The One on "Thoran", "Dalai Lama", "Kokkarakko" and a historic Night Out

I write this post with bleary eyes and Metallica's "Black" playing in full volume. The people who know me the best would be wondering why I who is known to detest loud noises am listening to "Metallica". The answer lies within the annals of this post.

At times it is fascinating to see and actually experience the transformation one well utilized night out can bring about to a person. It all started when three notable memebers of the mallu gang decided to form a band in tribute to the most influential mallu rock bands of our times- "Avial". Call it lame or even "trippy", but we decided to name our own band "Thoran" (Mallus, I hope u can connect. Others can use it as a tricky quiz question).

What followed were engrossing discussions about the names of our first song and our debut album. It culminated in yesterday's night out where we could compose the basic theme of our song and a few lines of lyrics. (The names of the song and the album have been held back as we would not like to spoil the surprise element. But all Mallu's with an IQ higher than that of Joey Tribbiani's would have guessed it by now from the title of the post).

There might be quite a few of you wondering where the Dalai Lama reference comes from. Lets say certain core members of "Thoran" were inspired by a particular rendition on the Lama by a group of German blokes. The resemblance is uncanny, but then our's is a whole new breed of music.

So why has this night out had a profound effect on my music sense? The answer lies in the high decibel levels and the reverberation Kutty's speakers have been able to produce all through the night. Imagine listening to the same song umpteen number of times in the same night from a speaker which can be heard from a kilometre away (Yeah I did that!!!). This one night changed me more than any other night has ever done. At this juncture I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to the co-founding members of "Thoran" for giving me a totally new perspective on contemporary rock music. (Yeah, nicest try).

Let me take this opportunity to introduce the esteemed members of "Thoran"- "Genpack" Kutty, Panicker, "Snake" Shyam, "The Mikemaster" Shekhar and of course myself. So as Farhan Akthar would say "Rock on"!!!!!

The One where I try to justify the overdose of melodrama in my posts

My first two posts were ones dedicated to two special events in the space-time continuum, which left indelible marks in my already colourful life. The first one being the most exhilarating experience in my recent years and the second one was a tribute to a friend who has sort of changed my whole perception of life in such a short period of time. I hope the sheer significance I attach to the two above snippets, in a way justifies the way I went overboard with the use of imagery and melodrama with bountiful doses of superlatives.

So this post is a sincere apology to the reading world on the nonchalance I had exhibited to your sentiments. The one thing I yearn for is to be a reader's writer. So I wish that I'll be able to fulfill my dreams.

The One on Thunder Man

My summer intern at the Indian School of Business has been filled with experiences ranging from the most enriching to the weirdest. As it trudges towards a docile finish, its time for retrospection. For the past few days, I've been wondering on what was my biggest haul from this brief period of 12 weeks.......hmm...this ain't gonna be easy.

Finally, as if from some Divine Bodhi tree, the realization dawned upon me. Without any doubts or qualms, let me announce to the world that the richest experiences came from my encounters with this great hero amongst ordinary mortals, a super-hero who takes his humility to another level of acting like a super-zero, the stuff of legends, the one and only.......Thunder-Man.

Hailing from Hyderabad, the city of the Nizams and the Biriyani, Thunder-Man moves around under the disguise of a happy-go-lucky, vetti, naive IITian. But few do know the exploits of this sage of a man. Hey when I call someone a superhero, the image which comes to the common man is that of Super-Man or the Wonder-Woman and to some comrades of mine, myself( Thank you!!!!). But the man under scrutiny breaks all the shackles of preconceived notions by coming across as a simple yet serious individual. The incredible phenomenon which lies beneath the layers of unrecognizable facade is known to only a few lucky souls which thank GOD includes me.

Every super-hero must have a super power. Its kind of a universal rule in fact thats what defines a super-hero. In this case, not only are his powers unconventional, but also ones which every male who has crossed the threshold of adolescence yearns to possess. Thunder-Man is simply put, an irresistible "object of desire". He literally oozes charm, seducing, strangely, worthy members of both sex.(A power I should say no other human being has ever called his own).

I would be doing gross injustice to the Thunder-Man by calling him what Angelina Jolie is infamously known for. (Kindly, forgive the ambiguity attached to the above statement. This blog is for little kids too.) Coming back to our discussion, the Thunder-Man is a hapless, "ordinary" human being blessed with certain talents which many have penanced for years to attain, but to no avail. Wielding a smiling demeanour and insurmountable levels of sophistication as his lethal weapons, this hero or "villain to many" has enamoured, loved and broken many a heart.

