Well...these are some my first year products for radio and photography respectively. Considering I couldn't get many people to comment on it on you tube, I am promoting them here:). Please do comment in case you happen to bump into these video's.
The first one's a public service message for the community radio in our college on "Quit Smoking" campaign.
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu9EJscpFKY
This one is my first audio-visual based on a poem.
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=wyDDPW2p68s&feature=related
This audio-visual is my personal favourite. Its on the dying art form of film banner painting.
http://in.youtube.com/watch?v=SZPp3YwS70c
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Friday, July 25, 2008
SWEET DREAMS
I am an explorer in the truest sense. You won't believe I can search for almost any random, insignificant thing on the web. And with my vacations on, this exploration is getting even better. So be it trying to figure ‘Why was Manini de replaced in a new dance reality show’? or hunt for ‘a few acquaintances’ blogs’, or better still look for synopsis of films being played on the English movie channels, I have thoroughly bored myself to death. Yeah…Reena…the Internet explorer!!!
So…this incident that I am sharing occurred on the 4 of July, i.e on my birthday. After attending friends’ calls, by 1 am I went off to sleep. When I got up in the morning there were a few images that crossed my mind. For instance, me driving to college, climbing onto the building, eating a kilo of cake etc….When I tried to piece whatever I could recall, I had a smile on my face. An expression of content, of satisfaction:). For, whenever I dream of myself climbing on anything elevated, the dream ends with me falling from it. And I wake up with a jerk and a faster heart-beat. This has been happening to me from the past 22 years. But somehow, on the 4th of July, I dreamt the following:
“I drive to college, climb on top of the building, and sucessfully land after tying a flag to the topmost tower. My parents suddenly come to check how have I been doing and its almost 11 pm by now. And they ask me if I want them to stay. I say ‘No’ and reach home safely(inspite of the fact that my car doesn’t work!) Sigh!”
Obviously it makes no sense….But certain bits like- the drive to college, the journey back home, the flag on the tower, all these are activities I dread doing. What’s more for a CHANGE, I DIDN’T FALL from the building. And it was then that I told myself that finally it was time for self-introspection. Perhaps things will start brightening up. Perhaps I will grow as a more confident person from now on.
Convinced that the dream was an indication that that I had overcome my phobia for heights and deriving my own meanings from it, I ran a Google search on ‘dream interpretations’. I bumped into this website- http://www.dreammoods.com/
I cannot comment on its authenticity, but believe me the interpretation it offered to my dreams was an apt description of my personality. I also realised that ‘falling’ is one of the commonest dreams that most experience. I was so excited that I decided to further explore on the common themes my dreams are based on. Like snakes all over my ceiling, or me stranded in the middle of the road to name a few.
I am indeed amazed. On reading all that, I was taken back to a time when I used to stay in Madras.That was more than a decade back! On most occasions I have a faint memory of my dream when I wake up in the morning. However, that day was different. I must have been 5-6 years then. I woke up crying and clinged to my parents who were lying next to me on my bed. They began comforting me, as I began recounting what for me was nothing less than a nightmare!
“I am in a familiar place. Then I draw water from the well, and decide to sprinkle it on the huge tree that I see next to me. And instead of the roots, I attempt to throw water on the top most tip of the tree. And as I am doing this the steel pot falls on my toe injuring my finger as it turns blue"
On listening to this, my parents pacified me by saying that “Day dreams never come true”. But somehow that nightmare remained etched in my memory for a long time. And about five years later the exact incident occurred while I was vacationing at my aunt’s place. And there was a blood clot on my left toe. I suffered the excruciating pain by applying the pain balm Iodex. A year later, Navratri celebrations were in full swing at Mumbai, where I was residing then. I prayed to the Goddesss that the blue nail on my left toe, half broken, comes out on its own. And Lo!!!!my prayers were answered almost immediately. I went home, washed my legs and suddenly the blue nail was out leaving way for a more pedicured white one!
Ever since that day, I have wished for ‘sweet dreams’. At times I get really bizzare dreams. Dreams that have been influenced from the day gone by. Dreams I wish never come true. I dose off to a good day’s sleep as my insecurities, my fear, my anxieties all play out in my thoughts. For instance, if I get a dream that I am not able to think as I am answering a question in my examination room, I strive to study harder.
