Streets of Philadelphia !!

So this weekend I saw the movie ‘Philadelphia’ for like the tenth time. I loved it for like the tenth time. Having seen it numerous times already, I don't really know why I decided to watch it again. Maybe I was caught up in a little nostalgia. Maybe I was missing Philly too much !!

Some of you may have seen the movie. Others may have not. To those of you who have not, I’d suggest you watch it at the first opportunity. To those of you who have, you’d know what I am talking about.

Tom Hanks is remarkable in the movie. I think he gives his best performance here. He plays the role of an AIDS afflicted patient with the sangfroid of a Sachin Tendulkar batting on 99. His portrayal of the battered Andrew Beckett is exceptional. If God himself were to come down and play the role I don’t think he’d be able to a much better job. Hanks makes you feel his pain vicariously. He makes you believe that the pain is real, the anguish, the desperation is real. To put it in broad strokes, he's done a tremendous job and I can’t think of anyone who would have done it better. Watch the clip above and you’d know.

A little about the movie now. Hanks works for a law firm and is one of their most promising attorneys. But he’s sabotaged by his employers when they find out that he's carrying AIDS and is a homosexual. More than the infection it's his sexual orientation that his employers can't handle. From there on, it’s a tale of Hanks’ struggle against this discrimination. Also about the change of heart that Denzel Washington (Hanks’ attorney) goes through during the case. How he goes from being a homophobe to pulling all stops out to win the case for Hanks.

The movie was ground-breaking when it came out. AIDS and homosexuality were things that were not talked about overtly. Making a mainstream Hollywood movie on those issues was a gamble. But it paid-off. And since then many directors have followed suit.

A slight digression. Well, not really !! I was in Canada some time back and witnessed a gay parade in Toronto. Thousands thronged the streets cheering those who were part of the procession. The crowd was celebrating and rejoicing with them. Some of the crowd was there to merely look at the cavalcade of oddly & scantily clad men /women. But I'm sure there were many who were in attendance to support 'Gay Rights'.

When I think about it I feel that the gathering there was a perfect microcosm of our society. Through the years some have come to accept homosexuality while others have not. And they won't. Some go to the extent of labeling homosexuals as 'criminals' (like many of my countrymen). Not too long ago I read about the furore in India over a High Court ruling that decriminalized homosexuality.

We as a society, you an me have certain ethos, at times certain religious beliefs that preclude us from accepting the behavior and lifestyle of homosexuals. They are different from us in their sexual preferences. Perhaps its not possible for us to respect/accept that. But there is one other thing that we can inculcate. Tolerance. We don't have to embrace them or champion their cause. But we don't need to cringe at them either. We don't need to ostracize them. Just as we tolerate people from different religions (or do we?), can't we tolerate people with sexual orientation different than ours? Think about it. Imo they HAVE to be given the same respect as anyone else in the society but tolerating/accepting them as part of the social milieu would be a start.

"Respect" and "Tolerance" are the keywords here. And the good thing is that the latter can occur without the former. Don't approve/respect their behavior if you can't. But don't loathe them too.

At a time when we have countless other problems like poverty, nuclear armament, pollution & climate change in the world, should homosexuality be our biggest concern ?! Lets take on the other issues first and then worry about a guy/girl who sways the other way.

I end with the most eloquent defense of tolerance and freedom that I have ever read.

"I disapprove of what you say but I'd defend to death your right to say it" - Evelyn Beatrice Hall

Lets try to do that !!

P.S. Two dedications this time ;)

First one is for my 'Big Bro'. Its his birthday on the 6th. Funny thing with him. He doesn't seem to get older, he just gets wiser :) Have a great day broda !!

Second dedication is for a my good friend from Pakistan, Aatir, who recently informed me that he's getting married come February. His temporary insanity of love is definitely curable by marriage ;-) Dude, just hang in there till then :p

Run Forrest Run !!

That day, for no particular reason, I decided to go for a little run. So I ran to the end of the road. And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd run to the end of the university city ;) And when I got there, I thought maybe I'd just run across the bridge into downtown. And I figured, since I have run this far, maybe I'd just run to the end of town. And that's what I did. When I got to the end of town, I figured, since I'd gone this far, I might as well just turn back, keep right on going.

Yeah yeah, I know these are not exactly my own words. You don't need to roll your eyes and make faces :) These words express the niceties of my ideas perfectly and hence they have been used.

I have always had a penchant for running, but it's only recently that I started running here in Philadelphia. On the streets of Philadelphia.

And running on the streets is so much better. Mainly for a couple of reasons.

For one I am not running on a treadmill at Pottruck (read local gym). So I don't find myself at the same spot even after running for more than an hour ;) I make progress, I move ahead and I go places. What's the fun in seeing yourself at the same damn spot even after running for so long? You might as well not do it !! You've got nothing to show for it :p

Second, it's way better than running in the park. I don't go round and round in circles. There are enough thoughts in my head which do that everyday. Thoughts that I want to get rid of but can't. Thoughts that I'd rather not have. Thoughts that keep circling my mind all the time. The last thing I need is me doing the same !!

