Heart'n'Soul

I often wonder what’s the value of human life and the first thought that comes to my mind is the measures used by the Insurance companies to calculate it before they issue the insurance policy (thanks to MNYL where I did my summer training). And so it makes me shudder because all I see is an "ECONOMIC" connotation attached to it. All its worth is what you earn, what does your account balance say and what designation or power you enjoy currently. It’s suddenly all about the profit w.r.t. to a certain someone’s life, and so there must be a break-even point as well... you know like how much of human life loss is acceptable and how much is not. Not just that, its also about how a common mans life is not much of a loss as compared to a big shot who’s life is more precious than a whole country.

Beyond that, in general also, it’s sad to see how we claim that our life and that of our near and dear ones is priceless and at the same time we shamelessly toss it aside as cheap when others are concerned. The value of the comfort that our car provides is more than the value of the air we all breathe, we value what’s right for us more than what’s good, right and just for all. What we value must benefit us and if it causes any harm to someone else, it is none of our business. And when we don’t have answers to any of these questions, we conveniently put forward the Darwinian theory...Survival of the fittest!!! It’s like placing LIFE in the same category as the products that we marketers must sell by hook or by crook.

Wondering where it’s coming from??? Well, I have become appalled in recent years at the amount of murders, crimes, selfishness and just plain disrespect of human life in our society. The murder, kidnapping, bombings and worst of all the honor killing stories being re run on all news channel every day make me sit back and think every single day about how life only has a monetary value, but nothing else. What am I worth even if I am a CEO of the biggest MNC in the world??? Nothing!!! 9/11 attacks affected everyone equally. It din matter if the one who got killed was the CEO or an AVP or just a cleaner… for that matter, it means nothing even to a simple thief who would kill to save himself from the trouble of being caught. Every time I feel sad about a meticulously calculated number being attached to life and I try to look beyond it and its implications… I don’t see much. In fact it upsets me further to know that economic worth of a person is much higher than the emotional value of his/her life

On one hand are the terrorist groups that are actually working on innovative ways of how to slaughter people and on the other hand are the small time crooks that murder to survive. And both don’t make sense to me. How can life be so cheap? It troubles me deeply to know that each one of us, in our very own way, disrespect other person’s value while we probably place the highest on ours. And its not just about you and me, its also about the people who are related to us. The importance of life is not restricted only to the individual. It’s also about the emotional cost that a person carries; the influence that ones existence or non-existence can have on the lives of our friends and family.

And as if the people we don’t know were not enough, the people we know are also becoming a threat. Look at the recent Noida murder case where the father killed his own daughter... I mean seriously, a perfectly normal guy, a well renowned doctor, had all the money and reputation one wants in life...What was he thinking??? Its like at both the individual level and the community level, the sense of security and safety people usually feel is eroding gradually.

I don’t know what can be done about the situation and the way LIFE is treated by us, I don’t know if I myself can do something about it but it surely does pain me to see the way we abuse the gift of life and the gift of compassion that we have been blessed with. Wish we could really be the superior living organism that we are supposed to be, cuz if it’s really about the survival of the fittest than I don’t know how we are better than the so called lesser beings.

One of my friends just wrote me a testimonial mentioning how the following six names are an inseparable part of my life. Well, if I think bout it from a third person’s perspective, I sound crazy to myself but what the heck, these six names really are important and like she said they do form a major part of a whole lot of my conversations. The names are

Monica Velula Geller
Rachel Karen Green
Joseph Francis Trbbiani
Chandler Muriel Bing
Phoebe Rose Buffay
Ross Eustace Geller

Well, I am sure most of us know who they are… probably even love them. At least I do. Absolutely in love with all six of them and the show. And those who know me well, also know about the relative business venture too… one of the few dreams I have in life.

I have never ever enjoyed watching anything more than this series, beginning to end. Each episode special in its own way. And it cracks me up every time I see it… believe me, I have seen the reruns as well as the DVDs, over and over again and still cant stop…cant even remember the number of times I have seen it!!!

For those who don’t know, it’s the best comedy ever… the most famous comedy on TV that ran for 10 years and the fans still can’t get enough of it!!! Well Monica and Phoebe begin as roommates who have Chandler and Joey as neighbors. Phoebe moves out and Rachel, who is Monica’s childhood friend movies in. Ross is Monica’s Brother and Chandler’s Best friend.

Its all about the lives, loves, and laughs of these six people who are on their own and struggling to survive in the real world and how they find the companionship, comfort and support they get from each other to be the perfect antidote to the pressures of life. But it is never that straight forward, is it? It just feels so good every time I see this show. It's not just comedy; it’s the day-to-day situations that one can truly identify with. The humor is just so universal. I feel like I'm part of the group every time I watch it because I can FEEL the different emotions they go through. It’s just like how it should be. PERFECT!