There must be something to those dreams which try telling us what we often tend to overlook. What we so fear to accept. What we so find difficult to confront-Our Future… Hmm…as I conclude all I can say is go ahead..and see if you can unlock those hideen mystries to your dreams:)
So…this incident that I am sharing occurred on the 4 of July, i.e on my birthday. After attending friends’ calls, by 1 am I went off to sleep. When I got up in the morning there were a few images that crossed my mind. For instance, me driving to college, climbing onto the building, eating a kilo of cake etc….When I tried to piece whatever I could recall, I had a smile on my face. An expression of content, of satisfaction:). For, whenever I dream of myself climbing on anything elevated, the dream ends with me falling from it. And I wake up with a jerk and a faster heart-beat. This has been happening to me from the past 22 years. But somehow, on the 4th of July, I dreamt the following:
“I drive to college, climb on top of the building, and sucessfully land after tying a flag to the topmost tower. My parents suddenly come to check how have I been doing and its almost 11 pm by now. And they ask me if I want them to stay. I say ‘No’ and reach home safely(inspite of the fact that my car doesn’t work!) Sigh!”
Obviously it makes no sense….But certain bits like- the drive to college, the journey back home, the flag on the tower, all these are activities I dread doing. What’s more for a CHANGE, I DIDN’T FALL from the building. And it was then that I told myself that finally it was time for self-introspection. Perhaps things will start brightening up. Perhaps I will grow as a more confident person from now on.
Convinced that the dream was an indication that that I had overcome my phobia for heights and deriving my own meanings from it, I ran a Google search on ‘dream interpretations’. I bumped into this website- http://www.dreammoods.com/
I cannot comment on its authenticity, but believe me the interpretation it offered to my dreams was an apt description of my personality. I also realised that ‘falling’ is one of the commonest dreams that most experience. I was so excited that I decided to further explore on the common themes my dreams are based on. Like snakes all over my ceiling, or me stranded in the middle of the road to name a few.
I am indeed amazed. On reading all that, I was taken back to a time when I used to stay in Madras.That was more than a decade back! On most occasions I have a faint memory of my dream when I wake up in the morning. However, that day was different. I must have been 5-6 years then. I woke up crying and clinged to my parents who were lying next to me on my bed. They began comforting me, as I began recounting what for me was nothing less than a nightmare!
“I am in a familiar place. Then I draw water from the well, and decide to sprinkle it on the huge tree that I see next to me. And instead of the roots, I attempt to throw water on the top most tip of the tree. And as I am doing this the steel pot falls on my toe injuring my finger as it turns blue"
On listening to this, my parents pacified me by saying that “Day dreams never come true”. But somehow that nightmare remained etched in my memory for a long time. And about five years later the exact incident occurred while I was vacationing at my aunt’s place. And there was a blood clot on my left toe. I suffered the excruciating pain by applying the pain balm Iodex. A year later, Navratri celebrations were in full swing at Mumbai, where I was residing then. I prayed to the Goddesss that the blue nail on my left toe, half broken, comes out on its own. And Lo!!!!my prayers were answered almost immediately. I went home, washed my legs and suddenly the blue nail was out leaving way for a more pedicured white one!
Ever since that day, I have wished for ‘sweet dreams’. At times I get really bizzare dreams. Dreams that have been influenced from the day gone by. Dreams I wish never come true. I dose off to a good day’s sleep as my insecurities, my fear, my anxieties all play out in my thoughts. For instance, if I get a dream that I am not able to think as I am answering a question in my examination room, I strive to study harder.
There must be something to those dreams which try telling us what we often tend to overlook. What we so fear to accept. What we so find difficult to confront-Our Future… Hmm…as I conclude all I can say is go ahead..and see if you can unlock those hideen mystries to your dreams:)
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Upsilamba!!!!
9 July, 2008: Its 1.30 am and raining heavily. I am glad that the temperature has fallen giving us some respite from the scorching heat. I can smell the wet earth and feel the cool breeze that rustles through the tress. ‘Upsilamba’. !!!!
