Vertigo

The Dark Knight's Dark Tale!

2009-02-12T19:48:00.000-08:00

Should have added this a long time ago (wrote it for Instablogs then :) )

Superheroes work on an agenda; an unsaid rule that delegates them the responsibility of saving the world from the dark forces. Bestowed with superpowers abundant, these ‘men on a mission’ have enthralled us since time immemorial. Darth Vader, The Joker and Lex Luther are mentioned in hushed tones, while Superman, Spiderman, Captain Planet and their tribe have transcended imagination to establish a stronghold on the psyche of those who dare to step into the world of fantasy. Amidst the clutter of these invincible superheroes, a mortal hero had risen around a century ago. He couldn’t dodge bullets, jump 30 feet across buildings, evade laser beams or stare-stop a pellet burst. A disturbing childhood, a dark past and black-winged creatures spurred his pent-up emotions, eventually creating a merciless caped crusader; a criminal’s worst nightmare. We had a hero who was vulnerable, emotional, given to carnal pleasures and yet, fearless, intelligent and disarmingly charming – a man every other man can identify with.

Batman is not your archetypal superhero. Yet, he is the character our frustration for the corrupt system can feed off. He is what you have always dreamt to be, sans the mask. Despite his dual-faced nature, Batman’s likeability lies in the character’s perfect manifestation of a vengeful, wronged man. And his dark bearings hold little to restrain the aura that precedes him. Batman is a superhero who has overcome his ‘worst fear’ to rid the world of theirs. Ironically, he is one of the very few superheroes who have no detractors among the people he fights for. Cloaked by the shadows, he battles the very evil that sullied his youth. The ‘Dark Knight’ finds a screen representation this Friday and there’s more to the event than a visual treat. It will reiterate a message!

Take a look around you and witness a murkiness similar to Gotham City. You are left with a choice. And if I may whack a line from ‘Batman Begins’, it is not what you are but what you do that defines you. Find the crusader inside you!

Pssst…there is another masked hero who fights crime outside the concrete jungle. More on the ‘Phantom’ later…

OUTRUN!

2009-01-11T22:17:00.000-08:00

By the time you guys read the second line in this post you would've figured out who has written it :) Not Alpheus obviously :)

Our visit to the beach had me laughing so hard that my stomach hurt :D, whenever i think about it now it still makes me smile :)
After eating too much he decided we should take a walk and we went randomly walking around the sand (not close to the water) for some reason looking at most of the food stalls one by one. As usual i was looking up to the sky and realized it was close to full moon day. And apparently walking in no direction we landed close to the water. As always i asked him to get into the water, to which he always says NO. I was pleading for the same trying to get him to agree to get into water with me, tugging at his hand. Saying NO, and letting go of me, he walked closer to the water as the waves were coming in, i stood there with a slight frown on my face. He just stood there close to the water. After about 30 seconds i ran up to him and pleaded him again to get into the water. I was jumping up and down (like jack in the box) saying "Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee..." Distracted and amused by my hyper pleading he tried to ssshhh me so that we dont attract too much attention of onlookers :)
TOO LATE!!! A huge wave came towards us and crashed on the mound on which we were standing, we were both soaked, with shoes in water :) and with a "shit" Alpheus started running backwards - away from the wave. It was such a funny sight, i was already laughing as the wave had hit us and couldnt help laughing as i saw the wave OUTRUN him and follow him till where he ran :)

He stopped as the wave slid back and i ran towards him (laughing) and said "Serves you right!" The look on his face was utter astonishment as to how the wave had managed to soak him when he had DECIDED not to get into water :) . He said " I didnt think the wave would keep coming at me."

We sat down for a while trying to rid ourselves of the sand in our shoes. And i couldnt stop smiling. (Okay, I know it doesn't sound funny enough, but you should've been there!).

Alpheus kept a watch on the waves now as i was telling him how neither of us realised since it was almost a full moon the waves would come more inland. All he kept saying was "Why did i have to go and stand so close, what was I thinking!" :)

- Sylvia

Mankind and Religion

2007-09-01T05:09:00.000-07:00

Religion has had a significant role to play in shaping the human psyche. Since time immemorial, man has associated religion with the occurrences in his daily life. Strokes of fortune or misfortune have been considered the manifestation of the will of God and the concept of religion has not been contained within the boundaries of rational thought. Religion extends beyond traditions and faith in the divine powers. Although religion had been initiated as a practice of meditation and worship, over the years, the concept has evolved to become a personal identity. People are referred to as a Christian, a Jew, a Moslem or a Hindu and not in degrees of faith that a person has in the divine will of God.

Religion has evolved into an organized system of matching individual beliefs. Myths and superstitions have seeped into the fabric of this system. People with common beliefs belong to a particular religion and any disparity leads to alienation from the institution. The concept of the existence of a supernatural power and our duty towards establishing a strong relationship with this power once formed the basis of religion. However, modern society views religion more as a reflection of one’s superiority or inferiority than a tool that binds us with the grace of the almighty God. Religion was once the instrument of peace and solidarity. However, man has begun to use it to differentiate himself from others, leading to discord and endless strife. We have witnessed wars for power, for glory and for pride. However, the wars fought in the name of religion have been the most gruesome and obnoxious. Religion distinguished man from a wild beast, but the line of differentiation is slowly getting blurred. The choice of viewing religion as a relationship with God or as an instrument of hatred will decide the fate of man in the years to come.

Ecosystem = Sprituality

2007-09-01T02:23:00.000-07:00

Since childhood, I have shared an uncanny relationship with nature. I have identified with nature in ways that, perhaps, few people can. And in all of these 23 years, I have realized one very interesting facet of nature – its equation with God, or to be more euphemistic, with nature. As I lay down thinking about my potential career in wildlife and nature photography, I was inadvertently veered towards the underlying truth of the ‘eccentric’ decision. Most of my friends have landed ‘conventional’ jobs and the rest are pursuing the same goal with an additional degree. And the opinions we share about each other’s career choices are the same. It takes 20 odd years of your life to develop physical and mental strength (with a little help from mom!) just to let it wither away in a 24/7 job in front of a machine. However, there is no attempt being made to malign these people and their choices. People have their perspectives, don’t they? For once, I did thank my good fortune ‘coz I do have a ‘perspective’. And this has helped me understand nature better.

An ecosystem comprises several million species, each dependent on the rest for survival. For instance, lions and tigers are keystone species that play a crucial role in the sustenance of an ecosystem. If they don’t prey on deer, the grasslands will be stripped bare in no time. Needless to say, the threads that hold the ecosystem in balance will snap and extinction will just be a matter of time.

Have you ever realized that each of you is a ‘keystone species’ as well? Each of us is dependent on others for our survival. Imagine a world where each of us is self-dependent. In that case, all of us would have to set up shops for our daily needs. Now, it is not a feasible solution because the world doesn’t have enough space for over 8 billion grocery shops, bookstores, retail stores, etc.

Now, consider the same scenario from a varied angle. IT engineers create codes to keep our computers and other devices running. Take them out of the equation and you will have to return to the Stone Age. At the same time, they have jobs because we use their products. If all of us decided to get creative and become photographers, movie makers, etc, there would be nobody left to make cameras and other devices essential for these roles.

Now, it leads me to an interesting observation. Who takes all the decisions about an ecosystem and the roles played by each species in preserving it? All of us make conscious decisions unconsciously. Every single decision we take comes down to the feelings we develop for something in the course of time. Perspectives are mere conclusions. Informed decisions stem from a liking we develop for a career. We don’t choose…our decisions are coherent with a pre-conceived plan. And none of us really knows who conceives them.!!