the black lullaby

This year has been unbelievable in many ways and I have so much to be thankful for. Family, friends, work, relationships, travel, accomplishments, it’s all been a fucking blast! As 2007 draws to an end I would like to take you on a journey of this year in my life…

Janurary… was a busy month as always with planning for the year ahead and attending to clients who are always in need of something important. But more importantly, it was in the month of January of 2007 that I began my blog – The Black Lullaby.

Then came February… the month of months for me because it was first solid step back into theatre after many years with the role of Jim in Mind Adventures’ production of Chatroom.

March… an amazing one week off in Pattaya, Thailand where I was able to rest and relax and complete my first book – The Fairy Dance. Pattaya was beautiful and full of fun and it helped me realize so many truths in my life, helping me move on with my load of grief.

April… preperations for the Chillies had begun and we were busy sending entries in with lots of hopes. But better than that was the JWT Seminar that happened in Malaysia, 20 of us discussing vital issues and going completely crazy, from getting drunk silly to riding rollercoasters in the middle of the night.

May… the Chillies, on in full swing, seminars and workshops and lots of drinking. I remember the night at barefoot most clearly, cause that was the night that I asked myself a huge question – why do we love people who are not worth the soil beneath our feet. The best party I’ve had in my life was during that week, the Get Wet party at Trans Asia where we were all drenched and started dancing in the pool. The Chillies itself was a bit of a SCAM if you know what I mean, but it was a good eye-opener for everyone.

June… after many a good review, Chatroom was on for a re-run at the Punchi Theatre. We were together again, rehearsing lines and bonding over silly things that meant a lot to us. By this time I was officially part of the Mind Adventures Theatre Company and enjoying every minute of it. The re-run was better than the first time around and it left us all feeling fullfilled.

July… by far a month that was extremely grand and extremely sad at the same time. Grand because it was during this month that I met a group of people that I am proud to call my friends today. Kind, caring, understanding and adorable in every way, they’ve become family to me in the months that have gone by. Sad because this is the month in which I met my one true love for one last night, after which we have neither spoken nor met face to face. It was a night that cannot be explained and it is a memory that will last always in my heart.

August… was the month in which I first read out my poetry in public at The Awakening, it was a great evening and I was so glad everyone enjoyed it. It was also the month of my birth but oh how horrible that was. My birthday was clearly the worst day of the year. I had a dream in which everyone had forgotten to wish me and the best part was that it came true. I spent one half of the day locked in my room crying, a little self-pity was in order by this time you see but I lived through it. And we also drove down to Negombo to watch Mars get as big as the moon but that didn’t happen.

September… a month of accomplishment. This was the month in which I launched ‘The Fairy Dance’. The feeling was indescribable! But it was also the month in which I travelled to Phuket, Thailand for JWT’s YT Southeast Asia Workshop. The people I met there were out of this world. Crazy creative geniuses from around the world all sharing one thing in common, their passion for advertising. This trip made me realize why I joined advertising to begin with.

October… was time to dive back into work since everyone was getting so activated over the upcoming season. I had some extremely memorable moments during this month and one of them was the Ceylonta shoot that I did in Hatton. I stayed in a haunted room and all!!!

November… has now come to an end but while it lasted it was very clearly the busiest month of the year. Doesn’t mean I didn’t find time for fun though. The Club One Season nights were great and I have to say the music was really good.

Which brings us to December… here it comes with birthdays, the Reggies, family reunions and Christmas. Looking forward to it!

Till next and next…

B.

Local NEWS Channels report further:

The number of casualties now admitted into the Kalubowila Teaching Hospital have increased to 42 while 3 critically injured individuals have been transported to the National Hospital for further treatment.

More reports now confirm that the explosives detonnated from within an unidentified package, which had been left close to the security post of NO LIMIT Nugegoda.

Forces advise all citizens to dial 118 or 119 if any other suspicious packages are discovered.

The number of casualties are yet to be finalized as more units rush to the scene of the explosion for urgent assistance.

Reports are still coming in.

According to local NEWS Channels the bomb went off at approximately 5.50 pm today (28th November) just outside the Nugegoda branch of the NO LIMIT Chain.

The explosion caused a fire in the outlet while damaging several surrounding buildings. Reports from Kalubowila Hospital indicate that so far 10 or more casualties are being treated for sever injuries while 16 individuals are presumed dead.

Police have requested all vehicles traveling along routes of the explosion – i.e. Kohuwela to Nugegoda, Highlevel Road, Pagoda Road and Maharagama Road – to avoid heading in that direction to ensure roads are clear for the transportation of casualties to nearby hospitals.