Ross is this sweet paleontologist who speaks very precisely and is somewhat shy.
Monica is a chef, bossy, controlling, competitive and an absolute cleanliness freak.
Chandler…the sarcastic joke maker of the group…started with statistics and ended with advertising. Who would have expected him to get married and have kids: D
Joey... Ah Joey… My favorite character ever… I so clearly remember the episode where he plays Sigmund Freud in a musical based on his life…simply hilarious. Intellectually slow (“get there faster”) but extremely fast with women (“how you doing?”)… Reminds me of the scene where he tries it on Phoebe and she blushes…lol
Rachel, the spoilt queen of the pack who gets all the male attention all the time. Confused and fashionable.
Phoebe…way out in the left field all the time. DIFFERENT to the core. Perfect comic timing… I wonder if she really belongs to this planet…he he he…The Princess Consuela Bannanahammock, Mrs. Crap bag and of course Regina Phalange

My favoritest episode is the one with the football on Thanksgiving Day…how can one ever get over all the football and THE Gellar cup… every time I think of it, am ROFL…EVERYTIME. And then there’s the one where Ross is moving and keeps shouting…PIVIOT…PIVIOT…PIVIOT!!! Hi hi ha ha ha ha. Then of course the one in Central Perk where Ross tries to hit Joey and then Joey fills his hospital form… outstandingly sidesplitting. Or the one where Chandler is obsessed with his seat and Joey walks in wearing all of Chandler’s clothes and says: “Look at me, I’m Chandler. Could I beeee wearing any more clothes? Maybe if I wasn’t going commando.”

And there was so much to learn…Like Ezel [Donkey in Dutch], Vaffannapolis [Get lost in Italian] and how to give a finger without really giving it [the time when Monica cried all night cuz she realized for the first time that she is cooler then her elder brother, LOL]. Oh and the concept of having a back up or being on a break…AND that there are 7 zones (really!!!)… he he he.

Its become such an inherent part of my daily life that a lot of times I tend to say stuff from the show or imitate a character to drive home a point…Like chandler’s could it BEEEEEEEEE … Or Chandler’s dance….The smelly cat… “It tastes like Feeeet”…”I can hear the voices in my head again”…”I’m Joey, I don share food”… Quoted “OOPS” by Joey…Monica’s version of “I KNOW” and Phoebe’s version of “Oh No”… Unaaagiii… Barrabush (the drum roll)… Joeys version of French “Poo!!!” when m sad…and of course the audience reactions of AWWWWWWW!!!! … The British pronunciation of Mobile and “Arse”… Or Rachel’s “Its no that common! It doesn’t happen to every guy! And it is a big deal!” And the winner, the most often used – OH!! MY!! GOD!!!
Hmmmmmmmmmm (sigh)… I simply love it all Though sometimes its embarrassing cuz sum people don get the joke and I get those “what’s wrong with her” looks… But like I said, what the heck, I love them so much that I care two hoots…

In the end the song that sums it all up… it so makes me miss the old days and wish me n my dearest pals could stay together like FRIENDS always

So no one told you life was gonna to be this way
Your job's a joke, you're broke, your love life's D.O.A.
It's like you're always stuck in second gear
When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year

I'll be there for you
When the rain starts to pour
I'll be there for you
Like I've been there before
I'll be there for you
'Cause you're there for me too

Aaaaaand am getting back to watching all the seasons all over again

Today was one of those days when you have loads of work at home and on top of that you also have the extended family work…. like picking up and dropping 2 sets of relatives from airport in a single day. Well, basically I had to drive around the town all day!!!

Anyway, driving doesn’t bore me at all, and today it was even more interesting cuz I was reading the stuff written on back of the trucks. Some were usual, but some were out of the world hilarious. So I thought, why not put them up on a blog and let other have some fun too.

“Horn OK Please” (what’s the OK for man)

“Use Dipper at Night” (oh yeah!! Cuz this is one thing they don teach at driving school)

“Road King” (No doubt…with all the space u take up n never let anyone overtake)

“Wait for side” (Yeah, m still waiting)

“Ja to nuhi chalegi” (it means - it will run like this only)

“Bad nazar wale tera thobda black” (some hinglish I say)

“Gori fir se hui jawan” (Huh!! What? How?)

“Sau mein se nabbhe baiman, phir bhi Mera Bharat Mahan” (now that’s what I call social service)

“Phir Milenge” (Really? At least consider my opinion)

“Aa ab lot cahelin” (Again…. consider my opinion too)

“Use horn ok please dipper” (WHAT!!!)

“Mus - - - Kaan” (yeah m smiling already)

“Kaho na pyaar hai” (What nonsense I say!!!)

“Malik ki gadi, driver ka pasina, chalti hai road par, banke hassina” (Galib must be turning in his grave)

“Fool se kante ache hai jo daman tham lete hain, dost se dushman ache hain jo jal kar bhi naam lete hain” (oopsie, Galib turns again”)

“Soch kar dekho, Saath Kya jayega” (Hmmmm…. thought provoking)

“Kashmir Ki Kali” (I don know what to say to this one)

And the winner is:
“Buri Nazar Wale Tere Bachche Jiyen, Aur Bade Hokar Tera Khoon Piyen” (this one really had me in splits…he he ha ha ha ha… ROFL)

Hope it’s been interesting for some of you… anyone has anything to add, be my guest ;-)