This is something I wanted to do for a long time. Movie quotes amaze me. I still don’t understand what goes on behind coming up with a classic quote which inspires further quotes. Some of them might be ‘adapted’ from the works in the previous centuries. But all in all, they’re aptly used and leave a lasting impression. This section on Quotes will be used to note down any arbit quotes – not just movie quotes but absolutely anything that I find interesting in the spur of the moment.

The key to understanding is to understand what “vestal’s  lot” means in this context. Here it refers to a virgin’s mind  sworn to celibacy and to remain separate from the world. So – she is blameless. Forgetting the world and forgotten by the world because of no social or carnal obligation. Her mind spotless – untouched by sin — meaning both sex and the other dealings with the social world which dirty the mind and the soul. Her prayers are accepted, because she has devoted herself to the holy life.Each wish resign’d is intriguing. I’d like to read it in reference to the unconsummated love affair with Abelard (and by extension each love affair given up by her vows). She has given up those wishes.

Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind is surely one of the top 5 movies in my book. One of the finest you’d see in recent times.Also, I happened to see Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid a few days ago. One quote stood out, which really makes an impact in the context of the movie.

On the sheer weight of quotes, Casablanca is head and shoulders above the rest. Will perhaps once dedicate an entire post to Casablanca quotes. No other movie has had an impact on social & entertainment spheres as Casablanca. But we’ll keep it for some other day.

As I start crunching some keys on the pad, an obnoxious feeling of guilt encompasses me. For I am not supposed to be writing this post. Buried in eons of work, from all spheres of activity, it is high time I stop honeymooning on the Internet and get back to things that matter more at this juncture. But for a couple of very esoteric reasons, I will go on with the post.

19th March 2009  was celebrated in college as “Saree, Rose and Tie” Day. Saree, roses and ties are just plain metaphors for color, love, happiness, exuberance and elegance. Perennially captured in the clutches of paper education, its like an early nirvana for most students. To cut a long story short, most students, me included, take this day very seriously. Students come  impeccably dressed. Vibrant colours, smart ties, roses, jewellery and a wide assortment of accessories. It is a sight to behold. The average girl who sits next to you metamorphs herself into svelte, refined woman while the average guy looks less shabby and dishevelled than normal.

Now, the story begins thus. Not being a very prominent “Rose Day” catch, I decided to dress quite normally for the ocassion. Very satisfied with what I had put on, I left my place quite content; eagerly looking forward to the day’s proceedings. Lecturers got caught in the occasion and decided to mingle with the students whom they usually consider repugnant.  So, behind closed doors, in our classroom, started a “Talent Session”. Students were invited on the podium to showcase any art or talent they possessed. With the entire class cheering on with no inhibition in mind, it was an ideal platform for everyone to let their ‘arty’ hair down and have a good time. The talented people went onto the dais one after the other. Some sang melodious songs, some mimicked illustrious personalities, some did a jig, some gyrated to tunes, some cracked jokes. But most importantly, all were vociferously cheered and appreciated. After some time had elapsed, the entire class requested me to take to the stage and have my 30 seconds of fame.

I have never been artistically inclined. Perhaps because I was never exposed to art as a kid. All I did at primary school were a couple of stage plays. Everything really tapered off after that. Secondary schooling was completely devoid of any sort of song or dance. As a result, I stick out as a sore thumb at most “enjoyment sessions” or gatherings prompting people to assume that I hate enjoyment, which is pretty preposterous.

A gamut of options flashed across my eyes. I searched. Sing. No. Dance. Hell, no. Act. Could, but not impromptu, need a script. Impersonate someone. Nope. Acrobatics. Out of question. Musical instrument. No. I sheepishly muttered that I could not do anything artistic and sat down. It was a complete damp squib.

Art is really important. Performing and Fine art more so than Literary Arts. Most bloggers like me are competent at literary arts like debates, elocutions, speeches, quizzes, JAM’s and the like. But in my humble opinion, literary art is kind of a pseudo art. More like Computer or IT engineering being pseudo branches. An artist or an exponent of any art form is a very gifted person. Art gives its exponent visibilty , a solid physical presence in a gathering of people. The expression of an artist is pure, unadulterated, entertaining and soothing. The artist helps his audience transcend into a world of million possibilties and infinte opportunities. A Utopian world that everone really craves for. Literary art is brutal, oppressive, boisterous and diabolical. It does nothing but find flaws, crevices and imperfections in the true artists. It is a corruption of art. Literary arts has a fierce competitve edge associated with it. It is hierarchial. It differentiates among people, rates people on their ability. The other two forms that have discussed above are widely recognised and accepted by all as parameters of sociability.

It is not just classrooms where you need these performing arts. Performing arts form an integral part of any marriage process. Imagine a pretty normal chore of two families meeting over tea to talk about their kids as if they are some commodities to be traded on MCX. The groom’s mother always needs to know if the bride can cook, sing, dance or paint. Whether she can take sensible & mature decisions when most needed is secondary as compared to the art forms. Sense, pragmatism and sensibility is not art. It is infact an exact anti-art, if there is such a category. And where art is really the order of the day, anti-art finds it difficult to survive. Perhaps, this could be one of the reasons for the rising number of unsuccessful marriages.

