Life@2005

Life @ 2005 has been .....

Fun.
Challenging.
Rivetting.
Delightful.
Splendid.
Interesting.
Bright.
Relaxing.
Taxing.
Lively.
Exciting.
Dusky.
Demanding.
Disappointing.
Enterprising.
Stressing.
Filled with anticipation.
Jubilation.

A Roller coaster ride ... alright! It has ended just right, paving a way for a new year, a new beginning, the slate has been rubbed clean for the Graffiti of 2006 to be traced! Some impressions of the graffiti of 2005 are still on the slate though! :-)


Here is wishing all of you all a Happy and SCINTILLATING 2006!!! :-).

Okie ... Fine!

Well, I am no expert on Venusians. Er .... well, that's what one famous book calls them. Infact, I don't know them that well at all. But yeah, they can indeed communicate the same language you speak and yet communicate differently!

You dont believe me??! Okie Fine.

Just sample the different meanings this phrase, "Okie Fine" can imply, when used by them.

#1 . Martian not able to make it to a particular venue on time. Excerpt

Martian : Hey ...... I guess I won't be able to make it on time.
Venusian : Okie Fine.

( Implied meaning by the Venusian. "Damn! I'll ensure I shall ditch U next time!!").

#2 . Martian misses to pick a gift on some significant occassion (Risky one).

Martian : Oops , man ..... its your birthday today , right?! :O
Venusian : You forgot? Okie fine.

(Implied meaning ..... " Yeah right! I knew it ,U would do that! Sheesh, U are a #%#%". Addition of any more words with "Okie Fine" indicates criticality)

#3. Martian discussing a lot about his work.

Martian : Yeah, it started with some proposal and then after three conferece calls and some changes to the design , i was really going to clinch that deal.

Venusian : Okie fine (:-))

( The "Okie fine" with a smile is a very dicey situation.U have crossed the limits of her tolerance . Corrective action to be taken immediately. Change the topic).

#4 . Martian explains his side of the story.

Martian : U know what, U were wrong. I told you not to do that!
Venusian : Okie fine (:-()

(Implied meaning ........ "You're finished buddy!! Even if I am a fraction right ......next time round")

#5. A new wardrobe being chosen. Seven already scanned.

Martian : Hey can we pick this stuff?
Venusian : Hmm .... Okie ..... Fine!

(Implied meaning " I really think that is not the right choice. But U seem to be insisting!!! U are being so impatient that I am just accepting to "that" choice of urs! Sheesh how 'insensitive' :O )

So U see , the same phrase can induce different meanings when uttered by Venusians!

:-)

Go 'Fida' !!!!

Christmas, a festival of sharing. The carols, festivities, cakes and merriment ....ah ..... One can always sense Christmas in the "air"! ;-).

The Christmas tree, Santa Claus .. and people dressed in shades of red and white! The festival had finally arrived! One of the plans this weekend was reserved for meeting a few friends and catching a movie with them.

Garuda Mall. A new address , where 'Shopper's Stop'! ;-). The mall located off Magrath Road has been groomed keeping the urban buying spree in the background. Yes it has it all from multiplexes, food courts and a range of outlets covering apparels to footwear. Did U "SIGH!" and ask , "A typical mall??! ". Well .. yeah , thats what it is! :-)


Abishek Bacchan has been roped in to promote Ford Fiesta! The fan following that Abishek, seems to have garnered, owing to success of his flicks, seems to be IMMENSE. That brings us to the point of this post ..........

A car parked in the center of the mall. A large hoarding of Junior B. Two posters of Junior B, life size placed next to the car. Now is the contest. The compere announces that he is about to conduct a contest which has an "awesome" reward! One has to say "Go Fida" as many times possible,within a minute. One of "contestants" goes forward ... " Go Fida ..Go Fida . Go FidaGoFidaGoFida" ... he goes. At the end of a minute, the crowd wait with baited breath. Yes, our man has made it. He has recited "Go Fida" a 151 times. ( Somone actually counted it! Damn!). The compere announces, " Ah.. we have a winner. Your prize is , U Can picture Ur self with Abishek Bacchan's poster"!!!! Did you say WHAT???!!! ( Yes!! That was my reaction tooo!!! U are better off . I was at the venue!!) . The "winner" is overjoyed and goes ahead and pictures himself with the poster!! Well, ladies and gentlemen it was not just him, there were arleast 15 people I saw do that in about 2 hours I spent in the mall!

Well adoration to this extent ........ Abishek must be wondering!! Whether people go fida over Ford Fiesta or not, is debatable but they do "Go Fida' for sure!!!

Man .. what a prize!!!!

It happens only in Udupi ......

Weekend's are meant for relaxation, for letting yourself loose, to just unwind, to just enjoy......... Aaah! Thats exactly what it turned out to be. This weekend was a trip to Udupi. ( Well, a couple of posts are going to be dediacted to the entire trip ...... which is going to be in phases... So wait on ...)

Udupi, is a coastal town in Karnataka, a state in India. A small town, it is quite famous for Krishna temple and beaches. The beaches ...... ah ..... I guess it would quite unfair if I just mention it just here...... I think I would atleast require a post to describe its beauty.

My friend and I decided to take a stroll , to explore Udupi . The mornings are quite warm out here. A few minutes of walk and she spots the 'town bus'. These buses are suppossed to be quite nice to travel by and they boast of 'huge windows'. Well ..... thats what I was told! We jump into the bus that was all set to leave.

The 'conductor' is on his way to issue us a ticket ....

Me : Destination?
She : 2 stops from here?
Me : I tell him that ? Any place, landmark?
She : Hmm .... No 2 stops is fine ......
Me : 2 stops

The conductor issued the ticket and we hardly travelled about 500 metres. The bus had a flat tire. WOW! The bus was pulled over to the 'right' side of the road ensuring a small traffic jam. As for the compensation, SIGH! Apparently thats the minimum charge. :-). So, back to walking agin.

Tender coconuts ...... Well .... on a warm day, probably there is nothing that comes close to quenching your thirst, like them!!

Sandiges (Rice Flakes ) , Sonte Chips (Let me get the translation for that ... ), Nipput (Another spicy treat), Chakli and quite a few delicacies. Hmm ..... it was an eventful outing alright! :-)

It takes Two to Tango.

It has been two years since I joined this firm.

The journey has been fun. Away from the, realms of college's, 'easy going' life to this 'concrete' jungle's, 'professional' life, it has been quite a roller coaster ride.

( Well, my college would easily fall under the 'concrete' and 'jungle' definition quite comfortably. But U know .. what I mean right! :-))

Some of the salient features of this journey :

F.R.I.E.N.D.S : Yes, its suprising how 'work' brings in some 'life' ! At these stages, when people would be more focussed to build careers,family and all the rest that goes with it ............, it is suprising how U can form 'F.R.I.E.N.D.S' . Ah, what is it that makes them so special? Is it coz, they are 'good' , or coz they can smack Ur face with a specially made cake, or they are the happiest when U have achieved something, or the small gestures they involve in, that suprise you and keep that magic alive? Well .... a guess a lot more would go into this actually. Sometimes, I wonder ...how life would have been if I had not met them. Nope, reality is better!

Professionalism: Well, work ........ is a good teacher! Tact, Diplomacy, Assertiveness which were all just 'nouns' you used ... yeah practised them sometime too ... now seems to be the way of life!

Patience : Sometimes, you may just end up being a bit hasty. Patience is a virtue.

