This isn’t a movie review as much as it is a post of frustration and absolute helplessness. It’s one of those times I wish I knew more, never enough, of everything – language, history, people… Language so I may express better. History and people? I don’t know how to explain those. You either get it or you don’t.
I’ve spent a small, probably insignificant amount of time in the last few years looking up details about the Holocaust. Books and movies, the internet and reference guides. The usual. Since History textbooks in school would fly out the window before they elaborated on the period (“Jews were subject to inhuman torture.”), I was lucky to have a mother who was more forthcoming.
Anne Frank’s diary was, and do pardon me for putting it this way, an ideal introduction to the Holocaust for a kid. No, no kid should have to know about something so ghastly. But then no kid should have to live in a world that saw something so ghastly. Ideal? Shall we replace that with ‘appropriate’? I don’t know.
Ideal is hypothetical – Grade 12 physics said so. So do historians, philosophers, gamblers, parents of teenagers, realists and anyone who knows. Damn them all.
I’ve been trying; I can’t say a thing about The Diary Of A Young Girl –or indeed, anything to do with it– without feeling like what I’m saying is wrong. It’s not about being politically correct, it’s not even about what I think is wrong; it’s about how I feel when I try and put my thoughts on paper. Every word seems out of place. Inadequate. Just see the words used so far dammit – inhuman, ideal, ghastly. They simply do not do justice. Words like ‘disgust’ and ‘anger’ mean nothing because hey, aren’t those the words we use when we speak of nasty smells and broken mugs? You’re angry because someone didn’t call you back; you’re angry because millions had to live through “inhuman torture” – Really?
There was The Great Escape, but the spirit and faith aside, it dealt with how a bunch of prisoners of war found a way to beat all odds and break out; sunshine at the end of the tunnel, catchy music to boot. There was Schindler’s List. Oh Lord. There was Vikram Seth’s almost biographical account, Two Lives. There must be hundreds and thousands and thousands of books out there that refer, if only fleetingly, to the Holocaust. And during practically every such book or movie, your stomach clenches, you choke up and pillow covers get replaced.
I don’t know how far it is the collective suffering that elicits reactions and how far the individuals stories. I don’t know if I’m a masochist. Why it makes me think of a dagger being forced in and twisted in a neat circle, I can’t say. In the light of it all, everything else becomes so trivial, so fast it scares me. It makes me want to do something for all world over – Jews, Germans and otherwise. Somewhere, I know chances are I won’t do a constructive thing about it. I know nothing can be done for the people who perished during those years. For their families and souls, in their memory and all, yes. But nothing that would be any help directly. It all just feels like a failed cause, much as we may say being humane now will make a difference. I ramble.
This is one of billions and gazillions of posts, letters and notes written all over the world. Some furious, some intimate, some showing solidarity and others helplessness. As a blog post, it’s pretty useless – unless you decide to go look up the few samples I’ve mentioned. It isn’t entertaining, funny or informative. It’s my take on something that garners a unanimous, identical opinion worldwide. It’s long, it’s vague and it’s repetitive. But it’s something that needed doing. Don’t be surprised if you come across a repeat.
Bottom line? No one deserved to live that life. And no one deserved to die like that.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Spread The Word!
It's funny how moods work. Then again, it's supposed to be this huge hush-hush secret, how moods work. One semester of Psychology revealed that moods have no cause, no reason - emotions are the ones with some point, some reason, some logic behind them. Bloody blessed point. Oh, well. So next time someone asks you why you're so moody, feel free to directly quote Her Awesomeness (Yours truly) and indirectly, Vinay Prabhu, and brush em off. There, good deed for the day done.
Screw previous moods and conversations, I'm all happy right now! The giddy variety, yes =)
I actually typed up a list of songs ("in no particular order, off the top of my head" =P) that tend to make up for most things distasteful. Songs that do funny things to my mood; and I mean funny in a good way. Songs that I carry with me and plug into just about every time I can. You know, that token favourite-music blog post every blogger simply must put up. Well guess what, I don't think I can do that, atleast not right now. Just previewing the post made me feel so vulnerable. Felt like I was sharing something intimate, something that's mine and mine alone. So lets call it The List That Wasn't and leave it at that. Boo hoo indeed.
PS - By one semester of Psychology I meant 10 hours of absorbed reading, get that right.
