So?

So there I was, standing on the crossroads amidst the woods, looking at the 4-way sign, wondering which way to go... An old man came walking down the road marked 'Experience', he was all white; hair, brows, clothes. He smiled when he saw me.

I asked, "which way do I go, old man?".

He raised a wizened finger back where he was coming from and said, "Go this way - you'll have wonderful experiences that will enrich your life forever. You may even become a great sage or philosopher."

I asked again "How many have fulfilled their lives on this road?"

"A great many! And they all would swear by this path" He told me with obvious pride in his voice.

"But have they tried all the others?" I inquired.

He offered expansively, "You know when you encounter the best!". He winked at me and left.




I decided to camp there for the night, I was lying down underneath the evening stars, watching wispy clouds drift by... I noticed a distant glinting light coming down the road marked 'Power', I got up to see it clearly, It was a sturdy old man with a lantern, he was wearing gleaming red armour and carried a very ornate sword.

He came near me, hand shifting once on the hilt of the sword, then raised the other hand in greeting.

I greeted him in the same manner and asked, "Can you tell me which way to go?"

"Why this way of course!" He grunted, "Where else can you prove your prowess and attain greatness? Where else can you gain powers that others only dream of? Where else can you command others and lead them to glory?"

He was possibly going to ask me more where-elses but I interrupted, "Do many go this way? Are they happy?"

He looked at me with incredulity in his eyes, "Young man, almost every one I know has gone this way and found their calling in power! And I know a lot many!" He grunted again, which was possibly a laugh.

I asked, "Have they tried the other ways?"

He gave me a snide look and told me before leaving, "They never needed to."




Night came, the sky went darker, the stars became brighter, the crickets were noisier... I was almost dozing off when a very old commoner woke me up,

"Hullo there traveler! Spare any food?"

I shrugged and shared some of my rations with him, he thanked me and began eating.

Inevitably, I asked, "I can't seem to decide which way to go... What do you suggest?"

He looked at me blankly, dusted a few pieces of food from his gray garb and said, "I dunno, I reside that-a way, it's fine by me..."

He pointed at the road marked 'Contentment' and idly began eating again, I asked again, "Do many live like you? Are they happy?"

He shrugged, "Many times many, we don't have any complaints, you can call it a kind of happiness, right?"

I didn't reply, and somehow felt it quite useless to ask if they travel the other roads. He thanked me again and left.




Sleep had left me too. Pacing up and down the tiny clearing around the crossroads, I had no idea how late it was, but there was a definite purple tinge in the East sky and it was growing lighter. I saw a faint shape emerging from the foggy East road, the one that I came from, marked 'Purpose'.

The shape turned into a person, she was slightly younger than me, lightly built, wearing a faded garment and a black sash on her forehead, her smile reached her eyes in greeting when she saw me.

I smiled and waved, she spoke cheerfully, "Hi! Where you going?"

I shrugged, "haven't decided yet. Can't seem to make up my mind."

She laughed and shook her head, "You're doing it wrong! Here, let me help."




She untied the sash from her forehead, revealing an old scar. Then tied my eyes with it before I could ask her anything else, and said, "Spin around thrice and then take it off."

I complied, a bit taken aback by her candor. When I took off the blindfold I found myself facing diagonally between Contentment and Experience, nothing but dense woods in front of me...

She took the sash back and grinned, I was beginning to get what she meant...

"Where will you go?" I asked, grinning, not knowing why...

She shrugged, "No idea, I'll go where I feel like. Currently I feel like watching you make your decision. So what do you choose?"




I looked at the dense forest in front of me. Then at the two roads on either side... It was then that her words hit me... "I choose."

She nodded, her smile softening. I turned to the lighter, more appealing patch of jungle diagonally between two other roads, and pointed "That way!"

She laughed and nodded again. I began to pack my backpack, she came and pointed at the knife that was tied on my leg. I gave it to her, then finished packing. Looking up, I saw her standing, with her back on a tree trunk near where I had pointed earlier. Grinning mischievously.

She moved off, I saw that she'd etched the word 'Curiosity' with an arrow pointing to my chosen direction.

