The Tag with a "Spark"

Tags are like a spark, in our other wise slow blogging lives. You get running for some time, take some rest and then there comes along a tag with a spark from wetspark and you get going. Reminds me of the spark plug in our old Bajaj scooter.! Mathew, inquisitive that you are, you want me to divulge 8 secrets of my otherwise highly confidential life, so here goes eight highly guarded secrets. :-)

8 things, I am passionate about.
* Books of all kinds, whether I get to read them all or not. at least seeing them decked up on the shelf gives me a feeling of pride - My only savings so far.!
* My family. My ideal family would have been a cross between the Addams Family in Cartoon Network and the one in Little Miss Sunshine, but I'm more than happy with what the dear lord gave. Love you.!
* My Country, Like they say, Mera Bharat Mahaan.
* Writing - I still remember the smile on my teacher's face, when someone showed her a poem I wrote. From then, it has just continued. Having said that, I'm passionate about blogging itself. It changed my life for me.
* Nature - Green landscapes, Lucid clear blue water and the pure music of the breeze. What can I say, it inspires me.
* Music - I love all kinds of music, mostly melodies, old romantic ballads. I get queer faces at me, when I sway sitting in my cube, listening to music. They think I'm mad.! I sure am.!
* Society - Does that make sense..? I am passionate about at least working to eradicate one social evil. Don't know which one, probably Female Foeticide.
* Cinema - I love films. Watching them, as well as the finer nuances of film making. Be it our very own Padmarajan, Maniratnam, Adoor or be it, Alfred Hitchcock, Tarantino, or the genius of Satyajit Ray. They all make my day.

8 things I want to do before I die.
* Write and publish a book. What I will write about, I do not know, but write I must.!
* Travel to the Himalayas and stand alone on a high peak and spread my hands and simply freeze that moment.. Ah..! Bliss!
* Build a beautiful naalukettu house. Now this, I know for sure is tough!
* Ride a bike properly. I know you will say WHAT?! but it isn't that easy for me. I've already failed once in the license test. It's a long drawn battle down there.
* Have a wild pet, probably a big boa constrictor.
* Sing, in front of a real audience for once. I'm tired of bathroom singing. I could have, but there is a big stage fear to overcome. Gives me the creeps even now.
* Teach in a small school, somewhere in remote Wayanad.
* Go to varanasi and spend some days in deep retrospect of life.! Grow a beard and dissolve into the confluence of life, nature and people.

8 things I say often
* "What to do? Life's like that." - Some thing I claim to have invented. To be patented.!
* I call up some one after a long time and they enquire what I'm doing. If it's in malayalam it is "Jeevichu povunnu"(Just living) , if in tamil, it's etho poguthu.(Somewhat going on).
* "Not Interested" - All banks upon earth, know my mobile number, and they wont rest until I take at least one credit card.! (*&^%$$@(!!!!
* "Sheri" - means simply ok.
* Great! - good or excellent, is not enough these days.. Life, simply has to be "Great!"
* "Hello!" - Graham Bell's mistake.
* Grre.. Hmprrh! - Ever since I saw The Incredible Hulk!
* "Hi" - It's amazing how this two letter word has taken by storm.!

8 Books I last read.
* "My Childhood Days" - Memoirs of Satyajit Ray.
* After Kurukshetra - By Mahashweta Devi.
* 5 Indian Masters.
* The Penguin Book of Indian Railway Stories - Still reading.
* The Last Mughal - By William Dalrymple.
* A Readers' Digest
* Outlook
* Unheard Voices - Stories of Forgotten Lives by Harsh mander.

8 Songs I could listen to over and over again
Now this is where 8 becomes too small a number.. :). So I'll keep two each for the four languages I know.
* Tharalitharaavil mayangiyo.. sooryamanasam
* Devasabhaathalam Classic of Raveendran Maashu
* Narumugaye - Classic from movie Iruvar. Beautiful use of Sangam Literature and lilting music from Rahman.
* En Vanile from Johnny
* Ghanan Ghanan - The arrival of rain celebrated with joy. Classic from Lagaan
* Ae Mere Watan Ke Logon - by Lata Mangeshkar ( Nightingale of India), she sings not only with her sweetest voice, but the most sincere passion and emotion. Great! - There I used it again.
* Heal the World - A Beautiful Song, from Michael Jackson. I'm a great fan! (Strictly professional!)
* When you believe! - When Mariah Carey and Whitney Houston croon so elegantly, there are miracles and you believe..! Amazing!

8 people I think should do this tag

* Alex - Alex!, In the middle of your philosophy, take a break! :)
* Starry - Long time Starry..! Get back !!
* Sreejith - My namesake friend.! you've been too busy lately. take this One!
* Dwarak - Because I know you've never done a tag before.!
* Shankari - In the middle of those wonderful stories, let's get to know you too..!
* Chitra - In the middle of train journeys, children and mobiles, do a tag too..!
* Jac - In the middle of your ever-exciting travels, how about a tag..?
* Vinay - In the middle of your poetry, let's get to know you too.!

So the spark plug, sputtered, coughed, then sprang to life. The scooter travelled for a while, before it realized no one had boarded. I was lying on the sand.!