The stage

I'm not what you'd typically call the die-hard Shakespeare fan. I barely know his work, although that doesn't mean that I wouldn't like to. But here are a few lines I've always liked. Sure, they're quoted all over the place. But they're simple and not to mention, true, if you really think about it.

All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players;
They have their exits and their entrances,
And one man in his time plays many parts,
His acts being seven ages.

Theatre will always be something that I love for many reasons- but one of the main ones is that it mimics life in an unbelievable way. It's far more challenging than a movie, if you ask me- there are no re-takes in theatre. Just like there aren't re-takes in life. Theatre cuts out the fluff- good plays usually have people who can act, and I mean REALLY act. Sets and lighting and music suddenly seem to matter so much more. Dialogue takes central focus in theatre- while a lot of people have forgotten what a screenplay really is. Don't get me wrong, I love movies. Film-makers are artists as much as anyone. But theatre..will always be theatre. It'll always have that edge. That's where it all begins and ends.

This was a good friday night. I might be totally different from a lot of people, but I'm going to say it- I'll very gladly and happily watch a play, every friday night, for the rest of my life and be thrilled about it. Really.

Besides, there's always saturday for the other stuff.

That feb 14th post

Surprise, surprise. I'm actually writing a Valentine's day post! Will wonders never cease?! No, this is not about "Love in the air" getting to me. Surprisingly, this day has been less in-my-face this year, and I'm happy for that. I guess a lot of people feel the same way- it's badly over-hyped. But, love is love, and it should be respected and celebrated and written about, even, and hence, my two cents.

We've all ( or hopefully will) loved people, different kinds of people. In all of that, sometimes I feel like loving ourselves is, in fact, the more challenging thing to do. It isn't easy, you know, being annoyed or angry with yourself, when you mess up. Who will you take it out on? Hmm. Exactly.

A lot of people tell me that they love themselves, well and truly. I don't think I really buy that. Maybe they do, maybe they don't. A lot of people have also told me in sheer confidence that they really hate themselves sometimes. So what am I to conclude, really? With all of that and personal experience (ahem!), I think that sometimes you really love yourself, and I mean REALLY love yourself. When you get a new snazzy haircut, or sometimes when you look in the mirror, when you do silly things that only you can do, when you do great things, when you do things you love, when you're with people you love. But there are times when you
hate yourself, I know I do. Everytime I mess up, everytime I fall short of my own expectations. The "What was I thinking" feeling. The "Why am I like this" feeling.
It's the ultimate love-hate relationship, what I have with me. I dig me and I'm my own biggest critic. Maybe you're like that, too.

So what can people like me do? Try and love ourselves a lot more than we hate ourselves, for starters. I don't make formal resolutions, ever, but this is one of the things I've always wanted to work at. It's easy to love yourself for the amazing things that make you you. It's a lot harder to love yourself for the flaws, the creases, the wrinkles, the pimples and the mistakes you've made. But those are the things that really make us human, the fact that all our awesomeness can be wrong, so VERY wrong, sometimes.

Happy Valentine's day, everyone! I'm going to try and cut myself some slack a lot more from now on. You should, too. That means a lot more to me than pink, red, heart-shaped anything and candy ever will. Wait a minute- actually, I'm a fan of candy any day of the year.

one two, Change

Somewhere between my second elneer and that bar of twix, I realised that I've changed.

What are we, really?
Are we what we like? Who we like? What we don't like?
Worse, who we don't like?

If you knew me well enough many years ago, I can easily tell you that you probably don't know me at all now. No offense, though. It only means that you can make a whole new friend without being judged. It's true, really.

Because I'm changing at lightspeed, and no one can keep up with that, not even me.

I used to think that I know what's good for me. Clearly, that is one of my biggest *ahem* flaws. *more ahem*. yes, I have flaws and so do you. You think that twenty-something years of existence would've taught you better, but here are some very conflicting things that I'm starting to discover- We change, rapidly and frequently. We also, essentially, stay the same. I know you read that again and went- Let's get off this nutcase's blog. But, it's true. So what determines what changes and what doesn't? Genes? Probably. Upbringing? Probably. Friends? Maybe. Who knows? Uh-huh.

Which would explain why I'm starting to glug down elneer like my entire family always does, why biscuit-chocolate combinations are my family's favourite, why we all love candy. Which would explain why the smell of home cooking on the streets of India is something I'll never get sick of. Which explains why my friends know that even though I probably hate purple now and love army-tank green, buying me blue or black is a relatively safe bet.
Which is why I'll never appreciate all kinds of perfume. And never bother looking at page-3 photographs unless I know someone I know is in them. And go to sleep late everyday knowing that I should sleep earlier.

Which is why, I don't think i'll ever know what's really good for me and what isn't.

Which is why I'll keep writing these senseless bitlets of pointless information just so moonlight will find its way into my room.

The weather changes really fast in the tropics, they say. You'd better keep up.