For those of you unaware of this word, please read the book ‘Reading Lolita in Tehran’ before doing a google search. And if you can’t do that than I would request you to just think of the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘Upsilamba’ For me, the meaning of Upsilamba has had positive connotations. Sometimes its an emotion I fail in express. For instance days when Pappa would switch on the tape-recorder and play songs in the morning, while me and my sister would get ready for school just as the way he turns on the computer today to play songs just before we leave for work. At times I use the word ‘Upsilamba’ in place of ‘beautiful’. Like...when I witness the first ray of sunlight that cuts through my window early in the morning as I lay half-asleep on my bed. Or when, the weather is such that it is partially cloudy while the sun is trying to make its way through them. Upsilamba is memories relived and the strong emotion that fills me with blissful fulfillment :) How about you?
For those of you unaware of this word, please read the book ‘Reading Lolita in Tehran’ before doing a google search. And if you can’t do that than I would request you to just think of the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word ‘Upsilamba’ For me, the meaning of Upsilamba has had positive connotations. Sometimes its an emotion I fail in express. For instance days when Pappa would switch on the tape-recorder and play songs in the morning, while me and my sister would get ready for school just as the way he turns on the computer today to play songs just before we leave for work. At times I use the word ‘Upsilamba’ in place of ‘beautiful’. Like...when I witness the first ray of sunlight that cuts through my window early in the morning as I lay half-asleep on my bed. Or when, the weather is such that it is partially cloudy while the sun is trying to make its way through them. Upsilamba is memories relived and the strong emotion that fills me with blissful fulfillment :) How about you?
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Brand Value
Its been almost a year since I began doing my Masters in Mass Communication at AJK Mass Communication Research Centre, Delhi. Opting for a course I was confident of not doing has proven to have benefited me the most. This was the only University I had applied for, because of its brand name and peer pressure. I was convinced of not getting through for my entrance exam was not that great! However, destiny had other plans. I cleared the entrance test, the interview and took admissions in the one of the premiere institute for Mass communication in Asia.
My dad has been in a transferable job ever since my childhood and I have spent my life living in Bangalurru, Chennai and Mumbai. Delhi has been my longest stay so far. In all these years except for The Hindu School in Chennai, I have never been in ‘well-known’ schools. When it was time for college, I couldn’t manage to get into the Ivy league college’s thanks to my 12 examination scores. Having said that I must admit that I consider each educational institution I have been a part of to be ‘The Best’ irrespective of its standing in society. I have had the privilege to be tutored by some great teachers who have been instrumental in tapping my talent, honing it and subsequently providing me with a platform thus exposing me to newer avenues. So when I got through Jamia, I admit that I was happy, but not overjoyed. Some-where I was puzzled if I was doing the right thing by taking up the course and opting out of a job at the Economic Times. I had high expectations from my batch-mates and infrastructure of the college, which has consequently turned out as per expectations.Soon after a month of joining Jamia, I understood what I would have missed had I left out on this opportunity. All my peers congratulating me, my teachers(ex-students of the same institute) assuring me about my right decision still flash my senses.
On the other hand, it is equally interesting to recall how people (read HINDU neighbours) reacted to this. “Isn’t it a Muslim University?”” Will you be comfortable amidst such a restrictive environment?”; “Won’t it be difficult for you to mingle with the crowd there?” In spite of my constant re-assurance that MCRC(as we fondly call it) is a ‘modern’ institute admitting even non-muslim students and giving them all the freedom that they would otherwise crave for, they would remain doubtful. Finally I had no choice but to say what I hate saying the most “Barkha Dutt, Kiran Rao, Harsh Chhaya, Roshan Abbas, Shah-Rukh Khan are all from my college” It worked and hmm…. suddenly Jamia regained its respect in their eyes.
What irks me the most is -Why is it that the success of students becomes the only yardstick to judge the standard of an educational institution? Why do people fail to recognize the worth of the institution minus the starry glamour of students? My school in Delhi-‘Delhi Kannada School’ may not have produced politicians, actors or CEO’s for that matter! But yes it has produced students who have the will and motivation to work hard in any given work-place, to stand up for truth and honesty. I therefore see no reason why I shouldn’t celebrate having belonged to an institution which has produced Mr. Sunil Khurana, Dr. Indira, Mr. Venkatesh, Ms Mandal and many others who are shining in the corporate world, healing their patients, fighting against injustice or simply teaching?.
I have witnessed parents cry foul over the teaching methods adopted in so called ‘reputed’ schools. What parents don’t realise is that a good school is not just about its fancy building, plush flooring, or its huge area!. Its more about the teachers and their teaching methods. I am not saying that all ‘reputed schools are bad’. Of course not!. Had this been the case they wouldn’t have attained that status in the first place. But I feel its high time that we look beyond the glitz and glamour quotient and acknowledge what really matters!