So all the LLLadies and a few "different" men out there, who were fascinated by this man of gigantic stature, please contact me for any extra details you might need on this wonder-man. One of you might be the lucky one, because the Thunder-Man is for a difference, single for the day. So thats it for now........keep tab of this blog to see many more of the Thunder chronicles!!!!!

So long..............Thunder Maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan. Oops...don't forget your thunder wear.

The one on Rafa- The Conqueror

The quest for the topic of your very first blog post has sent many a man on a frenzied hunt as if it was one for the Holy Grail itself. Fortunately for me, the answer lay right in front of me, my gtalk custom message which was inspired by one of the greatest battles I have been witness to.

The 6th of July, 2008. The battlefield resembled the balding head of an old Samaritan who once boasted of luxurious, flowing hair. The most talked about rectangular piece of land in the sporting world was ready to hog the limelight yet again. The Centre Court at Wimbledon was about to witness a Spaniard, known more for his bulging biceps and clay court dominance, end one of the most celebrated winning streaks in sporting history. The champion, Emperor Federer, was being challenged by a lesser mortal who had limited his reign to the kingdom of Roland Garros till then.

The epic final in the previous edition of Wimbledon had already set the tone for a fascinating contest between these two legends of the game. As many pundits had pointed out, this was hyped up to be one of the most keenly contested final of the modern era. Yet nobody, not a single soul had a clue of what the two had in store for them. Enough of this metaphoric gibberish........I'd better get straight to the point.

This epic battle witnessed a breathtaking display of exhilarating and out-of-the-world tennis.
The serves, the volleys, the delicate touches and the lobs, the passes and the smashes. Each and every point of the match had generous doses of finesse, power and speed. It was as if some Divine Hand was painting a beautiful work of art, resplendent with continual strokes of brilliance. If Federer is a Swiss magician, then my dear readers, Rafa is a raging bull right from the streets of Mallorca. For four hours and forty eight minutes, this super-man grunted, tugged at his socks and even got warned once for time delay. Yet he trudged on, through all those rain delays, all those momentum shifts and survived what might have been the most unbelievable comebacks in tennis lore.

The print media and its visual counterpart have already analyzed this match in avid detail. So, I would not like to use this forum to discuss the intricacies of the same. Moreover, I would like to entertain all readers who might not be serious sports enthusiasts too.

I would like one and all to take note of this one simple fact which was so wonderfully epitomized by this young man from Mallorca. There are no easier or quicker replacements for perseverance and tenacity. The effort which is called for to beat a champion like Federer, is colossal in proportions and demands qualities which very few mortals possess. There have been many, who matched Rafa in talent, who set out to usurp the most coveted throne in contemporary tennis
from Fedex but who miserably failed. They all lacked the "hunger" as many a sport enthusiast would say. The zest for victory is what fuels the sinews and the brain when all energy seems to desert you and it did for the most tenacious player of the sport, Rafael Nadal.

This loss doesn't spell doom for the great man "Federer". On the contrary this defeat which might have left a massive dent on his pride will urge him to perform even better. The sight of an equal or that of a better player, the smell of competition will enable him to elevate his game to a different plane. After all he is human; though we seldom get to see this part of the great man who at most times appears in the attire of a living god.

This achievement which has sent a whole country into delirious fits of rapturous delight, apart from the entertainment has taught the common man many a lesson too. The stories of human courage in the face of suffering and finding hope at even the most desolate of situations have been stuff of legends and history. But on one fine Sunday evening, the world witnessed a breathtaking exhibition of valour, hunger and determination. The show of sportsmanship was also impeccable, with Federer being gracious in defeat calling Rafa, " the deserving champion" and Rafa at the same time acknowledging the fact that Fedex was still the best and still retains his pedestal amongst the gods.

Rafa- He has got many more to come. Each a new feather on his hat.
Fedex- Beware of this wounded tiger. He is still the "King of the Court"

PS- Apologies for the long post. Don't mind cos its my first one.
PS 2- I'm aware of the fact that this post has an overdose of superlatives and imagery. But it is well justified by the fact that this match was truly legen...wait for it......dary.