Frost At Midnite

Every month there is a shopping that I indulge in – to buy books and spend a sizeable portion of my salary : ( In one of those sprees I had got this book ‘The Language of Love- a celebration of Love and Passion’ by Megan Tresidder. Do not get ideas of the book by its cover or title.

The book looks into love as a topic under study and looks at it from a different angle. I would not be able to relate to it on a deep level for I have not fallen in love. On the other hand, I should for the sake of saying it (for some people really think that love is something that everybody is always in); say I have not been in love for a long time now.

 
Read if you, have a lot of time to kill/ like all forms of poetry/ are looking for a poem to put on a card for your Dearest.

 Some extracts…

 “Love is the most complex and important of all human emotions. It defies adequate definition, but in its grandeur and its imaginative power over our lives, it can be both creative and destructive, beautiful and terrifying.”

 
(No adequate definition, but people do write soooo much about it!)

 
“Freud was the first to propose a coherent theory of love based on scientific principles”

 
(I have liked his theories, and hence I dare not to comment)

 
There are many more inferences from Freud, Plato, Greek literature, European mythology and Indian mythology (apparently, we did have quite a few interesting findings in love!). All aside what drew me to this book beyond all of the above, was the reproduction of art -  some of the classics, French paintings, sculptures, very intense paintings by renowned artists, some classics from Indian art, and… Poetry.

 
I had decided when I came across the book that I should put up the best of the poems in the book as a blog. Beethoven’s moonlight sonata playing in the background, here goes (poetry with moonlight anything is unbeaten – anytime, anywhere!)

There is a strong wall about me to protect me:

It is built of the words you have said to me.

 
There are swords about me to keep me safe:

They are the kisses of your lips.

 
Before me goes a shield to guard me from harm:

It is the shadow of your arms between me and danger.

 
All the wishes of my mind know your name,

And the white desires of my heart

They are acquainted with you.

The cry of my body for completeness,

That is a cry for you.

My blood beats out your name to me, unceasing, pitiless

Your name, your name…

Love song – Mary Carolyn Davies

First time he kissed me, he but only kissed

The fingers of this hand wherewith I write,

And ever since it grew more clean and white,…

Slow to world greetings… quick with its “ Oh,list,”

When the angels speak. A ring of amethyst

I could not wear here plainer to my sight,

Than that first kiss. The second passed in height

The first, and sought a the forehead, and half missed,

Half falling on the hair, O beyond meed!

That was the chrism of love, which love’s own crown,

With sanctifying sweetness, did precede.

The third, upon my lips, was folded down

In perfect, purple state! Since when, indeed,

I have been proud and said, “My love, my own.”

Sonnet from the Portuguese XXXVIII - Elizabeth Barrett Browning

As the apple tree among the trees of the wood,

So is my beloved among the sons.

I sat down under his shadow with great delight,

And his fruit was sweet to my taste.

He brought me to the banqueting house,

And his banner over me was love.

Stay me with flagons,

Comfort me with apples:

For I am sick of love

King James Bible, 1611

When I lie prone above your lovely face

Your eyes reveal strange glints of white, of black,

And my whole bloodstream seethes along its track

Right to the heart itself the colours race.

What they disclose is love, who changes place,

Now low, now high, bow bent and staring back,

Shot after shot I suffer his attack.

Reason, if I am deluded, state your case!

 
Such loss of self-control these visions bring

I would betray my father and my king,

My sisters, brothers, mother – yes and France.

So crazed I am, having drunk long and well

A venom spurted by our dalliance

Out of the eyes which hold me in their spell.

Pierre de Ronsard

Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?

Thou art more lovely and more temperate:

Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May.

And summer’s lease hath all too short a date:

Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,

And often is his gold complexion dimmed;

And every fair from fair declines,

By chance, or nature’s changing course, untrimmed;
But thy eternal summer shall not fade,

Nor lose possession of that fair thou owest,

Nor shall death brag thou wander’st in his shade,

When in eternal lines to time thou growest;

So long as men can breathe or eyes can see

So long lives this, and this gives life to thee

William Shakespeare, sonnet 18.

Come live with me and be my love

And we will all the pleasure prove

That valleys, groves, hills and fields,

Woods, or steepy mountain yields.

