Coffee :D

Coffee! I was beguiled the first time I drank my cup of coffee. That heavenly and intoxicating taste, mesmerizing your nerves and the whole of your body just by its aroma still keeps lingering in my mind every time i think of it. I don't know why but I was always refrained from drinking that exotic drink. It was in eight I think when I drank my first cup without any nagging from my parents. Though I wasn't allowed to drink that highly addictive drink on a regular basis yet I was allowed to drink it once in a while which, for me, was an absolutely satisfactory offer! This addictive indulgence in coffee made me try out a variety of tastes from different different places. My house wasn't that much into this drink so I, at everyone chance I got tried to drink coffee.

I've had coffee from so many places but it is only in the recent past I've tasted the best coffee in the 17 years of my existence! It was in tirumala, the holy abode of Lord Venkatesa, when my dad suggested that we tried coffee from the Indian coffee House. I being an enthusiast obviously told yes. So we ordered two cups, took them and sat at a table. My instinctive reaction to a cup of coffee was always to smell the aroma of it, which gives you 90% opinion of how the taste would be! I put my nose into the cup and inhaled the hot vapours. It was then, at that particular moment I fell in love with the coffee from Indian coffee House! Oh my god! The aroma, the taste, what not! Every aspect of that liquid inside the cup screamed out perfection!

On one of the walls, menu the of food served over there was painted. To my immense happiness there was coffee powder avaliable! So I asked the person in the counter, about the details of where the powder would be made and all and that's when he told me that it's freshly prepared everyday. By further inquiry from a person named S.Ramachandran, whom I fondly called uncle, I found out that the India Coffee House was promoted by the Coffee Board of India as promotion tool but not as business venture. The powder made here is pure without any addition of chicory ( a substitute of caffeine ). He told me about the two varieties of coffee (Indica and Robusta), the places it's grown, the important aspects of coffee making; drying of seeds, roasting and grinding of the seeds into India's finest coffee powder. He also showed me the instrument used for grinding. When he was doing all of that (educating me about coffee and showing me all the instruments of usage ) somehow I was touched. A person who was hierarchically in such a strong position ( Dep Secretary) made time to show and answer all the silly miniscule questions of mine (a random stranger who loved coffee).

                            

a coffee grinding machine

india coffee house and coffee board

" It is always the busiest person that finds time - Bill Gates " 

He, beyond a scope of doubt proved the saying right. I guess, curiosity always takes you on unbelievable rides of experiences. Though, in words, this seems like a small thing, but educationally it was one amazing experience and a special memory which I will cherish throughout my life. As always, Tirupati, one of the only places I'm most attached with, has given me yet another
experience which I cannot forget in my lifetime!

Musings of a Disturbed Mind

Death? The pain caused by the death of a loved one? This was a concept which was quite alien to me until I've experienced one in my own family. I've seen people pass away, but never have I at any point of time imagined that there would be pain which would be this bloodsucking. Never have I, in my wildest dreams imagined that it would be so painful and tearful. You can't even describe it as pain, it's way beyond that, it's crucifying agony. The conception of this pain, which was quite alien to me until the very recent past, now became a part of my daily routine of life.

It's been two months that you've left to your heavenly abode. But there hasn't been a single day since then, that has passed by without me crying at the reminiscence of your memories. There hasn't been a single day where I haven't thought of you, haven't recollected the healthier days of your past, haven't missed you as a whole, haven't missed you as a person, as my grandfather. You've been like my second father, my guardian. You've guided me, supported me, loved me more than you loved yourself. No matter how badly I've behaved with you, you've always loved me, always have forgiven me for all my mistakes. There have been a tonne of times when you've saved me from the anger of my own parents. I never realised all of this as your way of showing your love. I always knew you loved me, but never have I realised it's true depths.

They say
"It's only in the absence of something, you realise the true value of it"

I cannot compare you with a thing, but somehow the quote is perfectly apt. You never realise the love you have, until you've lost that love. Thatha, I never truly realised the value of you when you were alive with me, it's only after your death I realised your worth. I never knew I loved you this much, never. I love you. Though I know it's worthless to tell so, at this moment, yet I cannot refrain myself from telling that.

Your death has been an awakening to me. It was emotionally draining. It somehow has made me stronger as an individual. It made me realise the value of life.

But this one question has been plaguing me since your demise, I'm not sure if I can ever understand the concept of Death. A person once full of life and raw energy, after their demise just becomes lifeless, the whole of their energy is lost. Just gone. He's lifeless. Devoid of all the energy he once had.

