Monday 18 February 2013

Thickheadedness

I didn't have a great day today. I took the bus to my college today. While walking from the bus stop towards my college, I noticed a lady on her scooter. She had rode up onto the pedestrian pathway in order to ask the shopkeeper for some goods. I was irritated by the fact that she was so lazy to park her scooter and walk up to the shop. I ignored it and walked past her. Within a few seconds I heard a horn go off behind me. When I turned around and I saw the same lady still on the pedestrian pathway, asking me to give her way. I was terrible annoyed and I asked her what she was doing driving on the footpath. But the answer I got was just a simple shrug of the shoulders. That's when I lost my nerve!  She managed to nudge her way through and got off the footpath. As soon as she did so, I caught hold of hand with my left hand and I applied the breaks of her scooter with my right hand.

She was scared. I questioned her why she was driving on the footpath. She replied that there was no space for her to remove the vehicle. I stated that she should have used the same way she got onto the pathway! Then I spent the next few minutes yelling at her for not using the vehicle lane. I realised that there was no point in trying to get through to her. I just asked her to leave and I walked on, towards my college.

You might think that I was rude and shrewd. If so, then that was the exact idea that passed me as I narrated the story to my friends. But, at that point I lost my calm. I just hoped that the lady realised her mistake. Another incident occurred towards the end of the day.

After my class I hopped onto a bus towards home. I was fortunate enough to get a seat. Feeling relaxed, I turned my attention towards the woman across the aisle. She was engorging a piece of sugar cane. What disturbed me, was the sight of her throwing the piece of sugar cane out the window after chewing on it. She kept at it. I wanted to correct her. But, I thought I should try a different approach this time. So I took out a book from my bag, tore out a sheet and handed it to her. Then I requested her to put the chewed pieces onto that sheet and throw it away once she reached home.

The good news was that she actually obeyed. She put all the chewed pieces onto that sheet. I felt happy and I thought being kind actually helps gets the message through. But boy, was I wrong. As we approached her stop, she got up, crumpled the sheet containing the pieces of sugarcane and through it out of the window! I was angered by that. But I didn't react much apart from a sigh.

The lady in the bus was clearly an illiterate. Still that is no reason to not have simple manners. But the scooterist was a literate. I know so because she spoke to me in perfectly good english. Yet, she failed to be able to follow simple rules. To be an illiterate and do wrongs is one thing. But to knowingly go wrong being a literate is plain disgusting. This isn't the first time I've seen such unattractive events. I've lost count the number of times I've seen educated people spit in public places. The act of spitting is according to me one of the most ugliest habits. And to see people spit is just depressing. I fringe every time I see a person do it. Be literate or illiterate, certain amount of social behavior is a necessity.

Well, people knowingly committing social "do nots" is only half the problem. The other half is their inability to listen to a person when they try to correct you. In other words, thickheadedness! There I was trying to correct two people. And most probably I've failed in both cases. Not only did I waste time on such pointless people, I also wasted my energy. What do you do in such cases? Do you just ignore such events and move on? Or do you fight a gain-less battle hoping to win? My mother advised me to do neither. She told me to pick my battles. Fight the ones you know you stand to gain and avoid the ones where defeat is inevitable. I'm going to try following that advice. Seems like the most sane thing to do. Doesn't it?

Monday 11 February 2013

Ramble on!

If you had read my ealier posts, it'd be clear to you that I'm a Led Zeppelin fan. One of my favorite songs is undoubtably "Ramble on".

One of the best parts of this song is the soft percussion by Bonham. Its as if he was just tapping his sticks upon a softer cover. But I know it isn't. The way the Jones bass and Bonham's drums play with each other as if dancing in a feud is impeccable.

And the lyrics! Oh gosh, its probably one of their best ever written. Page and Plant did a great job on it. The most interesting part is how it has references to the poem written by Tolkien in his "Lord of the rings". I, being a fan of the Lord of the rings, enjoy these glimpses into Tolkien's poem.

Mine is a tale that can't be told, my freedom I hold dear
How years ago in years of old, when magic filled the air
T'was in the darkest depths of mordor, I met a girl so fair
But gollum and the evil one crept up and slipped away with her, her, her

The comparison of the woman to the ring and the two guys fighting over her to gollum and sauron is so playful, yet brilliant!

The opening lines of the song reminds me of middle earth. Ah, middle earth!

This song was one of the first few songs I ever heard of Led Zeppelin and has remained one of my favourite rock songs of all time. The variations in the vocals was carried out by Plant in a perfect manner! Can't think of anyone who could've done a better job.

Page's brilliant riffs and Plant's vocals which intertwine each other like creeper and enveloped by the warm sunlight provided by the the bass and drums play off make this song complete and pretty much flawless!

The song is literally about a man trying to find the perfect woman. But the woman is just a metaphor for our desires. The idea of just wandering off in to the world in search for what our hearts truly desires is a thought that would have occurred to all of us. To get away from everything and go backpacking, would be great. But right now, I wanna complete my studies, get a job, build my life. I do have quite a lot on my plate right now...

But I know I've got one thing I got to do, Ramble on!