Pagalz.com - Blog » Home and Garden

THOSE OLD BUILDINGS!!

shivani — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:03:17 +0000

What is it about old buildings that I find so fascinating? I visit Calcutta every year and what never ceases to amaze me is how old, derelict , almost crumbling buildings still manage to stand upright and even be inhabited by people who do not seem to mind having their lives at risk day in and day out. The precariousness of the structure that they live in hangs literally like the Sword of Damoceles on their heads and yet they continue to live there. However, some if not most of these deteriorating structures are of-course abandoned and look like empty shells or lost ghosts of what once lived.
Every time I see one of these ancient edifices I just end up staring at it in a kind of morbid trance. My sister who lives in Calcutta raises her eyebrows theatrically and makes a face at what she calls my ‘macabre’ fascination for these old buildings. According to her they are just ‘eyesores which need to be blasted off the face of the earth’. But I see them differently.
To me, old buildings gone to seed, the mildewed, blackened walls with the paint peeling off ; the cracked and falling off plaster; the weathered wooden planks naked and exposed; the iron grills rusted over; the windows and doors hanging off their hinges like a drunk person’s lop sided reeling; the rotting rafters; the half torn down walls, broken glass panes; the growth of moss and creepers and weeds; the general aura of decay and decomposition, to me, all these , reek of the mystery of life and death itself. Just the sight of one of these makes me go all introspective and philosophical.
These buildings at one time might have been constructed with dreams and loving care. They must have housed people both good and bad with dreams all of their own, and been the admiration and envy of others. And now just look at them. As with all things, cruel time has rendered these once beautiful houses, old and decadent.
Yet, no matter how ugly, run down or deprecit these buildings might be each has a distinctive persona all it’s own, a certain character or oddity that defines it. One old mansion looks like an old ghoul with black and vacant windows as eyes; another one seems to totter on it’s own foundations, like a torn and tattered, half decomposed corpse straight out of Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’, another one looks like a gnarled, withered old man with the torturous roots of a peepal tree growing all over it’s damaged facade, and yet another looks like a serene old dame, still clinging to the essence of her lost beauty preciously and with a certain grace and dignity inspite of the ravages of time and weather.
New buildings are all neat and orderly lines and curves but old buildings follow no rules of structure. Their lines are all messed up as if some careless hand has riffled through them. But they have some mean substance that the new buildings do not have. Old buildings have so much of a history in them. So many lives having been lived out within their confines they seem to hide within their darknesses the secrets of many hidden passions, jealousies, angst, mental torture. If only one could read the minds of these old bricks what stories they might have to narrate to us of the people who lived and died there! Do the spirits and ghosts of those people and the events of their lives still haunt these dwellings? There is an aura of many mysteries in the hidden depth, heights and the metaphysical dimensions of these old walls. One feels that you just have to scratch the surface for all the old stories to come tumbling out.
There is something so helpless and vulnerable about these dilapidated edifices, yet they also exhibit a shrewd but almost careless kind of a generosity allowing creepers to grow all over themselves, black crows and cooing pigeons to perch on and make their nests in the nooks and crevices created by cracks, scorpions to scurry surreptitiously through the dust and dried leaves blown in on the floors, vagrants to create a make shift night shelter in their warm interiors or stray cats and dogs to pass through them uninhibited and unchecked. These are the living dead buildings, the ghosts of what once was, what once used to be. They are now the aged remnants of an era gone by, over and done with. Maybe that is why they are nicknamed ‘bhoot banglas.’
I wonder who owns these places and why they are left as they are. Have these building psychologically overpowered the humans who own them refusing to be done out of existence? Have they been neglected and therefore come to this state or were they lovingly maintained till such time that nothing could be done for them no more? And then, what do they want, these senescent structures? Do they wish to be restored and preserved for their heritage, or do they want to be done away with speedily and with all dignity and respect, or do they wish to linger on maliciously hell bent on marring the beauty of the modernity and newness of other buildings in the area? Perhaps filled with many jealousies they try to thus exact a futile kind of revenge against all that is still young and beautiful and wanted and adored.
I also wonder that when the time comes for their demolition, will they give in to their ultimate fate with a huge sigh of relief or resignation, or will they rebel with a roaring sound and go down fighting.
The buildings stare back at me with their hollowed out blank eyes seeming to whisper, ‘Understand me if you can or go your way. Take a last good look at me as you might never see me again. I am a symbol of the past that must crumble down against the might of time some day. But for the moment I am a defiant spirit as yet unbroken, defying the march of time, as yet standing tall. Though I am old I still am. I still exist. ‘