 
And we will sit upon the rocks,

Seeing the shepherds feed their flocks.

By shallow rivers to whose falls

Melodious birds sing madrigals.

 
And I will make thee beds of roses

And a thousand fragrant posies,

A cap of flowers, and a kirtle

Embroidered all with leaves of myrtle;

 
A gown made of the finest wool

Which from our pretty lamb we pull;

Fair lined slippers for the cold,

With buckles of these purest gold;

 
A belt of straw and ivy buds,

With coral clasps and amber studs:

And if these pleasures may thee move,

Come live with me, and be my love.

The shepherd’s swains shall dance and sing

For thy delight each May morning:

If these delights thy mind may move,

Then live with me and be my love.

The passionate shepherd to His Love - Christopher Marlowe

That is about the long list that I found in this book. The era of poetry comes back after a long time, a good sign in itself for me, if not for you.

 
PS Rahul, if you are reading this, then please note I have not made any more goof-ups until now. Tomorrow is a different, but I promise that as always you will be appraised if anything happens. And yes, feel free to copy the content for your correspondence with the women in your life

She walks in beauty, like the night

   Of cloudless climes and starry skies;

And all that’s best of dark and bright

   Meet in her aspect and her eyes;

Thus mellowed to that tender light

   Which heaven to gaudy day denies.

One shade the more, one ray the less,

   Had half impaired the nameless grace

Which waves in every raven tress,

   Or softly lightens o’er her face;

Where thoughts serenely sweet express,

   How pure, how dear their dwelling-place.

And on that cheek, and o’er that brow,

   So soft, so calm, yet eloquent,

The smiles that win, the tints that glow,

   But tell of days in goodness spent,

A mind at peace with all below,

   A heart whose love is innocent

                   She Walk in Beauty - Lord Byron

Some other interesting stuff…

As of July 17, 2007, U.S. Department of State’s Consular Information Sheet, has a page for Americans planning to travel to India. It goes…

COUNTRY DESCRIPTION: India, the world’s largest democratic republic, has a very diverse population, geography and climate. India is the world’s second most populous country, and the world’s seventh largest country in area. Tourist facilities have varying degrees of comfort and amenities are widely available in the major population centers and main tourist areas. Read the Department of State Background Notes on India for additional information.

ENTRY/EXIT REQUIREMENTS: U.S. citizens require a valid passport and valid Indian visa to enter and exit India for any purpose. Visitors, including those on official U.S. government business, must obtain visas at an Indian Embassy or Consulate abroad prior to entering the country, as there are no provisions for visas upon arrival. Those arriving without a valid passport and valid visa are subject to immediate deportation. The U.S. Embassy and Consulates in India are unable to assist when U.S. citizens arrive without proper documentation. Each visitor should carry photocopies of the bio-data page of the traveler’s U.S. passport and the page containing the Indian visa in order to facilitate obtaining an exit visa from the Indian government in the event of theft or loss of the passport.

Americans wishing to visit India are responsible for requesting the correct type of visa from the Indian Embassy or Consulate, as there generally are no provisions for changing one’s immigration category (e.g., from tourist to work visa) once admitted. Foreign citizens whose primary purpose of travel is to participate in religious activities should obtain a missionary visa rather than a tourist visa. Indian immigration authorities have deported American citizens who entered India with a tourist visa and conducted religious activities…

About 11 pages of it…. You can find it here.

Really well written article about India, only I don’t know why I don’t seem to be agreeing with a lot of stuff written on there… Some food for thought!!!

I was just going through a few of my friends’ blogs. And then I noticed…

5 foreplay moves she’ll love

Amaltas(try a google search for “amaltas” its the first result.) has a plethora of topics to write about, but this was a pleasant surprise! Just another copy paste for Gyan!

Obvious and standard foreplay moves that women respond to are a good bet for any romantic occasion, but really good foreplay involves her entire body, as well as her mind. Here are five foreplay moves that girls giggle about when they’re talking about their best sexual experiences.

1) On the couch

‘Kissathons’ are fun because they take you right back to when you were a teenager and making out was exciting and adventurous. Couch make-out sessions take the pressure off a girl, allowing her to relax and enjoy the moment. Women like to be teased. Making out with her for hours and never moving into the bedroom will get her so turned on she’ll be wanting you more than ever before.

