A taste of the Indian curry

Foreword:-  This post is quite different from the rest,as it contains quite a lot of educational content. So, you might want to check it out later if you are not in the mood to study or learn something that might actually prove to be amazingly useful..! Anyway, cheerio! Have fun!

Over the past few months, I have been looking, or rather, observing the more mundane parts of life. I say mundane, because it is very common to simply turn a deaf ear not to someone's "way" of speaking or the "accent" used, but to the very "words" or "phrases" they use. Yes. By now, you should have come to the conclusion that this post isn't about food or, as the title says, "curries".

Oh damn! Bad news for the foodies out there..!

This post, is instead, about the fact that the English language has been in our country long enough for the "Indian" flavor to turn to a stain. Yes, the English language has been, "Indianised".

And for your information Ani, the very word "Indianised" exists in what is known as British Indian English, otherwise known simply as Indian english.
Yes, I am very much aware of the fact that such a word exists, though merely on paper, as far as Britain is concerned. Also, it may not be wise on my part to strongly imply that it is currently being used in places outside of India. Oh, and by the way Rudha, I detect a hint of an American accent at times when you have your say.
Well, now that, is something. I mean, what you just said...you must have thought it over quite a number of times before saying it, right? And yeah, am just trying a bit of an American swag here. But I suppose am not alone over here. Even i detect a hint of British english.....
Well, yes. How clever of you to have found that out.
Clever! Really? yeah man, than...
Most certainly not. I didn't mean it and it was intended to be a sarcastic statement. But, as expected, you did not get it. You are such a nincompoop.

But hey everyone, words such as those spoken by me, are usually found only in archaic books by Indian authors or in a few Indian newspapers. The English language that once dominated when we were under their rule, is slowly being faded into oblivion. Though I am a bit disappointed about this fact, the common man's English used today is quite funny and many a times, has never failed to entertain me. Maybe it is just for that, entertainment. Maybe it isn't. Alright, let me just put it this way to make matters more easier. Try using(talking), in the English that we are used to,born with and that English we use while speaking with our colleagues and friends(sometimes, relatives too) in a place outside India. Now, don't get your hopes too high, because this works most effectively only in those countries where English is considered as another medium of instruction. At the completion of this small experiment, you should have observed something. Believe me, the end result will be quite amusing!

Amusing you say..? Okay then, why don't you throw me an example?
Alright then. "What is your good name my friend?". Let's see you answer that.
Dude, seriously, I wasn't joking about the "example" part.
Neither am I. Just answer the question.
Yeah, whatever. It's Rudha.
Very good. Now, what is your bad name?
Eh... what? bad name?
Precisely.
I don't get it...?
As expected. Well, you see, there is no such thing as a "good name" and a "bad name". A name is an identity and it does just that. It may be good for some, may not be for others. But that doesn't make it bad, or stale. What I gave you is one very common example of "Indianised" english and you can surely find quite a lot of them nonchalantly using this phrase while commencing a conversation. Try using this somewhere outside India and you may not end up being the laughing stock(at least not immediately), but you will definitely end up having a quick, quirky repartee.
Hm...Interesting...

But wait everyone, there's more.

Note:- The next part of this post will be more like a conversation, as I am in the mood to quiz the other guy. Let's see how much he knows.. or doesn't know...

So, Rudha, are you ready for round two?
Yeah, I guess so. Hit me with your best shot!
Alright then. Moving onto academics,  how well do you seem to follow the lessons?
Aah... okay, you got me there. I agree that you are more smarter than me. I find it difficult to cope up with the lessons.
Ha! Got you there. In just one sentence, I have found two mistakes in what you just said.
*stares with eyes wide open, and his mouth,gaping*
Quit the role-playing and let me get onto the meatier part. Your first mistake. This is very common, not only here, but in the western countries too. It is so common that it is thought to have come from what is known as American English. You know, these days, there is a lot of the "American influence" and, it has made a drastic effect in our formal language. Right from the way we speak with our clients,colleagues and friends to how we text, we can always find a spoonful of this English. What you said was "more smarter". This, is incorrect grammatically and is referred to as a double comparative. You either say smarter, or more smart.