A glance at the religious textures of the country tells us a different tale. In the Swayamvar to win Sita’s hand, the suitors were asked to string a bow and not perform a folk dance. Arjuna won Draupadi’s hand after giving demonstration of his dextrous archery skills. But for now, the goalposts have been changed. Rama would have had to gyrate to Himesh Reshammiya numbers to win over his in-laws.

But such trivial inconsistencies can not be an excuse or justification not to cultivate an art form. My sister is a fine dancer. It makes her more of a complete person. Social recognition aside, audience and acquaintances can relate to her form of performance. At times, even I do feel the need of an art form. Something I regret not paying enough conscious attention in developing one in my early years. Most people after enjoying a flourishing professional career will retire early to pursue their interest in painting, photography, movies, dance and classical singing. I can see myself taking up tennis, golf or bridge – something which is also very ‘anti-art’. Because I am pretty hopeless at it, I appreciate art, artists and artisans.

Art is a wonderful thing. It is everywhere around us. Everyone is an artist in their own small ways. Everyone might not be a performing artist or a fine artist. Everyone might not be able to sell their art form in front of an eager and anticipating audience. As Robert Prisig puts it in his 1974 novel, from which this article dervies its title, motorcycle maintainence is also very much an art. But conventional arts – like graphic art, visual art, performing arts reside in the higher echelons of the art society. Everyone should strive to cultivate one such conventional art. Blessed are their exponents !

The two “nicest” things to come out of SEM 4 so far have been quizzing and people. SPQC which was co-founded over chai and misal pav in the canteen has started well off the blocks. Quizzing days bring back memories when quizzing was really a fun business back in school. It was fun because we did it for no ulterior motives. Not to impress girls. Not to be cool. Not as a result of incessant boredom. We did it because we loved it. And SPQC has like rejuvanted me this sem. Brought back that sense of dejavu. Thanks to SPQC , I ‘ve met a lot of people in college. Seniors, juniors, everyone. And it’s quite nice knowing people. Rather understanding people.

The more you learn, the more you know how ignorant you are. Stay hungry, stay foolish – a mantra that has always suited me. A couple of weeks ago, I ended up sitting as audience at a pretty large B-School Business Quiz. And there I learnt about a certain Malcolm Gladwell and his works. The foolish part of me had to read this guy. Devour him.

I went to my local library and got my hands over “Blink” -  Gladwell’s second book. And without doubt, it is one of the finest pieces I’ve ever read. The book dissects the human mind like never before and the more you read, the more intrigued you are about it all. Especially the theory of thin slicing – which I have taken to very well.

Being one of the co-founders of SPQC, a lot of quizzes have to be hosted by me. Everytime I sit down to research questions, I have this nagging doubt at the back of my mind. What kind of questions are the folks looking out for ? On conversing with most folks, I’ve realised that most people love quizzes where they can answer many questions. People participate to win and are fiercely competitive. People feel nicer about themseleves when can answer stuff put up on the projector. They can massage their self-esteem. Quite contrary, I feel very content when I miss a question for I get to know about something that has been around me but has eluding me for ages. So, i’m always on the hunt for something which people would miss but then go back and say ” nice. i never thought about this “.

So, next time when I host a quiz, it’s going to be simple. Answerable. And so it’ll be very competitive. And it will have a question on Malcolm Gladwell. And I think I love human psychology. And SPQC too.

Lets explode a few myths first. I’ve not been reading Robin Sharma and ‘literature’ like “Who will cry when you die?”. Nor is this post toally original.

I was just bloghopping merrily from one blog to other, where I found this very interesting post. The post interested me for two particular reasons. One – the blog header. Two – Seth Godin. I’ve always been a admirer of Godin. So more on him later.

<quote>

Richard Millington while trying to bag an internship with Seth Godin came up with an excellent post which I feel deserves to be shared.

Someone will have a better job than you.

Someone will have a more attractive spouse than you.

Someone will have a better home than you.

Someone will be more famous than you.

So what?

Measuring yourself against others is dumb. It creates tension, rivalry and you might end up chasing someone else’s goals just to beat him.

The only thing you should measure yourself against are your own objectives. Are you where you want to be in life? Are you as far along in your strategy as you should be?

The moment you begin comparing yourself against others, you have missed the point of having a dream.

<unquote>

A little bit of introspection has led me to believe that I have been really ungrateful to people, especially to the blogging community over the last few months. Although, everyone does turn up and comment on each of my posts, I hardly take any trouble to comment. I visit and read each post. Appreciate it deep down. And then open another tab. I haven’t updated my blogroll in ages. Many friends and acquaintances do blog and surely giving them a mention isn’t a herculean task. But yet, I don’t do it. I’m kinda bad. I know. But I’ve decided to make amends.