My dad has been in a transferable job ever since my childhood and I have spent my life living in Bangalurru, Chennai and Mumbai. Delhi has been my longest stay so far. In all these years except for The Hindu School in Chennai, I have never been in ‘well-known’ schools. When it was time for college, I couldn’t manage to get into the Ivy league college’s thanks to my 12 examination scores. Having said that I must admit that I consider each educational institution I have been a part of to be ‘The Best’ irrespective of its standing in society. I have had the privilege to be tutored by some great teachers who have been instrumental in tapping my talent, honing it and subsequently providing me with a platform thus exposing me to newer avenues. So when I got through Jamia, I admit that I was happy, but not overjoyed. Some-where I was puzzled if I was doing the right thing by taking up the course and opting out of a job at the Economic Times. I had high expectations from my batch-mates and infrastructure of the college, which has consequently turned out as per expectations.Soon after a month of joining Jamia, I understood what I would have missed had I left out on this opportunity. All my peers congratulating me, my teachers(ex-students of the same institute) assuring me about my right decision still flash my senses.
On the other hand, it is equally interesting to recall how people (read HINDU neighbours) reacted to this. “Isn’t it a Muslim University?”” Will you be comfortable amidst such a restrictive environment?”; “Won’t it be difficult for you to mingle with the crowd there?” In spite of my constant re-assurance that MCRC(as we fondly call it) is a ‘modern’ institute admitting even non-muslim students and giving them all the freedom that they would otherwise crave for, they would remain doubtful. Finally I had no choice but to say what I hate saying the most “Barkha Dutt, Kiran Rao, Harsh Chhaya, Roshan Abbas, Shah-Rukh Khan are all from my college” It worked and hmm…. suddenly Jamia regained its respect in their eyes.
What irks me the most is -Why is it that the success of students becomes the only yardstick to judge the standard of an educational institution? Why do people fail to recognize the worth of the institution minus the starry glamour of students? My school in Delhi-‘Delhi Kannada School’ may not have produced politicians, actors or CEO’s for that matter! But yes it has produced students who have the will and motivation to work hard in any given work-place, to stand up for truth and honesty. I therefore see no reason why I shouldn’t celebrate having belonged to an institution which has produced Mr. Sunil Khurana, Dr. Indira, Mr. Venkatesh, Ms Mandal and many others who are shining in the corporate world, healing their patients, fighting against injustice or simply teaching?.
I have witnessed parents cry foul over the teaching methods adopted in so called ‘reputed’ schools. What parents don’t realise is that a good school is not just about its fancy building, plush flooring, or its huge area!. Its more about the teachers and their teaching methods. I am not saying that all ‘reputed schools are bad’. Of course not!. Had this been the case they wouldn’t have attained that status in the first place. But I feel its high time that we look beyond the glitz and glamour quotient and acknowledge what really matters!
Friday, December 28, 2007
A Gang of Girls
“I swear to say the truth and nothing but the truth”. This is an oft heard dialogue in courtroom dramas of most Bollywood film’s. The reason for its reference here is because, what I intend to write in the next few lines is of utmost significance to me and I don’t want it to be coloured by my own biases. This is a brief account of a group of five girls in college. We may not have been the best of friends, yet some of my most memorable moments have been with them. Let me begin by describing each member of this gang, in the order of our first meeting.
Pallavi: She was the first one I met in college. We were together ever since the time we first met at Venkateshwara college, Delhi, appearing for our ECA trials in the debate category. Right from standing in long queue’s to paying the course fee at our college, to getting selected in the dramatics society of our college, we have been there, seen it and done it all. Pallo or Pals has been extremely popular in class for having the finest sense of humour that came naturally to her. In fact it was this humour that could help us be our normal selves when the two of us fought like cats and dogs. She would amuse me by saying things like “achha….ab mooh band karo varna makhhi andar chali jayegi” (Close your mouth or else a fly will get in.). She was an excellent orator, and even if she would be the least prepared during most of our presentations, she had the capability to defend anything and everything she said.