Your second mistake lies in the last part of your phrase. "coping up with the lessons". Now this may sound like a wee mistake, but in fact, is quite serious. Grammatically, coping "up" with is completely incorrect. The correct usage would be "difficult to cope with the lessons/studies".
Wow man! I never knew these were incorrect. Anyway, I guess it's my chance now. Consider such a scenario where you just changed houses(to a newer one). How would you answer when someone asks you about the same?
Simple. "I just moved into a new house."
Exactly. You know, I have come across quite a lot of our people using the word "shift", as in "shifted to a new house" or, "I am shifting elsewhere". Well, if you ask me, we only "shift" gears in vehicles, or "shift" our bodies from one position to another. I mean, c'mon, you cannot possibly "shift" an entire house from one position to another, unless you are in a caravan, or a house with wheels and its a zombie apocalypse.
"I just moved in."
"I am going to move down south."
Yes Rudha. So, what I was trying to say here was not to establish the fact that our english and our way of speaking or our choice of phrases and words is broken, but that what we think most of the time as the right way is actually quite the contrary. By this post, I have only tried to bring out the common and the most ignorant mistakes that we do. Yes, it isn't that humiliating once committed, but, we are sure to set a wheel of the never ending comments that may be passed when our backs are turned.
Anyway, I suppose that this is an "over-dose" of English grammar for one day. I am going to stop here or you will find it difficult to "cope up with" the content here.

Don a cape and you become superman...?

I have been thinking for quite some time now. Maybe thinking hard and long... And I have come to the conclusion that there are certain questions that simply doesn't have a proper answer, and then there are others with their answers hidden somewhere and we are too lazy to find it out.

Well, I am more of the latter type...
That's not a surprise at all!

A hearty welcome to all the readers of this blog.  You all might have come across various posts in the internet that stresses the fact time and again that a girl's first hero is her father. Right from her birth, to adulthood, her dad is her guardian angel on her shoulders. Now, let us just flip through the pages, and reach another, parallel scenario. Comics have always been my favorite, right from childhood. The sheer pleasure of having to turn pages of a brightly coloured and vivaciously illustrated book with a rather simple story line would catch the attention of any kid.

In these comics, where heroes (male and female) are always shown wearing a mask and a matching costume to hide their true identity, it has only lead me to think. Are only those dressed up in such costumes the true heroes the world needs? Is it really necessary to hide one's identity? and yes, does this world really need a hero or is it beyond "saving"?

If you ask me, I suppose we should hide our true identity. Owing to how the government in a certain state of a particular country behaved when they found out that their foul play was being telecast to the public, I believe we should start wearing masks!
Oh! And by the way, " I'm Batman!"
Agreed rudha, but still, if everyone starts wearing masks, then even the wrong-doers would follow suit and well, soon, we won't know if we are punishing the good guys or the bad. Oh! And you are not the one whom gotham needs... it's me....

As for the last question- whether this world is beyond saving, to be honest, I really don't know. You all must have heard of the term, "better late than never". Does this really hold true now or has it lost its value?

Well, you did take your own sweet time to write this post in your blog!
Don't jump topics.! Like I said, I had work to do... my city needed me.
Yeah right! You can't even find a  pair of socks in the mornings before leaving for college.
That..! Now that is nothing to be concerned of.. not till tomorrow morning at the least.

Turning back the pages and going back to the "daddy-daughter" scenario, the "dad" doesn't wear  a cape. He doesn't wear a mask or spandex suits. He doesn't prowl around in the night striking fear into the hearts of the villains. He doesn't swing from building to building and call himself "your friendly neighborhood..." He definitely doesn't move faster than a bullet. He doesn't go green with anger and starts smashing things in the name of justice. Nor is he a part of a league that strives to bring justice and maintain order. He is, what I would call "flesh and blood" just like us. So what makes him more special in this world?
The answer is, he makes a difference. He makes a difference when he cautions his daughter to make good friends in school. He makes a difference when he tells his son to carefully cross the road or drive his cycle. He makes a difference when he tells his children, be it a boy or a girl, to be alert when on an outing with their friends.
Why not we make a difference? We can start doing so by adopting the proper practice of throwing the waste in the bins. Let things be in their designated places... even if it's the waste.

Maintain nature's order you mean?
Yup! You know, Rudha, for once in your(our) entire life, I completely agree with you. For once, you have spoken something sensible. Is this how you are going to make a difference?
Making a difference? So is this a post that has got to do something with that?
Ehh! I believe that's what I was ranting about for the past 5 minutes! Nope, I guess I spoke too soon. No difference.

