Maya

She was in control of her emotions until the nadaswaram player started blowing his horn. He was controlling the cow. The cow was being told to destroy everything. And how the cow tore down the mansion of success Oprah had laboriously constructed over the years. Even Cartman who'd been a harmless piece of fiction until then was starting a cast a shadow - she watched helplessly as the rudest animated character ever created, began to come to life in her studio. This was history in the making but it was time to put an end to this madness. She stood on one leg and did penance for two thousand years until lord Shiva was forced to grant her an army of 300 of his very best and they came flying down from the heavens towards her studio. Kamal, sensing some potential danger here, sent up the piranha signal into the sky. Three thousand miles away, Rohan (who'd just recently vanquished his worst enemy - the exam monster) was now in a death duel with a new and infinitely more powerful adversary who'd crept up and wrapped her tentacles around him while he wasn't looking - the job monster. Even she had to step aside though, and let him answer the call of the piranha. "I'll be back...", he said sheepishly and sped off towards Kurukshetra. By the time he reached there, Abhi and Electron Rahul had already emailed themselves to Chicago and the battle was already raging....

Two thousand miles away in Himachal, an apple lands on a bearded old man's head. The old man disappears completely. Far far away, Geroge appears in flesh and blood behind a drum kit and the rest of the band is already jamming. The machine guns have turned into guitars, the chakras have turned into a laptop and Oprah rubs her eyes in disbelief as she realises that everything she saw was just

Maya

(The Bombay Store building, MG Road)

Thursday 2nd August 2007 8.30pm

George is back and so is Lounge Piranha :)

and the website is acting a bit strange so take it with a pinch of salt.

... and www.loungepiranha.com for one cup sykosis...
... and www.myspace.com/loungepiranhamusic for one plate music

I've found

I've found some nice things.
-an ocean with no waves
-a wall to climb


Category: Super things

The Whore

In the morning a woman exits an appartment hurriedly, coffee mug in her hand.
'Late?' my eyes ask. Friendly.
'I drink it in the car.' She tells me.
We smile at each other as we wait for the lift.

In the evening I get into the lift with another woman.
Covered. Smelling strongly.
The curls of her coloured, fake hair sticking out under the cloth of her head cover. An abaya parting at her legs, covers her body.
Sun glasses.
She doesnt' talk.
She enters an appartment.

The same one.

You never believed me when I told you that I read bottom up.
I do.
:)

Scrimmage

Scrimmage- The contest between two opposing teams that begins at the time the ball is snapped until it is out of play; also, a practice game, often between teams formed from the same squad of players.

*For you. And that t-shirt I still have but never wear :) I miss you.

I noticed yesterday that I can pataav guys.
Heh :)



Mood: Amused
Category: Chance noticings

It never occurred to me before now, that I can if I please, (and I do :)) have a picture of a hot guy as my wall paper. You know, how boys have pictures of hot girls as theirs? :)

So.

This, everybody is my new wallpaper.

The ambiguity colors it fine. Leaving a lot to imagination and subtracting more.

-Anonymous (Only not)

My palm

A constant reminder
Of what.
Of what not.

Haunted Hotel

It wasn't even a little bit haunted.

An estimation.

Lotus

"Yes... he went to the mountains a few years ago after job quatted, we're still waiting for him to come back", answers Kamal.

"But...", said Oprah, wiping away one tear drop from her left eye, "How long can you wait for him to come back?"
"As long as it takes him, Oprah", said Kamal,
Oprah is an about-to-burst dam. The entire studio audience is an over filled water balloon about to explode.
"Such commitment...", she starts, Kamal cuts her off, "Oprah, haven't you ever heard of side projects? Here take this hanky and console yourself."
"But your side project has become an international super-hit, why don't you call it your main project?", she takes the hanky and cosoles herself. "Such commitment...anyway", she continues, "because your undying devotion, we arranged a little surprise for you. Someone is backstage waiting to reunite with you forever", she says facing the audience with a big smile.
One tear drop starts coming from Kamal's right eye. "Oprah... did you find Geor...?"

