The Importance of Antakshari

There is this game of songs-no idea what it's called in English, if at all- called Antakshari, where you sing a song, and the next person sings another song starting with the last letter (Hindi) of your song. This was our staple in family or friend circles, and also on picnics etc..There was even a popular TV show by the name, sponsored of course by Closeup or someone.

The point of the game was to have fun, and make it participative, regardless of age. There's hardly a soul who doesn't know a few lines of Hindi film songs (in India), and that qualifies you to play this game. It's simple, requires no technology, and is ideal for situations when the power goes off (a common occurrence growing up in India), or at any other time, really.

The ability to have fun-rather, to extract fun out of an unfunny situation, boring situation like a  train journey, a traffic jam, or in a group who doesn't know how to play Golf (just kidding), you could play Antakshari. We played it last in a group of relatives gathered for a New Year's party, and it was fun.

My point is, we need inexpensive ways to do this today, assuming there are still groups wanting to interact physically. Retail therapy is expensive. Karaoke is an option, but needs a mike and a TV or computer screen to plug it into.

What Makes People Boring (!)

I am going to present you with a deliciously ironic post- it's about boredom, but it's very interesting.

The source is a book by Sandi Mann, titled The Upside of Downtime. She has researched boredom (!) and the book has a lot of it, including some on bored students, and bored workers; but I will take that up some other time. This time, it's about what makes people boring.

She has listed 30 points, but (so as not to bore you) I will concentrate on those that strike a chord. Here goes-

1. They ARE boring, as in nothing interesting is happening in their lives.

2. They are serious at all times- humourless is the word.

3. They avoid eye contact- look down, look away, but not look at you. I don't recommend staring at someone as an antidote. And looking into someone's eyes is reserved for, well, special people. But, you get what I mean.

4. They are ingratiating. Flattering beyond the normal, acceptable limits. It's one thing to say, "You are looking nice" sometimes, but to keep doing so all the time is.. well, what do you think? Maybe some will disagree :)

5. Using jargon or acronyms that you don't understand (showing off).

6. Living in the past, and talking about it all the time. I am getting there, having so much of it, I'm afraid...

7. Quoting from movies/ TV shows. I am guilty of bringing up Arnab Goswami multiple times..he IS irritating, and I find it helps to vent..

The Meaning of Life

There is a great joke I heard on American T.V. that for me epitomizes the answer to this question.

 A guy from America was searching for the meaning of life (like all of us). He had heard of many great gurus in different countries, met many, but was unsatisfied. Then, someone mentioned a recluse who lived in the Himalayas, and said he would not disappoint him. Finding him after many months of trying, this American went up to the meditating man in some corner of the mountains. He waited until the guru opened his eyes.

 Explaining his quest, what pains he had to take, and the good things he had heard about the guru, the man asked him the question he had been longing to get an answer for. “What is life?” The guru replied instantly, “It is a fountain with water flowing out of it,” and fell silent.
After waiting for more, the American asked him,“That’s it? Is that why I came across the seven seas to you? This cannot be the answer to my question…blah, blah..”  “You have to give me the real answer.” “Ok”, the guru said. “I will tell you the real answer. Life is a fountain with no water flowing out of it”, and fell silent again, for good. I find this story hilarious, but also insightful. We are so full of ourselves that most of the time, we are blind to the abundance of life forms, and inanimate objects in nature. The universe is so big and unfathomable, that whatever we might achieve, we are dwarfed by it. Essentially, life is what you choose to make of it, or believe it to be.

 I find some writers particularly insightful at explaining the niceties of the inexplicable in a palatable way. J. Krishnamurty, the teacher-philosopher, is one of them. He advocates freedom from all dogma, and not to believe anything unless you have experienced it for yourself. If we look around, we will notice that everyone has an agenda. Also, everyone has limited experience, based on which they generalize. For example, before I visited the U.S., I could not have visualized what a 4-lane highway looks or feels like, because I had not seen or driven on one in India. Essentially, think and experience things for yourself before you start believing in anything, is the learning from this man. 

Another writer I found very good at philosophical yet understandable writing is Richard Bach. From Jonathan Livingstone Seagull, the story of a seagull who is grappling with questions about the meaning of life, to his other books, he has a good take on life, rebirth, reincarnation, religion, and many other issues.
 Among current writers bordering on the philosophical, Robin Sharma and Paulo Coelho are probably the best (also indicated by their sales). With a simple yet effective style, they are able to get beyond the ordinary stories that they tell.
 

I would also rate Osho as another great author. The sheer volume of his writings is amazing. His wide sweep of all possible religions, belief systems and his interpretations are a treat to read/listen to. He was a unique guru in many ways, who dared to confront the hypocritical ideas of all religions and yet explain the good things about each one of them. His persecution at the hands of the U.S. and other governments proves that they were really scared of what he was preaching, maybe because much of it was true. One other trait I liked in him is that he was not scared of the white man. Many of the ex-colonies of white nations seem to carry the slavery in their minds even today. 

I also have a theory of life. I call it my Mega Theory of Life, and it has a simple explanation for all that we do-BOREDOM. We are all trying to get ourselves out of a state of boredom, by doing whatever we do. See if it explains everything or not-the wars, the seeking of pleasure, the quest for money, the religious discourses, and so on.
 

Innovations To Kill Boredom

Here are some neat ideas (95 on a 100 point neatness index) for innovations that can kill boredom in common situations we face.

1. A nodding puppet which nods metronomically, to sit in front of an old relative repeating his/her tales of the past for the nth time, so you can slink away, do your own thing and come back in a while.

2. A smoke-generating toy which can be used to scare people and make a long line disappear in a crowded place - can be used in a bank, amusement park, or in a booking counter for IPL. Just for long enough to give you enough time to get to the front of the line.

3. A joke-telling device- the J-app, which you switch on in the most morose situations- like an airline journey, the most humourless of all. Will tell a joke at the click of a button, but only when electronic devices are allowed to be switched on, by the morose air host. Will make passengers jealous if you laugh too much, though. Use carefully.

4. An animated dancer that performs a dance of your choice on screen while you wait for your page to load on the computer on a slow day in cyberspace. This can also be adapted for your mobile if you have a bad connection.

5. A dialogue programmer where you can program the dialogue you want to hear and play it along with the TV, automatically muting the IPL commentators, or the talkative Arnab Goswami, or the garishly made-up ma-in-laws/daughter-in-laws of the various serials, or the tiresome judges of reality shows on TV. This gives you immense scope to test your creativity, and you may end up writing some masterpieces like 'Kitney Aadmi They'  or ' Phir Bhi Waapas Aaye? Khaali Haath?' from Sholay, one day.