Preeti: My initial interactions with her were just restricted to the usual greetings of ‘Hi’ n ‘Bye’, but little had I realised then that she would later become the most bullied member of our gang. Her sympathy for rickshaw drivers made her the butt of our jokes. But must say this gal always put up a BRAVE front, as our pranks at times would go over the board. She would always keep her cool during some of the worst of our fights and try putting things in perspective.
Nalini: I have a faint memory of when and how exactly we initially met. Her impeccable sense of writing is her best professional asset. I would often run to her with my assignments and ask her to improvise on my language. Poise, serenity, simplicity are her other valuable traits. Her lunch box would be gone with the blink of an eye. We have feasted our hungry tummies on her Sambhar rice and other South Indian delicacies.
Rommani: The person I was closest to amongst all the other members. A bong to the core, very talkative. She has been a topper throughout in college. She was the one thread that bound the group together. Though the four of us were together for all class presentations, Roms joined a little late. But from then on, she has held us all together. No wonder, she was the most accommodative of the lot. All her personal qualities would reflect in my interactions with her. She was whom I would relate to the most in the group. From working closely in our presentations, to our film, to our radio program, I can sense that hard-work, sincerity and dedication come naturally to her. And that is precisely what I appreciate.
In spite of all these qualities, we somehow couldn’t sustain our friendship for long. The cracks had started appearing during the first year, when I and Rommani began grappling with the fact that other members were not putting in as much efforts during class presentations as the two of us. When we tried confronting the others with the same, the situation turned from bad to worse. So much so, that it was suffocating to stay and work together for our 'film'. I remember how much of a tough time we had during the shoot of the film. There were two camps in one group. One led by me and Rommani and the other led by Pals, Nalini and Preeti. We all hated each other and that made matters even worse. If one made a suggestion , the other camp discarded it, irrespective of the fact that the suggestion was good. This resulted in ego clashes over nothing! Yet, we have had our share of fun, be it sitting in the front stall of a theatre and watching a film or roaming around at Connaught Place and hunting for stuff worth 10-50 bucks! Those were indeed good timesJ All of us have parted ways today. I am only in touch with Rommani. The gang no longer remains, what remains of it is just memories…
Pallavi: She was the first one I met in college. We were together ever since the time we first met at Venkateshwara college, Delhi, appearing for our ECA trials in the debate category. Right from standing in long queue’s to paying the course fee at our college, to getting selected in the dramatics society of our college, we have been there, seen it and done it all. Pallo or Pals has been extremely popular in class for having the finest sense of humour that came naturally to her. In fact it was this humour that could help us be our normal selves when the two of us fought like cats and dogs. She would amuse me by saying things like “achha….ab mooh band karo varna makhhi andar chali jayegi” (Close your mouth or else a fly will get in.). She was an excellent orator, and even if she would be the least prepared during most of our presentations, she had the capability to defend anything and everything she said.
Preeti: My initial interactions with her were just restricted to the usual greetings of ‘Hi’ n ‘Bye’, but little had I realised then that she would later become the most bullied member of our gang. Her sympathy for rickshaw drivers made her the butt of our jokes. But must say this gal always put up a BRAVE front, as our pranks at times would go over the board. She would always keep her cool during some of the worst of our fights and try putting things in perspective.
Nalini: I have a faint memory of when and how exactly we initially met. Her impeccable sense of writing is her best professional asset. I would often run to her with my assignments and ask her to improvise on my language. Poise, serenity, simplicity are her other valuable traits. Her lunch box would be gone with the blink of an eye. We have feasted our hungry tummies on her Sambhar rice and other South Indian delicacies.
Rommani: The person I was closest to amongst all the other members. A bong to the core, very talkative. She has been a topper throughout in college. She was the one thread that bound the group together. Though the four of us were together for all class presentations, Roms joined a little late. But from then on, she has held us all together. No wonder, she was the most accommodative of the lot. All her personal qualities would reflect in my interactions with her. She was whom I would relate to the most in the group. From working closely in our presentations, to our film, to our radio program, I can sense that hard-work, sincerity and dedication come naturally to her. And that is precisely what I appreciate.