Achievement : Every day is a new day. Who ever said that 'work' is monotonous and not challenging is faking it. There are millions of things which you could change, improve and excel at. You don't have to wait for somone to throw you a challenge. Set up internal deadlines, challenges and indulge in some kind of 'reward' after reaching that 'milestone'! Believe in yourself, that itself should keep your motivation up! In the long run ... it pays!!

Sensitivity: The workplace, brings about people from varied backgrounds. Sensitivity is a cruical issue. One man's food is another's poison .. goes an age old proverb!


Yes, it definitely takes two to tango. The dance has been exciting by the way. Tired, did you ask? No way. I am loving it!!

Uss mein kya hai ?

Train journeys' often provide you with a lot of "food for thought". All the more if you are embarking on a long journey. On such journey's sometimes you aquiant yourself with some, you chat with a few and some transcend all these boundaries.


On such a trip, there was one of the tea vendors, who had , what I thought was a diffcult rally. He was trying to offer tea, and I politely refused.

Tea Vendor : Saaab, tea chahiye?
Me : Nahi.
Tea Vendor : Le lo bhaiyya ... Badiya Hoga!
Me : Nahi ... bhaiyya
Tea Vendor : Lelo Bhaiyya .. Uss mein kya hai??!

I was kind of taken aback. Uss mein kya hai??! Was he mocking at me??! Huh?! Anyways , he went away rallying again.

Sometimes, when we sit back and think a few issues we have encountered .... we regret as most issues would have been resolved if we had just thought, "Uss mein kya hain"!!!

On one such a trip, I came across ... a jewel. A rather, precious one! Some jewels transcend the "precious" tag with ease!!! Why are U looking so suprised? Ah ...... did U ask ... " Uss mein kya hai??!" "Uss mein bahut kuch hai , bahut kuch! " :-)

Jay's Cuisine

A few years back ..... was when I realized that I had an alternative career option as a "Chef" ! It all hapenned when a small group I was a part of, dared me to "cook". Ah .... that was the moment !

The dinner was suppossed to contain,
Starters - Tomato soup and Samosa (Don't give that puzzled look, the decision was unanimous on deciding that ;-))
Main course - roti's, paneer (masala Dry), veg biriyani, raitha and
Desserts - Cocunut Burfi ( Well .... that was something, which I was really confident I could pull it off and thats the reason it was chosen).

Yeah, so each one had his task cut out. We took a break and decided to meet in the evening with our delicacies. The dinner was on to be hosted at Sujee's terrace , which was being decked up for this evening!

Cocounut burfi. Well it all seemed very easy when I chose that. A quick check with my mom regarding the recipe .(:P, No! Thats not against the rules , I did "make" it on my own).

Requirements :
2 Medium sized Cocunuts ( Depends on Number of ppl U need to serve),
3 Bowls Sugar
Essence (Vanilla Flavoured) and
Culinary Skills. :-)

Mode : Grate the cocunuts, patiently. It is essential, U keep your cool. Cocunuts do not grate at the pace U want. Transfer the contents to a dish. Fry the cocunut gratings till they reach golden brown. Parallely, you could have a dish with sugar syrup being heated at medium flame. Once the gratings are fried, transfer them to the sugar syrup. Kindle. When, you feel that the contents are "mixed" properly (This comes out of EXPERIENCE, :D), then transfer the contents to a tray. Allow it to cool. Once it is cooled sufficiently, then cut them in the shape of rhombuses or ..... any shape U feel like. Ur Cocunut Burfi is ready!!

Serve : Serve with a small amount of fresh coconut gratings as topping!

Chef Jay now serves it to members at his home! People who look really shocked , suprised and scared that they were being used as "subjects" to experiment, smile on tasting it!!

Yeaaaaaah! I had completed my task. I had "COOKED" a dish all by myself and everyone at home relished it!!!!

It was indeed a "memorable" dinner. But if the folks who were a part of the dinner are reading this ......

Starters - Verdict - Good!

Sujee, how did ya manage to make a few samosas, round? Er .. What were they? Tasted good though!

Main course (Part I) - Verdict - Awesome!

Rahul - Great work indeed . BHM degree has not gone for a waste after all!

Main course (Part II) - Verdict - Average!

Raghu - Rice doused inb Soya Sauce??!

Desserts - Verdict - Awesome!

Well, I havent rigged the results! Try the dish the way I have mentioned and you get back to me! Well, if you have messed it up big time .. then you know whom to blame. Well, everyone can't have the culinary skills of Jay!

Did the simple recipe look, too robust ? Thats intentional! :p!

Mera naam .....

Some movies, transcend from just being frames on celluloid to capturing the imagination and emotions of its viewers. I remember one such movie, released in the year 1970, for which Raj Kapoor is remembered for even today. The movie I think was called ... "Mera Naam .....". Argh! I am not able to get the last word. What? What did you say? Really? SIGH! I don't think that is the last word. Wait let me think about it .........


Moving away from that topic, On stage and perfomances, there is one character who is much loved. Yeah, the "Clown" aka "Joker". In Circuses, he is somone who perfoms menial gimmicks and stunts to have the audience in peels of laughter. Some of the stunts what he performs maybe death defying and risky, yet the audience are never exposed to that stark side . The act normally ends with something funny and thus the audience can continue laughing! Also, the clown would be a jack of quite a few trades , that he would very well supplement for any other members weakness!


Medieval Europe, the royalty were entertained by a "jester". The jester would be witty (Touchstone .. in "As You like It". Is the name right? ;-)) and sharp and would engage the best minds in intellectual tiffs. The jokers, clowns or jesters , whatever we call them often end up showing one face to the world regardless of what they would be personally going through! The world always wants them to "entertain" and does not care about what "they" go through! They are supposed to "mask" out their "feelings" and just entertain! Brilliant ain't it!! Brilliant!!

Ah ....., I think I remember the movie name and ........ I guess you were right! The movie name is indeed, "Mera Naam Joker".

Hitchhiking on a Time Machine? Why?!!

A typical day,here, ends with folks wishing you 'Bon Voyage'. No .... not that we are embarking on some pioneering journey around the world. We are just leaving office to head back home. The traffic jams indeed make it a long journey back.

Someday your only respite is the local radio station, as most of your colleagues are fast asleep after their 'ordeal' . The programs being aired on radio sometimes wish you craving for more choice as monotony creeps in. As all these thoughts , keep running in the background, I notice the reflection of the clock. Time ...... seems to be moving back. (Yeah, U guessed it, I've had a tough day at work ;-). Okie stop that smile!! )

Well, I have heard some of them 'long' to go back to a certain time in their life where they consider themselves to have been 'very happy'! Well ... why would someone want to just go back to the time they were 'happy' and just stay there? In life we come across many experiences and not all of them render the same 'feeling'.Well, thats how the package is, and that's its beauty! Also, you attach a special significance to that 'time' because, you have probably faced not so 'happy' moments later. Well ... if you were in the same 'happy' time frame, would you still attach the same significance to 'that time'? Well, I guess one wouldn't. Also, you may encounter experiences in future which may teach you that your 'absolute' itself is 'relative'!! One would be able to appreciate events and experiences only when they are viewed in perspective.

You get one shot , one life and one oppurtunity to make a difference i.e to lead a life. Why would you want to keep going back to just a time frame? Why do you want to hitchhike on a time machine and go back to 'that time' ? Why??!

:-)

'Fan' brigade.