2) It’s all about touch

Risky, light touching in in-appropriate places when sex cannot happen right then and there is very hot to women and it warms you both up nicely for later. For example, a warm hand up her top during a movie, or a hand down her hips gets her feeling tingly in all the right places.

3) Longer the better

The long, lingering kiss that doesn’t progress anywhere is the sort of kiss that will have her wanting more. She’ll like it when you savour her, and doing this gets her hot under the collar. Deep tongue kissing mimics sex and kickstarts sexual desire. Increased saliva flow is associated with higher arousal. But don’t slobber.

4) Massage

A good erotic massage will sexualise and wake up new parts of her body, increasing the scope of her pleasure. But take care though. Massages, especially after a hard day’s work or a night out drinking can easily slip a woman into sleep mode. Use a small amount of oil, because using too much oil will cover the gentle friction of your hands on her skin, and can end up giving an itchy feeling, which isn’t sex.

5) Neck kissing

Girls love this, as their necks are far more sensitive than a man’s. Be sensuous and take your time. Use a sexy combination of soft and firm kisses, and keep the pace on the slower side. kissing her neck from behind will turn her on.

Kissing is fun and a big turn on. Kiss and tell : )

The Frost performs its secret ministry,
Unhelped by any wind. The owlet’s cry
Came loud–and hark, again ! loud as before.
The inmates of my cottage, all at rest,
Have left me to that solitude, which suits
Abstruser musings : save that at my side
My cradled infant slumbers peacefully.
‘Tis calm indeed ! so calm, that it disturbs
And vexes meditation with its strange
And extreme silentness. Sea, hill, and wood,
This populous village ! Sea, and hill, and wood,
With all the numberless goings-on of life,
Inaudible as dreams ! the thin blue flame
Lies on my low-burnt fire, and quivers not ;
Only that film, which fluttered on the grate,
Still flutters there, the sole unquiet thing.
Methinks, its motion in this hush of nature
Gives it dim sympathies with me who live,
Making it a companionable form,
Whose puny flaps and freaks the idling Spirit
By its own moods interprets, every where
Echo or mirror seeking of itself,
And makes a toy of Thought.

But O ! how oft,

How oft, at school, with most believing mind,
Presageful, have I gazed upon the bars,
To watch that fluttering stranger ! and as oft
With unclosed lids, already had I dreamt
Of my sweet birth-place, and the old church-tower,
Whose bells, the poor man’s only music, rang
From morn to evening, all the hot Fair-day,
So sweetly, that they stirred and haunted me
With a wild pleasure, falling on mine ear
Most like articulate sounds of things to come !
So gazed I, till the soothing things, I dreamt,
Lulled me to sleep, and sleep prolonged my dreams !
And so I brooded all the following morn,
Awed by the stern preceptor’s face, mine eye
Fixed with mock study on my swimming book :
Save if the door half opened, and I snatched
A hasty glance, and still my heart leaped up,
For still I hoped to see the stranger’s face,
Townsman, or aunt, or sister more beloved,
My play-mate when we both were clothed alike !

Dear Babe, that sleepest cradled by my side,

Whose gentle breathings, heard in this deep calm,
Fill up the intersperséd vacancies
And momentary pauses of the thought !
My babe so beautiful ! it thrills my heart
With tender gladness, thus to look at thee,
And think that thou shalt learn far other lore,
And in far other scenes ! For I was reared
In the great city, pent ‘mid cloisters dim,
And saw nought lovely but the sky and stars.
But thou, my babe ! shalt wander like a breeze
By lakes and sandy shores, beneath the crags
Of ancient mountain, and beneath the clouds,
Which image in their bulk both lakes and shores
And mountain crags : so shalt thou see and hear
The lovely shapes and sounds intelligible
Of that eternal language, which thy God
Utters, who from eternity doth teach
Himself in all, and all things in himself.
Great universal Teacher ! he shall mould
Thy spirit, and by giving make it ask.

Therefore all seasons shall be sweet to thee,

Whether the summer clothe the general earth
With greenness, or the redbreast sit and sing
Betwixt the tufts of snow on the bare branch
Of mossy apple-tree, while the nigh thatch
Smokes in the sun-thaw ; whether the eave-drops fall
Heard only in the trances of the blast,
Or if the secret ministry of frost
Shall hang them up in silent icicles,

Quietly shining to the quiet Moon.

