Kuch Taare Jo Kabhi Na Honge Sitare

I saw  ' Taare Zameen Pe' and I think by now there are enough reviews of that movie and so I hardly need to write one  but what got me impressed  was a different but related thing.A comment on some channel or paper by Aamir to the effect that  if he started a movie about the troubles and pains faced by parents it would never end.

I remembered that line when in the movie the very troubled father angrily says "To kya karoon zindagi bhar ise ghar me baith ke khilaon kya".(What do I do feed him forever at home) .It seems such a heartless statement against such a cute boy right but think of a ground realities and you realize.

 A simple normal middle class nuclear  family , with one breadwinner though they love their child can only do so much. Unlike in movies there are few sympathies for anyone in this world who does not stand up and get counted in this rat race. You hate being in the race but you have no choice they push you in the line. (I felt this most boarding Mumbai local trains.) .

The usual answer is the government should provide special schools and provisions in transports buildings etc for differently abled people. Lets be frank , in the current scenario is it feasible for the next four or five decades for this to happen in our country (even with the best intentions) where even the strongest get tired  in our public transport.(oh yeah one visit to Mumbai taught me that). 

Yes I loved that child as he was sweet charming, but I wonder what if they shot the movie with a not so cute child, would our audiences lap up with equal sympathies. 

Also I had a general thought on the tagline

" Every child is special ". Is it?

So once you turn 18 you no longer are.

Why every human being is not special is what I lament about?

There's nothing wrong with loving children, they are adorable (and I confess I too like most enjoy them except some ever crying ones).In them unfortunately most parents  dream up their own dreams gone bad and some even sadly look them up  as old age investment.

But once a child grows up  do they no longer need the same things, as that child in the movie needed , affection ,belief , a bit of help, trust confidence.

I may not seem politically correct but I often feel that we whip up lot media hype on differently abled,  old aged, diseased  essentially , people where sympathy factor can be hyped. What about normal people who live with such.Life in world is very hard to survive and if anything I really admire the people who take care of people with disabilities and diseases with real hear felt concern and not as a job.

In fact its so sad to see teachers of today. Its like if you don't get any job you become a teacher and how the heck they treat children.

Ah our days were so better – at least 1 in 5 was admirable and inspirational.  

Even the movie showed a wrong point, "Every child is special"- Lets face it and it's a fact not every dyslexic child became Einstein or Picasso and in that school of Aamir not everyone had the same level  of ability. So again there's a race among the differently abled.  

So while we can never admire those boring people lets not be that unsympathetic to them

" Every Human being is special" if to no one to the himself , at least near and dear ones should emphasize that , its not just for cute children.

The pain of the child is true , but so is the pain of those parents.Not that I don't have issues with parents but as Aamir says that story never ends. 

Then I remembered our school days when so many of them wanted to be in the airforce. It was a passion like anything and today everyone wants to be a software engineer or a businessman.

Oh those days !!!

And how all ended up

A small discussion on Talent vs Skill

When I traveled last week with my Dad I unintentionally got into a very short interaction about the education system of our country with the Chairman of one of the finest Electronics Company in India.

 

He asked generically about my education and work and when I honestly said  "Electrical and Electronics" but I am now working in Software  as then I found no job in Electronics.(this could be the reason I wrote this old post)

  He asked a very tricky question you can say

"Did you use your engineering skills to polish your Software skills or learnt your Software skills for the job"

 He then lamented how when he interviews many freshers from Engineering Colleges  he finds them absolutely lacking in a practical understanding of engineering. I replied this is because in our Education system Engineering concentrates on theory and the Diploma candidates learn the practical skills and hence Engineers from small colleges  are never taught or allowed to really practice improve and experiment with real practical aspects of core Engineering. To this he retorted strongly  "Engineering cannot be taught, one should have a understanding and talent for it".I would have loved a very serious discussion of this but my Dad disliking my getting into my argumentative mode with his professional contacts cut me short as is a norm (as he too believes I am not an Engineer not an electrical and electronics one at least, since I don't understand the wiring of my house at all) with a wonderful change of topic . But if this topic had gone on I would have loved to ask that gentleman

Is it? Engineering cannot be taught, it's a Talent? , practicality and innovation being the key points– Agreed

 

But then sir why do you ask for Engineers when you hire for your Luminaries division?

Why not just conduct a workshop where whoever with may be Xth standard pass does the job you want in the best way hire them – why do you insist on a degree. Also what percentage of the so called real true Engineers with all the practical understanding etc get a chance for innovation. That can be done in research and what is the percentage of engineers who get a chance in research in here is common knowledge.  

In the end most jobs are repetitive and the finest will innovate and create anywhere but sir that percentage is miniscule. These creative ones may create a blue print for you great innovation but to manufacture you need second grade but committed people who will do your repeat uncreative jobs.

 So cheers ….And we all do that "To jobs that pay the rent/ EMI" etc etc……. It is for such that that wonderful quote by Stoppard was written "Skill without imagination is craftsmanship and gives us many useful objects such as wicker-work picnic baskets. Imagination without skill gives us modern art." 

Though my favorite example was and is this. Taj Mahal may have been designed and conceived by one or two or a small set of wonderful persons but to build it you needed thousands of boring people who simply carried and lifted bricks.

We may not love them admire them but lets never forget we need them.

A relook at life and then some plain nonsensical bitching

Since the last month when I posted hoping to be back with some nice travel notes life has shaken me me up in ways that simply reiterates calvin

"Reality continues to ruin my life" . and how it did….

But then it could have been worse I know all the spiritualists of this world would say.I will never say that cause

"Never say that it can't get worse because it can, and you're just tempting fate."

