The last week was an indulgence of all kinds.
Our seminar launched our partnership with the IHC (if you’re on facebook, go ahead and join the Urban Habitats Forum, it is positioned to become the next all-encompassing network dealing with the opportunity of building the next generation of cities in India) and I was pretty much sold on the organizing, fine-tuning of the same till Wednesday. An interesting turnout with varying opinions. The focus on urbanization has raised its’ fair share of clichés but we’re hopeful that the direction we give it ends up creating new paths to the effort of ‘creating places for people’. I embrace that theme, warmly. It just makes so much sense.
The last week was an indulgence of nostalgia, reconnecting, self-congratulatory pats on the back and gratitude. The third year of the International Congress Scholarship kicked off and as always- van chitgo forgot that he had zealously volunteered to manage the process this year. I’m so glad I did. Pani from Singapore/Bangalore, Dandy from China, Sneha from Paris; all writing and calling in. Jaj and Adrienne were missing in action but I know they’re keeping abreast with the dialogue. With the likes of the 2 of them it’s almost like being reminded of the great sages of the past. They believed that any word spoken, any breath taken without absolute necessity, was a wasted opportunity to take the name of the lord in prayer and meditation. Fortunate were we that the ‘Lord’ in this case was common sense and vision. Anyways, I digress. Back to the scholarship. Every year, one chosen congress committee member from AIESEC India gets a significant monetary scholarship institutionalized by the CC team of IC 05, i.e, my team . We’ve had 2 excellent recipients already creating waves post their experience with the mother of all conferences. Now, in '08, it’s time for number 3. Talking to Dandy and Sneha, I was filled with such a sense of happiness and consequent understanding of how legacies really work. It could very well be termed the cornerstone of sustainable action. Whatever it may be, year after year, the process brings together a small but very diverse group of people that worked their butts off for a goal much larger then themselves. Can there be a better learning?
The last week was an indulgence in what I love. Music and path-breaking literature.
I picked up the great outdoor fight- arguably the most brilliant graphic novel in the short history of graphic novels on this planet. Unarguably, GOF is the pinnacle of ground-shattering alterno-humour we’ve ever been witness to. I got it at a pretty decent price since it’s still not out in official print. 11$ - not bad for a piece of work as phenomenal as it is. I even showed off to Gara who responded with his usual magnanimity. I’m sure he booked his own copy soon after. I owe the discovery of achewood to him. It is righteous that the first strip of achewood I ever read was that of TGOF.
Indulgence number 2 was the final purchase of Barbara Keith’s self title album. Frankly, I picked this up for one track and one track only. Heard numerous times in the awesome snugness of Mr. Seth’s beautiful home, the rendition of ‘all along the watchtower’ that I have spoken of before is a piece of sheer beauty. The muted guitar, her salutations to the lord chief himself, whatever it may be- it was worth the amazon.com visit.
It was in light of this indulgence that the unmatched awesomeness of web-retail therapy dawned on me. It’s not like the usual retail therapy you know. The conventional methodology has multiple cracks in the model. Had a shitty day? Feeling old and disregarded? An overwhelming desire to hug some bling, feel something new and shiny in your pocket? Embrace a new tune? Jump in a car, go to the mall, window shop , feel guilt pangs, , interact with annoying customers/lines/salespersons alike...blah blah blah.
Why ?
Web retail totally kicks regular retail’s posterior. The easy browsing, the multiple links to reviews of the product, the samples, the choice, the easy access- a list that is long and sweet. The best however is the delivery. With no exact day of arrival you forget that you had ever ordered that brilliant work of art. You forget the sense of power with that click of the mouse and you move on. Suddenly, one Saturday morning in the distant future, there’s a ring at your front door. You wander unknowingly to greet the visitor and there it is, waiting for you patiently, like a ticking time bomb of fantabulousness. What a feeling.
Ok, so I exaggerate a bit. I still love buying stuff online though. The pleasures of a bank account are indescribable muwahahaha.
What else? Pet piece of the fortnight is undoubtedly the idiots that leave facebook messages on event forums/communities saying “Hey, would love to come but am out of the country!” We got it ass@#$%, you’re travelling. For what reason you’d decide to share your absence for an event that you’ve been fortunate enough to be invited to and why anyone would care is beyond my understanding. The downside of web 2.0 is the voice we’ve somehow managed to give attention-starved delinquents. Meh. Some people are damn fortunate we have such stringent gun-ownership laws in this country.
The heat is on., Like full on. And it’s not even May yet. Lots of new developments in the horizon with some confusion existing with where and how the new ‘abode’ shall be situated. Updates on that soo enough. As of now, it’s a lazy Sunday evening, the delhi daredevils are 4 down for 60 runs there's need to go shoot some hoops before the start of another hectic week for the entrepreneur.
Over and out ladies and gents. You guys have a good one.
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