One of the high points of our post-school discussions (besides cricket and girls) was about which song was lifted from where. That was the era when Anu Malik reigned supreme. Gulshan Kumar was still alive and Nadeem Akhtar Saifi was not an absconder. Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan was yet to arrive in India and his music 'inspired' 'top-notch' music directors. And Humse Hain Muqabla audio cassette had to advertise itself as the original Muqabla, as the lifted numbers had already become big hits before the dubbed-version of the original could reach the Hindi-listening parts of the country. Shillong being a city deeply rooted in western music, but with a taste for the Indian, made it easier to find the original sources.
ItwoFS brings back those days of heated discussions over cups of cutting chai (and a few puffs of Wills Filter). ItwoFS or Inspirations in Indian Film Songs is an encyclopedia of what the name suggests. Karthik Srinivasan, the man behind the site, does a good job of bringing the plagiarists to book (virtually) with evidences to boot.
He also has a 100-word review blog called Milliblog! where "you get straight-to-the-point opinions!"
For its efforts towards a less inspired and more inspiring Indian film music, the fourteenth Isspecial Cutting Chai (May 2007) is offered to Karthik Srinivasan of ItwoFS.
It is not only Indian films and music which is inspired, our television shows are no better (most aren't any good anyway).
Previous sipper Ang Anino ni Abaniko (April 2007)
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One of the great benefits of blogging is that I have known a few people from all across the third rock from the Sun. Though some opinions hold that chatting and social networking lets you meet more people and make 'friends' more effectively. But my hobby isn't what many mention in their profiles - "making friends." I believe that you don't make friends, friends just happen (no similitude to 'shit happens' here).
Online chatting and the current hysteria called 'scrapping' is necessarily (in most cases) a two-way communication. This is the advantage of blogging - though this phenomenon is very different in nature and practice from the other two mentioned above - you can't just write (post) or just read (listen, watch). Or do both. The choice is yours. It is more democratic. Though democracy is not perfect, it is the best thing that we have now.
One of the bloggers from beyond India's 22,716.6 kilometres of sea and land frontiers that I came to know since my early blogging days is Abaniko. He is from the Phillipines. My earliest recollection of this island nation is related to shoes, that of the former Philippine First Lady Imelda Marcos.
I came to know much about the archipelago and especially the people who inhabit it, through Abaniko's posts. Though the world may be culturally and economically varied, there's often more than one connecting thread. One would be the general antipathy towards politics and the people who run the game (or business). In a recent post Abaniko writes:
Simple. We're not voting. Call us irresponsible, we don't care. Voting is of no significance to us. Okay, I cannot speak for them but as for me, I don't give a rat's ass about elections. I admit I have become apathetic. And I won't even apologize for it. I got tired of politics a long time ago. Did anything significant happen after the time of Marcos? Hmm?
For opening up a whole new world to me, the thirteenth
Isspecial Cutting Chai (April 2007) is offered to Abaniko of
Ang Anino ni Abaniko aka The Shadow of Abaniko.
I still remember his first comment on this blog, when it was known by some other name, on a
post about the kurta and my liking for it.
Previous sipper
Beth Loves Bollywood (March 2007)
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With advancing age RK Laxman might be losing his touch, but he has already made a place for himself amongst the greats. The Common Man is one of the most recognisable characters in Indian cartooning history, so much so that he is the brand ambassador of Air Deccan. Cartoonists are an inscrutable lot, sometimes very much like their work, otherwise entirely different.
Pune-based Vikram Nandwani, in the true cartoonist tradition shoots point blank - no escape. In appreciation of cartoon blogging (a niche breed), the twelfth Isspecial Cutting Chai (March 2007) is offered to Vikram of .pOINT_bLANK.
Previous sipper .pOINT_bLANK (February 2007)
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We all love Bollywood. Okay, most of us do. And so does Beth Watkins, who lives in Champaign, Illinois, United States. She works in a museum and also has a dog. Beth attempts to imitate the jhatkas and the matkas (she should put up a video of her's) and also does a lot of other things which her profile doesn't mention (so I have no clue).
Having watched approximately a century and a quarter of Bollywood films which includes notable ones like, Chalo Ishq Ladaaye, Jaani Dushman: Ek Anokhi Kahani, Neal n Nikki, Shaadi Se Pehle, Dhund: The Fog and Kismat (the news one with Bobby Deol). Therefore along with my condolences for having gone through this trauma, I offer Beth of Beth Loves Bollywood the Eleventh Isspecial Cutting Chai (February 2007).
Previous sipper: Sanny's Scribbles (January 2007)
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San has been scribbling on her blog since April 2005 and she had 32 posts in the first month itself (I managed only three). She's into film reviewing (though her profile states that she's quite fussy about her choice of films) on her blog nowadays, but also writes about haircuts, matrimonial woes, love, cricket (yes, women also write about cricket) and gymming. San has a liking for Indian writing in English, her blog's good to look at too (I've a weakness for the darker backgrounds in blogs) and her slippers are fluffy.
For the reasons cited above (and more) the Tenth Isspecial Cutting Chai (January 2007) is offered to San of Sanny's Scribbles.
Previous sipper: VKpedia (December 2006)
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The tagline reads "a repository of (mostly) useless information, since 2005." Vijay Krishna, from Chennai, India, has been taking forward his personalised encyclopedic expedition since May 2005 (the time when I also began ventured into this addictive blogisthan, actually my first post was two days older than his. Jingalala!). Like many of us, he started off with Blogger, but later moved on to his personal domain (powered by WordPress) during the Blog Block.
