Seeking a Trend for the End of theYear...

It's that time of the year! 2.5 days to go...

I want to wind down, get some rest and spend some time thinking what I want the next year to be like. Not that I can control how it turns out, but at least sit down and think about what I want to do in 2013...

If this was 2009, I would have made a list of "10 things I want to do in 2010". Considering I still like 2 months of vacation like a school kid, that would amount to an even one milestone a month. Simple...

But I've grown up. I've realised that the longer the list gets, the smaller the chances of me getting anything done. So the last couple of years, I've really been trying to keep it to 2 or 3 things I want to do...

I've still got to account for what all I did in 2012, but one thing I did was read "Steve Jobs, by Walter Isaacson", cover to cover. Too early to say if I'm inspired, but to say I'm influenced is an understatement...

I was never an adept multi-tasker, but now, I only believe ten times more in doing only a few things but doing them extraordinarily well. In being minimalist, but pure...

No wonder then, that my goal for 2013 has been reduced to ONE! Sitting here the same time next year, I would be happy if I have done ONE THING, and done it well...

No points for guessing what the ONE THING is. I want to Write! Nothing would make me happier than if I can spend every spare moment of 2013, doing the one thing that stirs my soul. Write...

And I don't even want to wait for 2013! I want to Write every spare moment of the next 2 something days. I want to waste no time. I want to warm up. I want to get in the groove...

I'm not even seeking a trend for the end of the year. It's the only way I want to end this year...

Wish you a Kolaveri New Year (2012)...

Wait, what am I saying? Hasn't the song already been released in 2011? And enjoyed millions of views on Youtube? 30,031,106 to be precise at the exact moment that I write this. Not just that. All you need to do is type "wh" on Youtube and the first match is "Why This Kolaveri Di" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YR12Z8f1Dh8. One simple song has changed the meaning of the word viral and gone from Kollywood to Bolloywood to Hollywood and more. The song was yesterday reviewed on CNN as THE MOST POPULAR song of the year 2011...

So what more can Kolaveri offer in 2012. More views? Sure, yes. The original video from the movie? Of course. But what else?

Think harder. Kolvaeri was a BIG IDEA! "The most powerful ideas are the simplest ones", they say and I say they are dead right about this one. Nothing could have been simpler than Kolaveri in its construction and form. Composed by a first time music director for a first time director of feature films and sung by a talented actor no doubt, but one who has no stars on his lapel for singing whatsoever. Playing on the age-old theme of boy hurt in love by beautiful girl with the clever usage of the expression "Why this Kolaveri (murderous rage)", which has been an"in-phrase" among Tamil youth.

The brilliance began when they key crew decided to shoot how this song was recorded in the studio with the singer cum hero, heroine, music director and director. Releasing that video on Youtube much ahead of the actual movie was a master stroke. And (I don't know how on earth they managed to do this), making sure there is only one video that comes up when you search for this song on you tube was the pièce de résistance. Result? 30 million & counting...

There is no doubt that Kolaveri has originated in a fertile field. After all, Tamil Cinema boasts of legends like Ilayaraja and the Oscar Award winning AR Rahman. But Kolaveri has probably surapassed the efforts of these legends and other illustrious artisans by the sheer popularity it has attained. Truly, I'm sure it has left not just the film industry but millions of people around the world wondering, "Sh*t! Why didn't I get this IDEA?"

I think it's safe to say that ideas like Kolaveri don't come by every day. That said, ideas like Kolaveri don't need a Mozart or a Beethoven to be produced. Neither are they produced in any particluar field of work. There is a Golden Idea waiting to be brought to the fore in every walk of life and it lies in the simple heads of simple people like YOU and ME. All YOU have to do is listen carfeully to what is happening around you, keep your eyes open to see what's new and most of all, to have fun at what you do. Nothing is silly, nothing is irrelevant. So long as you can keep that spirit alive, you never know how the dots will connect and when.

