Wednesday, October 28, 2009

An ode to the equity trader?

Every time I listen to this song, I find myself picturing a hotshot equity trader sitting at his desk sometime in September-08, peering with disbelief at his Bloomberg screen, with his Rolex-clad hand clutching his head & his mouth in an "O". I wonder what Coldplay was thinking about...

I used to rule the world
Seas would rise when I gave the word
Now in the morning I sleep alone
Sweep the streets I used to own

I used to roll the dice
Feel the fear in my enemy's eyes
Listen as the crowd would sing
"Now the old king is dead! Long live the king!"

One minute I held the key
Next the walls were closed on me
And I discovered that my castles stand
Upon pillars of salt and pillars of sand

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Happy Diwali

The festival of lights & sparkles was special this year - it was Kabeer's first. There were laddoos, poori-aloo, lights, taash, grand-parents, yellow flowers, sparkles, puja, friends. The best part was dressing up Kabeer in his Fab-India kurta; he looked like a little Gandhian :)
This was our third diwali in Singapore; but it was our first visit to "Little India" during Diwali. And God, was it manic or was it manic! The decoration in Little India gets put up around a week or so running up to Diwali; and its usually a bit gaudy (1960s stuff with apsaras in typical 'namaste' poses, elephants, and south-indian rangoli patterns). But by the night of Diwali eve, the place turns into an absolute vibrant festive crazy thoroughfare. I've never seen as many people, as much traffic, as much loud music* & as much indiscipline in Singapore before. It felt like Diwali back home!

*The music blaring on the loudspeakers was really random south-indian film music; but Kabeer loved dancing to it :)

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Wondering...

Is there anything better in the world than a little toothless smile?