In spite of all these qualities, we somehow couldn’t sustain our friendship for long. The cracks had started appearing during the first year, when I and Rommani began grappling with the fact that other members were not putting in as much efforts during class presentations as the two of us. When we tried confronting the others with the same, the situation turned from bad to worse. So much so, that it was suffocating to stay and work together for our 'film'. I remember how much of a tough time we had during the shoot of the film. There were two camps in one group. One led by me and Rommani and the other led by Pals, Nalini and Preeti. We all hated each other and that made matters even worse. If one made a suggestion , the other camp discarded it, irrespective of the fact that the suggestion was good. This resulted in ego clashes over nothing! Yet, we have had our share of fun, be it sitting in the front stall of a theatre and watching a film or roaming around at Connaught Place and hunting for stuff worth 10-50 bucks! Those were indeed good timesJ All of us have parted ways today. I am only in touch with Rommani. The gang no longer remains, what remains of it is just memories…
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Orkut-To Be or Not to Be???
Social networking sites have become so popular today that almost the whole world finds it convenient to make new friends with a click of a mouse! Not that I am against such sites, but I guess the initial hoopla surrounding one such site Orkut is slowly dying down. With communities like ‘I hate Pakistan’ and a few incidents of female photographs being morphed, more and more people have become skeptical of continuing their membership therein.
Being a student, I too received invites from friends to join Orkut. But I flatly refused. My friends would keep discussing their experience with all kinds of people-from the smartest intellectuals to the weirdest ones, from the road side romeos to the most handsome hunks. In short you did not have a life if you weren’t on orkut.! They would often remark “It’s a fantastic place to meet old friends”. One of them even admitted “I could get to know more about film festivals through a friend I made there.” While a few others were of the view “It organizes a lot of your database in a brilliant manner”.
I would be lying if I said I was never tempted enough to join Orkut after hearing their stories. I have even tried filling in my profile twice, but on both occasions, I backed out owing to the kind of personal information asked! Besides, when I learnt that anybody can read anyone’s messages (sorry scraps, as they are popularly called) I was determined to not have a membership with them.
It was on one such occasion when I happened to open my gmail account (which I strictly use for formal conversations), that I come across a school friend of mine called Rohan. He had ‘scrapped’ me saying “Hi, I am ur classmate from dks”. On first glance it seemed like junk mail to me. But later, I found the mail was sent to me via orkut. What made me worry even more was the fact that how could he possibly find me on orkut, when I did not have an account with them?. Nevertheless, I wrote back to Rohan saying “Hi good to hear from you after such a long time. I do remember you, but I am not on orkut. We can henceforth carry on our conversations via e-mail” , after which Rohan never responded :( Similarly, one of my younger cousins also scrapped me and I gave her more or less the same reply.
All this while I kept pondering on how could I possibly land up with a profile on orkut. A quick search with google’s search engine made me realize that I had checked on the clause of signing into ‘other google services’ when I created my gmail account!I felt like a fool for having told Rohan and many others the fact that “I AM NOT ON ORKUT”. Little doubt, he never wrote back.
A few days later, one of my school friends from Mumbai, Arya, ‘scrapped’ me and now we have regained contact after a very long time. After all this, I decided that merely criticizing the website, without actually visiting it once would not be fair. Hence, after much hesitation I logged onto orkut and lo…..my suspicions came true. God knows how many people had sneaked into my profile(which had nothing beyond my name and place of stay) and written scraps. One fellow writes “Hi…ur in delhi and ur Konkani?. I am also in delhi. Wot say shall we meet?”. Ya why not, after all I love being friends with all konkani’s in this world, especially through such social networking sites! sigh
“Look if you don’t want people to scrap you or read you messages, you can always ignore them. After a while no one shall bother you.” was one of the suggestions I got. If that’s the case then, what the heck is a social networking site for? Till yesterday these were the people who would laugh at me for not being a part of what was called ‘the most happening place of them all’. Today, some of them have withdrawn from it, as they consider it too time consuming and addictive. Like everything ‘Orkut’ing too has reached its saturation! Well at least for some.
My privacy is sacred to me even if I am discussing some stupid shahrukh khan film. Nevertheless, I am forced to question “Isn’t blogging also similar?” If one blogs regularly, most people can gauge the “inner you” thanks to your posts! There is no privacy if you decide to publicly display your profile, which is applicable in my case as I want to reach out to more and more people. So I am wondering if I am doing anything different. Any answers?.....