But before he can complete the sentence, Cartman comes running out from backstage wearing a dress and crazy make-up shouting, "Wha-ever wha-ever, I'll do what I want!", Nagraj from Raj comics comes out shooting snakes at him, Oprah starts to scream, a cameraman falls off from above, a cow jumps into the audience, a fire starts....

Far far away in Himachal Pradesh, in an orchard where no roads reach, a man with a very long beard smiles and switches off the tv in his little cottage. He picks up his papers and felt pens and a basket of lunch and heads towards the door. He remembers when he first came here years ago to finish his graphic novel. He really did think he was going to go back in those days. He hadn't understood the tug of the mountains yet. He walks towards the path he knows so well now. He walks for a few hours, a half smile plastered on his face, he stops to rest under a tree and have some lunch. "Side project...", he murmurs to himself... just then an apple falls on his head.

What is it:
3sevens, (feat. kamal from Lounge Piranha) live at Maya

Who is it:
Kamal, lead guitar, rhythm guitar, lead vocals, side vocals, lyrics, arrangements Rohinton bass, tabla Rahul on tabla

When is it:
6th July - 8 pm onwards

How is it:
hundred bucks at the door, three hundred and seventy seven, seven inside :-)

Piranha Fry

No fairy tales this time. Just the situation as it is.

Dijeridoo man Pervez quit job situations a couple of months ago, slipped into a phone booth, turned back into Bullet man Pervez, and headed straight for the mountains after a couple of detours in Kerala and Gujrat. At least that's what we think we think. Corporate designer and drummer George then quit his job situations, put on his artist cap (tilted at a rakish angle) and also headed straight for the mountains, after playing one last gig at Maya. Armed with papers and pencils and pens he makes his way toward an apple estate in Himachal to relax and draw. He claims he'll be back in a month or so, with the stress firmly planted on the "or so".

In the meanwhile back in Gotham city, it's time to pull out some projects which have been waiting patiently the last year or more. Kamal's ready to restart 777 (Kamal + tabla + bass), Abhi's messing around with some electrons and Rohan's setting up an underground recording facility in his medical college. There obviously won't be any Lounge Piranha shows till George is back but if any of these side projects kick-off, we'll send you an email. Fair and square? Ok, happy summer holidays then!

- LP

... and www.loungepiranha.com for one cup sykosis...
... and www.myspace.com/loungepiranhamusic for one plate music

Rounds

-Applause
-Beer
-Ammunition



Category: What's the good word?

Haunted Hotel

Next week end we're going here.
Local rumour has it that the place is haunted and that there's a haunted village nearby too.
It seems that the village is a ghost village. Everything in the village is intact. The houses, the furniture, everything. But the village is empty. As if everybody got up one day and just left.

We'll find out next week.



*Room in the car for holy people, water, crucifixes, all that.

Indefinite, tentative

Since I'm now staying here indefinitely :(
It means I have lots more money to spend.
Super. :)

So.

Tentative plans.

December:
-Bombay-Bangalore-Coorg-Bangalore-Delhi-Nagaland-Places around Nagaland-Bangalore-Hampi (Andrew? Do you still have Fox's bike?)-Bangalore


That's all.

I don't know if everybody's allowed a conclusion
or a misconclusion, whichever.
Even me.

I never chose my friends.
But I chose once.
You don't know.

-ks

Boy

How we fall

-from grace
-in love
-a part


Category: :)

Do you know what guys call girls who flash? he wanted to know.
Because a tiny bit of my inside wear accidentaly showed.
S L
U T
He mouthed the letters.
Is that also what girls call boys who flash? I wanted to know laughing a few minutes later at a glimplse of a pair of blue chaddis that had a boy inside them.

Aaagghh, he screamed like a girl.
And shut up after that.