She offered me the knife back, I pointed at my leg which now wore another similar knife that I had kept as a spare. Taking the knife from her hands, I tucked it in her belt.

She grinned again, then kissed my cheek, "Well, what are you waiting for? Catch me! If you can..."

She vanished like a gazelle in the dense green and brown.

I laughed out, and ran...


NesQuarX
This one actually did originate from a single paragraph that I had written in a random reply to a friend who had asked 'So?' My thanks to her. And thanks to SS for providing inputs for the ending.

The madness that goes on in my head.

Trying to document a slice of my thoughtStream...
(Note, Left to right does not matter, the streams are simultaneous, sometimes even the top-bottom precedence may overlap.)

Stream 0 (Conscious 1)	Stream 1 (Conscious 2)	Stream 2 (visual - thought)	Stream 3 (auditory)
Right, am I writing it down correctly?	Stupid TDs and TRs, Google still couldn't refine their interface properly!	Forest night, superimposed with a google logo	Like a night in the forest
yeah, it's hard to keep track of this mess	Yeah this is tough, ooh look, my neighbour is staring at my screen	Mountains, a tangle of light-paths, buzzing with thought motes	Like the mountains in springtime
sometimes it's parallel processing	Hide? Don't bother? ... Don't bother.	ahh, walk in the rain, memory recall! Tangle of lights straightening, fading	like a walk in the rain
other times it's time-sharing... freaky!	Heh, what if that was the boss?	stuck in memory recall superimposed image of boss	like a storm in the desert
Boss? Where is he? Nope, not nearby...	Meh, still wouldn't have bothered...	underwater... (NSFW)	like a sleepy blue ocean
Why is that guy covering his face with a hanky?	Sit properly, is the headphone wire stuck?	(more NSFW)... headphone wire, extreme close up.	you fill up my senses
Cold? Swine flu? right... funny.	where is it stuck? examine, there! yank yank!	momentary image of a pig, then masked doctors in lab coats	come fill me again...
put on your glasses, you'll fry your eyes looking on the screen!	Yeah, like the glasses would help if it's bound to happen.	the live version's video, John Denver looks weird...	applause eh? Right! live version... coo!
Time-sharing again... How is one supposed to actually represent this?	That sounds fatalistic, how unlike me!	accidents, death, inevitability, 2012 movie clippings.	Jazz, nice,
A tree with the conscious node animated in time?	2012? That's utter crap!	Fretboard fingering positions,	mind following the guitar
Secondary streams?	They come and go... Not 2012, I mean yes that too, but timeline?	Animated graph with flickering nodes... tree without a beginning or an end...	guitar...
Yeah, there will be only one 2012 the year	What aboout alternate date systems?	calendar, 2012, blur, Jesus Christ, blur, flickering 7 segment displays...	Enter drums, guitar still being followed... talking... talking??
Damn, I'm losing coherence.	talking to me? Nah...	blur, colleagues behind head, fretboard, blur... too many images too fast.	Huh? colleagues talking... guitar...
Okay, stop, enough, enough. Stop	Write that down you fool...	Blog page with this post... random reader.	lyrics... mind not following...
Stop that music	Stop writing too...	Desktop... winamp... meditative white...	momentary blank...

There are many more subtler substreams and momentary flashes, can't follow... too fast, too fine, and most importantly, too weird (sick? raw? vulgar? choose a word).

NesQuarX
What? Don't you ever follow your own thoughts from a Third Person POV?
Huh?
Oh...

A tribute to the Pregnant Pause

...

NesQuarX

My favourtite and most used punctuation mark.

UnQuotes... Fresh wave.

What's this blog without UnQuotes? Nothing!

'If I can't have something by my own. I won't have it.'


On weird dreams:
'Imagine living out a whole life and then waking up to another one... you feel pretty wretched to know that the gritty number of years you spent to carefully plan your ascension and finally took over the world - was a dream.'


'When I know people better, I tend to know them better than they themselves.'


To an anonymous online moron:
'Learn to spell 'sexy' first and then talk about boyfriends and girlfriends.'


