Education, what?

Who needs education? We all do, apparently, because ever since we can consciously remember of our time on earth, it has been drilled into our heads that in order to make something of our lives, we need strong grades, multiple scholarly medals and honours of the highest order in the scholastic department. Devoid of these, we can make nothing of our lives, or so would people have us believe.
Don't take me wrong, I believe that education is extremely important for the development and progress of our society. What I stand against is the rampant prejudice that exists against what people think that you ought to study.

Being a student who chose to take up the stream of Humanities or Arts today, I've come across a bevy of  people who still hold on to the archaic (in my opinion it is definitely archaic) system of belief that: unless you take up any of the sciences or medicine or engineering you are considered absolutely worthless. Pass out with these absolutely safe and convenient degrees and get a job, because after all, life is all about convenience, innit? What frustrates me further is that your intelligence is measured by your choice of higher education. If you did manage to pay any attention when you were in school, dear  people, you would know that intelligence cannot be measured by what grades you score or what degree you manage to hold. Besides in a country like ours, degrees can be ordained by merely flashing those green notes around.

Oh and god help you if you're into something as beautiful as making music or creating masterpieces on canvas or turning simple food into creations of genius, you will be forced to give up on these because everyone knows there's really no money to be had in any of these things. They're only as good as a hobby, but your career needs a solid foundation. You like sports, or media, or drumming even, well, too bad, get a damn career, then maybe when you're 60 you can get back to your hobby. "Don't waste your youth in pursuit of things that might not give you returns when you're older."

The irony is that the same parents who encourage their kids to develop these skills are also the same ones to clip their kids' wings when the skill takes on a professional character. No matter how many movies are made on this topic, I'm not sure if the general public is even getting the point here.

I know for a fact that there are parents who encourage and support their kids' talents, no matter what they choose, though they form a minuscule part of the population population. The larger part of the population would still rather have their kids run after money than run after their dreams. I'm not saying that everyone needs to rebel against the common trend. You might actually have a thinking mind and might love the sciences, then you ought to take that up. However, if you're good at anything else, could be scuba diving even, you ought to be able to make the conscientious choice of pursuing your talent without falling into the pressure brought about by your family or the society to stick to the safer courses.

It may or may not make you a billionaire, but it will definitely guarantee you happiness.

I'm going to end this rant by saying that education needs to pervade the darkest corners of our population for total progress, but with education we need opportunities to make use of that education. We need a sort of revolution in order to over-throw the existing prejudices in the field and bring in more opportunities for everyone. These are all writings on the wall that we simply cannot and should not ignore. I don't claim to be all-knowing, but I do know this: that nobody, not even a Gandhi, or an Einstein became a Gandhi or an Einstein by doing something that they got pushed into doing or were loathe to do. Let that bud grow. If it is a rose, let it become a rose and don't try and make it a sunflower, because then you'll just land up with a very confused flower, which won't know whether to grow thorns or to follow the progress of the sun, or both. That, dear reader, shall make it one very ridiculous flower.

The lady

The stars twinkle. The waters gleam in the pale moonlight. The woods whisper, speaking in a tongue long forgotten by mankind. The hills in the distant stand severe, almost as if they were guarding these ancient lands. Amidst all this walks a lonely lady, almost unaware of the world around her.

Her footfalls are heard by none. The leaves that she walks on, remain untouched. The winds don't seem to touch her. The moonlight just shines off her, bathing her in its strange light. 

He follows her every move closely. Unseen by others, he makes her the prey. With feline grace he follows in her footsteps. However, his every footfall leaves a mark behind. It's as if he belongs to this world, whereas she does not.
The moonlight dances on her skin. Beautiful as a pearl, to the man she seems. Her strangeness, magnifies her beauty, in his eyes. 

She pauses, looking over at the gargantuan body of water stretching around for miles, right in front of her. He pauses too. There is not a soul to be seen around anywhere, not a sound to be heard. The water is eerie in its calmness.
The hunter, with fear in his heart, looks at his object of desire. He lets out a warning cry but, knows that he is too late. Without even a glance around, she takes a plunge into the lake. The man's cries pierce the deadly silence. Yet even the heart rendering scream cannot touch the strange eeriness of the lake and it remains as still as death. 