PPS - I happen to know the most awesome people ever! Moment of realization and gratitude, if you must. Immediate family, some friends and uh-what-are-we?, I love you guys. Go on, spread the word. And if this post was too flaky/senti/mushy for you, bah, just be glad we don't have conversations at 2 AM =P
Screw previous moods and conversations, I'm all happy right now! The giddy variety, yes =)
I actually typed up a list of songs ("in no particular order, off the top of my head" =P) that tend to make up for most things distasteful. Songs that do funny things to my mood; and I mean funny in a good way. Songs that I carry with me and plug into just about every time I can. You know, that token favourite-music blog post every blogger simply must put up. Well guess what, I don't think I can do that, atleast not right now. Just previewing the post made me feel so vulnerable. Felt like I was sharing something intimate, something that's mine and mine alone. So lets call it The List That Wasn't and leave it at that. Boo hoo indeed.
PS - By one semester of Psychology I meant 10 hours of absorbed reading, get that right.
PPS - I happen to know the most awesome people ever! Moment of realization and gratitude, if you must. Immediate family, some friends and uh-what-are-we?, I love you guys. Go on, spread the word. And if this post was too flaky/senti/mushy for you, bah, just be glad we don't have conversations at 2 AM =P
Monday, April 5, 2010
Wantowrite Wantowrite Wantowrite
^ Commendable.
Uuunfortunately, that does nothing for me. *sigh* The joys of being a journalist in the making..
It's one of those days, it is.
Noon saw me grinning. Inspiration! I'll just get to the keyboard and type. Arbit stuff. Let it flow. In no time whatsoever, a blog post will be ready! :D. Now see, that's pretty much the best mood any couldbe-wannabe-but-mustneverbe blogger can be in. Out of nowhere comes this innate confidence that you can write, write on demand and write well when you get down to it. You rest your padded behind on the swivel chair and dayum. Pop goes the bubble.
See, I've been thinking. No, not the 'serious, analytical thinking' that makes up the right half of my mental activity scale. More on that later. But what romance novels call fleeting thoughts? Good kid. Those are what I'm talking about. Of course, the girl in the novel has 'fleeting thoughts' for a week at the end of which she invariably lands up with the guy of her dreams (I refuse to call the bugger Mr Right or worse, The Prince In Shining Armour. Go die, you damsel/dhikra in distress.), the job she always wanted, just the right mix of Bob The Builder inspired "YES WE CAN!!"s and I-have-it-all-and-I'm-only-25-take-that-bitches-! She gets the house, the pet and all that lovin'. Even better, no one in the picture needs to go back to her childhood days, dig out ABBA records and moan about how The Winner Takes It All. No sirree! All's dandy, rosy pink, crunchy crisps. It's a dream. How, you ask? Because of those fleeting thoughts.
Well I'll tell you what. When fleeting thoughts uh, fleet, fleet is ALL they do. They come, they sit, they go. And nothing comes off them. Fact of life. I assure you the birds and the bees will bring to your life more joy, happiness and "all that lovin'" than my flitterbug thought revelation ever will. At best, someone'll call you a flibbertigibbet, you'll spend an hour trying to say it right, you'll look it up on Urban Dictionary and Google and whatever else you've ever heard of for the origins of the word. Or you'll take the easy way out - grin and chuck it. And then? And then nothing.
So while I could have written about how I'm being uprooted and gaadhoed bang in front of PIS, Nerul - prime location as far as bus routes 23 and 25 are concerned; how the kid sister will now have full rights to be a prissy preteen because hey, half of it is what her new school advocates; how I have more existential crises and does-anybody-care moments than I care for - oh yes, very regular teenager like; how I am (EVEN MORE teenager like) so desperate for some bhaav and affection right now; how I'm at a loss for topics to talk or write since none manage to interest even me for more than 15 seconds at a stretch... fuck it. So while I could have written about all of that, I won't. Ooh rebellion. Not. How I wish I was cheap enough to repost that cartoon.
Must the blues run the game?
Uuunfortunately, that does nothing for me. *sigh* The joys of being a journalist in the making..
It's one of those days, it is.
