Favourite Words

Driftwood – Every time I hear this word I think of chocolate brown logs of wood drifting serenely and contentedly down a loch, against the backdrop of oak trees and a sunless sky, somewhere in the middle of Scotland. Even if the word denotes movement, there’s also a unique stillness to it. And, of course, there’s ‘Driftwood’ by Travis, a soothing song with a deep meaning.
Serendipity – A fortunate accident. The word gets its true essence from ‘serendip’ which is the Persian name for Sri Lanka. One thing’s for sure. If it wasn’t for good ol’ serendipity here, America would’ve been discovered years later, Archimedes would’ve gone on to have a long leisurely bath where he would rinse and lather in peace, nobody would’ve known that nitrous oxide told jokes for a living and chocolate chip cookies would be the stuff of another universe far ,far away.
Cerulean – It’s a crystal clear sky blue. A lot like how the sky is looking right now, thanks to the non-existent rain and the present furnace we’re forced to reside in. Ah, well. I’ll save my indignance for some other time then.
Eyjafjallajökull – Big words and misanthropic volcanoes fascinate me.
Arpeggio - In music, it represents a broken chord. Notes are played one after the other. The word has a really nice sonorous ring to it.
Vienna – The home of Mozart and Strauss. There’s a certain charm and elegance to the word. And according to Billy Joel, Vienna does wait for me indeed…
Golgi –I remember coming across this word in my biology textbook, in the seventh and eighth grade. It’s part of the cell and secretes hormones, enzymes and proteins. One of the cutest words I’ve ever heard of! If I ever get a dog, remind me to name it after this hallowed organelle.
Crumpet – Though I’ve never had the opportunity to try one, it sounds all nice and quaint. Oh, ‘quaint’! That’s another interesting one!
Gild –I always picture a beach lit in various hues of golden sunlight just before sunset. I guess that image will be gilded in my memory.
Bourgeoise – It’s French for ‘the middle class in society’.
Ennui – It’s French for ‘boredom’. Usually the language of ‘ennui’ is spoken quite fluently by most, during the summer where the only interesting thing is getting a haircut because your hair tends to inflate in the humidity. Or eating a bit of Cadbury’s Bournville and imagining someone getting ironed out by a piano falling on their head. Or watching the film ‘Serendipity’ twice in the same month.

The Yellow Brick Road

As I type this on a keyboard veiled with dust, I’m in one of my philosophical states of mind. Having just heard some real thought provoking music (The Importance of Being Idle by Oasis) and sipping some tea, my thoughts and sentiments have been stirred and strained thoroughly.
The latest subject to hit my cranial convolutions is a dainty little thing called ‘life’. The delicate topic of discussion which has baffled people for centuries. A topic which a countless ocean of people (philosophers, poets, painters and pedicurists to name a few starting with ‘p’) have mulled over, cursed at and embraced through the meandering yellow brick road of Life.
I confess to knowing not much when it comes to this hallowed subject. But through these sixteen years, I’ve found laughter, love and trust, even though they’ve been wrought with mistakes and regret. For the past year, I’ve been walking through life with a rather unhealthy spleen. But what I’ve painstakingly learnt is that all my mistakes have been made for a good reason. It’s a blessing, heavily disguised in the form of an innocent looking cloud. It’s all Life’s way of helping me keep my individuality intact. At least I hope, because this is the only conclusion I can come up with, thanks to episode two of season three of ‘Psych’. That episode is the work of some murky divine intervention, if I may say so.
Another important albeit heavily clichéd lesson is the whole action of ‘letting go’. Just leave the past to recline in its humble abode and carry on through the concrete jungle ahead. And with this parting statement I’m letting go of all the regret which I’ve harboured for some time now. Well …Letting go…Letting go…Still letting go… Okay, this could take a while…