Madurai, a district in Tamil Nadu, in the southern part of India, popularly known for the Meenakshi temple. This temple is an architectural marvel, with sculptors speaking their hearts out through their creations ..er... should I say elimination ;-). Stone pillars , which emnate musical notes when incited, thousand pillars adorning the walkway, sculptures and a whole array of specialities make the visit to this place a visual treat which lingers around for a long time.

Well, apart from the temple ,Madurai, is popular for its "jasmine" flowers. Going by the name of, "Madurai Malli", the aroma of these flowers are suppossed to be an olfactory treat.

Yes, there is something more, what I encountered in Madurai too. The people are 'fanatic', (very strictly adhereing to the meaning of that word) about their film stars. You would have seen people adoring stars, here they 'worship' them.

Well, as luck would have it , my ticket on the train was waitlisted and I had to take the bus to reach an intermediate point. As i wanted to reach the destination as soon as possible I took the bus that was already leaving the bus stop. I had'nt noticed that the bus was a 'DVD coach' * . (:-(). The bus driver seemed to be throwing the bus around corners as though he were testing G Force endurances on human beings. The journey was suppossed to be for four hours, but i suspected that it would be much lesser.

I had taken the last but one seat and had almost comfortably settled. Probably it was around midnight when I heard a shre(eee)ik from a passenger behind me. I woke up startled and turned back. He seemed gleeful and happy. He was visibly excited and was cheering loudly. Confused I look ahead and I can see the reason. A movie, called 'Muthu' was being screened and the 'Super Star' , Rajinikanth was the hero in it. Our 'fan' was excited at the sight of his' star' on screen!!! For people who are not quite familiar, Rajinikanth, is the hero of the masses. He is a much celebrated and immensly popular STAR. Our 'fan' was joined by quite a few others who started whistling frantically and there seemed to be a brigade of them. One was apparently bragging as to how he was watching the movie for the fortieth time. If he were this excited for his fortieth .. I wonder ... !!! With such rampant enthuisam .. one can just amaze at the adoration these people have for their 'stars'.

At around 1 30 am ... one of the 'fan''s wakes me up. Puzzled I turn back , quite agitated.

(Translated, the conv was in Tamil)

'Fan' : Sir, could you move your head to the side sirrrr?!
Me : What?
'Fan' : I can't see Rajini properly !!
Me : U 've been watching this movie all this while , its 1 30 am , you wan't me to move so that U can 'see'??
'Fan' : I am a Rajini 'rasigan' (fan). Kindly adjust.

I am just dumbstruck. Amazed, suprised and confused at his 'adoration' I move towards the side.

'Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee' 'Wheeeeeeeeeeeee' ( He goes ....)

'Fan" : Thank U sirrr! U go to sleep!!

'Wheeeeeeeeeeeh'

I smiled back.

Yeah, right!! I am going to sleep!! :-)


* DVD coach (noun) : A state transport run bus, which takes pride in playing music and movies in full blast. I learnt about this definition , from my co passenger towards the end of the journey!

"Drawn" to a line!

A lecturer in the Mechanical Engineering department, is no mean achievment. You have to have been a seargent in Hitler's army in your previous stint on earth (and haven't lost those traits, yet) or University of Timbuctoo is working on you to just see the critical levels of stress that human beings can subject fellow human beings too. ( Actually not all of them fit under this description, but a "select" few , definitely do).

Machine Drawing. One of the finest subjects, I have come across. This subject , aids an "engineer" to communicate in the "langauge of mechanical engineers" i.e. Engineering Drawing. Material conventions, "Projections","Different Views" (jargon unavoidable), the subject was indeed interesting ...... until that day I came across Lect 1.

The assignment on "Universal Swivel Bearing", for the folks from other streams .. .. it is one of the difficult assignments, to complete with all the "conditions met" . I had reached home late, also Brazilian Grand Prix was being telecast. Leaving behind all that I worked on that assignment as I had heard a lot about "Lect1". The next day after 7 hours of painstaking efforts the previous night, i submitted the assignment to Lect1. With no comments, right away, from him on submission, I headed back. I was even wondering if people were spreading "malicious" rumours about him being "sadistic".

The class was about to be dismissed, when he called over my name. I headed to his desk, where he was "evaluating" my assignment. Excerpts from the interaction

Lect 1 : What's your name?
Me : X
Lect1 : How does it appear on the register?
Me : (!!) Er .... that would be X.S
Lect1 : But U have written X in this sheet.

( Unbelievable expression .. on my face .. No words to explain the reaction on my face )

Me : Er ....... ??!!
Lect1: Since you have not written your full name on the sheet I can't award you any marks for this sheet.
Me : What?

(As I watched in disbelief, the red pen went across the "white" sheet )

Lect1 : U get 0/ 10 for the sheet. ( Smiles)

( He looks at me and then gives a sinister grin and goes on to change 0/ 10 to ZERO/ 10.)

Soapy Operas.

Dictionary .com defines

soap
n.

1. A cleansing agent, manufactured in bars, granules, flakes, or liquid form, made from a mixture of the sodium salts of various fatty acids of natural oils and fats.
2. A metallic salt of a fatty acid, as of aluminum or iron.

o·pus
n. pl. o·pe·ra or o·pus·es

A creative work, especially a musical composition numbered to designate the order of a composer's works.

tor·ture
n.

1. 1. Infliction of severe physical pain as a means of punishment or coercion.
   2. An instrument or a method for inflicting such pain.
2. Excruciating physical or mental pain; agony: the torture of waiting in suspense.
3. Something causing severe pain or anguish.

Ofcourse it also define's soap opera as follows .....

soap opera

A radio or television serial with stock characters in domestic dramas that are noted for being sentimental and melodramatic.


Well, here is a secret, soap opera and torture are synonyms.


If there is one set of programs I absolutely hate, on television, they would be the soap operas telecast in these regional channels. John Baird must be churning in his grave if at all he knew how these soap operas have rendered his invention as the 'idiot' box.

If you were of the impression that the KK blah .. blah .. blah and Ekta's "masterpieces" were probably the worst kind of programs you can come across .... ah I have bad news in store for all you folks.

Welcome the the real world .

The soap operas telecast in channels, who have their viewer base predominantly south indian are much worse. These programs are telecast throughout the day, on those channels . The writers for all these soaps have ensured that the protagonists have involved in and belonged to all the "relationships" man has ever known. (Puns intended). Ah.... you were of the opinion,there can be no soap, with the protagonist being the daughter of a father's friend's second brothers relatives aunt, who is apparently an "angel", full time, ( It is convoluted ... but U get the point right :-)) ..... ha ... don't be disheartened .. there is a writer out there who is already scripting that very story.

With all this hatred you must even be wondering, how did i watch ( read survive) enough of those soaps to even be ranting against those. My dinner time apparently coincides with the "prime time" in these channels , a few days of the week. Sometimes I even spend some more time at office to avoid the clash with "prime time". These soap's always have some CRUEL villain or .... to make the story more interesting, villainesses and ever so ideal protagonists ... who seem to have dropped straight out of heaven.

The plots (I think these writers understand," plot" as " a secret plan for a hostile purpose") are insipid . ( Ok, that was an understatement). The characters ..... ah, less said the better. The story line ......whats that??!! Anytime the viewership drops, a character is brought alive with "divine" assistance. Sheesh and so many more such gems.

Capital punishment should be abolished. I agree. Instead,these criminals must be forced to watch these soaps back to back for a month ... no a week. Ofcourse, we would appear to be "humanitarian", as we have abolished Capital punishment, but the punishment what we have given these people is worse than what people were subjected too in concentration camps!