'I have a simple definition of failure: To stop trying.'


'Pain is a state of mind.'


'The absence of honesty is not dishonesty.'


'I'm honest about the fact that I'm not totally honest about everything.'


After writing Dearest Stranger:
'I was appalled at how much mush I could dish out!'


'I have more mood swings than a PMSing woman.'


'You don't buy a Lockheed Blackbird to take flying lessons'


'The knowledge that something is unknown is like an unscratched itch.'


'If I had ever prepared for anything, do you think the competitors would even have the semblance of a chance?'


'You don't find luck and happiness, you manufacture it.'

NesQuarX

Leaving already? But I was just getting warmed up!

Mandatory post-Birthday post

For some, it marks another year towards life, for some, it marks another year away from life... For me, it's a day. Almost like any other, except for the fact that people treat you nicely and you're expected to smile sheepishly all the time.

So now I have experienced almost 25 years of life, 24 in air. I'm expected by the world to be growing up, maturing and turning into a man and all that crap. Doesn't hide the fact that I still have pimples like a 16 year old boy, doesn't hide the fact that I love to run for the simple joy of moving fast, doesn't hide a lot of facts including my glaring weirdness. Oh well, 24 years has been more than enough to learn to take those in stride. What else they have made of this fleshly thinking machine?

Now now, before I get all existential and start spouting profound bullshit, lets take a lighter look on things shall we? It does put things in perspective... 24 years have taught that females are extremely simple unless you try to analyze them. 24 years have taught that you can't expect anyone to understand you - starting with yourself. 24 years have taught me that when you see something amusing, observe and don't interrupt. Oh, and 24 years have also taught me that everything that goes around is amusing in some way.

Was that light? Or did I just mix profound bullshit with lame one-liners? It's fun to keep you guessing than actually providing an answer for that. And I'm all for fun, anytime!

So what do I have to say about life? Oh c'mon.. Don't groan! A consumer has the right to an opinion of a product after using it for this long! So, what was I saying? Right... about life, uh... well... umm... Here goes:

Life is the process of doling out moments between post-coital bliss and a walk in the rain.

Damn that sounded weird... I know! Let's wait another year before trying that again shall we? I hope I can come up with something less cheesy next time! Till then, live on!

NesQuarX

So you decide it's profound bullshit after all eh?

The power of your dirty mind!

The heart is not the only part to mightily throb,

Alcohol is not the only tool for debauchery,

When a blow strikes hard it's not on a clerical job,

The world runs on the power of phallic imagery!

NesQuarX

4 line nastiness specially prepared as an instant treat to all who enjoy ... um ... the more satisfying things in life :D

The 8 things thingy

Okay I know this is out of character... but sometimes it's interesting to jump on the bandwagon ;)

Got tagged by Anish in his post so here goes:

8 TV SHOWS I LOVE TO WATCH:

1. Any interesting Anime that's on.
2. Friends.
3. Random Discovery channel tech-docus.
4. CSI.
5. House.
6. An odd episode of E! sometimes.
7. Any other cartoon, if it catches my eye.
8. Tom and Jerry, rules the roost!

8 FAVOURITE PLACES TO EAT:

1. Home. Can't beat that.
2. Random street tea stalls.
3. Lalu da's - he makes the best chicken rolls ever!
4. KFC.
5. Kalim hotel in Chandni - awesome rollettes.
6. Sabir's Biryani.
7. Office cafeteria, hardly buy food from there. But eat there everyday :D.
8. Some choicy restaurants... long list.

8 THINGS THAT HAPPENED YESTERDAY:

1. Taught a student for 4 friggin hours... 3 class combo.
2. Went existential only twice... that's a definite improvement.
   
3. Played improbable island for an extended time.
4. Had just 4 cups of tea and no coffee. I know, it's meagre... but didn't have chances.
5. Played around with 4 cats and 3 dogs. (home+streets).
6. Ran for a kilometer or so... Yeah I know I'm getting lazy.
   