And so I go downtown. So did George Costanza once. LOL

When you're alone and life is making you lonely
You can always go - downtown
When you've got worries, all the noise and the hurry
Seems to help, I know - downtown

This slight digression was for my fellow Seinfeld fans ;)

So as I was saying, I decided to run downtown.

Run fast and far. Fast because I'm no 'old man' and far because....well it's FAR. Far from home. Far from my worries. Far from everything. Far from life. And if anyone needs to be far (removed) from reality at this point, then I do !!

I run past all my worries, all my tribulations and all my stress. At the start of the run all my thoughts are with me. Thoughts about work/studies, personal thoughts and sundry other ones. All of them running through my mind. But as I run further and further, they seem to lose me one by one. And for good.

The only thought that remains after a while is to make it to my destination and of course not fall flat in front of that cute chick coming from the other side :p

After a while the body says no, but I listen to the mind and keep going. That's what we all do everyday of our lives. Isn't it? Run after our dreams, after our ambitions and aspirations. Even when we feel sick and tired of it, we keep going.

We often pan it and claim that it's a bloody 'Rat Race' of which we don't want to be a part of. But truth be told, the day we'd stop running would be the day we'd stop living.

"Every morning in Africa, a gazelle wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa, a lion wakes up. It knows it must run faster than the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter whether you're a lion or gazelle - when the sun comes up, you'd better be running."

And So, I keep running.

I've seen many people running to the sound of their favorite songs on their ipods. I personally don't like doing that. I have tried it a couple of times but I'd rather hear the sounds of the world around me.

The hubbub at the pubs on the side of the road, the gush of the river when I pass the waterfront, the loud roars of music from the frat houses (when I take a detour) and last but not the least, the mellifluous chatter of the 'american girls' as I pass them. The way they add a zing to their conversation is amazing. It has a singsongy qualiy to it. It's like music to my ears. And I never get tired of hearing it :)

So what I am getting at is that running is amazing and I love it. There is no aspect that I dislike except when I counter people who are faster than me and run past me. But I think that's alright. Because that's life. There would always be people who'd be smarter than you, faster and quicker than you. It hurts to know this but it's true :)

What I'd really like to do soon is a long run on a beach and with vacations here and Florida in sight, that may not be a 'distant' dream (if you see what I did there) !!

I end with these lines from Jesse Owens. "I always loved running... it was something you could do by yourself, and under your own power. You could go in any direction, fast or slow as you wanted, fighting the wind if you felt like it, seeking out new sights just on the strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs."

The strength of your feet and the courage of your lungs !! And those two would take you FAR !!

P.S. Not that it's any of your business, what title I give to my posts, but this one couldn't be more apt as yours truly's name means the same as For(r)est !! a.k.a Jungle ;)

An Affair with New York

Studying in Philadelphia, and having some family in New York has helped me form a close bond with both these cities.

In the last two years or so, I have been to NY numerous time. Most of these visits were merely jaunts, with a few somewhat elongated stays and one prolonged fling last summer.

Its a novel spectacle each time that I go there. It shows me things I never knew or imagined it had.

At times I do tell my friends how much better I think NY is as compared to Philly. How much more titillating and exhilarating it is. How I careen uncontrolled on its streets. How blithely is my time spent when I am there. Doing this almost gives me the feeling that I am cheating on Philly. Like cheating on one's wife with another woman !!

Looking at the two cities I realize how stark the differences are.

Philly is like the Mrs. She is demure. She is sedate. Docile too. And scenic. At least the Philly that I know is. The city has some sordid sides but then I've never seen them.

NY is like the mistress. She's ravishing, scintillating and enticing. Perilous and treacherous. She's smokin' hot. She's a siren. She's a seductress.

Profuse with all the carnal pleasures she's got an inexplicable, secretive quality that attracts you to her.

The big billboards and neon lights are much like the mistress' jewels. They dazzle the eye. Her fast pace gives the vicarious feeling of a fling. Gives you an adrenaline rush that you've not known in a long time. You disremember all your worries. You can do nothing but have a good time with her.

She has always lived up to my expectations. Never has she disappointed me.

But then after a few days I grow blase of her glitter. That's when I long for home. That's when I long for Philly.

And so I start the journey back to Philly. Away from NY, away from it's salacity. I tear my temporary NY subway card, the checks and other tidbits for the binges I had while I was there. Its like destroying all evidence that I was out with someone, before going home.

When I reach Philly, she embraces me with open arms. That's the place where I really get a true sense of home. There's a warmth that I can find no place else. I am a happy man when I am there. There's an air of reassurance that surrounds me. Even the sleep is that much more sound. And when I get up in the morning, look out of my room's window, I can see how beautiful she is. Its like waking up next to the Mrs. and realizing that she's all that you'd ever need. She's innocent, she's pretty and she's the one who makes you really happy.

But the dog that I am, I know I'd leave her soon. Probably forever. Go away and ensconce in NY. That's what I did with Delhi !!

I'd miss her though :-/