Sabya's Niche

Court has reopened after the long Puja vacation, and will remain closed tomorrow for 'Jagaddhatri Puja', another one of the numerous festivals we have... so I've finished my work and am gazing into an Arizona sunset on my desktop, delving into a musical reverie via my headphones. Right now into semi-classical Sufi, my mind wonders into the nooks and corners of various constructs of itself, now finding a sparkling brook and again savouring the serenity of a Himalayan peak. All the time I'm seeping in the Spring-like freshness in the air which marks the very first signature of a Kolkata winter. It is wonderful - this life I have. I couldn't want more. That's all for the time being... coz I've "miles to go before I sleep".

Subho Nabo Barsho... Happy Bengali New Year to all my readers!

Hi all! I've grown old enough into bodybuilding (> 6 months now) to understand the worthlessness of a six-pack. Of course, it may be frustration because I failed to get a clearly defined one till date, but overall I think it is growing wise. A six-pack entails not merely hard labour and diet, but it also brings with it a sick rest-of-the-body and thus cannot be sustained over a long period - unless of course you are on steroids, which is a complete no-no in my case. The development of a complete body involves various alternative phases of 'bulking' or 'development' and 'cutting' or 'reduction'. The idea is that you first bulk up your muscles by carrying heavy weights in workouts and eating a lot and then reduce the excess fat which is necessarily associated with such bulking by strict dieting, while at the same time continuing your workouts at the maintenance level to sustain the muscles already built. These phases go on and on until you have a...

The Summer heat's simply s-w-e-l-t-e-r-i-n-g and it's Election time again. The General Elections of the Indian democracy are on the anvil and political propaganda is at its zenith. Apart from being the time when Indian adults get a false ego that it's actually they who're bringing a new government to power, this is also an hour of tension at what the terrorists might do to disrupt the franchise. It's floating in the air that in the forthcoming elections the electorate will have an option for casting a ballot in favour of 'I won't vote' instead of any of the candidates, if the voters feel that none of the latter are worthy of their vote. If introduced, it would go down in history as a major landmark. Not only would it reduce false votes of absentees, it would also give the people a right to spit on the circus of politicians which they often have to bear hands down. The polity is not so ignorant as the election candidates deem, and that is all the more...

Current position of back

The mellow, caressing stresses of spring wind have begun sweeping over our faces, reminding us of the short spring we have in tropical countries. Yes, it's spring again - resembling the fleeting images of youth. So much poetry has already been dedicated to the season, it would be rather redundant to dwell on that aspect. Rather, I'm thinking about the transitory nature of Spring. It's importance rather lies in the transition that it brings from the cold clutches of winter to the scorching heat of summer than in itself. Spring brings a respite before going from one extreme to another. Yet, on second thought, how about dwelling more on the transitory phase itself than the seasons it connects.... ? After all, the journey's the best part of any tour!

This is the latest position of my back. The second phase of dieting is on. Bodybuilding has become a passion in the last 5 months... and it's going to stay that way for quite some time!