7. Tried to pick up the chords for Annie's song. Gotta keep trying.
   
8. Went to bed before 3am! I'm proud of myself.

8 THINGS I LOOK FORWARD TO:

1. The next moment
2. A walk
3. Rain
4. Sitting with XheliOS (my new PC)
5. Food
6. Making something
7. Waking up
8. The Future

8 THINGS I LOVE ABOUT WINTER:

1. More food.
2. Cuddling.
3. More hyperactivity.
4. Blankets.
5. Dryness in the air.
6. Festivals abound.
7. Early morning walks (more like very late nights.)
   
8. Winter itself.

8 THINGS ON MY WISH-LIST:

1. Ruling the Universe.
2. Learning the piano.
3. A decent electric guitar.
4. Sushi from an authentic place.
5. A week's vacation alone.
6. More more hardware.
   
7. A month without a cold.
8. More superpowers.

8 THINGS I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT:

1. Life
2. Food
3. Tech
   
4. Females
5. Art
6. Information
7. Innovation
8. Complex problems (Oh, I just repeated no. 4!)

8 PHRASES OR WORDS I USE OFTEN:

1. Ahh, well...
2. Hmm.
3. Good for you.
4. Beat that!
5. I WIN!
6. Gotcha!
7. Muhahahahaha (Evil maniacal laughter)
8. Not really.
   

8 THINGS I LEARNED FROM THE PAST:

1. I'm right in more cases than I'd like to be.
2. People come, people go.
3. Life goes on.
4. Time passes faster than you'd expect it.
5. Incredibility is better than credibility.
6. Change is the only thing that's constant.
7. Patience pays.
   
8. Truth is relative

8 PLACES I WOULD LOVE TO GO OR VISIT OR SEE:

1. The crab Nebula.
2. Japan.
3. The ruins of Atlantis.
4. The Mediterranean.
5. The surface of the Sun.
6. The lonely tropical islands in South-East Asia.
7. The Fjords of Norway.
8. All the World.

8 THINGS I CURRENTLY NEED OR WANT:

1. Answers.
2. Sleep.
3. Few more lives.
4. Iridescence.
5. Money.
6. Recognition.
7. Control.
8. Firey demons from Hell for minions.

8 PEOPLE TO TAG:

1. I
2. Don't
3. Like
4. Forwards
5. So
6. No
7. Tags.
8. Kapeesh?

NesQuarX
But there's an open invitation to all my friends who would like to do the same for themselves... Assume I've tagged you. And drop a comment ;)

Rut Breaker

What do you do when you are stuck in a rut?
What do you do when you just can't make the cut?
When things loop endlessly, how do you break it?
When life gets predictable, how do you take it?

I just get out, close my eyes, spin around like a top.
Then I start walkin', open my eyes to see where I pop.
I just smack life in the rear, put it in high gear,
Kill the loops in here by shutting down the fear

Of change, of the unknown that creeps up unnanounced
Of reality, the one that used to be before we bounced
From life - to the endless loop that is here and now.
I write a pointless post about it, and then take a bow.

NesQuarX

another 2 minute hack job... just needed to post something. You likes?

Raindrops

Any pattern that forms on a window pane being pelted by cold raindrops - stays for less than a moment, and you could never see it again; this fact alone made it worth looking at. Or maybe she was just looking at it to make out shapes on the other side of it. The city streets were up and running as usual, maybe the rest of the world was as busy as it ought to be, people did seem oblivious to everything going around them. Or was she concluding that just by herself? As she couldn't, see their expressions from this high up... And the rain, it seemed endless, must have been days... What was the time anyway? Ahh, her thoughts were exceptionally restless tonight. Perhaps the chaos of her mind was betrayed by the raindrops on the glass - Fascinating!

The room felt damp, must have been the kitchen window, she did not feel like going up and shutting it, somehow the mustiness reassured her, kept her focused around the now, yes, she had been trying to keep the past and the future at bay from invading her now... her now, her sanctity, her sanity. But not tonight, no, there was something about tonight, no one would escape her probing thoughts tonight, no one would dare, the raindrops wouldn't let them.