Conversations

Me: Tell me the meaning of life.

She: *Stares at me, not saying a word.*

Me: I know that you know about it. You're one of the few enlightened beings on this planet. I see you stare at the heavens above often-times and communicate with the stars.

She: *Looks away, then continues to stare at me.*

Me: Why won't you tell me? Is it because I haven't questioned the stars enough?

She: *Closes her eyes.*

Me: I don't want in depth analysis of things, just a simple answer.

She: *Scratches her ears*

Me: I know I'm only human, I want to know. Life is so complicated. Yet, you're always so content. Pray, tell me your secret.

She: *Half opens her eyes, gives me a contemptuous look and shuts them again*

Me: You know how they theorize about 42 being the ultimate answer to all life's questions. If that is the case, do you know what the question is? I've asked everyone, they are all unsure of it. When Douglas Adams wrote about it, he didn't divulge the question. Do you know? 

She: *Doesn't open her eyes*

Me: No, you cannot sleep until you give me an answer. This slumber shalt be interrupted.

She: *Snorts, jumps off my bed, and goes and sleeps on my mother's bed*

Thus ended my highly enlightening conversation with my doggy on the mysteries of life. Well, atleast I tried.

The Roller-coaster ride.

Imagine that you're on a roller-coaster. Not a roller-coaster of life, but something a little more, sinister. It's the kind of a ride where there is darkness around and yet there are moments of illumination. You've frankly no idea where you're headed. You've gotten onto a roller-coaster, but where it will take you, is anybody's guess. The roller-coaster gives you your own maneuverability. You can take control of it, stop it wherever, get off anytime you want to. However, you're inclined to just sit behind and let it take whatever course it wants to.
    You see the faces of the people you pass by, but none of them interests you. Not even one, holds your attention for a while. Deep down, somewhere really deep down, you know what it is that you're looking for. However, it's nowhere to be found.
    There are images in your head, of Utopian kinds, enough to cause envy even to the angels above. The kind that are fire-branded in your head and no matter where you look, it's those images that keep coming back to you. You know that all you have to do is look beyond the obvious and find those places, but the languor that has set it in, keeps you from it.
    You know that you need a spark, a certain something that'll shake you from your listlessness and force you to take charge of that roller-coaster. It'll sneak up on you one fine day, and before you realize it, it'll engulf you and rejuvenate you from within. When that day comes, is when all the highs and the lows on your roller-coaster ride will cease to matter. All that will matter, is steering your cart in that direction. All that will matter is reaching that destination. It is only then, that the castles that you've built in the air, will finally find a spot on the ground.

Steps to bake brownies- Supernatural and Game of Thrones edition

1. Step over the Wall and procure the ingredients required. Make sure you keep a look out for the Others. Don’t forget your Colt and bullets.

2.Take the Kingsroad to return your place. Drive the Impala with care. If you meet a Lannister on the way, shoot ‘em. For everyone else, swear fealty to their house.

3. Curse Castiel for not helping you out.

4. Get home and demon-proof the place. Don’t forget to keep the salt handy.

5. Blitzkrieg the ingredients in the bowl.

6. Ignore when the dire-wolves howl, they are probably just witnessing the death of another Stark.

7.Refuse to put in most of the essential ingredients because you’ll have to go down South to get them and you’d rather not lose your head.

8. Shove the batter into the oven and keep yelling “Winter is coming” periodically at it. 

9. Take out your sword and practice ballet.

10. Find that a ghost had pilfered into your safe house and set out to burn its remains.

11. After battling a demon, and angel, a couple of hounds and saving the world from ending, come back home to find that Castiel has frosted your brownies for you.

12. Eat the entire brownie.

13. Go to hell. Return in 3 days' time to find everything exactly the way it was.

14. Wait a whole year for a new plot line.

Things not to do when vacationing in a foreign country:

1. Do not, I repeat, DO NOT, under any circumstances, lose your passport. It's better to lose yourself than to lose your passport. In case you have, the be prepared to run around the length of the country, not sight-seeing, but, arranging for fresh passports. And if you happen to be Indian, then you might just shell out your entire month's income on that. If you're lucky, you might even get the passports in time for you to return to your country. Otherwise, no curry-rice for the next few months.