:)

Category: Flash Gordon

Cartwheeling :)

Location: Umm Al Qwain Beach, the weekend

We were happy then wern't we?
That Easter two years ago.
Just after you came back.
Just before I left.
You're the one who never really wanted to come back.
I'm the one who never wanted to leave.
But you did.
And I did.

(for Marlene Gayle Rodricks)

Everything converges to a point
A little bit left of centre
Only this time it missed my chest completely
And hit instead the back of my neck.


Category: Cryptic?

I never told her that if you open the hot water tap you get cold water, so that I could have it ALL for myself.


Category: Greedy

Opinions

They form and unform
Easily and uneasily.

I smelled the memory of being alone yesterday.



Category: Smell memories/ Unaccustoms

Calling a girl 'dude'
Is EXACTLY
Like calling a boy 'chick'
Okay?




:)

My mother told me once that we can't have our cake and eat it too.
So we must have two cakes.

!

Category: What nonsense

In the house inside my head, there's a room for you too.

The three year old and the four and a half year old argue.
Hands stuck out in front of them, palm side down, to compare.
The four and a half year old who's a little bit white says, 'My hand is fairer than yours.'
The three year old looking down at her own hand which she has to admit, is in comparison a little bit blacker, quickly turns her hand, palm side up and says, 'MY hand is fairer than yours.'


:)
Category: Baby us

Rain cloud eyes.

Ballerina

(My colleague Mary Rose's niece Kristen's ballet class. Kristen, third from left.)

The words, they stick in your head.


Category: Sticky words

Irritation

It was hurt or was it indiference? Maybe a little of both, who knows
The presumption of tears could have meant anything
It was the setting of a jaw
The folding of arms
The holding in
The closing out
The elevator
The stairs
The floor
The man that stared slightly longer than was appropriate.
It was many things
But it wasn't irritation


Category: Fiction

'I wouldn't go out with someone like him.' She mentioned as a matter, in the course, of conversation; refering to a person independant of the two of us.
'I wouldn't go out with someone like your boyfriend.' I rubberbanded back without stopping to think.
Seeing her slightly taken aback face, I softened a bit and made my excuses.


It was only much later, in a different, unrelated conversation that I understood why she had said that about him.

It made me like her imperceptibly less, know her imperceptibly more.




-at

Megan

(I thought the see through hat and the face bib was a nice touch :)

Boy- Are you a witch?
Me- No. Gotosleep.
Boy-...
(half a minute later)
Boy- Are you sure?


Background:
I found it awkward to ask somebody to pray for someone that they didn't know.
So in my head I said to the boy who was falling asleep. 'Pray for my friend's Father.'
I swear to God, I didn't open my mouth.
As soon as the thought is done the boy, startled turns towards me.
'What?' I ask him.
'Did you say something to me?' he wants to know.
I pause.
'I did, but not aloud. I said it in my head. Why? What did you hear?'
'I heard, 'Pray for my..' and then I turned to hear the rest only you were quiet.'
Of course we both go Fu......ck, this is so weird. You're serious?? I'm serious!!, etc.
Then I say. 'Ok, now gotosleep.'
And that we'll presume, is all.


Category 1: Super
Category 2: Unnatural

Seek.

"I get one phone call right?", Abhi asked Inspector Kaizar, who nodded sagely. "Well can I borrow your phone?". "You don't have a cell phone?", the inspector wanted to know. "I do but... it acts more like a phone book and it only receives calls and... can I borrow your phone?".

The heat was sweltering that afternoon and the inspector was not in a mood to let things pass. He looked fairly relaxed (bordering bored) as he leant back on his wooden chair, under the fan, in his little room at the station, which had recently been renovated by Tantri the Mantri to look more like a (melting) chocolate cake.