Well anyway, we can also make a difference by spreading a word about the current society and how broken it is. But again hey, I am not asking for a Utopian society. It doesn't exist. Nor will it ever. Maybe helping a destitute build a simple house, enough to provide him shelter from the scorching sun or the torrents of rain. Let's not be a mute witness to ragging in educational institutions. well, I suppose that's about it for now.

Hi!
You are still here?
Well, I was being a "mute-witness" to your ranting.
Well, that wasn't really ranting, but you know, I wanted to make a difference and post something that I've never done before. To be honest, I really don't know the impact it is going to make to my rea..."
Yeah whatever. Ani, how about you make a difference and be more lively?
You are who you are, and I am who I am.
what? Philosophical answer... going on a pilgrimage? well, anyway, leave that aside. Tell me, marvel comics or DC comics?
DC for sure..! Batman forever.
what about superman?
He is actually a being from another planet, and he has super powers. Batman on the other hand, is nothing but another human being, with the only difference that he has trained his body and mind and is physically fit, knows around 127 forms of martial arts, and an extremely intelligent hero. He has no superpowers, but still, is a class apart. Superman however, thinks that wearing a spectacle is going to help him blend in the crowd! I mean, for a hero that famous, he should consider redefining his fashion statement and refurbishing his wardrobe.
Hmm.... What difference are you going to make?
I thought I already made one..? This post being published in this blog!
Apart from that...?
Well, lets just say that am still working on that part.
Basic human tendency... Let the others start making a change and maybe, just "maybe", I'll follow suit. Well folks, I suppose that's it for now. And am not going to coax him to "make a difference"... too much work (*grins sheepishly*).

Deleting Evidence...!!

Before blast-off, I (we) would like to apologize for the delay in the posts. I know, it has been quite a long time... long enough to sink this blog of mine to oblivion.

Not literally...! 
That wasn't needed... totally uncalled for. Wait your turn!

So anyway, as I was saying, there are times when the mind simply refuses to budge with your flow of thoughts. This happened to me quite recently when there was an ocean of thoughts flowing all the way inside my brain, hydrating the pathways...

what?
I tried to sound nice...
Nope. Didn't work. Don't even try doing that.

You know, there are times when we just won't feel like doing anything. And I mean it quite literally. Let me be honest with you by sharing an example. I had been thinking of posting something new in this blog of mine for the past 3 weeks, when out of the blue, laziness took over and procrastination happened. It slowly proliferated into days and before I even completely realised it, into weeks. It was all downhill from there. The ordeal finally ended three weeks and a few days later. But again, this isn't always the problem, atleast not when it comes to blogging or writing... not always. There is this wonderful (sic) internet connection I have here. It is so good, that it leaves me surprised for the larger part of the week (or month) with a shorter (or poor) bandwidth, as if saving it for a surprise the next month. But guess what, it does give me a surprise the following month with the same bandwidth, with no improvement whatsoever. "Surprise!!!"

yeah, i get it, slow internet connec.... 
.......
....
Did you just buffer?
Nope. Just wanted to know how it felt to actually buffer in real life.
That makes no sense!
Well, a lot of wha....
......
...
Fine, moving on. While on facebook, I had come across various posts with quotes on them. A majority of them were humorous, some made absolutely no sense like rudha over here, a few were play with words and puns and the rest sounded so correct, it actually made me think if I had my own clone, living in some other part of this world. One such post was more of an open question. It asked the number of people who felt like 'deleting evidence' of some unsolved crime, while deleting their contact list, message list and(or) conversation memory with a particular person. To be honest, I had quite the same feeling once when I was forced to delete a few unwanted contacts and messages from my phone. And it just so happened right before I had to give my phone to my friend who had to make a call. Leaving aside the part where my friend had made a call (and depleted my entire balance of Rs.28), it felt somewhat strange to actually do something "mysterious" before handing over my phone.