Dumb! Very dumb! Could I be any dumber?!?! Super poke… it played a joke with me! Every other thing requires a confirmation and takes you to a page, which allows you to add the thing to your profile. Stupid Hugs. No… No… Stupid me. I should not have been greedy for a dumb button on my profile. Yes, I had lost the last traces of sanity then, when after being alerted by a well-wishing friend, I realized the blunder that I had done. Actually just another thing for my friends to pull my leg with. (In fact, screen shots of my online blunder were taken and circulated.) Poor me!

Looking back, things cannot be undone, and therefore I shall not rant about it any longer.[(Kailash Kher, Pink Floyd, Beethoven)+Poetry = regaining sanity] On the contrary, it amazes me as to how, after all the learning that I had on the job about the internet and the technology involved, I could not fore see this stupid on_click event. Something that I could have avoided or even stopped but instead I just had to repeat it – twice in all, with a time interval of 14 odd minutes to ponder about why exactly I did not get a hug button on my home page.

In case you have come here, looking for free hugs/comment about ‘the hugs’/tell me about destiny or desperation and pull my leg… SSSSSSssssssssshhhhhhhhhhhhhh….. Just leave silently. If it is really an uncontrollable urge, then spill it out in the comment section. I am rude, but not heartless. : )

I just figured that if you are really vella, you can actually browse through all the applications that facebook has and add them, instead of just going through your friends profiles and lifting them off!

Acknowledgement: Thanks to all those people, without whom this post would not have been possible. You guys really make fill my world with emotional entertainment.

I AM FEELING LUCKY!?!?! - not really!

I had a great first paragraph. Then I felt I took it overboard and therefore consulted Anusha. Her exact words on being asked if I could publish it were, “ I guess, but be prepared”. And off late I am not in a good state of mind to tackle situations because they are mostly created by me! Therefore I withdrew the first paragraph and put it in abeyance. It shall be posted some day when I get my arrogance and attitude back!

Incase you are wondering what this is all about, don’t read further, because it is only a matter of writing something for the sake of writing. I actually forgot what I wanted to write by the time I started – sorry Anusha, I couldn’t do justice to your request.

Proceed at your own risk!

But there are some things that I take the liberty of assuming I got to know. These many things are simply by observing people/things etc. like when I really got behind the bowling “thing” and found how the mechanism works. (Still think I was good in the mechanical department, have not been able to understand and appreciate the computer as much). It is always good to know this kind of stuff. You never know what that could inspire you.

However the trend of observing and learning is diminishing by the day; in fact not even observing, just listening and learning is fading away. I may have cribbed about how I am subject to mundane gossip during many a cab ride, but I have to say, either people wise, or knowledge wise - almost 21% of all the rides have been enlightening. It is however very appalling to note that the vast majority does not absorb as much information and are unable to retain it. It is very different when you are involved in something and therefore tend to remember more than you normally would. Quite amazing! There were quite a few articles written about how our generation and its successors are unable to appreciate and endorse the written word. (I am talking about Books!) Limited to reading blogs, which are more a personal compilation of ones feelings and emotions and rants, there is not much of a variety that we could read online. (No Keats, Shakespeare, Coleridge) There can never be a classic blog! (Maybe I should reproduce poetry –or key in the Tempest or a Jane Austen)

I am guessing this must have obviously reduced our vocabulary, and yes thanks to our call centers, there shall no longer be “Queens English”. Applying the same concepts to the art of listening, if we do not think of how bad it must have gotten. Let me Finally (Let it out!…Sigh….!!!) cut the crap and get to the issue. I observed a group chit chatting about something. Happened to be a conversation about a deity. Gone are those days when people went to temples to have a chance to connect with god. These days, it is more like an “appraisal” or “ultimatum” meeting. When places of worship tend to get noisy or are commercialized, I am out of there in no time. Been to a temple in Hyderabad just once, when the priest got a little friendly, I backed off and have not gone there ever since. There was a time that everyone knew the 330 million Indian Gods and Goddesses; and their significance. The entire conversation was about who was the deity? Who was the temple dedicated to. Damn neat Experience! Just blew my mind off. You have apparently gone to do business with god, and now you don’t even know who you have done business with. Doesn’t get better than that! An, inspired Anusha, released from her monotony for a while, went around asking who “Aandaal” was. Anusha has an avid interest in such matters. One of the many answers was that she was the south Indian version of Meera. Another one was that she was the south Indian version of Durga. Unbelievably, we can’t be un-racist ourselves, should I blame the Racist??? And we did not even spare the Gods with our racist tendencies. : (