And he obviously had plenty of time on his hands. "But what's wrong with it? Why can't it make calls?" "Because it doesn't have currency". A hint of impatience from the good inspector, "Why doesn't it have currency? You broke?" "No I'm not broke, I purposely don't put currency in it because I hate cell phones". Inspector Kaizar thought about that for a second before pronouncing judgement. He was not a hasty man. "That's the dumbest thing I ever heard. What do you do if you're in sticky spot and you need to make a call?". "I borrow a phone. Please... can I borrow your phone?" Inspector Kaizar sighed and handed him his phone. Abhi muttered a thank you and called George immediately.

"Hey Abhi what's up?"
"How'd you know it was me?"
"It usually is when I don't recognise the number. What's up?"
"Nothing ra, I got arrested"
"Stealing mangoes again?"
"Ya ra, can you come help?"
"I'll be there in 10 minutes. The chocolate cake on 5th cross right?"
"Yup"

One hour later the mess was cleaned up and Abhi and George were making their way out of the building. "By the way inspector", Abhi told him, "If you're planning to come and shut down Maya on Thursday night, come a little early and catch the show, you'll see one more reason I still have this mobile phone..."

Lounge Piranha LIVE at Maya - 3rd floor, The Bombay Store, M.G. Road
Thursday, 7th June, 8.45pm onwards
Hundred bucks entry at the door. Mobile jam inside.

and also tring tring tring tring tring... (new song alert!)


... and www.loungepiranha.com for one cup sykosis...
... and www.myspace.com/loungepiranhamusic for one plate music

Do you also rememebr
How we built a fire behind the door of our room
With that lovely, glossy blue paper for fuel
And how we made Yashoda promise not to tell
And she did, promise that is
But she told anyway
And we all got into shit

He he
:)

Category: Shit

Do either of you remember
How when we were very little
We would weigh ourselves
Then carry the dog
Weigh ourselves again
And subtract the difference?

:)

Category1: Possession of useful informations
Category2: How to calculate how heavy the dog is
Category3: Rememberings and smilings and how we used to be

'God has a purpose.' She insisted.
'You mean a twisted sense of humour.' I insisted right back.

He named his daughter Keira.
Just one letter away from my name, I couldn't help noticing.
After the actress? I asked.
Yes; the actress. He replied, an imperceptible pause later.

Uncomfort

My heart finds itself a home.
In
My chest
My stomach
My throat.

Rain

Andrew Kelly: Hey, want to play some scrabble.
Me: Yeah
Andrew Kelly: Great.
Scrabulous
Me: How droll
Hoover's taking effect
Andrew Kelly: Huh? - Scrabulous Kiran, it's a scrabble website where you play online.
Me: Oh
He he
Ok
Now how was I supposed to know that?
Andrew Kelly: Well I thought you were psychic.
Me: I make it rain somethimes
Andrew: My bad
Me: That's the extent of my super power
Andrew Kelly: Nice, I could use some rain here, does sometimes warrant now?
Me: If I talk about it it doesn't seem to work
Bummer no?
Andrew Kelly: Thats convient. :)
Me: Yeah
Andrew Kelly: It's like the man who goes invisible only when no ones looking at him
Me: But also inconvenient
Especially if you want to show off that you made it rain
Andrew Kelly: Bummer then.


[A little while later]


Joanne Ninan: It's raining it's pouring
Joanne Ninan: :P
Pouring here
Me: Yay
Joanne Ninan: Should cool things down a bit


[Parallel conversation]


Me: Hey Andrew
Andrew Kelly: Yeah?
Me: Look outside your window
What's it look like?
(:



Category 1: Unbelief
Category 2: Rainmaking
Category 3: Super powers
Category 4: Fabulous Scrabble
Category 5: Use of funny sounding words (droll)

Crying

My eyes were crying the other day.
I don't know why
Because I wasn't.

Category: Crybaby, chillyfry baby

Want

I never understood this not wanting.
Even though I don't.