Being a student, I too received invites from friends to join Orkut. But I flatly refused. My friends would keep discussing their experience with all kinds of people-from the smartest intellectuals to the weirdest ones, from the road side romeos to the most handsome hunks. In short you did not have a life if you weren’t on orkut.! They would often remark “It’s a fantastic place to meet old friends”. One of them even admitted “I could get to know more about film festivals through a friend I made there.” While a few others were of the view “It organizes a lot of your database in a brilliant manner”.
I would be lying if I said I was never tempted enough to join Orkut after hearing their stories. I have even tried filling in my profile twice, but on both occasions, I backed out owing to the kind of personal information asked! Besides, when I learnt that anybody can read anyone’s messages (sorry scraps, as they are popularly called) I was determined to not have a membership with them.
It was on one such occasion when I happened to open my gmail account (which I strictly use for formal conversations), that I come across a school friend of mine called Rohan. He had ‘scrapped’ me saying “Hi, I am ur classmate from dks”. On first glance it seemed like junk mail to me. But later, I found the mail was sent to me via orkut. What made me worry even more was the fact that how could he possibly find me on orkut, when I did not have an account with them?. Nevertheless, I wrote back to Rohan saying “Hi good to hear from you after such a long time. I do remember you, but I am not on orkut. We can henceforth carry on our conversations via e-mail” , after which Rohan never responded :( Similarly, one of my younger cousins also scrapped me and I gave her more or less the same reply.
All this while I kept pondering on how could I possibly land up with a profile on orkut. A quick search with google’s search engine made me realize that I had checked on the clause of signing into ‘other google services’ when I created my gmail account!I felt like a fool for having told Rohan and many others the fact that “I AM NOT ON ORKUT”. Little doubt, he never wrote back.
A few days later, one of my school friends from Mumbai, Arya, ‘scrapped’ me and now we have regained contact after a very long time. After all this, I decided that merely criticizing the website, without actually visiting it once would not be fair. Hence, after much hesitation I logged onto orkut and lo…..my suspicions came true. God knows how many people had sneaked into my profile(which had nothing beyond my name and place of stay) and written scraps. One fellow writes “Hi…ur in delhi and ur Konkani?. I am also in delhi. Wot say shall we meet?”. Ya why not, after all I love being friends with all konkani’s in this world, especially through such social networking sites! sigh
“Look if you don’t want people to scrap you or read you messages, you can always ignore them. After a while no one shall bother you.” was one of the suggestions I got. If that’s the case then, what the heck is a social networking site for? Till yesterday these were the people who would laugh at me for not being a part of what was called ‘the most happening place of them all’. Today, some of them have withdrawn from it, as they consider it too time consuming and addictive. Like everything ‘Orkut’ing too has reached its saturation! Well at least for some.
My privacy is sacred to me even if I am discussing some stupid shahrukh khan film. Nevertheless, I am forced to question “Isn’t blogging also similar?” If one blogs regularly, most people can gauge the “inner you” thanks to your posts! There is no privacy if you decide to publicly display your profile, which is applicable in my case as I want to reach out to more and more people. So I am wondering if I am doing anything different. Any answers?.....
Wednesday, May 30, 2007
First Steps
Anybody who knows me well would be surprised enough to find me writing this blog. I too am. I am in the least expressive, and to come out with my own blog is like achieving a milestone. I’ve always been bothered about my writing skills. But my summer holidays changed all that. After days of getting bored by watching the television and doing unproductive things on the computer, I decided to do something worthwhile. That’s how this blog was born.
But hang on, please don’t jump to conclusions. If you are looking for intellectual discussions and thought provoking debates, this is not the place to be (Oh!.. I’ve already lost my readers!). Rather, I shall chronicle the most interesting experiences of my life from today (Hope that gets me enough readers!). For how long will I continue writing, what exactly will my focus be on, are questions I myself have no answers to. If nothing at least it will keep me occupied till the time I find myself a job!
So in case you just happened to bump into this blog, please…. please….do read it regularly. It will keep me motivated to continue writing!!!
But hang on, please don’t jump to conclusions. If you are looking for intellectual discussions and thought provoking debates, this is not the place to be (Oh!.. I’ve already lost my readers!). Rather, I shall chronicle the most interesting experiences of my life from today (Hope that gets me enough readers!). For how long will I continue writing, what exactly will my focus be on, are questions I myself have no answers to. If nothing at least it will keep me occupied till the time I find myself a job!
So in case you just happened to bump into this blog, please…. please….do read it regularly. It will keep me motivated to continue writing!!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