Noon saw me grinning. Inspiration! I'll just get to the keyboard and type. Arbit stuff. Let it flow. In no time whatsoever, a blog post will be ready! :D. Now see, that's pretty much the best mood any couldbe-wannabe-but-mustneverbe blogger can be in. Out of nowhere comes this innate confidence that you can write, write on demand and write well when you get down to it. You rest your padded behind on the swivel chair and dayum. Pop goes the bubble.
See, I've been thinking. No, not the 'serious, analytical thinking' that makes up the right half of my mental activity scale. More on that later. But what romance novels call fleeting thoughts? Good kid. Those are what I'm talking about. Of course, the girl in the novel has 'fleeting thoughts' for a week at the end of which she invariably lands up with the guy of her dreams (I refuse to call the bugger Mr Right or worse, The Prince In Shining Armour. Go die, you damsel/dhikra in distress.), the job she always wanted, just the right mix of Bob The Builder inspired "YES WE CAN!!"s and I-have-it-all-and-I'm-only-25-take-that-bitches-! She gets the house, the pet and all that lovin'. Even better, no one in the picture needs to go back to her childhood days, dig out ABBA records and moan about how The Winner Takes It All. No sirree! All's dandy, rosy pink, crunchy crisps. It's a dream. How, you ask? Because of those fleeting thoughts.
Well I'll tell you what. When fleeting thoughts uh, fleet, fleet is ALL they do. They come, they sit, they go. And nothing comes off them. Fact of life. I assure you the birds and the bees will bring to your life more joy, happiness and "all that lovin'" than my flitterbug thought revelation ever will. At best, someone'll call you a flibbertigibbet, you'll spend an hour trying to say it right, you'll look it up on Urban Dictionary and Google and whatever else you've ever heard of for the origins of the word. Or you'll take the easy way out - grin and chuck it. And then? And then nothing.
So while I could have written about how I'm being uprooted and gaadhoed bang in front of PIS, Nerul - prime location as far as bus routes 23 and 25 are concerned; how the kid sister will now have full rights to be a prissy preteen because hey, half of it is what her new school advocates; how I have more existential crises and does-anybody-care moments than I care for - oh yes, very regular teenager like; how I am (EVEN MORE teenager like) so desperate for some bhaav and affection right now; how I'm at a loss for topics to talk or write since none manage to interest even me for more than 15 seconds at a stretch... fuck it. So while I could have written about all of that, I won't. Ooh rebellion. Not. How I wish I was cheap enough to repost that cartoon.
Must the blues run the game?
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Because I'm Competitive As Fuck & Only Just Realizing It :o
^ Earth Day
^ Hans Christian Anderson's 205th Birth Anniv
Because they're there :P
Friday, February 19, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Huggles!
I never say it, but I'll say it again - Oh my god!
I was browsing through the archives of a friend's blog (Improper Conduct) and chanced upon a Youtube video. Since I had the time to browse, I had the time to view.
She said it had her teary eyed. Well guess what, it had me bawling. Will you hold it against me if I say I bawl attractively? :P
Reaching out to so many people in such an awesome way is so heart warming.. and if that's something that doesn't agree with your sensibilities, just go hug your friends and family more often already. Think, you had one person on the street stop for 10 seconds and give you a hug but in return you gave him something to smile about, something to pass on to and share with those he's close to, something cheerful to replace work-related talk at the dinner table.
Here's the guy who started it all and made it a global campaign, Juan Mann.
There was a similar campaign to do with getting people to dance that I'm pretty sure you've seen before. Nevertheless, I'll look it up. As for why I'm all bawly, meh, les hormones.
PS - Vinit Mehta, the guy in this video, is a TYBMM student at KC. Awesomeness doubled, eh?
I was browsing through the archives of a friend's blog (Improper Conduct) and chanced upon a Youtube video. Since I had the time to browse, I had the time to view.
She said it had her teary eyed. Well guess what, it had me bawling. Will you hold it against me if I say I bawl attractively? :P
Reaching out to so many people in such an awesome way is so heart warming.. and if that's something that doesn't agree with your sensibilities, just go hug your friends and family more often already. Think, you had one person on the street stop for 10 seconds and give you a hug but in return you gave him something to smile about, something to pass on to and share with those he's close to, something cheerful to replace work-related talk at the dinner table.
Here's the guy who started it all and made it a global campaign, Juan Mann.
There was a similar campaign to do with getting people to dance that I'm pretty sure you've seen before. Nevertheless, I'll look it up. As for why I'm all bawly, meh, les hormones.