Death, you're strangely an alien concept. You are strangely far away from my world yet too close too. You are somehow like the unpredictable future, which is inevitable to avoid but scary to face.

Death.... Pain. Love. Memories. Reminiscent nostalgia. 

My Eveerrrlasting Loveee - MUSIC

Music! God! There is no way I’d survive in this world without you. You are the Art of my soul. You are a boon bestowed by God himself upon the mankind! You are omnipresent! You can be found everywhere. There’s one important thing about you, you were, are and always will be there for me no matter what; no matter who else stands by, through all my ups and downs, through all  my triumphs and failures.

"People haven’t been there for me, but music always has"

                                                                                         -Taylor Swift

Music, it relaxes me. It takes me into a world of euphoria? Fantasy? Fiction? God knows what! But it sure does take me away from all this harsh, grotesque reality into a world of its own. Into a world of music, into a world of peace, happiness and joy! Even though it is just for a meager time, it exactly  suffices the time I want to be away from everything. Exactly sufficient to bring me right back on track! I’m at a loss of words for describing you, my love; rather *chuckles* no one can describe you, can they? It's just music, my music, everyone's music, everyone's bliss.  Always!

"Music expresses that which cannot be put into words and that which cannot remain silent "

-Victor Hugo                           

A single song can unleash into your mind, a thousand memories. From your childhood, your everyday life, from the deep deep waters of your ocean like subconscious, music like a rig just extracts them to the surface and rolls them out like the reel of an animated film, which rolls with the mighty speed of a jet yet makes a perfect film. Likewise, with the plot from your subconscious; music like a projector, projects the reel of memories in front of your eyes with your heart as the audience! Quite talented the girl, isn't she? *smirks*

A single song can kick start and refresh your mood, can make you cry your eyes out, can make you go back into the bliss of your childhood, can pull you away into the world of past, into a world of your imagination. In a sentence, it can do miracles! Or rather, a song is too big a thing to describe the magic of music, a single piece of music like a small tune can change everything around you in a jiffy! Can't it, human? Anything ranging from a devotional tune to a rock tune, can change you in a microsecond!! That's the thing about it, it makes you go around the world with "the" feel while you're doing nothing but listening, with a goofy grin on your face like an idiot! Such overwhelming control it possesses over us!

that's right! headset - on, world - off! B)

I've heard this from people too many times, "When you're in joy you just enjoy the music, but it is only when you're sober do you actually understand the depth of it" And boy isn't that true?! It is only when we're sober, we pay attention to and bother to understand the lyrics. And many a times, that is quite painful and touchy (rarely funny) for every song has some hidden meaning in it.

For example - November Rain by GNR or Invisible by Hunter Hayes or The Climb by Miley Cyrus.
When I first heard those songs, I was all about the guitar for I'm a diehard fan of that instrument but it was only when I was all alone and sober have I understood the depth of them. They made me think over about quite a few things which I thought were miniscule and useless... They helped me change, not at a large scale but yes to some extent, they changed me. I know it sounds quite weird, but it is only when you experience it, will you know the truth of it.

"Sometimes I need some time...on my own

Sometimes I need some time...all alone

Everybody needs some time... on their own

Don't you know you need some time...all alone" - November Rain, GNR

"Trust the one

Who's been where you are wishing all it was

Was sticks and stones

Those words cut deep but they don't mean you're all alone

And you're not invisible

Hear me out,

There's so much more to life than what you're feeling now

Someday you'll look back on all these days

And all this pain is gonna be invisible" - Invisible, Hunter Hayes

"There's always gonna be another mountain
I'm always gonna wanna make it move
Always gonna be an uphill battle
Sometimes I'm gonna have to lose
Ain't about how fast I get there
Ain't about what's waitin' on the other side
It's the climb" - The Climb, Miley Cyrus

Aren't the above lyrics beautiful? Don't they make you think over about the minute details and challenges of life? Don't they make you think about yourself? Don't they change you?
Well, maybe the taste differs, but in the end, there is always one song which makes everyone go emotional and think over things. Well for me, there a quite a few songs along with the most important ones for me, the devotional ones, like Suprabhatam, Lalita Sahasranamam, Vishnu Sahasranamam. 

The power of music is simply amazing! It soothes you, relaxes you, makes you, breaks you and builds you! It helps you change, by no one's help, but your own. It makes you feel no pain.

"The good thing about music is when it hits you, you feel no pain"  

- Bob Marley                          

Thanggod for music! The thought of a world without music terrifies me!!! My dear music, you are my true love and my best mate for eternity!

Some people have life; some people have music. By God, I'm lucky to have both!

yes, i truly love you!