Hail Mary, Holy Mary

Hail Mary full of grace
- I wonder if those flowers are real
Holy Mary mother of God
- I wonder if she cares if they are
Hail Mary, Holy Mary
-Hail Mary, Holey Mary?


Location: In front of the shrine to Mary, in St. Mary's Church
Category: Praying

Someone ran their fingers through my hair
And held me
And tangled their feet with mine
As I slept
Like a boy might have.
Only,
It was a girl.


Category: Platonic/Fiction

Land Route from Arabia to India

Two years ago she (my older, wizened flatmate) told me to start praying for a good husband.
And so I smiled quasi seriously at God and said, 'You heard her.'
Neglecting entirely to ask him to make me a good wife.





(:

'It doesn't have a ghost(meaning to say soul or spirit)before one or two months.' She said. Brushing away a little distractedly my concern for a child, or rather the unlikely suspicion of a child, not yet born, not likely to be born, even if the suspicion was true.


...

Nearly

I'm being coerced into staying here.
More money, it's offered.
How happy it makes everyone.
Ignoring it was never hard. It's people that were always harder.
It makes me nearly want to cry.



Mood: Uneven

I like better the idea of not being entirely in control.

Current State: Hoping to God, it's true, lurkingly suspecting, it's not

-I'd like to ask a question.


-Shoot.


-Do you know what good comes out of?


-You tell me.


-Out of bad, that's what.


-Because you can't make it
out of anything else.
-Did you know that?


-No, l didn't.
-There's another question
I'd like to ask you.
-You say there's only bad
to start with...
...and the good must come from the bad.
-Who's to determine
what's good and what's bad?


-You?
-Why not?



-How?


-Why, that's easy.
-Make it up as you go along.




(All the King's Men)

Walking back through the park after dinner.
Hungry cat.
I stop to feed it with our left over food.
The two other aunties whom I'm with, who had walked on ahead, initially oblivious; stop.
'Don't.' says the first, disapprovingly.
'God feeds the animals.' says the other persuasively, from her depth of biblical wisdom.
'Well God sure as hell DIDN'T feed this one.' I shout. It's stomach is noticibly caved in from hunger.
Fed it anyway.

I was given the most unusual talking to this weekend.
'Don't take this the wrong way.' A slightly embarrassed smile.
'What?' I look at her questioningly.
She goes on to give me an education on teen age boys and how they're going through 'hormonal' changes.
And me being the closest in age to her teen age son, could I discretely distance myself from the boy.
Er..
'Have you said anything to the boy?' I ask.
'No.'
'Because he's at that age and he'll take it the wrong way?'
'Yes.'
'Alright.' I say, wondering how I'm going to explain this distance thing to a boy who's grown attached to me because I listen to his stories about all the girls he likes and all the things he did with his friends and all the boys he's hit,wanted to and going to. That and I let him scam money, chocolate milk and nesquick from me now and again.
How to manage him and his mother.
So in the evening, the boy and I, we're lying down on our backs on the floor under the fan talking and I say 'Listen, I can't hang with you anymore.'
'What?? Why?'
'Can't tell you.' I smile at him.
'You're messing with me.'- He.
'Not.'- Me.
'I swear, if you are, I'll pound you.' He threatens.
'Not.' I say again.
'Tell me then.' He cajoles.
So I explain, that it doesn't affect me in any way, but he's going to be terribly embarrased.
He wants me to tell him anyway.
So I say. 'Alright, all the aunties think you have a crush on me. Ha ha :)'
'What?!!' He disclaims. 'You?!! You do know that even if you were the last girl on Earth, etc, etc.'
'Got it.' I say. (last girl on Earth, it seems) So from now on a couple of feet distance good?'
'Good.' He agrees.
And that everybody, is that.

It's starting to seem like a refuge home for women, the place where I stay.
The first lady left her husband, the second lady's husband left her, the third lady is in between deciding whether to leave or not leave her husband and is, in the meantime camping at our place, the fourth is waiting impatiently for a husband to marry and then;
there's me.