PS - Vinit Mehta, the guy in this video, is a TYBMM student at KC. Awesomeness doubled, eh?
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Gracie Lou, Who?
There are times you need to be in this gracious state of mind. Kind, polite, bloody considerate state of mind. All the times someone asks you to "be blunt" (because hey, he can take it, make no mistake of that!), all the times you're expected to tick off a 10yr old but do it all nice and mature (i.e. with patience and blood vessels intact), all the times you're asked to make that one last cup of tea (or hang washed clothes out to dry :| ) when you're running late, all the times a friend behaves like a jackass and what you really wanna do is slap HARD... All the times you click the Social Interview tab on Facebook, for fuck's sake!
And since I haven't been Shweta G. Sharma in quite a while, what you get for this visit to my blog is stuff that generally manages to cheer me up, pack rat that I am. Marginally, atleast :P It ups my sillyness levels for the next half hour or so, and since that's more than what Vodafone can do...
Thing is, I keep planning to upload them but then decide to wait for the next one to make a show. Ab bas! :P
Hope you smile, even if no one's watching =)
Cookie Monster! Awesomeness
"HNY" :P
Sesame Street, Year 40
Oscaaaar!
Series of postcards (Google's getting old) - here because they were there :P
When Bapu = Birthday Boy? :|
ELMO!
Count von Count. Oh you bloody fool, count!
Just her name picks me up! Boombah Chamki :D
Happy 'kite festival', where kite festival = holiday with gajak, popcorn and movies :D
PS - The G dissecting my name? Grace. Shweta Grace Sharma. See? Vodafone reference? The tagline 'Happy to help'. Yes, I suck. =)
And since I haven't been Shweta G. Sharma in quite a while, what you get for this visit to my blog is stuff that generally manages to cheer me up, pack rat that I am. Marginally, atleast :P It ups my sillyness levels for the next half hour or so, and since that's more than what Vodafone can do...
Thing is, I keep planning to upload them but then decide to wait for the next one to make a show. Ab bas! :P
Hope you smile, even if no one's watching =)
Cookie Monster! Awesomeness
"HNY" :P
Sesame Street, Year 40
Oscaaaar!
Series of postcards (Google's getting old) - here because they were there :P
When Bapu = Birthday Boy? :|
ELMO!
Count von Count. Oh you bloody fool, count!
Just her name picks me up! Boombah Chamki :D
Happy 'kite festival', where kite festival = holiday with gajak, popcorn and movies :D
PS - The G dissecting my name? Grace. Shweta Grace Sharma. See? Vodafone reference? The tagline 'Happy to help'. Yes, I suck. =)
Monday, December 21, 2009
Snortdom I Provide
Go ahead, relate ;)
Today, I was about to propose. I got on my knee in front of my girlfriend and opened the box. My friend thought it would be funny to replace the ring with a condom. FML
Today, I texted my Dad to tell him I'm staying at my boyfriend's house and won't be home. Since I had predictive text on, my phone didn't quite get the word 'home' - the message I sent said, 'I'm staying at Will's, I'll not be good tonight.' FML
Today, I was awakened from a peaceful sleep by my crazy ex-girlfriend, who apparently copied my key before our break up three months ago. She was on top of me, stroking my beard, whispering: “He looks like Jesus.” FML
Today, I was standing in line at a coffee shop and I noticed that there was a bug on the guys face in front of me. Trying to be nice I lightly smacked it off. His reaction was to punch me in the face. Repeatedly. FML
Today, when my boyfriend and I were becoming intimate, his cat decides to jump onto the bed and lie right in between us. He then informs me that he wanted to stop to "preserve his cat's innocence." FML
Today, I was standing outside a store about to flirt with this guy when my mother drove up and shouted,"Hurry up, I have diarrhoea!" FML
Today, I looked at my house in Google Street View for the first time and noticed an unfamiliar vehicle in the driveway. When I asked my wife about it, she admitted to have an ongoing affair. Apparently the entire world knew my wife was having an affair before I did. FML
Today, I took my first day off in 3 weeks just so I can sleep in. The office secretary woke me up at 7.12 am with a page wishing me a nice day off. FML
Today, my sister and I got into a fight. I came home to find everything in my room covered in ketchup. FML
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Related post of interest - Entertainment Pimp. Of Sorts.
