enjoyed it. Thanks mam!

So coming back this techies blog, I like the lucidity and clarity with which he presents some of the most involved concepts. The use of simple and clear day to day examples (some might seem stupid, at times) helps the reader in effectively understanding the underlying concept. An art I must say. Presumably, this might come in with years of experience and hard-work.

All in all, I have been lapping up most of the articles that have been presented so far.

How do I love thee?

How do I love thee?

Let me count the ways.

I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach,

When feeling out of sight for the ends of Being and ideal Grace,

I love thee to everyday's most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.

I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;

I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise;

I love thee with the passion put to use in my old griefs,

and with my childhood's faith,

I love thee with a love I seemed to lose with my lost saints-

I love thee with my breadth, smiles, tears of all my life! -

And if God chooses,

I shall but love thee better after Death.

-Elizabeth B.Browning

(Sonnets from the Portugese)