Current living situation: Crowded

They started talking about religion again
And I turned my head away to get away from it all
And noticed the huge cross built into the door to the entrance of the house.
Upside down it was.
Ironic.

Butterflies

They were there
Before they went away.

'Remember them here.' I said, tapping the side of her head, when she asked me what sort of camera she should buy.





Category: Pictures/Memories/Toys

It never mattered how beautiful you were.
Just whether you could hold me.
Hold my attention.

Beautiful eyes.
They had the most beautiful eyes
The Afghani labourers.
Strong features and beautiful eyes.
But what was there to do
With an abundance of beautiful eyes?

The shiny shoes.
They hurt my feet.
:(




Currently: Getting high on turpentine.
:)

Pissed

Emmanuel lived in Nagaland for a bit and he taught children.
While he taught, children would sometimes just get up and run out in the middle of class.
On asking one child where she was off to, she said,'I want to piss.'
So he explained to the class, that before they leave, they must excuse themselves, ask permission and then leave.
They agreed and continued with class.
A little while later another girl puts her hand up.
'Excuse me,' she says.
'I want to piss.'
And runs out of class.

:)

Twisted Tales

Original version
Sister Pat said that they had found a place where they could hear voices coming from the centre of the earth. They assume that place might be hell.

Circulated version
Sister Pat went to hell.

Category: Humour
Taken from: www.notesinmypocket.blogspot.com

The Last Room

We were all afraid of it.Wern't we.

A new friend seems to be making me.
We'll see.

Took pictures of some women in the park

Lounge Piranha- Gold

George lies unconcious on the road. In the mayhem of Rohan killing the exams monster, he's been mortally wounded. Rohan is checking him out with his new stethoscope. Gets up and declares to the rest, "He's not going to make it". Everyone looks shocked, "unless...", he continues, "well there's only way. Within the next 24 hours, if we apply the paste of one rare plant to his wound, he might make it...". Pervez steps up to the microphone and blows his dij three times. "Where do we find it?" Over the next five minutes, Rohan and Pervez confer secretly, pouring over maps and making some of their own. Presently Pervez, armed with a dij and a bunch of maps, gets on his bullet and chugs off into the distance. The evening sun sets and night falls. It is a slow night. Every minute that passes George fades further away. "You think Pervez will find it?", Lord K asks no one in particular. "Absolutely", answers no one in particular. The sun rises eventually and makes its way across the sky. George, unmoving, unblinking, is in another universe. By lunch time, Rohan is worried. "We don't have much time left...", and bites into his egg puff. By three o clock all are giving up hope, sitting in a line staring at the horizon. "Say...", says Lord Ganesha pointing at the horizon with his trunk, "Is yonder hill moving?". And he's right. Yonder hill is moving. Coming straight towards them in fact. At three fifteen Pervez pulls up on his bullet, with an entire hill balanced on his back carrier. Three overwhelmed jaws drop to the ground in awe. "I found the hill", Pervez explains slowly, "but I wasn't sure which plant it was, so I brought the whole hill" Rohan is a bit suspicious but he gets to work immediately, climbs hill, finds plant, makes paste, applies on wound. In a few moments George stirs and opens his eyes. A collective sigh of relief. The first thing he sees before him is the hill. A flash of recognition in his eyes. Then confusion. "What are we doing in Idukki?", he asks. Pervez smiles.

Lounge Piranha LIVE in concert.

at Maya, 3rd Floor, The Bombay Store, M.G. Road

on Friday, 20th April 2007, 8.30pm onwards

100 bucks entry at the door. Full fun inside.