You don't believe me? Watch a couple of soaps telecast on these channels .....Well, don't come back complaining that i din't warn you. Watch it at your own risk :-)

Abyss ...

I see it.

It looks inviting .

I decide to avoid it.

I move away from the standpoint.

I am pulled back.

It lies there, deep, mysterious, surreal and ...... yeah inviting.

I take a plunge to experience what it is like to see the abyss.

Water cuts like a knife, i beat that, move towards the abyss.

Weeds block my way ....... I still keep moving, I am approaching it, the abyss.

Quite a struggle, yet the abyss ....... is calling.

I move and move .. till my lungs ache ... and I am completly deprived of air.

Yet i move on .... and on towards the abyss.

I can't take this ...... and my body shudders ... survival instinct kicks in ........

I am pushed back .... I am shaken ..... I head back ... albeit involuntarily.

I hit the surface , gasping for air.

I relax .... I look back.

The Abyss .... lies inviting .. right where it was.

There is an ABYSS which most of us have come across ....... in our lives.

Masked for Life.

It was the December of '97 . I was one of the few folks who were selected in a state wide Talent hunt to particpate in a Youth festival held at Jigani, Bangalore.

Jigani, i should mention is about 40 kms from Bangalore and is indeed beautiful. This facility was amidst lush green fields, a trekking section and tranqulity . :-). The camp had a diverse group. Camping, trekking, collage, pottery, art, music and stage, were the activities that were to be covered over our period of stay. The overall exercise and the exposure we had is almost etched in an indelible state of my mind. One of the exercises we involved in was called MASK and the process was roughly as discussed in this site, ofcourse excluding the spooky special effects that this site also goes on to describe.

At the end of the exercises each one was supposed to talk about their learnings from that exercise. One of them from my group remarked,

" This exercise taught us something what we all do subconsciously. We all wear a MASK. ".

It was apoint which most of us had missed indeed.

We all wear a MASK.

The bard , in his play, "As You Like It" , rightly said .......

"All the world's a stage,
And all the men and women merely players:
They have their exits and their entrances;"

Ah .... he was right!

Inviting ....

Looks inviting ... Does it? Let me clarify, though it looks inviting, its not all that great when some smacks half of that on ur face. :-).

A tale of tagging.

Yes, finally I fall prey to the TAG. Aknowkneemoose, has tagged me this time. What? Suprised? Oh wait till you see the name of his blog. :-)

Here it goes,

Seven Things I plan to do (not in any particular order):

1) Experience Free Fall ( Probably in the form of Bungee Jumping or Sky diving. Wow, approaching 'terra firma' at 160 kmph . It should be quite exhilarating. Tom Petty's ,'Free Falling' that currently playing on my system has nothing to do with this).

2) Visit Venice and Rome ( Have been fascinated by these places since time immemorial. Ofcourse, not alone. Okie stop that sneer.)

3) Drive a Lambhorgini, Ferrari , BMW 7 series, Maybach, Hummer (Huh? Ofcourse I meant one at a time. Yeah, the best in their class and probably buy one of them ;-)).

4) A Startup

5) Stage ( Always loved that. Theatre ........ yeah its awesome).

6) To attempt some of the craziest things. ( Plan to visit Gulmarg, in winter does not qualify as one :-), Cricket at 2 am .... Hmm maybe you could. )

7) Adopt a Child .

Seven things I can do :

1) Graphology. ( Yeah , still a novice, but its interesting).

2) Get the party going.

3) Start with baking a cake and end up with hot chocolate that tastes awesome (yeah did that once. I am sure, you will stop smiling once you do taste that hot chocolate).

4) Act on stage.

5) Pun ( Quite a lot)

6) Write short stories.

7) Watch Matrix again though I remember the movie frame by frame.

Seven things I can't do:

1) Salsa Dance (Don't worry folks ... I am making attempts to improve that :p)

2) Cook ( Attempted it a few times, but results are quite disastrous. What? U smiled? I atleast accepted that I cook bad ... Huh?! ;-)).

3) Bartending Stunts (Yeah that was after watching Cocktail. Keep the jeers coming! :-)).

4) Skate ( Roller Skates ..... Never got a hang on that. I got to hang on to all the rest of the stuff on the roads though).

5) Follow a sport without passion. ( Yeah F1 and Cricket).

6) Quench a desire to annoy freinds by calling them at weird times (No, thats not a prank :-)).

7) Rafting ( Going to give it another try in 10 to 15 days ..... Hopefully I do well this time :-)

People I tag :

Well most of the folks in the Blogsphere i know have already been tagged. Thus, I would leave it optional for the folks I tag here.
1) Vasanth
2) Vikram
3) Kushi
4) Jyo
5) Ashwin
6) Well anyone else who are actually interested but I forgot to tag U , and you are reading this.

Black or White.

It's Black.

It's White.

(No , it is not the track from Dangerous Album)

It's grey?!!!?

Decisions made should be binary. Why do people complicate issues by keeping it in 'grey'. A little more effort from them, on their 'grey' section can help them evaluate a solution that is either Black or White!

Why don't they just do that? Why?

On a day like today ....

# 5 50 AM
Alarm goes "HMMM .....HMMMM .....HMMM" .... Snooze turned on.

(Oops the last song I listened to is still lingering on ....... :-))

# 6 20 AM
Reapeat the same procedure everytime the alarm goes.

#6 30 AM
Enlightment dawns ....... "The bus is at 7 10 am!!!"

# 6 31 AM
Action begins ......

Cut to the chase ....

# 7 10 AM
Realize i am going to be late , zip accross the loaclaity on my bike and reach the bus stop. Sheesh bus is late today!

#7 28 AM
Finally!

# 7 30 AM
SMS friends on the way to office.As i look around, a colleague is playing 'Solitaire' on his laptop, another head banging to a old hindi track being played on the radio (mobile) (:O) , another eagerly 'reading' Page 3 in Times, one solving the SUDOKU, one narrating, how worse her Project Manager is to her friend through her mobile, ( I guess she should use her mobile to communicate to her friend, the whole bus seems to know about her PM now), a few with their Economic Times, two discussing how a 'technical' issue has to be resolved and majority of the 'workaholics' sleeping.

# 8 10 AM
Reach office, A bicycle ride . (Bicycles on campus are a better means to commute. Eco Friendly and a mini workout guarantee)

# 8 20 AM
Microsoft Outlook unveils the startling news of , the logistics issue I am expecting to have been resolved overnight has not been. Sheesh! What a waste of time its gonna be today!!!!!

# 9 AM
Frantic attempts to contact the System admin in US. Alas, too late. He has left for the day.

# 9 05 AM
Contemplate how JOBLESS its gonna be today!!

# 9 15 AM
Blog hop, Justice being done to the forwards recieved, replies sent to the ones with intriguing questions, Yahoo Messenger, MSN.

# 5 00 PM
Bad news folks ..... the loop in which the above seems to be hapenning is scary!

# 5 30 PM
Decide whether to blog this?
Decision made!

Okie .....I am bored too! On a day like today (Bryan Adams, my treatement of 'On a day like...' is so different from Urs ) ........ hope I never have a day like this at work again!! :-|

Secret of Success ....

Well, this anecdote was during my I year Pre University. We had a Physics lecturer who used to double up as a Moral Science lecturer, during his two hour sessions. His sessions were filled with a lot of tips on how one must abide by certain social norms and on Value systems , oh yeah ... a little bit of Physics too.

He used to come up with some 'creative' anecdotes to drive home his point. One such 'creative' example.

PL : What is the single most determining factor if one has to be successful or 100% in any assignment?

