THE WONDER YEARS

“Every man is a child and every child is also a man”. Educative and heart stirring lines like this make the 90’s television serial “The Wonder Years”, one of my all time favorites.

It is about The Arnolds’. It tells the story of a Kevin Arnold- his journey through adolescence and is very beautifully set in the backdrops of the late 60’s and early 70’s.

The show much life the time in which it is based is about discovering Life. Narrated by Kevin’s grown up self, it explains the trials, triumphs and turbulence in the life of a teenager.

The show is multifaceted. It talks about all the aspects of life. The struggle of a family to stay united, the dreams and aspirations of parents regarding their children, the struggle of a teenager to cope up with his ever so rapidly changing world, are all depicted through daily events in Kevin’s life.

The show explores the core of human relationships. In every season it tries to explore the dynamic aspects of our fragile existence. The talks about how brothers can be friends, strangers, enemies or simply brothers can be soul touching. It proves that parents always want the best for their children and no matter how big the child becomes he shall always remain his parents’ baby. It explores a daughters attempt to break free and explore the world on her own but at the same time is proves that one’s world lies along his loved ones.

All these lessons are learned and also taught by those who are truly young at heart. Now “when you are 16”, as it is said so frequently in the show, the “ever so invaluable” lessons may seem trivial and the smallest lessons leave a ever lasting impression. This sense of purity allows the show to truly capture life from a teenager’s point of view. This unabashed approach forces viewers to exclaim “this is my story”.

In a way “The Wonder Years” is everybody’s story. It is a story about care, warmth, despair, despises heartbreak, jubilation, victory, defeat, pain, relief. It is a story about LIFE.

“The Wonder Years” most efficiently captures the concept of friendship and love. It is Kevin’s bonding with Paul which proves that everyone needs a confidant a supporter, an adviser, a helper. Everyone needs a best friend. It proves our craving for a true friend and that our life is incomplete without a friend to share it with.

But if I were forced to choose that one relationship which the show epitomizes then it has to be the relationship which a man shares with the women he loves. For the on and off romance of Kevin and Winnie explains heartbreak as well as heartily love to the core. On one hand we had the young and immature love of Kevin and Winnie and on the other we witnessed the silent but undoubting relationship between Kevin’s parents- Jack and Norma.

Jack and Norma’s love was never projected much in the show. It was a calculated act, because their love was like the wind, one could not see it but everyone could feel it. It proves how difficult it is to keep one’s family together but if you develop it with the person you truly love it will b a cakewalk. Jack and Norma fell in love when they were kids and even after so many years Norma still remained Jack’s girl. Their relationship makes you appreciate your parents and applaud them for trying so hard to keep the family together.

On the contrary Kevin and Winnie represented a different kind of love. The two were since as far as memory goes. Winnie was the girl next door and she was the only girl Kevin ever thought of. Their relationship was a journey in which they discovered each other as well as themselves. The fact that in spite of being together for six years the headed their separate ways, truly asserts the reality aspect of the show and proves just how unpredictable life of a teenager is. It says one more thing, live life in the moment. If you are too entangled contemplating about the future you will ruin your present also.

The series finale is heart touching to say the least. It explains Kevin’s final journey his final step towards adulthood. It depicts his parting away from his family, his love, his hometown to explore life on his own, to become a MAN. The series finale reiterates the importance of family values and the significance of friendship. It also explains that no matter how much we oppose it, one day all of us have to leave our comfort zone to explore the outside world.

“Growing up happens it a heartbeat. One moment you are born and the next moment you may be gone”. What matters is the wonderful moments you spend with your loved ones and the lessons that you learn in the process.

I guess there is a reason that I am able to relate so much with the show. I will be soon entering my final year n college, so my WONDER YEARS are all but over. It is time for me to start looking back in WONDER.

GOOGLED Once Again!!!!

Google take a bow. Once again it has proven just why it is the fastest growing company in history.

Google stands for innovation. It signifies out of the box thinking. Whatever Google does it involves meticulous planning and a foresight which only few can recognize. It has never threaded on the beaten path but has always created a unique path of its own, and when this happens everybody else is left awestruck and kick themselves for not having thought so themselves.

As far has technology is concerned Google has no match. Its recruitment process is THE toughest in the computer world. As a result its engineers always come up with state of the art techniques. So whether it is the ‘Pointing search engine algorithm’ or ‘the g mail file system’ they are all original and ground breaking achievements.

In marketing also Google managers have made more than just a name for themselves. The exploited man ‘need to know everything’ by making their products accessible by ‘Invitation only’. As a result their products appeared elusive and thus everyone wants a piece of the cake. Who can forget Google famous ‘Hoarding recruitment process’ Google wrote an encrypted message in hording all across US which upon successfully decipher yielded a phone number. When the select smart one’s who were actually able to decrypt it , called the number they faced their recruitment interview. Now a company with cool tricks like these will obviously catch the imagination of any computer geek.

But very recently Google proved its mettle in a unexplored area also -‘Strategy’. We are all aware of the Microsoft’s attempts to buy Yahoo. Microsoft offered a price, Jerry Yang demanded more, Ballmer said no more and walked away. But greedy promoters desperate to sell there shares when the going is good decided to start a ‘proxy’ fight to win control over Yahoo.

This deal would not go down well with Google. It of all people will now want the cash rich and market dominator named Microsoft to find a foothold in the online advertisement business. But how can Google stop Microsoft. All the ‘great’ market strategists suggested that Google will fall to Microsoft if the Yahoo deal goes ahead. SO in order to save itself it had to buy Yahoo, a mere advertisement partnership will not be good enough. But Google definitely doesn’t have either the cash or the incentative to buy out Yahoo. So what can it do? Has Google finally run out of ideas, is this the end of the Road?

