Writer's Block?

Well, I was not a writer as such, but not able to post anything worthy since a few months :(

Random thoughts on Life and Death...

During childhood, at some point in time, I suddenly realized that there is a voice inside me that is talking to myself. Every moment and action got recorded somewhere inside There was a feedback, followup, discussion, agreement, disagreement, suggestion and all kinds of things talked inside. I don't remember when this awareness was felt. I have faint memories of early days. Can't say exactly when I really started feeling it. Perhaps it was there since beginning but it was not in a form of dialogue. It started subconsciously and someday I realized that it is none other than "Me" talking to myself.  This was the moment of inner-self-awareness. I felt like Number 5 - a robot in movie who realized that he has got human ability - "Number 5 is alive!"

I wondered, "Where does it voice originate? Is it the heart? the brain? or the eyes?". Funny enough, on occasions, I felt that this is something abnormal. The continuous talk bothered me. I even tried to stop talking to myself, in vain :) It took time to accept that this is just human.

Being able to talk to yourself is such an amazing thing. You know that there is someone who knows everything about you. Knows what you want to do, say, feel, touch, ignore, accept, reject, listen, curse, love, hate and know! Is this someone not YOU? will it exist without you? will you exist without it?

Another thing, we usually converse with ourselves in the default language that we are thought. How do people who can't speak or hear, "talk to themselves"? There has to be a way for them too. We often see that even animals have a thought process. Many of their actions are based out of hardwired instincts and behavioural traits. But sure there has to be a way for them too!

This question always brings an interesting chain of thoughts to my mind (sic)...

"If this is being alive, what is being dead like?"

How does it feel to be dead? There are times when I brainstorm what would happen to people around if I happen to die suddenly, maybe the very next moment? Like when someone casually calls up home and announces that he will be there in few minutes and he doesnt! Or like when you speak to someone and next day you hear sad news about him!

This blog post was in draft for many months, till I came across this disturbing situation. I recently met one fellow biker. We became part of an online group where we discussed riding together and many other things about the motorcycles. While our riding plans took time to materialise, we kept exchanging facebook comments, often witty, poky and informative. One fine Sunday morning, we met near our house for the ride and went 90kms with 3 other bikers. We returned after breakfast and nice chat and waived each other bye-bye as we neared my house. That night I came to know that he met with an accident near his house in the evening and three days later, he succumbed to fatal injuries to head. This entire episode disturbed me a lot. I kept thinking how unexpected life is and how quickly it ended when it seemed like a new begining. Felt like lost someone close. The thought of how his kins and family would be dealing with this made me shake.

Its kindda easy to imagine how others will react, including family, neighbors, friends, colleagues and even strangers. But its still not easy to imagine what happens to you and this voice after death? Is it like you feel when you are deep asleep - total blackout and a calmness surrounding you (and at this point, YOU really stop existing)? This is no easy question to answer I think.

If your inner voice becomes quiet after death, are we dead every time we are sleep? I agree that our body keeps functioning and we even dream. But does that happen to people in coma also? Is difference between being in coma and being asleep, is that the brain forgets to wake up?

At the end, its so fragile and short-lived experience to be alive anyway. Our existance is so tiny in front of the entire universe!

Is this Time-Travel?

Case 1 : Catching up with others who have gone past you, in time before you.

Time	Scene 1	Scene 2	Scene 3
7.00 am	Arrive at a the highway signal as it goes RED right in front of youself. Watch others speeding away. Notice one particular biker who managed to pass when it was gree and revved up as if there is no tomorrow	Arrive at a the highway signal as it goes RED right in front of youself. Watch others speeding away. Notice one particular biker who managed to pass when it was gree and revved up as if there is no tomorrow	Just arrived at a signal as it goes RED right front me. Watching others speeding away. Noticed one particular biker revving up as if there is no tomorrow
7.01 am	Signal goes GREEN, start moving at leisure speed, the biker has vanished ahead	Do nothing, stop aside	Do nothing, stop aside
7.06 am	Keep moving slowly, the biker has reached next signal	Still wait	Still wait
7.07am	The biker gets GREEN again, he starts ripping	Start ripping	Still wait
7.09 am	Keep moving slowly, you reach next signal and it just goes RED as you reach	Reach the signal just before it goes RED, continue, biker is almost in sight,	Enter time machine
7.15 am	Biker has gone much ahead	Rip further and zoom by him. He is taken aback by the close fly-by	Exist the time machine behind just before the biker. Surprise him by similar fly-by as in Scene 2

Case 2 : Reaching office before those who start before you and reach after you.