I went through to MaxDavinci’s Blog and I found a link Not many ppl link to me, **Jumping with joy**

: (

After a very long time we part, rather have to. God knows if we will ever be together again. The verdant moments of merriment will now cease to exist from my life. The time we spent together, just talking, making coffee, exploring the world, discussing our careers, talking about family and plans of his marriage in Goa and other trivial, worldly and spiritual matters - all of it is ending.

I do not care if I sound terribly sentimental and emotional, or anything the like, the Fact remains that we are parting ways. Like Joey, from FRIENDS says, “Why God, Why??? Why US??? – We had a deal!” Imagine if Harry, Ron and Hermione are forced to split. This is what is happening. Poor Li’l Disney, she was just living in her little bubble filled with bliss, when she got an SOS for need of space to accommodate some human beings, and Disnie just can’t say no when some one asks her for help. That is just her. And they found space – by replacing us; no, we are not fired, not yet at least, we just have to shift our place to elsewhere. That is what is soooo disheartening. I am not a person who would attach a value to something like a workstation, but then I have to admit, I have had the most amazing neighbors - BizTrivia and Sail, who gave me all those nice memories, Vade mecum and eventually make me want to write about our glorious time together. BizTrivia is a chemical engineer (with a masters in information mgt.) with an amazingly varied interest. The only chemistry that probably interests him these days are the covalent bonds that are formed by the force of mutual attraction between the like-minded particles (seriously, no IQ!=no EQ) that constitute the work environment Anyway, not digressing to incorrect chemistry. BizTrivia has an abundance of knowledge and more importantly the enthusiasm to share it with others – not someone who acts smart all the time, but some one who will undoubtedly share wisdom if you ask for it. Or not some one who would be verbose and loquacious but someone who is the most taciturn of all people I know. Consider handling a person like me, with a never-ending array of the weirdest and dumbest questions, BizTrivia has an answer to all of my questions, and I am left mostly amazed by logic and fact.

Sail on the other hand is like the “peddakka” to both BizTrivia and me. Every little thing she does is magic, (u guessed rite, am listening to Sting), including the way she says “yes”. From what I know, she seems to be a rather cool-headed, nonchalant person but she does form an opinion on everyone based on his or her actions. And yes, in her case, as proven by her photographs, they can be deceptive. she provided all the amusement that I needed to keep me from killing myself due to monotony. These two people mean a whole lot to me – have learnt a great deal from both of them.

To put it in a clichéd manner, all good things come to an end, and so did our tenure in The Cube. If you noticed I started with having to part, but now I write in past tense (I really do not know if the former is present continuous or perfect or whatever). The Cube had begun to have a life of its own. Before, no one even bothered to venture to the island that we were isolated in, but after a move that brought in Sail, like the whiff of wet earth brings in an agreeable ambience, there was an unusual surge of people that would come over to have a good time and feel entertained or enlightened. There was always something happening in The Cube. But now The Cube, is just like any another cube.

With Sail and me no longer there, it is just BizTrivia and some vague stranger – no one would come anywhere where we are seated, unless of course, we are spotted together. The move has been to different ends of the world. I have moved to the main continent while BizTrivia remains where he is. Sail moved to the tip of the island, making contact very difficult with mainland. BizTrivia is seated next to a new person who joined the team, someone right out of college, not someone I would be judgmental about, not yet I guess. Sail, has interesting company… three men. Water water everywhere, not a drop to drink. One of them is newly married and in the afterglow of it, the other got committed recently and smitten, and the last one, well, let’s just say she may never have a sane conversation with some one who is racist. Phone calls are plenty in that region. Interestingly her interest in music has also increased after the move.