http://neeras.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/09/those-old-buildings.htm

Why The Sage Stays Hidden

shivani — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 16:01:42 +0000

Most people never even are aware that sages exist. This poem describes why the sage stays hidden.

This House a computer drawing by Harry Kottler

Why The Sage Stays Hidden

by Harry Kottler

Heaven and earth go on and on.

How come these places last so long?

Their own lives, they don’t create.

That is the reason for their long parades.

This is why the sage stays hidden.

For foreground roles he makes no biddings.

Still this sends him to the fore.

He’s seen outside, though he’s in his core.

Is it not just because he has no ends

That all his personal needs are met?

Is it not just because he has no desires

that every single desire is sired?

The yogi is just like the sage.

Without seeking fruits, he is surely paid.

He does not rush out toward the world,

Yet inner glory is unfurled.

His every need, in time, is met

Because there’s nothing he wishes to get.

He sits still or moves according to karma

His consciousness is his shield and armor.

His consciousness holds tranquility

And that is all he ever sees.

This or that is not his goal.

He stays content within his soul.

……….

http://harryandhelen.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/09/why-the-sage-stays-hidden.htm

Why The Sage Stays Hidden

shivani — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 15:49:56 +0000

Most people never even are aware that sages exist. This poem describes why the sage stays hidden.

This House a computer drawing by Harry Kottler

Why The Sage Stays Hidden

by Harry Kottler

Heaven and earth go on and on.

How come these places last so long?

Their own lives, they don’t create.

That is the reason for their long parades.

This is why the sage stays hidden.

For foreground roles he makes no biddings.

Still this sends him to the fore.

He’s seen outside, though he’s in his core.

Is it not just because he has no ends

That all his personal needs are met?

Is it not just because he has no desires

that every single desire is sired?

The yogi is just like the sage.

Without seeking fruits, he is surely paid.

He does not rush out toward the world,

Yet inner glory is unfurled.

His every need, in time, is met

Because there’s nothing he wishes to get.

He sits still or moves according to karma

His consciousness is his shield and armor.

His consciousness holds tranquility

And that is all he ever sees.

This or that is not his goal.

He stays content within his soul.

……….

http://harryandhelen.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/09/why-the-sage-stays-hidden.htm

kitchen appliance manufacturer

shivani — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 16:14:02 +0000

We are kitchen appliance manufacturer from China, specialized in electrical rice cooker, electric kettle, blender, mixer, juice extractor, etc., stailess steel products and aluminium products.

We can offer you very competitive price, we welcome OEM business.

We have CE,CB,ROHS etc. approvals.

Please contact MS. ELIENA LEUNG for product details and prices.

http://kappliance.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/08/kitchen-appliance-manufacturer.htm

Home Sweet Home

shivani — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 15:12:24 +0000

Living in USA, my heart is ever in India, my homeland. Whenever I’m homesick, I take solace in these two world famous songs:

“Home. Sweet Home!” is a song that has remained well-known for over 150 years. Adapted from the 1823 opera Clari, Maid of Milan, the song’s melody was composed by Englishman Sir Henry Bishop with lyrics by American actor and dramatist John Howard Payne. This song has, for over 150 years, embodied in words and melody what “home” means. Although no longer published separately, it is still found in community songbooks and is sung around campfires.”Home, Sweet Home,” a rather sentimental song, quickly became the song of exiles far from home:

‘Mid pleasures and palaces though we may roam,
Be it ever so humble there’s no place like home!
A charm from the skies seems to hallow us there,
Which seek through the world, is ne’er met with elsewhere.