This post is all about fellow bloggers. Their defining traits and qualities. And at the end of it, i’ll surely be updating my blogroll. So without further delay, let us rip into the beautiful people and their blogs.

Pratap Kaul – http://www.rollercoasterrumble.blogspot.com/

Sirjee epitomises the ideal blogger. Each of his posts are deeply thought, articulately written and well presented. And the fact that he’s a true photography enthusiast helps as his blog is adorned with pics which he himself clicks. Takes keen interest in sport and politics and every post is profound and rational. The beacon of SPIT blogging.

Sridhar Rao – http://thesongremainsthesame.wordpress.com/

Pound for pound, the best blogger in college. Given that he’s the youngest of the lot, he doesn’t much visibilty per se. But as time ages, he’ll get his due. His repertoire of words, emotions, thoughts is a treat. And the humour is a bit Wodehouseian to be honest. I can picture him writing for one of the daily/weekly publications with fanmail & marry me requests flooding his inbox.

Siddharth Deekshit – http://ssssssiddharth.blogspot.com/

He can give Sridhar a real run for his money, provided he remembers his password for more than a month. Education, American politics, world relations are plum areas of his and everytime he writes a post, its an intense read.

Rishkul Kulkarni – http://acousticity.wordpress.com/

His is really an unadulterated ‘blog’ in every sense of the term. Its his expression space. His diary. Every post has an intense personal experience related to it. Unabashed and honest to the core, it really is not aimed at any audience per se and is a treat for someone who can decipher metaphors and poems.

Dimple Nangia – http://poisonivy68.blogspot.com/

Female bloggers. May their tribe increase. Dimple’s blog is a very consistent and nice read. Very versatile. Posts really differ in length and content. Every time you visit, you’ll get a different read. Refreshing yet honest. Also, one remarkable trait of her is that she reads every other possible blog and rarely fails to comment on any of the posts.

Brett Fernandes -  http://lawofomerta.blogspot.com/

His blog resembles mine greatly. Soccer, grumpiness, messed up thoughts and rants. All the more reason for me to like him

Kirti Khopkar – http://alostdiscoverer.wordpress.com/

Pragmatic and very readable. Its has a distinct connect with you as she writes what she sees. She’s trying her hand at poems and limericks recently, and I can’t really comment on them as I , to save my life, can’t understand poetry !

Harshad Deshpande – http://hdeshpande.blogspot.com/

A very similar blog to Kirti’s. What he sees is what you get. All in all , a satisfying read.

Rohit Ajitkumar – http://adatelessdiary.blogspot.com/

I’ve just got to know him and his blog and it is a real treat. Composed and very thoughfully written, he writes on pretty much the same topics as me – football, quizzing, college and arbit. His quizzing posts are really heartfelt and I can pretty much relate to them

Adhitya ‘Anna’ Iyer -  http://annnanymous.wordpress.com/

Anna is a very creative person. And you can tell that from his blog. He’s pretty good and words and puns and he gets them in wherever he can. Just 3 posts into his blog, i’m looking forward to more from him.

Tanush Parihar – http://freakometer.wordpress.com/

Blog in a very nascent stage. Would be very unfair to pass a judgement.

Anand Markande – http://craponomics.blogspot.com/

Ungratefulness. Thats what it is. I haven’t really tried to read his blog. But from now, it’ll be a different story. Also, there’s a entrepreneurial streak in him, something that has always interested me. We could be e-buddies

Yugandhar Garde – http://www.yugisalwaysconfused.blogspot.com/

Same applies as Anand. I’ll try to improve. Btw, he has the coolest theme of us all.

Mayuresh Madbhavi – http://worthlessexistence.wordpress.com/

He’s just started this one. So we’ll give him time. And hopefully, it’ll be nice

Sardar Patel Quiz Club – http://spqc.wordpress.com/

Its our baby. So we had to put it here. The main challenge with this blog is sustainence (spelling ?). There’s a lot of enthusiasm about it now. Beginners’ luck. The challenge is to maintain this positivity and euphoria over a greater period of time. It’ll be a difficult task. But we’ll give it our best shot.

Chinmay Kamat -http://beckhamsbarber.wordpress.com/

Well, its really difficult to pass a verdict on your own blog. But from what I see, I don’t have the ability to write a long drawn essay. I can not collect my thoughts over a longer period of time. I’m more of an idea person. I try to imporvise and put in a decent post every time. But sometimes, it does get awry. As I say in the About me page, I’m jack of small trades, master of none. The ultimate aim is to be jack of small trades, master of one.

There may be many other bloggers who I might not be aware of. Would love to add them to my *updated* blogroll. So let me know. Also, if I’ve missed out on someone, just bring it to my notice. For you all know, I’m not evil enough to do it on purpose.

Happy blogging !

* Edit:  Just realised that the list is incopmplete without :-

Ashmita Sengupta – http://www.meetanonymity.blogspot.com/

Sinan K – http://losinmysoul.blogspot.com/

Heston – http://systematic-confusion.blogspot.com/