Poor BizTrivia the lonely guy has no such kinds of entertainment. Surrounded by people who you don’t know and/or don’t want to know - he must really miss us. The move into the new cube has not been very pleasing either. I even thought of absconding from work and faxing my resignation. Work may be monotonous, but people and the vibes that are around make you feel positive. Here I have nothing but a silent cube. I guess everyone is silent because they fear they may anger or disturb someone else, who would in turn return the “Favor” by simply making crass remarks, in one of the most acrimonious manners I have known. Apparently, this is what constitutes sarcasm/pun in their dictionaries. I cannot say I have not encountered the kind, I did, but in college. A very common symptom of immature infantile rebuttal of grown-up conduct syndrome you presume, well… if you can count the most negative symptoms of professional covetousness also, I agree. One day at this place and I am in the stalest of moods after I moved into this job(your are probably thinking if I ever am not, from the past posts). I even left work early, simply because I could not bear to sit there anymore and succumb to all the negative energy. Finding me leave/gone early was a surprise to many. Ismiley even called me later to ensure all was well. I miss the times in The Cube -Sine dubito! … From terra firma to terra incognita, goodbye good times. I hope it does not contribute to the stale posts that I have been coming up with. I also noticed that after we moved out, the cube seems to have gotten a few new, extra accessories, not every one gets everything! I hope BizTrivia and Sail have a good time even after this highly emotionally turbulent incident that has brought with it a lot of apprehensions and depressions. However, I guess, like BizTrivia noted, we always have our breaks where we can always gang up and disrupt peace around. Hoping that we have many such breaks to bring in some cheer to my otherwise sad work life.

And taking MaxDavinci’s review seriously, I came up with smaller, but more paragraphs this time

On the flight back when I am left with just 20 more minutes of the in-flight experience, I decide to give some feedback about the experience or should I say, knowing the way I delineate from the topic, the different experience in the different carriers.

The competition is tough these days in the domestic scene - with many low cost carriers coming in, and loads of people opting to travel by air, just for the sake of convenience. What with fares as low as Rs. 0.99 and taxes as high Rs. 1500.00 the entire journey would tally to around Rs. 1700.00 max. When there is so much of competition, it makes sense that, if you are operating even if it is at a loss, that you give quality for you what you charge. OK, for the 99 paise that I shell out to the carrier I should not expect much. But then at least adhere to the norms that are to be followed. Well, sad as it might sound from me, I do appreciate sticking to rules occasionally; especially at an altitude where the biggest building seems like a block and the clouds seem to be my carpet. The observations made on this not so spicy flight made me want to put it up for review. While take off, you are requested to keep your seat upright, lock your tray, and fasten your seat belt. And then finally just before take-off, the ‘attendant akka’ comes around and checks if you have done all of the above. Listen to your attendant when they say something. Keep your seat upright, tray tables locked, blah blah blah… This smart guy, decides he has to have a relaxed take off and keeps a fully reclined, OK, as far as his seat would allow him to - remember it is not emirates, and then falls sick immediately after take-off. Thus making the attendants raise an emergency call for medical attention. What a sissy. If you ever intend to break a rule, just remember you should be brave enough to take the repercussion otherwise just do not break, well anything. Besides people tend to overlook, underestimate and not listen. This situation could have been avoided if the attendant would have made her usual rounds to check if there was anyone who had not followed the mandatory instructions and made a request to rectify this. Well, for once I actually must appreciate Para mount, which does its rounds only across the south of the country. Every thing is taken care off right from the time that you step into the airport – a concierge service and all that blah. Very well marketed!!! Jet on the other hand has a very good service and record, but for what I am paying, yeh dil mange more. Also, it would be great if their training program for in-flight crew would be more intense and accommodating. And talking about attendants, I some times feel that these private carriers take things beyond. Like this one time when I was flying Para mount - there was this creepy guy, trust me creepy is an underestimation, who would not let any chance of talking/hitting on the attendants that came his way, slip away – the best part was he did not differentiate between the female and the male attendants, it was a nice flight on the whole, wonder why I did not write about it. And the attendants had to grin as usual. Unlike air India that has some of the rudest staff members ever – also service wise it is a rather sad state of affairs. While on the other hand, British airways is optimum.(a bottle of wine to bribe you for a good review perhaps). Anyways all this aside, the call has come for me to switch off my laptop, I had better do it before the flight attendant comes along for checking, atleast now she has learnt her lesson