- LP

... and www.loungepiranha.com for one cup sykosis...
... and www.myspace.com/loungepiranhamusic for one plate music

Letter

08042007
E,
Sometimes I want a period of time to stand still. You know, the time when we had enough and didn't want more, at least for then. To stand still; not for forever but for a while longer.
But then, growing older and living has never been so anticipated. There's so much to look forward to.The isolation though. Sometimes I wonder about that.
People say I talk in my sleep at night and remark on it. I think it's because there's no one for me to talk to during the day. At least no one that I'd want to. But I adapt. I'm human aren't I? And I suppose it would be easy to think, come back, if I'm so miserable here. But the horrid truth is that I'm not.
I'm just a little on the right side of in between.
I'll see you soon. And it'll be lovely.
K


Letter type: Unposted

My morning started off hearing about one nother fellow's morning.
:)
He says:
---
Today morning started funny.
In my company if you reach work after 10
one auto email comes asking why and you have to put some reason which your manager may or may not approve.
My manager's super cool though, he always approves.
He came in and told me to take a look at some of my excuses for coming late (its all in a database)
10:01
reason: woke up one minute late
10:05
reason: traffic situations
10:03
bike took 3 minutes to start
10:12
6 minutes was because of traffic and 6 minutes was because I left home late
hahahaha


Category: Creative Awards nominee?

'I have a perfect set of teeth', she said. 'And the dentist told me I have an 'A' Grade jaw', she puffed proudly.
'Is that so?' I asked looking at her. Her 'A' Grade jaw holding my attention for a moment and noticing, really, how perfect it was.
'I kind of liked crooked teeth myself', I said quietly before turning away.

Category: Crooked teeth

The angry days.
Do I ever write about those.
The days where everybody clawed their well meaning intentions into a mind.
Never really understanding.
Never learning to draw or distinguish lines. The pencil ones.
The ones between right and wrong and want.
Never.

Category: Fiction; trying something new

I bunked

Maundy Thursday
Good Friday
Holy Saturday
AND
Easter Sunday
Church

Although on Easter Sunday,I did go very near church. I don't know if that counts.

Category:How NOT to get to Roman Catholic heaven

How could she.

Category:[blank]

I was watching this show on TV yesterday
And the screwed up younger sister?
That was me
Crap, crap
Crap


Category:Identifying with television characters

Um Al Quwain-The weekend

We got to see
Fish fly
Jellyfish die
And my ass hanging out of a swimsuit.


That's a picture of me posing in front of my yacht.

I can't imagine, putting myself in a place, without first figuring out where the exit is.
-A.S.Kelly

Poochekann, poonyekann

They live in Pi's washing machine. Really.
Super cool it is. Is so.
:)

She, the cook who speaks only Tamil, treats me, the girl who speaks only English, like a child.
She holds my chin between her thumb and fore finger and asks, 'Very?'
'Very, what?' I look at her.
'Very nice?' she says, encouraging a verdict on her cooking.
'Nallarke' *, I smile up at her. Making the best use ever of that word I learned half a minute ago.

Category: Language, barrier breaking, knowing what's important
*Nallarke[in Tamil]=Sakkath[in Kannada]=Superb[in English],like that.

'What do you want to be when you're older?' I asked the seven year old. 'A princess?'
'No'. She said and looked at me warily, matter of factly.
'What then?' I asked.
She insisted I'd laugh.
I promised I wouldn't.
'A teacher'.She said.



For Sarah Bridget Decunha Menezes, the little girl who doesn't want to to get married 'Because', she says, with a shrug and sigh, 'it's useless'.

Lounge P, at your service

Rohan kneels before the monster. The monster laughs monstrously "HAHAHAHAHA". Rohan feels no fear. Just a heightened sense of curiosity. "What the hell is so funny?" he wonders shaking his head.

rewind.