Home, home, sweet, sweet, home!
There’s no place like home!
There’s no place like home!

An exile from Home, splendour dazzles in vain,
Oh! give me my lowly thatch’d cottage again!
The birds singing gaily that came at my call,
Give me them with the peace of mind, dearer than all.

Home, home, sweet, sweet, home!
There’s no place like home!
There’s no place like home!

[Extended Verses]

How sweet ’tis to sit ‘neath a fond father’s smile,
And the cares of a mother to soothe and beguile!
Let others delight mid new pleasures to roam,
But give me, oh, give me, the pleasures of home!
Home, home, sweet, sweet, home!
There’s no place like home!
There’s no place like home!

To thee I’ll return, overburdened with care;
The heart’s dearest solace will smile on me there;
No more from that, cottage again will I roam;
Be it ever so humble, there’s no place like home.
Home, home, sweet, sweet, home!
There’s no place like home!
There’s no place like home!

Another equally famous, sweet and sentimental song:

Home Sweet Home
——Motley Crue

You know I’m a dreamer
But my heart’s of gold
I had to run away high
So I wouldn’t come home low
Just when things went right
Doesn’t mean they’re always wrong
Just take this song and you’ll never feel
Left all alone

Take me to your heart
Feel me in your bones
Just one more night
And I’m comin’ off this
Long & winding road

I’m on my way
I’m on my way
Home sweet home
Tonight, tonight
I’m on my way
I’m on my way
Home sweet home

You know that I’ve seen
Too many romantic dreams
Up in lights, fallin’ off the silver screen

My heart’s like an open book
For the whole world to read
Sometimes nothing keeps me together at the seams

I’m on my way
I’m on my way
Home sweet home
Tonight, tonight
I’m on my way
Just set me free
Home Sweet Home
Home Sweet Home
Home Sweet Home
Home Sweet Home

I’m on my way
I’m on my way
Home Sweet Home
Yeah
I’m on my way
Just set me free
Home Sweet Home

Tilak Rishi (USA)

http://tilakrishi.sulekha.com/blog/post/2008/08/home-sweet-home.htm

Disney’s New Innoventions Dream Home: A Geek’s Paradise

Durgesh — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 10:56:12 +0000

Disney’s New Innoventions Dream Home is the futuristic hi-tech abode every geek could vie for! The house features state-of-the-art technology to give it’s the owner the luxury of getting household errands done, virtually without anyone lifting a finger. The home offers family members high-tech connectivity, not just with one another but with people, entertainment and information in the world at large. . The Innoventions Dream Home is both a show and a showcase, offering guests of all ages a hands-on experience with new in-home technologies The fictional Elias family will welcome all guests into their new Dream Home at the end of June. These actors are equipped with RFID tags, so when they enter a room, lighting preferences can change, different music can play, and perhaps most interesting, the dozens of LCD picture frames (all networked) can display different pictures. Each room in the house has touch panels, and all interact with streaming HD feeds and HP media servers running Microsoft’s Media Center. There’s even a magic mirror in the daughter’s room that puts virtual outfits on the user in real time. The youngest son’s room has two projectors and a host of automation to make the story of Peter Pan come alive (replete with a canon that fires virtual projectiles at the far wall). The kitchen has a voice-activated computer that will look up recipes and read them to you for great cooking. The home theater room has a 100-inch rear-projection screen of a Star-Glas-like material and a 7.1 speaker system for acoustic excellence. The dining room features microsoft surface like dining table (featured in gallery). Beginning from today, June 17, the Innoventions Dream Home in Tomorrowland has a restricted entry for limited number of guests to have the opportunity to preview the home.

http://www.bornrich.org/entry/disneys-new-innoventions-dream-home-geek-s-paradise/