To me, that's the lesson from this Kolaveri...

So my dear friend. It is the last day of the Year 2011. The Year that gave us Kolaveri. Go listen to it a few more times today and increase its number of hits on Youtube to a 50 million plus. At the same time, put on your thinking hat. Don't just use Kolaveri to mope about your lost love.
Vow today that in 2012 you will strive to create ONE BIG IDEA that will change the world, no matter where your passion lies. There was a Google, there is Facebook and no one knows what the the Next Big Thing is? Who knows, may be it's sitting in YOUR HEAD. Just bring it out...

Happy New Year 2012! Let every minute of it be filled with Kolaveri...

11 to 11...

It's 11 days to 2011 and I've decided to break the shackles. So at 11 something PM, I decided to write the 11th blog of this year (just to break the 6, 8, 10 pattern).

I don't have much to say except that it has been a foody last four days. What started with our drive to Boston on Saturday the 18th, the visits with friends and relatives, the feasts at my wife's cousins baby shower and after our return, at dinner with our most wonderful neighbours today. I must say, it is the most wonderful time of the year. The only thing missing so far has been that big snowfall. The lights are all out all over the place and about the shopping, don't even get me started. Every time I go to the plaza or the mall, I have to cirle the parking lots a couple of times before I find someone who is pulling back, only to find someone else already waiting with their giant SUV to pull in there. So what can a meek Honda Accord do but gently roll away and find the farthest spot from the store I meant to go and walk all the way up and down in the cold wind? "How do you eat so much and stay so thin?", asked my host today at dinner. Want to hear more?

This is just like last week. My son and wife are asleep after a long tiring day and I found that teeny weeny ounce of energy to stay up and write this. When I thought of the 11 days to 2011 concept this morning, I was excited about it, but I knew this was going to be a long day, but I kept telling myself that I should not give up and try to keep my composure and get this piece in tonight. I am glad I resisted hitting the sacj straightaway and did this. For I want 2011 to be not just about inspirational ideas that appear at meteoric intervals but the power of discipline, perseverance and execution. So I decided to push myself the extra few minutes at the end of a tiring day. And I want to say, it didn't turn out bad at all. The key now is to do this day after day for the next 10 days, with unfaltering commitment. And that would probably set the tone for the next year to come and many more.

2010 was special in many ways. 2011 will be even better. And in this 11 day run up to 2011, I will try and capture here some of the special moments of the year that is running out and some of the things I want to do in the year coming up. It's lights out and soon it will be 11 minutes to midnight and only 10 days to the new year. So good night world, happy Wednesday morning India and happy rest of the evening all ye in sunny California.

Nothing's Gonna Stop Us Now...

Ever heard the song by Starship? It's nothing new but can't say it's nothing great. In fact, it's 10.17 AM on 1 Jan 2010, and I am sitting on my couch listening to this song and writing this. For I have just decided that this song will be my motto for this new year and you, dear reader, can certainly make it yours too.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PP1HEFlkdY

You've got the drift and you've seen the song, now you want the story?

It was roughly the same time last night that we hit the New Jersey turnpike. My wife's sister is visiting and so is one of my dearest cousins, so we decided to spend a nice New Year's eve by watching Alvin and the Chipmunks, the Squeakuel at a nearby theatre. The show began at 730 PM and ended at 9, not as great as the orignial (part 1), but a good "time pass" movie.

As we pulled out of the parking lot a little after 9, I asked the family (in the fully packed car), if they were in a hurry to get back home, or were they up for an aimless drive? No one said no, so before they realized, I was on Route 38, headed west towards the quaint city of Philadelphia. My wife was not very convinced about the idea, I could tell from the look on her face, but I comforted her by saying that we would not get out of the car, but just drive through the streets of center city, which is how the downtown area is called, just to get the New Year feel.