After a long time visited his blog physically (had been reading posts on the feed reader for long) and liked the Tulip Time theme.
The (belated) ninth Isspecial Cutting Chai (December 2006) is offered to Vijay of VKpedia for his interesting (and not useless) takes on the world of sports.
He writes on other things too, for me sports (cricket and football) is his forte. And it is more appropriate considering there are tea breaks in cricket.
Previous sipper: Bong Mom's Cookbook (November 2006)
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I have been staying away from home for the last five-and-a-half years (long time, and it passed by so fast). Of the many things that this experience has taught me, the most evident is my skills in the kitchen. I still remember the helpless expressions of my father and brother on seeing the concoction atop the dining table every time Ma was away from home and I took over the kitchen. You didn't need to know the recipe of what I had attempted to cook. Everything in their original form could be seen floating around in oily water. But I did always make good tea, or so people say (have to live up to the title of my blog). Nowadays when I go home, I get invited to cook.
All the cooking that I learnt was through trial and error; the errors to begin with, were many. I sympathise with my friends at the university and can now understand why they would ask me to wash the dishes instead. But I never used a recipe; I cooked the way I though was best, and still do. That rigidness in methodology might have my food a uniqueness, but that has also limited my repertoire. My taste buds are also getting tired of the same taste. Therefore thought of learning something new.
First thought that I would ask Ma for help, but then that would take away the surprise factor on my next visit home. Then I found another Bong Mom and her cookbook. Will take printouts of all her posts, do the necessary shopping and will give blogging a break for some serious cooking.
The eighth Isspecial Cutting Chai (November 2006) is offered to Sandeepa of Bong Mom's Cookbook for the simple reason that she herself put in the very first post, "I learnt one thing, Bengalis love to eat, feed others and cook..."
Hope Sandeepa comes up with some recipes of Isspecial Chais. I'll take care of the cutting part.
Previous sipper: National Highway (October 2006)
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Shivam happens to be the first regular blogger that I met in flesh and blood (other than the people that I already knew from my pre-blogging days), that too after more than a year of blogging. The activism within him is evident in what he blogs. Nowadays he is writing less and linking more. Usually referred in many blogs as 'young' Shivam, I believe he is on the wrong side of the legal system when he sips that beer. So am offering him tea instead.
The seventh Isspecial Cutting Chai (October 2006) is for Shivam at National Highway, in appreciation of his arguments and counter arguments to my arguments. The occasional threat. And his zealous blog networking. Have a sip, rather half-a-cup (rather gilas).
Previous sipper: Hackosphere (September 2006)
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Blogger went beta and I followed. But discovered that my present template was incompatible with the new language that the beta templates have switched to. I had put in a lot of sleepless nights (the number enhanced by my relative ignorance of the nuances of HTML, JavaScript and the like) and finally arrived at my current layout through a tedious hit and trail way. Will soon attempt to make this blog fully Blogger beta enabled. And with bloggers like Ramani around, things would definitely be easier this time.
The sixth Isspecial Cutting Chai (September 2006) is offered to Ramani of Hackosphere, for his clever and easy to incorporate innovations for Blogger beta. If you are on Blogger beta and looking for blog enhancements, Hackosphere is one happening place (even if you aren't, there is something for you too). And as the name the suggests, the hacks are plentiful and increasing by the day. Have a sip Ramani.
Previous sipper: Gaizabonts (August 2006)
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The fifth Isspecial Cutting Chai (August 2006) is offered to Gaizabonts. Saluting Atul's ability to maintain nine blogs, in two languages, at a time. There are many other reasons too, visit his blog(s) to find out. Have a sip Atul.
Previous sipper: Babushkas and Anadems (July 2006)
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The fourth Isspecial Cutting Chai (July 2006) is offered to Babushkas and Anadems. Fingers has been putting her digits to good use - I love the sketches, paintings and designs, also what she writes in between. Have a sip Fingers.
Previous sipper: A Journey Called Life (June 2006)
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The third Isspecial Cutting Chai (June 2006) is offered to A Journey Called Life for its relentless blogging and a wonderful amalgamation of happenings from around the world. Anthony, have your sip.
Last sipper: The Comic Project (May 2006)
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The second Isspecial Cutting Chai (May 2006) is offered to The Comic Project. I needn't again elaborate the reasons; they are there on the post about TCP's first anniversary.
Previous sippers:
April 2006: Accidental Fame Junkie of South of the Border, West of the Sun
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Tomorrow is April 15 - Pohela Boishakh. The Bengali New Year's Day. Mother called well in advance to ensure that I get something new for me this new year. I assured her that I will and I did - a new look (and also a new title) for my blog. I had been working on it for sometime. Though not entirely Greek to me, HTML and JavaScript is not the type of scripting I'm very used to - the characters here are symbols on the keyboard - quite different from the scripts that I wrote in media school. Nevertheless, I managed to put them all together and made the necessary changes to suit my requirements. There's still a little more to do, like indexing the entire categories field.
Mindless Musings of an Unmindful Mind is no more, the reincarnation though a little cliched is called - Cutting the Chai - the common Indian tea-stall practice. There's also an 'isspecial cutting chai' for the WorthyBlogger of the month. AFJ gets the inaugural sip (see left panel).
Feedback awaited.
Shubho Noboborsho!
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