More reports claim that the explosion was caused by a vehicle that blew up just outisde the NO LIMIT outlet – experts are still to identify the root of the blast currently having no indication on whether the explosion was an accidental act of vehicular combustion or an attempted attack by terrorists.

More news on the way.

It intrigues me, how some folk flash their social lives in front of everyone else. Is it because they think we don’t have a social life? Or because they think they’re more happening than us? Or because on some level, they know that we’re more happening than them but they really need for us to know that they’re somewhere there?

Let me uncomplicate this further.

Don’t you just hate those loud phone calls that some people choose to have? Everyone around them and everyone within a 3 mile radius can hear their plans for the evening, the week, the month and the rest of the year. It does NOT happen accidentally mind you because when these types need to have a private phone conversation, they do it sitting two inches away from you and you still wouldn’t hear what they’re saying, very crafty that way I must say.

But I just don’t get these people who project their social lives for the world to hear. For example, you might hear one in a heightened tone say: “WOW REALLY? YOU’RE GOING TO BE AT R&B TOO, THAT’S EXACTLY WHAT I’M PLANNING, BUT I NEED TO GO TO THIS PARTY BEFORE I GET THERE SO I MIGHT BE A BIT LATE AND IF THAT HAPPENS I’LL JOIN YOU GUYS AT H20 FOR SURE, BUT ANYWAY WHO CARES WHERE WE MEET MEN, AFTERALL, WE’RE FLYING OUT OF THE COUNTRY TOGETHER AREN’T WE?

Having first made themselves out to be the laughing stock of the moment, then voted the most irritable individual of the day and finally the social exhibitionist of the month, they still don’t get it that the people around them aren’t interested in their lives.

Why oh why must we be subject so such torture by these sound poluters? When will they learn that broadcasting to the world how happening they are is just another way of expressing their insecurities.

Sad.

PS. it feels good to be blogging regularly again after so long.

It’s a terrible, terrible truth that I have to deal with as part of the ad industry every day. I’ve been playing this game for five years now and I’m not nearly as experienced as those who’ve been at it for much longer, but I know enough to keep me alive.

What troubles me is that when I started off all those years ago, I was arrogant and headstrong and very footlose. But through all of that, I was still innocent.

Innocent enough to believe that secrets would stay secrets.

Innocent enough to believe that happy couples existed.

Innocent enough to believe that the people who hold your hand and teach you how things are done would never turn on you.

But as they say, you live and you learn.

Now, even though the arrogance and somewhat pig-headed nature is gone (or so I believe), there are other things that cause worry. And the new traits that have latched themselves on to me aren’t out of choice but of necessity.

The bigger question now is, having developed all these new skills of survival, are they enough?

I’m honestly sick of it because there’s just no escaping the talons of those who want to outlast you and you have to ask yourself, for what? Explaning the vicious extremes that people go to in order to make themselves heard or satisfy their ego is not possible because it’s all just so twisted. And you learn as time goes by that if you’re not on the same wave-length then you’re screwed.

But what happens to the humanity? Is it truly and utterly dead now? While it’s true that there are certain people we still stand up for and defend no matter what, even they’re not safe.

How much more manipulative do we need to be to keep hanging?

How much more absurd to we need to get to defend ourselves?

How much more vicious do we need to be to make sure we stay alive?

And if we think we’ve reached our limit of playing dirty, then does that mean we’re no longer eligible to be in the game?

I know it’s been ages since I wrote down anything under “Grandmother Chronicles” but this is because she’s been away in Venice, enjoying life and spending time with my family over there. But she’s coming back for Christmas and she’s very excited… Why?

Well for a long time now she’s been telling all of us that she has the worst possible mobile phone that anyone could ask for and she’s right. For those of you who remember my previous entries about her, she’s very up to date with everything that happens in the world, sometimes more so than me. So it’s very unnerving for her to be stuck with a mobile phone that has a green screen on which the letters sometimes disappear as and when they please.

So I told her that when she gets back in December, I’m going to buy her a phone for Christmas and her Birthday, which is a day after Christmas. And mind you, not just any phone, it’s one of those Nokia mp3 phones that slides up and down and stuff so she’s over the moon!!! She hasn’t seen what it looks like yet and I’m playing the ancient torture tactic of not giving it to her until Christmas Eve, but hey, that’s half the fun right?

Anyway, Nancy will be back in Colombo on the 10th or 11th of December and with her around, Christmas is going to be a blast!

