A Quote by Siddhartha Gautama Buddha

"When ignorant people see someone who is old, they are disgusted and horrified, even though they too will be old some day. I thought to myself: I don't want to be like the ignorant people. After that, I couldn't feel the usual intoxication with youth anymore.

When ignorant people see someone who is sick, they are disgusted and horrified, even though they too will be sick some day. I thought to myself: I don't want to be like the ignorant people. After that, I couldn't feel the usual intoxication with health anymore.

When ignorant people see someone who is dead, they are disgusted and horrified, even though they too will be dead some day. I thought to myself: I don't want to be like the ignorant people. After then, I couldn't feel the usual intoxication with life anymore."

Age Is Just A Number

Toyo Shibata's book "Kujikenaide - Don't Lose Heart"

I don't know about all of you very successful writers out there, but I often have this feeling that one is so stuck up with no change and so many logical questions. I mean seriously, some of the things I questioned and longed for when I was sixteen or eighteen, I still haven't gotten the answer for them. Apart from the fact, that I am genuinely quite an unlucky person, most people I know are not born with such a luck. But still, sometimes, this feeling really sucks.

Anyhow, hopelessness comes and goes. For the longest time I did think I am a pessimist but actually I was not. I am just not very enthusiastic and chirpy perhaps but there is some hope somewhere. Hope is like a bitch that just doesn't stop loving you and so never leaves you.

Here is a story for all who do feel hopeless at times and yes for all those who think they are so old they cannot do anything new in life. 

In Tokyo, there is a 99 year old woman - Toyo Shibata who didn't start writing 50 years ago. She actually started writing poems when she was ONLY 92 years old and when she could no longer focus on her life long hobby of classical Japanese dance due to back pain. But guess what, even when she started so late her writings are actually quite popular amongst the younger generations.

Toyo Shibata

Toyo writes in a simple manner with simple titles. She has a huge experience behind her and has seen decades of changes in her country and around her so she pens them down and that has what made her a success today. Her anthology Kujikenaide  "Don't Lose Heart" is quite a success since 2009 and has sold over 1.5 million copies. It was among the top 10 titles of 2010. 

She also sometimes confesses secretly in her poems about love and her feelings. Some of her poems have titles such as "Everyone's Dreams Are Equal" and "Take It Easy, Don't Try Too Hard". She says she thinks about her current life,past, family and memories...words then come to her and writes her poems. She is compiling another anthology before her 100th birthday in June.

Well after reading about Toyo, I certainly feel age is just another number and that there is hope somewhere yes. I will try to work some more on publishing our book :P

Very, very young

Age is only a matter of numbers, or does it really give headaches? I think whether a person lies about his/her age, it shows. Very few people look much, much younger than their age.

Anyway Neetu Singh was 13 year old when she came in movies. Rani Mukherjee was just 17. The thing is they are 13, 14 or 17. Unless they are Kareena Kapoor & Karishma Kapoor. They are ever green. I still remember how in Dil tou pagal hai, Karishma never missed any opportunity of calling Madhuri her senior. And it won’t be incorrect to say that Kareena is still in her diapers. She was also 14 year ago when she came in Refugee. There’s only one lady who doesn’t lie about her age & that is Sushmita Sen. I’m sure they would be some others too but I can’t recall their names.

Some other examples are also bothering me. Of course they are all age conscious. Besides that there is something wrong in their level of maturity as well. Nirma once said, what can I do, if I am so hot? The only person I’ve ever heard talking about Nirma’s hotness, is Nirma herself.

Gia Ali has some philosophies too & I think she has heard them from someone else. She says a beautiful woman is always in a relationship & that’s why she says she has 2 boyfriends, cause she is very, very beautiful. And those who aren’t in relationship are either lesbians or they have relations with animals.

And there’s another woman & her name is Meera. Jee haan Miss Meera Jee…well she says that she was 10 year old when she came in the industry. I saw her in that powder ad for the 1st time & she didn’t seem like a child to me.

Many, many years ago, on her 19th birthday, Reema said that it would have been so nice if my parents had taught me English rather than dancing. I can never understand what is this obsession with English. In one of her interviews, Reema jee gave 500 bucks to some poor fellow. I missed the point somewhere.

I don’t know what to say about Veena Malik. Every time I see her on TV, it reminds me of those Internet pics…You know what I mean.

So, these are some young dames from the era that seems a bit too old for such young & dainty girls. Actually yahan tou sab hee bachay hain. It’s rare to meet adults these days.