Class : ..................

PL : Will anyone answer !!!!

Cacophony : Luck ...... Toil ..... Dedication ............. (Silence)

PL : Let Me explain, Assign each alphabet a number , linearly, i.e .. A = 1, B = 2 , c=3...... z = 26.

PL : Now for each of the factors you all have mentioned add up the Values of the alphabets in that word

Cacophony : LUCK ----> 12 + 21 +3 + 11 = 47
TOIL ----> 20 +15 +9 +12 = 56
DEDICATION -----> 4+5+4+9+3+1+20+9+15+14 = 84

PL : So ... it shows that none of these are sufficient to attain 100%

Class : ....................................

PL : Now try DISCIPLINE

Cacophony : DISCIPLINE -----> 4+9+19+3+9+16+12+9+14+5 = 100

PL : So , that clearly shows one needs to have DISCIPLINE to achieve a 100%.

( Well, as luck would have it I was seated in the third row as I was late to the class and the last rows taken .........)

Me (nudging a friend) : Hey , then what about INDISCIPLINE?

SIGH! PL heard me,fumed, well was a bit late to go into Damage Control mode. Well, yeah I enjoyed the view from my college canteen after that! :-)

What the .....

Blog hopping, I came across this site .

Apparently this site expects its members to register with it. On registering I get an error saying
"You must submit the word that appears in the image".

Take a close look at that page again and look at the "word" they wanted me to replicate!!

Either its a technical glitch or the person responsible for having created that validation has a wicked sense of humor indeed!!!

Object of Faith ....

Came across this anecdote ....

" The fields were parched and brown from lack of rain, and the crops lay
wilting from thirst. People were anxious and irritable as they searched
thesky for any sign of relief. Days turned into arid weeks. No rain came.

The ministers of the local churches called for an hour of prayer on the town
square the following Saturday. They requested that everyone bring an object
of faith for inspiration.

At high noon on the appointed Saturday the townspeople turned out en-masse
filling the square with anxious faces and hopeful hearts. The ministers were
touched to see the variety of objects clutched in prayerful hands - holy
books, crosses, and rosaries.

When the hour ended, as if on magical command, a soft rain began to fall.

Cheers swept the crowd as they held their treasured objects high in
gratitude and praise.

From the middle of the crowd one faith symbol seemed to overshadow all the
others: A small nine-year-old child had brought an umbrella."

Torn ...

The ideology behind some incidents seldom make sense, sometimes!

A 'co ordinated' effort by a team that triggers a chain of bombings leaving more than 70 dead and many injured. A previously unheard off organisation claims 'responsibility' for it!! Damn I hate that word when used in this contect! 'Responsibility', damn ...... if they so wanted to prove their mettle there were other means than an assault on innocent people!!!!

People who were shopping for diwali, people who were just out on the day prior to one of the most celebrated festivals in the nation! Well, enough chances have been given to peace! It dosent seem to be working!!! When countries can cross half the globe to strike at another for harboring a 'few' people ............Damn!!!


"Tornado of souls" was a blog i had commented on a few days ago! "Soul torn in ado" was what I had said on that. The television coverages over a few days have just reiterated the same ............. "Soul ... torn and ado"!!!! :-|

Mirage.

Many a times, we subconsciously pick up some traits from people we see around us. These traits maybe in the form of habits, gestures, mannerisms or personality traits that we probabaly lack in ourselves but admire those traits anyway.

Sometimes this collection of traits can go a bit far and we make a 'character' out of it. This character is even identified by a name in some cases. This is the 'character' which has all the traits you basically' expect' if somone has to measure up to your expectations. You compare 'real' people and 'evaluate' them to the 'character' you have created. Most times this character tends to score more on the idealistic scale. 'Real' people would obviously not fit or live up to the record scores your 'character' has set.

This 'character' often ends up serving as a check list for the traits you expect in people whom you interact with. You tend to be more prejudiced and feel 'real' people would not be able match up to your 'character'.

The point is the 'character' that you have evolved over time , is just a 'Mirage'. This 'Mirage' should never be allowed to convert itself into a 'Doppelganger'!

Venomous Elixir.

On listening to a particular sound track ... I feel

• Moved
  
• Elated
  
• Connected
• Blatantly manipulated
  
• Moody

A mixed bag of emotions. That sound track .... manipulates me!!! Sometimes ..... I wonder why I listen to that track even when I know I would go through this entire cycle again. Maybe its the memories associated with that track. Sigh! It's venomous indeed .... but it seems like elixir. Well 'Venomous Elixir'...... thats exactly what it is!!

What's it like .......

• To experience bungee jumping.
• Free fall towards 'terra firma' at 130 kmph a.k.a sky diving.
• Being the first in every test U have faced.
• Warm food waiting fo U , when U are back home after a tiring day.
• Long bike rides accompanied by .......... rain , well .... ofcourse some company wont hurt ;-).
• Suprise treats thrown by friends .. just like that!
• To compose an interesting blog everyday. :-)
• Have Ur blog fans competing against each other to register their comments everyday .... ;-)
• Watch 4 movies in a day.
• To play Cricket at 2 am . (Well have played Volley ball at 2 am ;-)).
• Have friends who never seem to amaze U.
• Travel one international destination every year.
• Take an extended sabbatical and just relax .
• Crack some of the most competitive exams with flying colours.
• Paragliding .. just fo thrills.
• To drive a Ferrari f 350, Lambhorgini, Maybach or BMW 7 series.
• Extended jogs at the beach early morning.
• Own a Yamaha 350 or well .. though not on the same league ... a R1 .

Well many have been missed out, this list is almost endless.

What if ......

What if the coffee machine is broken ,
you dont't have much work ( er .. I meant.... work)to do and
you want to blog?

The answer is simple, this post. Well I was wondering about some " What if's ...". Sometimes U ponder what happens under some hypothetical situations .....

What if
she is the newest addition my project,
I ask her out and
she agrees?

What if
I move to a new account,
A new technology to work on and
work is mundane?

What if
Its a beautiful Friday,
Its nearing 5 pm and
I am stuck with work?

What if
"Hi, Jay, Remember me ...",
"Hi,X, Wow ... U look wonderful now..." and she says
"I was the one who tied rakhi to U in school ... pehchana nahi?"

What if

I am bored,
Have been writing a stupid post and
Have finally realized it!!

Well folks, guess today was a really off day, i'l try not to post such stuff in future. Have a nice weekend !! Thanks, if U managed to reach till here!! :-|

Election Vows .....

Democracy, the dictionary describes it as " Government by the people, exercised either directly or through elected representatives". Interesting definition.

Bihar, goes to polls today. Violence, booth capturing, private armies, failure of law and order are all trademarks of what usually happens during the ordeal called General Elections in that state.

Vow, the dictionary defines it as "An earnest promise to perform a specified act or behave in a certain manner, especially a solemn promise to live and act in accordance with the rules".

Well, most of the folks out here are familiar with the election vows, which apparently do not seem to adhere to the definition above.

Well browsing through channels today, I came across this candidate who is contesting from Jehananabad in Bihar on behalf of LJP. In an attempt to bag votes this father of 9 childrean has taken a vow that he would have a tenth child only if he wins this time. What a serious oath!!! I have never come across somone who has ever promised a brigter future to our nation!! Better living and civic amenties can wait. What an oath!!

May his tribe increase!!! ;-)

Sound of Mercy .....