~Louise Sybing

 

So many things so many thoughts don't know what to start off with.

 

When I left on a 10 day vacation to Mumbai and Aurangabad where my Dad travels in lieu of his job , I had hoped for some change and a bit of shopping…..and when I return back a probable short  trip to US to add on to my resume if nothing else….  a life like mine could not hope for more. So when a colleague asked to join my family for the trip in I could not refuse and was like fair enough  some company is fine. More on all that later.

 

But what this trip ended as shook me up , fair enough I can get over with that but what I cant handle is , for a life with so few options it literally shut them all off.

I've been a rather healthy person all the thirty years of my life , and yeah with age life catches up….all that's ok, but for someone who never spent a day in hospital , ending up in an ICU with absolutely no memory of how is hard to digest.(Never mind my experience with the worst nurses ever who use injections like knives) .

Well doctors say its some thing in the head which will heal happily in 6 months medication no big deal. Hmm may be but what it does it this

I can't go anywhere anymore forget onsite not even another city for the time being  a few months, at least in theory it's a risk to be alone ….and funnily that's what I was hoping from life ….a simple independent peaceful life.

I am requested to consider, there is a urgent requirement to travel onsite and I have to refuse. Its not about career or anything for that matter …Health is Wealth indeed but its all about ending up dependent all because of a risk.

They say such experiences make you value life,

I wish I had something to value,

to me it simply makes me fed up all the more .

"Life is a long headache on a noisy street"

Yeah there are people who want it…….

People who have so much to live for …..

….and yeah if I could give it up as a trade  I 'd happily do so.

I just can't take the pain and then added to it be a hassle to a family to whom I will never be a cause of joy.

One of my sister's friend commented it seems that …are your sisters friends too like your sister who never smiles – "Well I wish I could explain to that lovely lady that no ,  some are born sad , they cant live off others , they cant find great joy just because they can afford to but a few dresses more or rather some one is willing to "

 

For me my current dilemma is what do I do with life

 I don't want a new straining job

My past is not easy to shrug off to get a cool job

I cannot leave the country for now for work .

I am supposed to live and afford it ……..

What a waste of earths resources I am it seems

But that's a common issue I believe…so I

Refuse to censure myself much on that count.

 

I know half of what I am writing is hogwash but then I have to write , I have ben trying to make time for writing this since the last fortnight…and now again I remember Orhan Pamuk and his evergreen adorable speech….Yes one writes to be happy

"I write because I have never managed to be happy.
I write to be happy."

When half my friends and family speculate as to what I do late at night and that they think is the cause of my strain(browse what??? Chat with whom?…i write this nonsense ).

 

Then there was this lady that accompanied me – oh a yeah in standard terminology we call them friends. She's had a some issue in her marriage and lives with parents I after a year of acquaintance never ask her what (hey come on she reciprocates too…she never asked me why I am still single). So when she requests is it an issue if she joins my family on the trip I say fine cause i am a bit dumb at times I guess and also it would be a change for her too.

 But I should have remembered the lessons of my past….

The lady is a bit strange and she sure upset my sister with her haggling ways at shopping , ….not that  it never happens with me…but then I get irritated but can live with it…cause I have few friends….most are acquaintances …….most of which start due to that standard need at work Team work.

But my sister who at least in our house is the sun around whom the world must revolve found it  a real turn off after the trip…she was quite nice during it thinking that she may be a great friend of mine cause she knows I usually in any other case don't invite people over to home. Anyways things went off in quite cool way but when we got back home and we sisters had the discussion I was asked how come you became friends with her she seems so not your type.

 

I explained that she was a good acquaintance and I know she's a bit self centered but so be it. As long as you don't fall head over heels(as do quite a few guys) for such kind no issue.

To me she was a team member and then at times after that some company

To go around, when all the married people are busy .

I tried to give some education to my dear sis about people not being black and white  and shades of grey but well I get asked  point black……If what she is not bad and greedy   what is - dad had to arrange a qualis instead of a small car because she was an extra member and yet she is so self occupied and greedy she says …."ooo wish we had arranged an Innova".

Well well people say things in jest…and yeah such is life….and then try to explain that bad is when people instead of being self centered become harmful and plot against you.

Also I tell her may be she's so ungrateful as  she thinks she's taken me out to Coffee day a bit many times.

 

I tell her that I live like this only dear….

And that's why I hum that sweet song

 

"Mile na phool to kaanton se dosti kar li

Isi tarah se basar humne zindagi kar li"

 

"As i could not find flowers, I made friendship with thorns

 and so I spent my whole life"

Not that my sister will ever get it…

She's had things and people ready to serve and

 finds nothing wrong in being served .Not that she's any happier though.

 Different people …different attitudes.

After all I cant explain her that I ignore most people who live in fantasies thinking that stuff ain't obvious.

Life's easier looking the other way.

 For example this lady above i spoke of often calls me over as a company to Coffee day to meet knowing well enough I care two hoots to meet at expensive places and will never foot the bill -  the real reason this all is to meet the guy in the team. The guy though is pisssed off and told her that why am I invited always when he wants to meet her. Some people can be real dumb.

Another awesome example : in gmail custom message will any idiot ever put the below as custom message for everyone to see"Should I smile because you're my friend, or cry because that's all we will ever be?"

That's meant clearly for only one person and any one who ever saw that guy and gal together and has an iota of sense will get it. There's nothing wrong yaar in such complicated affections and i at least believe the world loves or may be enjoys at least  to see people in love(again thats debatable) but when you use someone as a buffer at least be decent about it rather than act  as though it's a favor to me.

Gosh what I live through……

What a stupid and bitching kinda post…..

The next one hopefully I will be saner if not in a better mood.