Time	Scene 1	Scene 2	Scene 3
7.00 am	Wake up, hurry up, get ready for work	Sleep	Sleep
7.45 am	Ready to leave house	Wake up!	Sleep
7.50 am	Catch auto	get ready	Sleep
8.05 am	Reach bus stop	get ready	Sleep
8.10 am	Get into bus, sleep	Ready to leave the house, start bike, rip hard	Wake up!
8.20 am	Sleep	rip, rip, rip	Enter time machine
8.45 am	Sleep	Reach office	Exit at office
9.00 am	Reach office

Note: Dont disect the timeline, but get the idea. Travelling on Momo is like time travel :)

Wikipedia blackout workaround

Overall perceived IQ of humanity would drop down significantly today. Thanks to the Wiki Blackout :)

If you are those who still want to desperately refer wikipedia, try this:
Press <esc> (Escape Key) as soon as the page loads, it should prevent the redirection to blackout banner. Worked with Firefox atleast.

:)

so how does Mr. Sibbal expect to implment this pre-screening?

- Apply for SSN (Social Sites & Networking) ID (So be prepared to witness yet another fraud related to preparing and distributing cards, goof ups etc...)

- A new department will be formed and centers put up across the country. The department would be called - Department of Union Ministry of Badmouth Against Sajjan Sarkar (DUMBASS)

- Every time you wish to tweet or post on social sites, you would need to write all the posts/tweets in prescribed format on a form and submit it to the nearest center alongwith photocopy of your SSN ID

- The department would scrutinize and selectively approve your form and approval number would be provided. The approval is at sole descretion of the department and UT Tax is applicable (Under Table Tax)

- If you are part of any political family or on the official list of VIP (Very Irritating Persons) then this process is exempted.

- There would be standard tweets/posts which would be pre-approved e.g. Hi, whats up, happy birthday, congratulations etc...the government does not wish to take away your freedom of expressions you see.

"Living with Ninja Experiences" - First Day Out

Rode it to office on Temp registration. Didnt get caught :)


As expected, it was attention grabbing in the common parking lot. Colleagues came down to see and hear it live. Some unknown employees too went down and had a look. Got glances and questions everywhere :) The size and color is more attention grabbing that exhaust.

There was one moment on road when I decided to open throttle a little and it just surged ahead, I felt as it I would be thrown off. But realized that this can be avoided by leaning ahead a bit before doing so. It then beams ahead easily and objects in mirror start getting smaller faster :)

Heat was manageable too. Lights still need to be adjusted. The adjustment screw seems unresponsive :(

On return trip, it started drizzling and lightening due to receding monsoon (was I being photographed from above? :D ). Managed to reach home before it rained but bike had to face rains afterwards in parking. Will have to wipe it off before sleeping and put the covers on.

Loved the first day out!!!

"Living with Ninja Experiences" - Preface

 

They always said that life changes in India after you bring home a superbike. Ninja 650R is not really a superbike but by Indian standards of commuter biking, it definitely is one.

Its been just two days that the bike has come home. Registration formalities are underway and I am already feeling the "Living with Ninja Experiences".

People started approaching right at the showroom door and started asking price. Dad was zapped after knowing it. He couldnt believe that it costs that much. and then "You could buy a big car in that money!". The sweeper in the next building came running and insisted that I tell him the price.

One shop owner offerred me to park it inside his compound instead of parking on the road, without asking. Never happened in past when I parked P180 or P220F in front of this shop.

One guy on road, honked and gave thumbs up, then proceeded to tail for a while.

Met a guy at RTO, very excited to see "Ninja ZX 650". kept talking in english though I answered in hindi. He showed the "air cooler" to his partner, and then proceeded to tell him, "mere ko car me jyada knowledge nahi hai, lekin bike ka sab pata hai" (I dont know much in cars but I know everything in bikes)

Another guy : "isme silencer nahi hai?" (Doesnt it have a silencer?)
me (very innocently)": "nahi hai" (No!)
 
One fellow asked if he can sit and take a pic (I really appreciate these manners, as long as I can politely say No :) ). He took a pic and told me, "It would go on facebook now and your bike will be famous"
 
Two typical questions that deserve a placard to be put on bike with answers
- "Kitane ki hai?" (How much does it cost)
- "Kitana deti hai?" (How many kilometers a litre)
 
And thanks to the Daytime Running Light, people go crazy, drop their work and stand in middle of the road to tell that I am running with the lights on. This is accompanied with palm gesture similar to screwing a bulb in-out of its socket. I usually have my lights on so this is less of an annoyance now :)
 
Havent gone out since registaration is not completed, hopefully that happens next week. Till then it would stay parked :( More after that... :)