I was hardly 5 mins down that road (south and west, remember) and an idea bulb went off in my head. I turned to my wife who sat next to me and softly said, "should we go in the other direction? I mean, towards the other city?" The look on her face obviously worsened but she still said ok. I wasn't sure she was and I prodded her a little further. "But you will have to fill gas", was all she said and that is all I needed. I missed the first U turn but on the second, I was heading back East and North on Route 38. Exxon on Route 73 South ensured we had a full tank and all this had taken close to an hour. Like I said, we hit the New Jersey turnpike, just about 10 PM.

My son, curious as he always is, was asking me the question, "Appa, do you even know where you are going?". "We are just going for a long ride Kanna", I insisted. He was not convinced either and my cousin and my sister-in-law had to come into play to distract him. Word building was the name of the game. The 2 in the back seat with my son are in the US for the first time and were obviously curiously excited, not knowing where we were going, but waiting to see. The lady of the house, in the front passesger seat, had to slide the backrest further back and close her eyes, in order not to show her dissent. I was moving forward.

We had entered the turnpike at exit 4 and it was raining. There was a thick fog and the prediction was that there could be ice and snow. Every often she would open her eyes and inform me about the weather, like I could not see it for myself. After about 10 miles, when we were getting close to exit 5, she could take it no more and she said, "I think we should turn back and go home". Wise woman that she was, she knew that our home was exactly in between exits 4 and 5 and that was the best chance to keep me from turning that bulb in my head OFF. "Let us just go a little longer and if it gets bad, I will turn back I promise", I said. She knew and I knew, I was not turning back.

The words continued to get built, the music continued to waft in the confused ambience inside the car and I kept the steady pace of 55 to 60 miles per hour on a 65 speed limit road. It was raining after all and all I coud see were the tail lights in front of me. "Appa, I need to use the rest room", came the call and we had to pull up into a service area. I still did not like the look on my wife's face. "Ha! Starbucks", I said. "Chai latte?", I questioned and she nodded, not thoroughly convincing. If there was one thing that could brighten her up, it was that. Alas, Starbucks was closed and we had to settle for Tetley tea and hot chocolate from Roy Rogers.

Quickly back in the car, we rode on. The words continued to flow and the skepticism was still in the air. I did everything I could to make everyone comfortable. Soon we were cruising in the rain, playing, answering phone calls and secretly I was praying (to my lord Sai Baba) that All would be well and that my secret desire would be fulfilled.

The Newark airport at exit 13 A provided for a little distraction. Everyone was searching the air to see if there were any flights landing and then to the runway to see if there were any taking off. With the amount of fog in the air, the chance of anything happening seemed remote and all they saw was the huge tractor, truck kind of vehicle ardently spraying salt on the runways and on the highway. More likelihood of snow! If you are taking the New Jersey turnpike one way or the other, I recommend you watch out to the left while going North and to the right while going South, when you are in the region between exits 13 and 14 (or 14 and 13). The sight of flights taking off and landing at the Newark airport at exit 13 A is simply breathtaking. And it can be quite an experience when you are in a moving car. But the one who is driving has to be focused.

I was chugging along. "So are you going into the city?", she asked. "Why don't we park the car at Seacaucus and take the train?" It was a good idea, no doubt, but it was not part of my plan. One of the greatest things about New York city is when you are entering it by road, just before you hit the Lincoln Tunnel, when you curve right to enter the tunnel, on the left you will see a full size view of midtown Manhattan. What can be awe-inspring in the day is simply out of the world at night, lights et al. So soon, I was past exit 15X for Seacaucus and had taken exit 16E for the Lincoln Tunnel.

The heavy fog had prevented a previously breathtaking view of the city. Just after you pass the Newark airport area, there is a kind of elevation on the road, it's not really a bridge, but more like a mound, and when you climb it and start climbing down, you get the first glimpse of the city's skyline, quite a view it is. The fog simply offered nothing to us today and at that point we had missed that. But now we were close to tunnel and as I took that right curve, I asked the first-timers to pay attention and there it was, that wonderful view of midtown.