2. So, in case you haven't managed to keep your passports safe, then it is imperative to keep your wallets on you all the time. Your passport might be your primary identity but these secondary identities can go a long way in availing discounts and producing proof of your existence on this planet at short notice. Also, wallets are notorious for having the important things in your life that you keep around with you all the time. If you have cards, then your loss is not gargantuan. If you love to carry cash around, then well, I can truly feel your pain. Also, not to demotivate you any further, but the loss of your wallet will hit you like an on-coming train, because then, you will only be your lost driving license away from driving your car.

3. Losing your passport AND your wallet will truly put you in a fix. Its one thing to be identity-less ( you could be a terrorist easily), but its all together another thing to be identity-less and penniless thousands of miles away from home. Not only do you not have proof that you are not, in fact, an alien species, here to spy on humankind, you don't even have the monies to get the proof made. So if you see two men in black suits with dark glasses walking towards you: run.

4. In case the loss of these very sensitive documents drives you a little insane and you turn to your music for some solace, you will find that it helps to not lose your music player, iPod or mp3. If you do lose it, then there is not much to stop you from turning insane.

If all four events occur simultaneously, whilst you are on your vacation, then you must be the unluckiest person to be born and before anything else goes wrong with you, you should get yourself home. That is, the minute your Embassy decides to send you home.

Mr. Sherlock Holmes

Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes

Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock Holmes

Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock Holmes

What is the common link between all the three men? Apart from them being very dashing and handsome, not to forget witty, its the fact that they are all three, major faces of Mr. Sherlock Holmes. Now the reason why they happen to be staring at you on my blog, dear reader, is pretty simple. Sherlock Holmes has been and will remain the one true love of my life. Mr. Holmes as a character, might find that either exceedingly disdainful or exceedingly flattering. His one true love was after all, his work: the Science of Deduction. Irene Adler did come quite close, but she could never replace the love that he bore for his work. One can draw parallels with the guys of today: the love they bear for sports does in fact rank higher than anything else they love until they find their very own Irene Adlers (even then its a tough competition). Until then, the Playbook shalt be their Bible.

That Mr. Sherlock Holmes is a genius is a well established fact. The passion that he felt for his work was so intense that it burned him through and through. He loved an audience. Of his shortcomings there were many. He was no god. Though that does not prevent me from admiring the man as something of an artist. His intelligence, coupled with the manner of his working, is enough to be a massive turn on. The Sherlock Holmes I've imagined is a man with a personality to blow you over. However, I will not belittle the essence of this great genius by associating tags like "hotness" with him.

All the three men have portrayed Mr.Holmes to perfection. However, its always Jeremy Brett who comes to my mind every time I think of Sherlock Holmes. The piercing stares, the contemplative moods, the sudden bursts of manic energy that is trademark of Sherlock Holmes all reflect brilliantly in his roles. He brought Mr. Holmes to life. I believe he's evergreen. However, it would be a struggle to keep alive the Holmes that Mr. Brett portrayed in today's times.

Robert Downey Jr. needs no introduction. All one has to do is visit one of his many millions fan sites and they'd be greeted with various superlatives describing his wit and his hotness. Now talking about the movies, I have to say that Guy Ritchie is a genius. He almost single handed-ly re-ignited the waning interest in one of the greatest crime solvers of all times. In fact, he made it cool to possess and make use of one's knowledge. 

At first, Benedict Cumberbatch, to me, seemed like an odd choice for portraying Holmes. Now I'm probably one of his greatest fans. He is Jeremy Brett of today as far as his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes goes. Classy, yet modern, I go weak in my knees every time I watch an episode of Sherlock. I relish the attention to detail and the work that has gone into adapting the series for today's times. Its quirky, its fun, it makes a play on the idiosyncrasies of all the characters and delivers it in a newer avatar. 

There might be a lot of people out there who don't share the same views as me on the greatness of Sherlock Holmes. I don't need them too. The man who I've imagined Sherlock Holmes to be, would have never wanted to become just any viral phenomenon either on the internet or in the the real world. He would rather have wanted his methodologies to gain the interest of the masses. Interest in his methods, genuine appreciation for the science of deduction would be the ultimate form of flattery for him. After all "such is the frailty of genius".