There comes a time in every life when a head that has been bowed for too long must be raised. And when he whose eyes have been closed finally open, there will be darkness melting out like a deadly liquid that seeks justice…

For beautiful years gone by, for sweet moments lost and for life so rich spent so poorly.

Then dawns an eclipse that shadows the smiles of those who believed they could never be touched.

Then comes an era of nightmares to haunt those who once laughed freely.

They question their abrupt fate but find no answers, for the one who has them has just begun his torture.

He lurks in the alleys of their lives, watching their every move, planning their demise step by step, stripping them of happiness one by one.

He whose name once brought cheer now brings fear.

Now they wait, hoping he will bow his head once again. They listen to the words of his song that speak of their sorry state.

They listen, for they have no other option, to his black lullaby.

Brandon Ingram

Hello all,

I know I’ve been away a lot and haven’t had much time to blog but I’m currently working on my online drama – Kurukshetra. If any of you are interested in readin it please visit kurukshetraonline.wordpress.com

It’s set in Delhi and revolves around a not-so-sane family with members who go to extreme lengths to win on the battleground of their lives.

Apart from that, work’s been hectic too and there’s lots that needs to happen before I clock off for the year on the 11th of December cause I won’t be back to office till the 1st of Janurary.

Anyway, there’s been a ritual that I’ve followed every year for as long as I can remember. At the beginning of every New Year, I change most of my wardrobe and take on a new style. One year it was long sleeved shirts and proper pants while the next it was jeans and t-shirt everywhere, even to weddings.

One year I only wore t-shirts with numbers on them and at the beginning of this year all the way until May, I wore only black.

So tis now time for change again and this time, I wanna do it ‘Om Shanthi Om’ style.

My hair is already black and electric blue… So what do you think of darker than usual eyes, colorful kurtas and a black or red “tika” on my forehead? I’m quite excited about it actually.

Ok but seriously, will catch up with you guys as soon as I have some time on my hands.

till next and next…

b.

Have you met them? You might even be one of them!

Now here’s an awesome bunch of people who are really fun to know and hang out with. Why? Because for some reason or the other, their viewpoints and their ways of life transcend their own age barrier.

They’re a group of people who can be aged 17, 26, 34 and 53 but still have so much in common, still have so much to talk about, they still have amazing experiences to share with each other and they don’t believe in descriminating people based on their age.

They’re not the ones who tell you: “oh you’ll learn as time goes by” like they’ve been through it all already. These folks won’t bat an eyelid before they sit down to learn something from someone younger than them or teach someone older than them an important lesson.

I’m proud to be part of this community and quite honestly, till the beginning of this year, the oldest friend I had was aged 86. She was an awesome breath of fresh air in a world of mundane insecurities and boxed up behavior. She was a woman who lived life on the edge to her last day and could look back and say “I’ve done it all”. And the best part of all, all of her friends were younger than her, and obviously so. But when she was with us, we never felt as though she was an old person who wouldn’t fit in our social circles, on the contrary, we took great pride in moving around with her. God rest her soul.

I find it so remarkable when a group of people from completely different timelines can sit together at the same table and talk as though they were all born on the same day and I hate – note: not dislike but hate – people who keep saying that we should all hang out with people our own age. Hell if I did that when I was 15, today I’d probably be snorting coke in a dark ally somewhere with no clue as to what the outside world was all about.

Parents often advise their children to stick to social groups that share something in common with them, but if you really look at that thinking… isn’t it fucking boring? How one sided would your life be if all you did was spend time with people who had the same interests and viewpoints as you? How much more interesting can life get if you were given the opportunity to share your views an experiences with people who had no idea they existed and received the same treatment in return. Wouldn’t you be richer for it?

And those of us who are a part of this community, I think, should be real proud because when the rest of the world fails to understand why someone older or younger than them did what they did, we’d still have an inkling somehwere deep inside.

Just thought you guys should know that JWT Sri Lanka just launched its awesome new website, full of interactive stuff and an online competition that gives you the chance to win a return air ticket to London and Dialog TV & Broadband Connections!!!

Just log on to www.jwt.lk and explore!!!

Plus, we’ve also launched our new blog, very ad-centric but interesting nevertheless… the url is blog.jwt.lk

I’m one of the six bloggers who will be posting on the site so you can expect some controversial posts as always.

Join us in the digital age will ya!!!

Oh crap, this entire post just sounded like a press ad didn’t it??? FUCK! I’ve been in this industry too long!!!