A country that was once a part of this 'nation'. That country,now in the limelight for supporting terrorism and a potent threat to the sovereignity of this nation. The country runs, terrorist camps, a nuclear programme and has deals with a lot of nations who would not like the direction in which this nation is headed!!

Well, all that is said and done. The country's integrity and soverignity should be defended by all means. This post is the rant against all the folks who feel that 'we' should not help 'them' as they are a potential threat to us. Well, disaster strikes are random ( Seismologists may beg to differ .. but lets not get technical) and thus shunning 'them' on these grounds may not be the most right thing to do. Aid to 'them' is no way wrong. Maybe one need not help them financially , as there is a fear that the money may get siphoned to the wrong sources. But some, so called 'educated' were of the opinion that even 'humanitarian' aid should not be provided to this country that has committed 'inhuman' acts!!

SIGH!! Very few people derive a high in 'hitting' their enemy when 'they' are helpless!Atleast, thats what the "BOXING' coach taught me in school!!

Graffiti on a T - shirt.

Graffiti on a T shirt...

" Chai ...... Chai ....... Chai, Chai .. Chai"

Chai .... The National Drink of India. :-).


PS : Well if U felt a lot of blogs are being dedicated to Tea and Coffee ... well i promise to change it! Lemme grab a Coffee meanwhile!

Infini'tea' or 'Java'?

Sunday evenings are normally reserved for relaxing. Well this Sunday was slightly different as I had to keep up an appointment to meet an aquaintance at Cunningham road. As i set out towards it, had evening showers for my company. Driving alone in the rain is the second best thing a guy can ask for. ;-). Anyways ...... the fine drops of rain and a drive on relatively 'empty' Manekshaw road . Wow ...... Incredible.

Location is Reliance Web World at Cunningham road. Awesome net speeds and wonderful ambience , the store is a one stop for shopping, connections, browisng and refreshments. After the showers a hot cappuchino beckoned. Awesome music playing in the background and an inviting ambience, I settled down for sometime ordering a cappuchino. Served with the hot cappuchino came a brochure which read ..... " Before 1900 , word 'java' meant 'nutmeg' ( a spice) and not coffee. In 1723, Bach composed Coffee Cantata. In 1800's heavy tax was imposed on Tea and hence America moved to Coffee, Coffee is an expression of freedom". Interesting, I had my coffee relishing the coffee and the music.

The acquaintance I had to meet was not fond of coffee and wanted a 'tea' joint. Infinitea is a tea joint right opposite of Reliance Web world at Cunnigham road. As we were chatting about a host of topics , he ordered for some Ice tea. In this weather ice tea ... hmm ....I saw a promotional brochure. It reads , " “I don't care about immortality, just the taste of tea.", If you are cold, tea will warm you; if you are too heated, it will cool you; if you are depressed, it will cheer you; if you are excited, it will calm you."Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea! How did it exist? I am glad I was not born before tea." "There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea."".

Wow .... Infinitea or Java ......... U decide!! Well the first best thing a guy can ask for is to drive in the rain with interesting company!! ;-) What did U think?

Movie Bazzar .....

Working in the financial industry can be quite an ordeal, especially when you work in the Consumer Finance. My dad works in that line. On of the most competitive markets to be in, the pressures these organisations are under are immense. They do provide the loans but the 'defaulters' seem to just enjoy with the money and not pay back.

Infact some of them (defaulters) yield to muscle power to abdicate their terms of payment sometimes. Well, the other day there was a lot of news at my dad's office as one of the defaulters was a much feared anti social element. Anyway with all this conversation fresh in his mind, my dad was on his way back.

A busy junction, traffic choking and carbon monoxide in the air he was waiting for the traffic to inch forward. When ahead he can see a spec coming closer. Infact its a man running. Blood apparently dripping from his shirt, he is being chased by another with a sickle dripping with blood. The victim seems to be running in frantically , the guy behind swinging his sickle without any concern for the others in the way. The whole crowd is shocked but not reacting. The guy dashes my dad's stationary vehicle and runs ahead. Blood dripping all the way. My dad parks the bike to just turn around and see what the problem is. Then suddenly the guy chasing the other stops. The 'victim' stops too. They turn back and walk the opposite way. They seem to be amicably talking and in fact exchanging 'pleasentries' at each other.

As they cross my dad, he confronts one of them and asks what the issue was,

With all smiles one of them says " Saar adhu movie shooting saar. Neevu gabri adhra" with a cynical smile!!!!

PS : The translation ,"Thats a movie shooting, U dont worry".

Calvin ........ and me??!

Of all the comic strips I have come across, Bill Wattersons's , Calvin and Hobbes has been etched ... probably in an indelible state of my mind. The depictions in those strips often span a whole array of emotions mostly on the lighter side of the spectrum. Simplicity, humour, philosophy and the way the world is percieved by a mischeivous six year old and his partner in crime are all the trademarks of this masterpiece.

One of them which I liked a lot ......

Hobbes : Why is Ur Snowman sad?
Calvin : He knows his existence is mundane and knows sun is beating down and he is gonna die.
Hobbes : Is he going to stay like this the whole day?
Calvin : Nope. He is going to buy a flat screen tv.

Simple, yet this strip apparently conveys the message that most of us do lead unepic lives. Despite all that we make life a little interesting with some available sources of entertainment.

But essentially I was wondering what makes me like this strip so much. Is it the humor which I appreciate? Is it his attitude? Or is it that I have been through similar stuff (sometimes) and i feel connected coz of that?! Or is there a Calvin within each of us? Hmmm ........

Charge of the Geek brigade.

Tumultous Monday should I say ....... Sigh!!! The traffic scene in Bangalore is radically changing day by day. But sadly not for the better. Of these 'long' journeys from ' home' to 'office' ( how ironical ... if at all time spent were a decider then .......) the only respite many of we commuters have are the FM stations that churn out music to our ears.

A leading daily had remarked that prolonged exposure to music through headsets at full volume can lead to disastrous effects over long periods of time. In accordance with that my radio volume is at 50% .

My fellow colleagues seemed to have serious fun discussing about Take homes, House rents and how somone who had flunked their 'compre' had been the 'chosen' one to go 'Onsite'.

An excerpt :

Col 1 : Hey so how the weekend.
Col2 : I was at home itself. It was like somone had issued a Exclusive Lock.
Col1 : He he he.
Col2 : He he he.
Col2 : So ur weekend?
Col1 : It was fun ... On saturday had so much fun ... it was like a 'Buffer Overflowing'
Col & Col 2 : He he He.
Col1 : So when is ur birthday?
Col2 : ...........
An eloquent pause.
Col2 : Its on May 10
Col 1 & Col2 : He he he !
Col2 : I was actually wondering in which format I should tell ya!!
Col1 & Col2 : He he he!!

I increase the volume to 100 %. The Charge of the Fire Brigade, by Alfred Lord Tennyson came to mind. " Cannons to the Front of them, cannons to the back of them .... ". Oh here were the geeks.

SIGH!! How far is this place!

Time flies and how ?

It was not how I expected it will turn into. It was not the way i expected it would end. It was just not the way I thought things would carry on.

Well ..where do I begin? Could connect it to the flight path traced by a butterfly. Colourful, interesting and curious it whizzes past U. Enjoy it and let is pass.The moment U beging to get closer to it it moves away. Stay away and it comes back. Hmmm........ Interesting.


It was a mixed bag when the seperation actually hapenned. Things seem to have changed. Butterflies are best left on their own. I am much relaxed this way.

Cynicism .... Reloaded.

