issue #24

There are two things in our lives that we have absolutely no way of choosing for ourselves- our parents (+ grandparents, siblings...) and our roommates in college/school boarding. And yet, most of us will agree, the years spent with them are some of the best we will ever have. On the other hand, times when we did exercise our choice (jobs, girlfriends...) have often gone awry and left us thoroughly dissatisfied.

So, it comes to pass that 'choice' is not such a great thing after all. Yet we never fail to make a huge issue out of it- often complaining that we didn't have enough of it. In fact we are so engrossed with 'choosing the best' things that we often fail to 'make the best of' what we already have.

New technologies are opening up giant baskets of choices, every other day. You can log onto the web and choose friends to your exact liking, from across the world - they needn't be restricted to the neighbourhood anymore. Now you can evade your 'desplicable' neighbours by spending time in online chatrooms, and yet when you are down with crippling fever, alone in your apartment, don't you wish you had a friend in the person next door?

"You cannot see beyond a choice you do not understand", said the Oracle (The Matrix trilogies). Given the immense complexity of factors that affect human life, it's almost certain that you will never fully understand your choice and hence your future. So without dwelling too much on your options just take a headlong dive into your life and give it the best you have got.

-sumandatta
(editor)

PS:
this week on v!be- don't miss!

shorts | images | mayday | the somnambulist (back!) | critique

issue #23

ok, so after a few weeks(more than that is it?) inadvertant delay, v!be has managed to put it's act together finally. Actually the last month has been quite hectic for all contributors to this magazine, in several different ways - from getting a new job to getting married to taking time out with friends and family.

Or maybe it was those long cherished memories of summer vacations back in school that unconsciously drove us to take a break! Add to that the laid back melancholy of the monsoon and it becomes a huge feat to do anything else but doze and eat pakodas.

Anyways, we are sorry for leaving our favourite readers high and dry(though I guess they were having their share of fun in the rains too!). So here we are with a double treat! The vibetravel column debuts with a aditya's hilarious account of a trip to Matheran; and we have a new column Mayday..., ripe with humour dripping from suraj kamath's words. And to top it all off we have the magnificent second part of rhea's Coffee Shop Thing and images from Brooklyn by Jack Galmitz.

Enjoy!