Her mind. How much of it was real? How much of it was now? why did every person in her thoughts come with a hundred faces? She didn't really care. Spider silk of relationships entangled with specks and blobs of people, what a beautifully delicate network! It was as beautiful as it was horrific - threatening to engulf bits of her in its knots! But the raindrops did not want that to happen.

Thoughts, memories, feelings, they lay scattered around like the pages of a freshly fleshed novel and she was going through them with the surety of the novelist who knew it would never make it to print. But anything could happen tonight, there was something about tonight, the raindrops seemed to notice that as well.

Something was causing discomfort. Was she hungry? Thirsty? Or was it some other physical oddity? There was a very distant noise... She reached under a pile of pillows and pulled it out, pressed a button, the noise subsided, though the lights kept on winking at her. With some thought, she carefully put the cellphone back under the pillows with the deftness of an oft repeated act. An unchecked smile half flitted across her face, there was this secret satisfaction in abandonment... something she never understood, she never wanted to, but enjoyed it nonetheless. She went back to watching the raindrops. And they watched her.

The rain, it must have been falling non-stop for at least Five days now - it may as well have been Five Hundred years, she had lost track of time long ago... or was it just five minutes ago? She could tell that a quick trip to the refrigerator would confirm her that only about Two days' worth of food was left from the week's supply that she had brought when she took refuge in her two room apartment. Five days! Did the raindrops know that?

There were tear marks along her cheeks, though the tears had stopped... possibly yesterday. She could probably have spent another eternity sitting just like this, and the raindrops would happily oblige her, but not tonight. There was something about tonight. Was it time already? The raindrops abruptly stopped in answer to her question.

She went closer to the window, the drops clung tighter to the glass. Each drop showing a warped piece of the streets below. A milieu of lights that she suddenly could not help but find comforting - compared to the darkness of her own abode. She noticed that she could see only those drops which refracted the lights below, not the ones which showed the dark sky above. It was time indeed. The raindrops had shown her.

She went back to her memories, this time picking up the bits which shone like glowing embers of comfort and truth. Some of them too hot. She winced at a few unexpected pieces, but did not stop the inflow, an unconscious drop of tear welled up in her eyes, one that would never fall... the rain had started quietly again.

Any pattern that forms on a window pane being pelted by cold raindrops - stays for less than a moment, and you could never see it again; this fact alone made it worth looking at.... Something was causing discomfort. There was a very distant noise... She slid an expert hand under the pillows... A different button this time? The raindrops would know.

NesQuarX

1st December, 2007

Old one. It is now that I find some glitches in the writing... but I don't want to edit it anymore. So here it is as it was written.

The Super University prospectus part 2

Super courses continued.

Course #2: MSH - Masters in Super Heroics.

Eligibility:

• Must be totally totally and stupidly honest and and put everything and everyone before self.
  
• Special abilities - optional.
  
• Money/power - optional.
  
• Aspiring to save the World - optional.
  
• To be able to constantly meddle in super villains' businesses - optional.
  

Course duration: 3 semesters.

Semester 1:

Compulsory Subjects:

• Getting in trouble 101
• Messing up repeatedly 102
• Long winded moral speeches 103
• Truimphant background music 104
• Heroic super name containing 'Man' or 'Woman' 105

Elective Subjects: (Must choose at least 2)

• Super Secret Hideout with a glaringly obvious cover 106
• Handsomely grand (for men) or Terrifically sexy (for women) looking costume 107
• One absolutely open weakness 108
• Appearing/Disappearing without warning 109

Semeseter 2:

Compulsory Subjects:

• Vast heroic exploits involving many people saved from dying 201
• Banishing terrible creatures to other planets/dimensions 202
• Averting mass destruction without proving your powers 203
• Beating evil henchmen 204
• Taking calls from the World leaders 205

Elective Subjects: (minimum 2)

• Advanced henchmen - Beating an evil army 206
• Rescuing hostages and blackmailees 207
• Grand sounding Swedish/British accent 208
• Being surrounded by hot specimens of the opposite sex 209

Final Semester:

Compulsory subjects:

• Getting yourself stuck in elaborate death traps designed by Super Villains 301
• Using subtle clues to find the Super Villain's super secret hideout 302
• Watching stupendously stupefied as your mate is being captured 303
• Beating sub-bosses in a variety of ways 304
• Getting captured by Super Villains, being put in the elaborate death trap and waiting till the Super Villain leaves the scene (Ha ha they think you can never escape their diabolical trap) 305
  

Elective Subjects: (minimum 2)

• Emphatically thwarting vast evil plans as Super Villains scream "Noooooo!" 306
• Getting your butt kicked big time by Super Villains until you are urged by someone to rise and kick their butt bigger time 307
• Sassy last words and sequel promises while posing with the people you save 308
• Advanced messing up - including almost fatal mistakes (very very important) 309

Final Exam: Successfully getting yourself between a Super Villain's grandest plans, pissing them off big time, getting yourself almost killed but ultimately thwarting their plans, plus end credits.



NesQuarX

I was so lazy that I cheated. (You'd have NEVAR EVAR EVAAR guessed it if I didn't tell you!)

Photos ahoy!

Somewhat of an ordinary blog entry for a change... Went for a trip, some glimpses.



NesQuarX
'Extraordinary' posts will follow...

The Super University Prospectus - Part 1

I've decided to open a college... I'm calling it the Super University... and all courses taught there will be Super Courses.

Course #1: MSV - Masters in Super Villainy.

Eligibility:

• Must be an evil genius or twisted mastermind
• Must have a number of special abilities
• Must be super rich/powerful
• Must aspire to take over the World. (Aspiring to take over the Universe is a plus)
• Must Must Must be able to piss off at least one Super Hero

Course duration: 3 semesters.

Semester 1:

Compulsory Subjects:

• Maniacal Laughter 101
• Wanton disregard for human lives 102
• Long winded arrogant speeches 103
• Apocalyptic background music 104
• Evil super name containing 'The' 105

Elective Subjects: (Must choose at least 2)

• Super Secret Hideout with a glaringly obvious cover 106
• Gruesomely grand (for men) or Horrifically sexy (for women) looking costume 107
• One terribly secret weakness 108
• Appearing/Disappearing without warning 109

Semeseter 2:

Compulsory Subjects:

• Vast evil plans involving many people dying 201
• Summoning terrible creatures from other planets/dimensions 202
• Mass destruction to prove your powers 203
• Hiring evil henchmen 204
• Addressing the World leaders 205

Elective Subjects: (minimum 2)

• Advanced henchmen - making an evil army 206
• Taking hostages and blackmailing 207
• Evil sounding German/Russian accent 208
• Being surrounded by hot specimens of the opposite sex 209

Final Semester:

Compulsory subjects:

• Elaborate death traps to kill Super Heroes 301
• Leaving subtle clues for Super Heroes to find the super secret hideout 302
• Capturing the Super Hero's mate right in front of his eye 303
• Choosing sub-bosses who will get beaten in a variety of ways by Super Heroes 304
• Capturing Super Heroes, putting them in the elaborate death trap and leaving the scene (Ha ha they can never ever escape your diabolical trap) 305
  

Elective Subjects: (minimum 2)

• Emphatically screaming "Nooooooooo" when you find your vast evil plans being thwarted 306
• Kicking the Super Hero's butt big time until they are urged by someone to rise and kick your butt bigger time 307
• Sassy last words and sequel promises while making your getaway 308
• Advanced maniacal laughter - including special effects (very very important) 309

Final Exam: Successfully picking on a Super Hero, pissing them off big time and getting your grandest plans thwarted by them, plus end credits.


Hurry and enroll, limited seats only!
We guarantee 100% placement even in the recession market!

NesQuarX

Coming up next: MSH - Masters in Super Heroism. (You'd have NEVAR EVAR EVAAR guessed it if I didn't tell you!)

Ode to Kolkata's weather - a Limerick.

You sure know how to tease for fun the shit out of me, hun...
The half-dark when I walk in the park, the stunning sun when I run.

But when you bring on the unexpected rains,
Boy is it worth all the gruesome pains!

That's why, you sexy thang, you're so totally my Number One!


NesQuarX

Hahah! Hell yeah! I've got my fix - have you?