Ever tried a hand in drug dealing?
Uh.. No.
Smuggling?
No.
Do you want to try?
Is it fun?
And a whole lot dangerous.
Not really sure... What should I really do?
First, delete your contacts and messages from your phone. Then, give it to a friend or some stranger. Or better, do it when they need your mobile.
Ok, so what do I gain from that?
Feel like a "criminal".
What about the drugs? Where are the smuggled goods?
Have you heard of drug dealing without drugs and smuggling without any items?
Are you crazy? No.
Well, flash news! It's called "imagination". Hehe.. You fall for that almost everytime don't you? Anyway, so? how's my plan..? I know that you like it. Just say it and maybe I will help you sometime in the future! Maybe get you out on bail... 
Hello...?
.....................
.....
Well, I guess he's buffering now... Hehe... he fell for it, again! But joke's apart, now that Ani is out of the picture, the facebook post regarding this topic feels more like a 'wasted' post rather than a "thought-provoking" one. Atleast it does to me....

striking the right chord!!

How about we start this post with an invocation tune, that is solely of a carnatic genre and contains just three notes, that are of prime importance. Of these, two of the notes are the same, with the only difference being in their octaves. Yes, you might have guessed it by now, these notes are the "sa" "pa" and "sa".

C G C ?
In westerm, yes. that is the equivalent.
You see Ani, i have a "sharp" mind.... "sharp"er than yours. Did you see what i did there? "sharp", western notes... you know, they use it. g-sharp, c-sharp.
Yeah, I am going to consider that your lame joke there, just did not happen a few seconds ago.
you have no sense of humour.
And you have no sense. Now allow me to speak.

In addition to being a writer, I compose music too... right from scratch, and I don't use the automated tunes and tell people that I have composed a piece. Well, it so happened that this thought just struck me, quite recently. I just wanted to let my readers(and others), know what actually happens when you get down to compose a piece and are in progress. But, somewhere down the road, you are bound to get stuck, stronger than any super-glue. You neither get to know the heads nor tails of your composed piece. It is at this moment that you feel the composed bit making absolutely no sense. The chords won't seemt to go in with the tempo, it won't seem to sync in with other instruments and their respective chords. To top it all, things start to get much drearier, albeit you have the neccessary as a software. It's always quite easier when you have an actual band with real people playing real instruments. Composing seems somewhat easier than with an average computer keyboard and mouse. Of course, I don't wish to talk about how difficult composing is for an entire blog post. I just wanted to give you all a head-start and now that has been done, I would like to say just this. Like how all things tough challenge us, the journey is bound to contain "fun".

Yes, it does. And I know it.
Really?
I am the creative side remember? So, naturally, it is me who does most of the work while composing.
Combined effort rudha. Combined effort.

Well, it all starts with an idea. A simple idea proliferates into an entire song that usually lasts for about 3:30 or 4:00 minutes. (Atleast, mine does). It begins with something called the base chord. This gives the required base tune to the entire song, while sometimes, when the song in itself is just a backround score, it might repeat the base chord. The base chord doesn't always have to be a melodic tune. Sometimes, even a basic beat or a riff can become the base chord. But, once set, the rest of the composition should sync with the notes in the base chord. If its a base tempo, it should sync in with the beat. These might sound very basic and you are probably at the stage where you think that you already know these. True. Everyone knows this, but very few know how to implement it.

You know Ani, all the songs that are composed have a base chord to them. One simply has to observe them.
Like i didn't know that. All famous musicians have something known as the "layers" of the song. each layer have their own specific characteristic, and they unite to give us an entire melody.
Eventhough songs these days are completely devoid of the term "melody". Ani, if you say that these songs are good, I am disowning you.
Relax. And it is true. Songs these days are bad...(the more perfect word would be"worst"). So, I am going to go with you on that... and you cannot "disown" me stupid.
Good. 
Although, there are very few songs that I like....
error 404: Rudha not found
Good, now that he's gone. Let's just savour in this moment of bliss and silence.....
Well, I guess i really can't disown you.
You are back..!?
Yeah, apparently, you cannot escape as you please. It seems you need a special permission like a "retarded card" or a "death certificate" to really go out.
Oh! But would you care to explain your bruises?
Well, that was the result of having to wrestle with a bouncer.
A bouncer? There were bouncers at the door? I thought....
Yeah, I did too, but yes they are there in everyone's head. Just one though.
Did you see his name?
His ID read "common sense". He kicked me back in. I tried forcing my way out, but he was too strong. Punched me right in the face and my nose and pushed me back in.
Haha! Um, I mean- you poor thing, I am so sorry. We all missed you while you were...
sssshh! Not one word.
Well, people, this post was not meant to teach you how to compose music, but to simply tell you the basic process in doing it.