Rohan was kneeling before Sunil, head bowed low, and offering his thumb as guru dakshina. Moments ago Sunil had demanded it and in the flash of an eye, Rohan had cut it off and offered it without hesitation. Sunil was impressed. He pocketed the thumb and turned around, "Come on band, let's rehearse", he said to the rest of a very shocked Lounge Piranha. And bereft of his primary source of strength - his thumb-ring, Rohan was apprehended by the king's men who were finally able to do what they'd want to do for years - incarcerate Rohinton. After rehearsal, riding home late at night, Sunil decided not to take a thumb home to his family and instead casually chucked it into a nearby lake. And there at the bottom of that lake the thumb-ring lay for years, nay centuries, waiting to possess the next one who wore it, calling out to master Rohinton, who'd wake up in a cold sweat in his cold cell knowing it was somewhere closeby but unable to escape from the security guards who didn't even let him use his cell phone. One day a little troublemaker called College found the ring and put it on, and under its influence he slowly grew into a huge insane monster called Exams. Rohan knew he was in deep trouble and began meditating in his prison cell preparing for the inevitable encounter with his destiny. And so while Exams wreaked havoc in young minds all over the city, Rohan taught himself to levitate and survive without air for 3 days and without food for 3 hours. Exams it was, that made the first move. Burst into the high security prison like a bulldozer gone cuckoo, ate all the electric fences, spat its deadly venom at the security guards, ripped out the iron gates which imprisoned Rohan and confronted him. "You lousy earthling! Kneel before me if you know what's good for you!"

Rohan kneels before the monster. He feels no fear. Just a heightened sense of anticipation. The monster laughs thunderously. Suddenly the bell rings and in a flash Rohan levitates high into the air and cuts off the monster's hand which wears the ring. A horrible inhuman wail pierces the air as the monster falls to the ground dead and defeated. Rohan picks up his ring. He feels no joy as he puts it back on after centuries. Just a heightened sense of reality as he looks around and sees the world as it really is. He picks up his phone and make a call, "Hey mister Abhi, this is Rohan. What time are we jamming?..."


What is? Lounge Piranha LIVE at Maya

When is? Friday, 30th March 2007, 8.30 pm onwards

Where is? Maya, 3rd floor, The Bombay Store, M.G. Rd

How is? 100 bucks entry at the door

Why is? Cos Rohan's killed his exams, is done with college, and we are ready for take-off...


Yours sincerely,

Piranha


... and www.loungepiranha.com for one cup sykosis...
... and www.myspace.com/loungepiranhamusic for one plate music

I feel more grown than old.

Something, somewhere screwed me over.
I'm sure of this.

Good to be off key
Good to be free
-Kamalesh S

The cook's worrying me.
She's forcing me to eat.
Just like Mamma.
What bullies!
Pah!


Category: Lovely people

Disparity

There's a world bigger than me.
Beyond the edge of my nose.

So self absorbed, you pretty thing.
Does it take away from your appeal?

Category: Poetry

Look at our eyes.
I swear we look like devil children.
And that man in the middle?
He's just bloody annoying.
And also check out that cool sphere I made with my mind using my supernatural powers.

I wanted children.
So I could let them play
With mud and water and words.

My Mother's bothering me.
So I decided to make a game of it.
And bother her back.



Category: Games period
:-)

He wanted to know why I wasn't more the 'Love me or I'll die' type.
I said that I didn't know.
And that I wished that I was.
A little bit.

Accustoms are meant to be broken.
-Tambe

Another one

Andrew: Do you think your folks would mind you sleep over at my place?
sleeping*


Kiran: No.
[Pause]

Not if they didn't know.

Thorn Tree

Jaan Baag, Pakistani goatherd, high point of the trip for me

Baby goat

He lives at the top of that rock. He ran up the rock like a ghost in the night

That's the gun I carry around to scare people off with when my scary big eyes look doesnt' work

That's me pilfering chai at the entrance of his house

-Wadi Bih, Oman

'You'd make a really ugly woman'. I told him.
'You'd make a really good looking man', he slapped back without a pause and the cockiest smile he could manage over a phone conversation.

:-)

For Andrew Sheppard Kelly

Then

Joanne

Laura

Kiran

I'm such an unemotional wreck.