The drizzle in the evening was a welcome break from the intense heat that was just boring through me the whole afternoon. Madurai, the place where the Meenakshi temple is situated. The temple is an architectural wonder , with the art standing tall even after 382 years of when it was constructed.

Time had come to bid adieu and to head back . Train journeys always provide you with some food for thought, this time no less ofcourse. There was a mixed bag of personalities this time around. A middle aged person was too engrossed in discussing her 'take home' with another. As her friend parted away she began religiously reading 'Men are From Mars , Women are from Venus'. The ticket checker who came in to verify took the additional pain of introducing all of us to each other bu reading out all our names and seat numbers loudly.


Thats when I met this guy. A T shirt, Jeans and an attitude to match that. He bid adieu from his dad ( I guess ) and promised to call once he gets some accomodation. After a while of silenence he starts a conversation ... an excerpt ... R.

R : Is it raining outside ?
Me : Hmm ... I guess ( Well its pouring out what did U expect me to say??!)
R : The TT gave a introduction of all of us isnt it?
Me : Yeah .... ( I smile ... That was the best I could do that question)
R : U From Bangalore?
Me : Yeah I am.
R : Is it really cold there?
Me : Well the weathere is good most times of the year. We do touch 35 sometimes, but we touch 14 sometimes too. Overallk its pretty nice.
R : Oh ....we see temperatures till 48 - 50 here. (:O)
Me : Oh really??!
R : So where do U work ?
Me : Me .... well I work in the Service Industry. (:-))
R : Oh ..... ( A look of disappointment in his face)
Me : What about U?!
R : Well I am a Software Engineer, I am going to Mysore to join Infosys.
Me : Oh ......... Thats nice.
R : Well IT was always my choice and this company is great U know.
Me : Hmm heard of it .... Pretty neat campuses U all have eh?
R : Yeah, U name it from Multiplexes, Swimming Pools, Shopping Malls, Guest Houses and yeah the reputation of the company .. is just too good.
Me : Oh really?!
R : So how is this place Koramanagala?
Me : The real estate bit is a bit expensive. But yeah this place is close to ECity.
R : Oh ... If I get a choice between Bangalore and Chennai, I guess I ll go 4 Bangalore
Me : But the Cost of living is more in Blore.
R : Considering I work for Two years in Bangalore , I should be able to buy something in Bangalore .
Me : Really?!
R : I think so .....

Optimism of buying a place in 2 years ........... and his cynicism about the service industry. SIGH!!! He has lots of things to learn and experience!! ;-)

Incoherence .....

An acquaintance (Y) that occurred offlate is the subject of this blog. Came in contact through a buddy of mine.

Y had some issues with the curriculum they followed and those issues pertained to the profession I undertake . The buddy of mine felt that just coz i work in a field I would n 't blink my eyelid to help people out with their issues after the ordeal I go through everyday. Sigh!!!

Anyway the issue with Y began after I apparently did help out with the issue . Y seemed to be really thankful for me having done this favour and wanted to extend the boundaries beyond the realms of aquiantances!! I mean getting all carried away by a simple gesture was all too much anyway. Well it apparently appeared so strange that merely by helping out with a small issue somone wanted to extend their association.

Well what may have triggered this .......... Incoherence at its best.

Weekend Getaway .......

Embarking on a journey that was just about bound by time gave me a sense of surreality. Time is supposed to be boundless and here it bound my trip …………………………………… Screeeeeeeeecccccchhhhh!!!!!!! Sorry for the interruption … Now coming back to reality…… J

We started around 7 30 am on Saturday and proceeded, from my place towards Old Madras road. Surya aboard now the focus shifted towards Silk Board Junction. The ‘aam citizen’s’ mode of transport bought Jyo into the world of fun …. Ahem ahem and that would be the Qualis we all were traveling of course. Circa 8 30 , we were at Joyee’s place. After some hassles we managed to get her and Hiresh on to the Qualis.

Bangalore seemed to faintly disappear in the background as our vehicle sped from 0 to fun in just no time. To set the mood up we had to play some music. Randomness has its own disadvantages and on randomly choosing a CD, it turned out to be a Soft Instrumental. Well not something U would associate to start a trip actually. Anyways …. The vehicle veered in control and we were treated to delicious sandwiches by Chef: Jayeeta Roy. Nice ones indeed. Guess some amount of ‘man’ hours would have gone into making it. No pun intended ;-).

After 4 hrs of driving and sometime of navigating through mysore (not out of interest but by taking the wrong route) we did reach the Infy Guest House. Refreshments hardly were something to raise a toast too but the campus by itself had a splendid view. The English style cottages, lush lawns, Greek constructions, beautiful gardens, multiplexes, snooker parlors , cricket ground and yeah I just forgot a few Development centers too. The next stop was the GRS fantasy park. Water is fun ……. From waves, to oscillatory rides and some more water rides …………… it were fun. J. Surya was at her shreiky best and that according to her was just for fun. Anyway we shall take that at face value, it was fun J. The next stop was at KRS. The musical fountain was the major attraction ……. The music, water, lighting the co ordination was just awesome. Just awesome. I guess if all the movie stars could actually gyrate to that precise accuracy many movies would have been Super Hits ;-). Heading back we went to a restaurant called Heritage which I guess didn’t seem to have any of it in the first place, so the hunt for dinner began and that ended close to 12 midnight.

The next day was of course was reserved for a date with Ooty aka ‘Queen of Hill stations ‘or that’s how people call it. The journey up there was filled with fun and frolic. The Bandipur sanctuary ... on the way up was a treat to the eye. The Silence of that park affected slightly due to the voices within our vehicle. Ooty …. Was at sight by 3 pm. The Queen of course seemed particularly busy and dint seem to receive her guests in the way she royally would have I guess. Chocolates for lunch and snacks at 4 30 pm as a substitute for lunch are indeed experiences one can cherish sometimes. Our date ended with our inability to even enter her famed Botanical gardens. Our tryst with royalty was turning sour ……. thereby we deserted a lesser royalty and walked away towards the ‘Empress of Cities’ …… of course Bangalore. ;-)

The drive back was high pitched ….. men don’t have a high pitched voice …. Or do they (?) ;-). The music collection that we had would make other play lists bow down with shame. ;-) .Songs are best when heard with the lyrics understood ……….. Jumboo did the thankless job of explaining the same with a smile on his face. Humming along and gyrating as much as possible we moved along. Dinner …ah what is that. Was it the timing or coincidence ……. Too hard to say. With music playing along and Jyo and Surya (bits of Joyee/Hiresh) adding flavors to the same… and dancing away too … the journey was all fun. Thus came to end one of the trips that happened and yeah the trip was fun. J

Resolutions ....

Resolutions ........... well suprising as it is to myself, I have a steely determination to uphold the resolutions I make. This trait is embedded deep within me that I never go back on the words I promise myself. There are hundreds of instances where I have done just that and I still do.

Well I guess all thats changing offlate now. It all started with me deciding to avoid all modes of communication with a certain X. Well i succeeded to a fair degree to isolate myself from X. But X................. I guess this emotional vice is just too excruciating. Though I am isolated for some strange reason I feel like I shouldnt be walking so far away. I feel its kind of acceptable to retract the resolutions i make. I feel it is justified that I can relax the stand I have taken. I feel that I am kind of craving to break the stand I have taken and am actually putting up with some stuff I need'nt.

I guess this is just a temporary phase and I shouldnt stoop down to allow some aquaintance to shadow the commitments I make to myself. Resolutions .................... are sanct and have to be honoured!!