"So we are going into the city, aren't we?", my son asked and per a previous conversation we had had, I now owed him $5, because he bet that that is where I was going and I had just brushed him aside by saying we were going for a long drive.

As we were in the tunnel, I felt the need for another pit stop and my son agreed. Though my original intention was to just drive into the city, get on the west end highway, all along the Hudson river and get out of the city through the George Washington Bridge, that was not to be. The Port Authority Bus Station and the car parking on top of it are right outside the tunnel and I pulled up into the parking lot, remember we needed the pit stop. The good part about this parking lot is that it's right on top of the bus station cum subway complex, so it has rest rooms, cafes and the works.

All of us had eased ourselves and it was time to decide what to do next. But that was only for my wife because I knew exactly what I was doing. I gave her a hug, got hold of my child's arm and asked him to wear his gloves. There was only one way we were going. Out. We stepped out on to 8th avenue and it was 1140 PM. The mighty New York times building was right in front of us and as we tried to find its vertical end, we only found ourselves staring into the fog. But that was not the important thing now. Here we were 2 blocks away from Times Square, 20 minutes from midnight, when the legendary ball dropping would take place to announce the New Year.

"Let's just go to that Starbucks, get that chai latte and get back to the car", I sugggested, fully knowing that is not what I meant. So we moved towards 42nd street and realized that at the corner of 42nd and 8th, there was no moving forward. All we could see was a sea of humans. The police had cordoned off the streets and the sidewalks were overflowing. However, we noticed that everyone was looking in the direction of 7th and 43rd and we could see a building with a clock tower with a ball on top of it. "Is that the ball", people were asking. "No, I don't think so", someone else was saying. There was no way we were getting to Starbucks so I suggested that we get back to the car.

"No, let's just wait and see what happens", my wife said and that bulb in my brain started glowing like a thousand watts. No sooner had she said that (it was closer to 1155) and suddenly the floodgates were opened and the police allowed the people from the sidelwalk to step on the street. It was raining and I had my son on my shoulder, so I asked my family not to step out onto the street, but before I had realized, my wife, cathcing hold of her sister's hand, had surged forward and brought herself to a spot, from where we could see the REAL BALL! Did I have an option? My son, my cousin and I were there in less than a minute too.

All we heard was noise. And then it happened. The ball started falling slowly and the fireworks emerged. Streaks of color filled the sky and the glitzy signs in the Times Square area added to the fervor. The noise increased. And the countdown began, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, ZERO. And the crowd went wild. HAPPY NEW YEAR! My wife was smiling and my son was loving it. As for my 2 guests who were visiting New York for the first time, you probably have to email them or check them out on Facebook, to see what they felt.

To me, this night was not about watching the ever famous ball dropping at New York's Times Square. It was about stretching my limits. On another day, I would have never undertaken this journey. Rain, fog and expectation of ice and snow were a perfect recipe to stay home, watch a movie and go to bed. And I would have been thoroughly satisfied with that. Last night, there was a desire, to ask for more from life and stretch myself a little harder to get it. Honestly, all I wanted was to show my guests, my dear sister-in-law and my dear cousin, the 2 breathtaking views of New York city that I have never ceased to be amazed with how many ever times I have seen them. I just wanted to make them feel excited about this New Year eve. When my wife wanted to turn back at exit 5, I decided I was sticking to the course and I guess I hit the jackpot.

And hence the theme and title of this story. Last night made me believe, that nothing is going to stop me this year and I am going to stretch myself to get what I want in life. And I wanted to share this with one and all, family and friends, just to let you know, Nothing's going to stop you now.

WISHING YOU, DEAR READER, A LIMITLESS NEW YEAR. GO GET WHAT YOU WANT.

Our wonderful journey ended at 245 AM, only after my wife got an extra hot cup of Chai latte from Casa Java and we witnessed a medium size aircraft touchdown at the Newark airport, literally metres away from eyesight...