Not Quite! Google did sign an advertisement partnership deal with Yahoo but t was not just any other deal. It had a fine print which suggested just why Google is ‘Google’.

Google and Yahoo have entered a 3 year deal, but here the catch if a majority of Yahoo’s present board where to be replaced then Google has a right to break the deal and in this case Yahoo will have to pay a huge compensation to it.

What did I tell you about these people? They are amazing.

So now if Microsoft or any other company takes over Yahoo it will have an additional overhead it terms of the compensation it will have to pay Google. This combined with packages for potential retrenchment victims will be more than enough to force the potential buyer to withdraw the offer.

So Google as always has found a way such that it not only gets its cake but also eats it. Wonder who will be ‘Googled’ out of their senses next.

Google take a bow.

SPOT(L)ESS

When you are 20 appearances matter. In fact many times you fell that they are the only thing that do matter. So we have teenagers running from pillar to post trying to find the perfect formula and make themselves look better.

But it’s sad that we live in a world where no one is sure of himself and everybody wants to be somebody else. A world where no one appreciates want they have.

But having said that, I do belong to the same generation and am affected when I appear below par. Well I am nothing great to look at but why lower oneself further. After all acceptances is a social factor and every unfortunately people tend to believe that good looking people are also good people.

Now one of the greatest side effects of my recent infection is that it left quite a mark, literally. So after having overcome the pox I now had to bear its consequences. During my time of suffering I felt a uncontrollable desire to ITCH my wounds. But I was fully aware that if I itch I will scar. So I tried very hard to ‘Do the right thing’ but Alas! I, a mere mortal was defeated. I did itch and now have a “spot-full” face.

Well I did not itch much, or at least thought so. But my small indulgences have left permanent (but I am sincerely hoping against this possibility) prints.

So now I have quite an encrypted face. The best part is that the spots are so placed that the give me a rather funny new look. So I have the biggest spot in the centre of my forehead, in between my eyes, which very much looks like a natural bindiya. The feminine resemblances do not stop there; I also have a spot in the left corner of my nose which gives the impression of a nose ring. My cheeks are light checkered fields with black, brown, light red colors thrown in for some dazzling special effects.

Well they are my doing but I did not deserve so much. Well at least now I have a unique face. My doctor mother says they will fade away soon and I hope for my sake she is right.

But whatever be I have so many spots on my body now that mujhe kiski najar nahi lagegi

“POOR MURPHY” OR “POOR ME”

Murphy’s Law has proven itself once again. Something could have gone wrong and like always it did go wrong.

After a rather forgetful end semester examination it was that time of the year which is most cherished by people of my ‘type’. It was summer time and it was certainly going to be an extremely eventful summer. With a very important phase of my life coming up this summer was ‘do-or-die’. I mean I had to pull up my socks, kill all the doubts, rise above everyone’s inspection and try to touch the sky. Yes it sounds too melodramatic and clichéd but I am an optimist (or at least I believe myself to be one) .

But who could I have dared to dream, how could I have forgotten that I am cursed like Murphy. So one bright summer morning I discovered a tiny red inflammation near my neck. Being the ignorant I am I ignored it. It took a visit to the hostel barber where it was pronounced ‘aap mein maa agaye hai’, which upon translation means to have got chicken pox. So I did the obvious and ignored it once again. But my body could not ignore it any more. They doubled, tripled so much so that I started to loose count. With no potion left I accepted the truth and was reminded once again that I have Murphy’s luck. So bags were packed in record speed and a train headed home was boarded, so much about ‘touching the sky’.

Well Murphy did not leave me so easily. Mr Lalu also disappointed me. His brain child ‘The Garib Rath’ left its passengers even more garib. The train was 3 hours late. This was surprising as mine was the starting station. So restless, sleepless and irritated I decided to roam about the train. For some weird reason all the passengers keep looking at my face. It was as if some were shocked and the rest were frightened. Thinking there was something wrong with the people around me I returned to my berth. As I was about to be seated I caught a reflection of myself in the mirror. Holy @##! I had transformed into mirror cracking material (pun intended). My RBC’s and WBC’s were falling against the might chicken pox causing verisella virus. My face was like a crater field. There were lumps all round, at least a hundred of them. No part of my face was untouched and I had a feeling that the rest of my body was no better (a feeling validated in the near future).

So afraid of not being chased and called a Frankenstein I head for my berth, pretending to sleep, I laid face down covering it with my hand. But I still had no peace. I am Murphy, remember? The TT was the first strike, then numerous junk food vendors but the height was when a group of eunuchs woke me up and demanded reimbursement in their own ‘tantalizing’ manner. The night became darker but there was no sleep for me. The train rolled on. No matter how fast it went it was not fast enough for me. All along my berth wobbled, the guy nest to me snored louder than a full strength orchestra and I developed a great feeling, an uncontrollable feeling, an insurmountable feeling to ITCH my wounds but I could not do that.

The train finally rolled into the destination station a good five hours late. My dad was there to receive me. The only thing good about the journey was that it was over. I was very happy to be back with my doctor-mother. She is my magician and I was desperately hoping that she casts a spell which frees me of Murphy’s curse.

Poor Murphy….correction poor me.

I must thank a friend who on knowing of my condition kept calling me and inquired of my health. Her voice was the only relief during the journey