Monday, December 31, 2007

Happy New Year

Why do we wish each other a HAPPY NEW YEAR? Is it because we were not too thrilled with the year gone back and the next year had BETTER be happy? We are all always after 'happy'. I am a great example of that. Even though a nagging voice tells me that happiness has really to do with me, myself, rather than other people, I continue to happily point fingers at people around me and accuse them of messing with my happiness. Mind you when they actually make me happy, I don't bother mentioning THAT as much. Just generous with the pointing fingers;) (When am happy, I just grunt and grin. When annoyed, I rant and rave. Hey, don't look at ME. Am sure I have something in common with you even if not this particular virtue!;))

So, this new year 2008 had better be happy. Am not pretending to be something I am not...at least not in THIS post anyway; but here goes ...

Let's not ask for the moon.

Speaking of the moon and halos, this new year, let's ask for a lot fewer people to go hungry, let's hope terrorists will kill far fewer innocent people in their quest ...for whatever (hope at least THEY know what they are after!!), hope I become VERY fit and lose flab (ha. i am sure my selfish hope ranks first...for ME!), hope people (ESPECIALLY those i love -- yup selfish again) get HEALTHIER, hope fewer children end up or stay in orphanages, hope fewer marriages break up, hope NO babies and kids suffer and / or die, in fact, hope I don't hear any bad news at all...not just this year but forever!(Ok, now, let me just ask for the moon and get this wishlist over with)...you get the picture.

In my defence, I read in a weird-titled poem in iss-school (titled: SAY NOT THE STRUGGLE NOT AVAILETH--what the hell IS that supposed to mean!) : "If hopes were dupes, fears would be liars". I have forgotten the meaning but I think it sort of means you can hope all you want since you already are stuck with negativities like fears! Or maybe it means if you have fear, you can have hope too -- the silver lining types.

Whatever.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Saturday, December 08, 2007

Warning! Socialite ahead!

Socialites are sometimes hogging an entire page in newspapers. Ugh! Most of the time, most socialites are up to not much good (and sometimes perhaps up to NO good at all!) so why should they get all the positive attention? They are almost always rich and trying to get famous. Their only claims to fame are coffee mornings and saturday night-outs for which they dress up, apply make up and strut. That's it. What's so noteworthy about that?

If YOU had the money, you could visit the beauty parlour every other day and wear branded clothes, make up and accessories too, right?

I hope not. Perhaps you could stay elegant and well turned out -- sure, but you could also actually do something worthwhile like contributing to businesses (get a job) or better still (since you have the money and the time) help with social causes...all through the same strutting that usually gets you nowhere but an invitation to the next party.

I don't mind being corrected if I am wrong here about socialites in general...willing to listen to any comments that could change the current picture in my mind of empty people. And why are they usually women? WOMEN, this is not good at all. As a woman myself, I must say this is not a feather in this gender's cap. More like a feather in the brain! Ok, perhaps the only use is that these socialites get photographed at some event or restaurant or bar, etc. and thereby bring publicity to that business which organises the event or to the hosts of the party.
Hmmm....nope, 'that don't impress me much'. (Thank you, Shania Twain)

When someone nudges me and says.." Look! There is so-and-so. I am like 'uh? WHO's that?' Sure, i don't know EVERYbody but if the explanation is just 'she is a socialite', I always feel the need to ask "But what does she DO?"

Partying as a full time occupation? Too much of a good thing never sounded more apt!

Western Voices

There are some 'voices in song' that can raise those goosebumps on you and get that lump up and big in your throat, leaving you a bit spent...such gifted voices belong to singers like Barbara Streisand. What a glorious voice and non judgementally speaking, a personality to match!

Old goldies like 'The way we were' and 'Memory' -- just listen to them to get that stirred-up feeling...brings out emotions and memories(!) nearly long-forgotten. I am constantly amazed by what music can do...no wonder they say it is for the soul.

You can see the emotions in the song when Barbara Streisand sings...It got me thinking that for best effects, the singer ought to be not-so-young so that experience can add flavour to every word. I can appreciate that more now with, ahem, age!

And how about those song writers at that point who wrote simple and meaningful words! (Doubt: Does anybody know ehther Barbara streisand herself wrote the lyrics for 'The Way we Were' and 'Memory'?)

A song without lyrics is like...well, it has a different effect -- subtle but pretty strong really. Oh well, that calls for another post altogether!