The world ..... my Oyster

The cool breeze and the warm feeling of the mild sun beating down do provide an awesome contrast to the place which is inhabited by some of the 'coldest' people you will ever find.

The attitude of some of the people around make you wonder if there is anything called humanity. The reports you read everyday of the world around you makes you really wonder, 'What is it with these people'.

For instance last week a person who met with an accident succumbed at the accident spot to his death and the people around just watched it as though it was a soap opera. What is it with these people.

As i ponder over these thoughts ....... the bus I am traavelling veers away from its normal course. I can see some commotion on the road ahead. Apparently , it looks like another accident. A Sumo has crashed head- on to a bus. As I was preparing for the worse .... there is apparently no casuaty though. To an extent relieved i go back to my thoughts.

The person next to me suddenly wants to start a conversation with me . I can sense some sort of disappointment in his face. I enquire about it and he says shamelessly, " I thought there will atleast be one casualty, I guess the accident is not that serious after all ". Incredulous.

I remember a poster I hung in my room .... " The world ......my oyster, with my sword I shall open" . What an irony !!!

Excuse me !

The weather ............... well there are just no words to describe it. The terrace looked ever so inviting and was just browsing through the month's edition of Readers's Digest . A section on Life's like that ....... ( An excerpt)

" My wife suferred from Brain tumor. She was admitted to the hospital to undergo a surgery. I preferred to stay back at the hospital looking after her. After the operation went on smoothly , i stayed back with her for two days. At the end of it I decided to go home for a change. As I got up to leave , I kissed my wife on her cheek. In her sleep she mumbles ...... 'Not today dear .... I have a headache' ".

Laughing out Loud .......... I can see an aircraft descending down and the cool breeze ...... ah ..... its great to be in this city.

Innocence ??!

My nephew ........ all of 7 years old. He is visiting Bangalore for the first time. Evening showers, gardens , weather, shopping for his toys, innumerable numeber of chocolates, 7 flavours of Ice Creams, KFC, Coffe Day .......the city amazed him. This guys seemed to have the energy to do another round of all this even at 10 in the evening. His excitement was contagious.

An excerpt from a conversation I had with him ......


Me : Hai !! So enjoyed today?

Him : ............................... ( Looks like I asked a Rhetorical Question!!)

Me : So .. which grade are you?

Him : Completed 1 grade now ..... I ll go to 3 ,5,7,9,11.

Me : U forgot to mention 2, 4,6 ......

Him :( A look of disdain) Dont U know I hate even numbers???!!

Me : ??!!! Okie .... So whats Ur plan after that?

Him : Well I want to study MBBS and then become a Collector .

Me : Nope ....... studying for MBBS is fine, Collector ??!!

Him : Collectors get a computer for themselves and they can keep playing games on that!

Me : ( The Future of India Looks bright .. I think ) Oh I see and then ......

Him : (As though I asked him a dumb question) Well since I am a Doctor and also a Collector
what is left is just my 'marriage' and then its time for me to see my retirement and
Grand Children.

Me : ??!??!??!?!

Him : Thats my ambition, a simple life . Okie ....... Good Night!

Me : Yeah ....... Good Night!

Change is Constant.

Friends ...... well they are an extension of yourself. The association you have basically describes what you are .

One amogst them was this one too. Lets call that person XYZ. Well I guess we were pretty close friends that I stored the name in my mobile as X . That was enough. What was the point in having XYZ for a person whom you know very well ? Anyway we were suppossed to be friends.

The electronic communication has its disadvantages. Some changes are irreversible. Well XYZ was kind of cranky to send an electronic message which left a bad aftertaste. Sigh ...... my reply was equally curt . Anyways things have never been the same after that.

The transformation was almost instantaneous. A friend had become an aquaintance overnight. I nfact i recieved a wish for my birthday from XYZ , it appeared as X in my mobile and I kept wondering who it were........

Change is the only parameter that is Constant.

Contrast .....

Sunday's are for relaxation. The French open clash was scheduled towards the evening, anyway I thought the match was gonna be one sided after the phenomenal perfomance by Nadal (Actually It was'nt one sided ! ) . I was zapping through the channels and fine tuning some , when my cousin enquired what CONTRAST was.

I explained that it was ' The difference in brightness between the light and dark areas of a picture'. Ah ........ that was in context of me zapping the channels.

Saturday evening was awesome fun. It was a get together of school mates and the occassion was my birthday treat. The treat was at Leela Palace sports bar and then we move to Bombay Post for Dinner and Corner house to finish of the celebration.

On sunday evening , near Cafe Coffee Day , 100 feet road as I reversed my bike , there was this urchin , clad in minimal amounts of clothing. He approaches me and asks in a meek voice ,

" Brother , I am hungry from last three days ".

Me ......................................................................

" My Grandama want's Rs 30 if she has to cook for us"

Me .......................................................................

" So please give me some money"

Me "U look healthy, why are you begging".

( I never encourage begging in any form by giveing them the cash)

" Brother , I cant be employed till I am 15 years old"

Me ..................................................................( I am ashamed I even asked him that question)

I gathered my face and kick started my bike and sped away. I would have travelled like a 100 metres , my thoughts were still on the kid. I turned back. I thought I could help this kid by buying him food instead of cash. I went back in search of him. I searched for sometime. He wasnt around.

The meaning of CONTRAST became far more evident to me.

Sense and Sensitivity.

Eccentric timelines, hectic workloads and a host of associated factors are pushing people to the brink of extreme stress .

Amidst such chaos, does it actually make 'sense' to be 'sensitive' to others around you? It just dosent make sense at all to stay sensitive to others when they are being insensitive to you. As though the 'ordeal' (aka Work) what you go through is not enough, you have to muster a lot of patience to be nice to somone who is driving you cranky with his/her insensitiveness.

Hmm......

So 'close' yet ..... So 'far'.

Well this Sunday's European Grand Prix was a thriller by even F1 standards. The competitive world of Formula 1 has dished out many a thriller's , well the German Grand Prix was nothing less this time around.

An ambitious driver, a well tuned engine, back to back convincing victories, an ice cool attitude, all seem like the perfect ingredients of a team and a driver who should have tasted success. That was not to be . Kimi Raikkonen crashed out of the race in the final lap of the European Grand Prix, just 3 miles short of the chequered flag. Spain's Alonso who 'won' the race was ecstatic. Why won't he be ?!

Sometimes ....................... life's just like that. They are so many parameters that influence and so many probabilities involved that a Bayesian Network to simulate it would be too complex ;-). Maybe he had pushed the automobile too far or maybe the Michellin designer's had overlooked this grips (tyre) issue or maybe he could have settled for a second or third place instead of crashing out. It's easy to be among the spectators and discuss all this,but there at that point he made a decision to push a little too hard and he had to pay a huge price for that.

U are so close to getting something, so close to clinching a deal, so close to first place , so close to just being there, so close to WIN and then in a flash .................. you just don't belong there. U have sort of 'evaporated' from the scene.

Well ............... as goes the saying "Many a slip, between the cups and lips ."

Of SMS's .....

One of the 'merits' of the communications revolution, the SMS (Short Messaging Service) has cut a niche for itself in our lifestyle's.

SMS's are one of the better ways to communicate. The message does most of the job for you. Fun, whacky, naughty, dry humour, sad jokes, chat, information, alert, gossip , flirt , essential , emergency , forwards , apologies , proposals and to downright 'connect' , SMS's can play a crucial part in your communication life cycle.

I recieved a message from a long time friend of mine , its been years since we have even spoken. It reads 'Miss U ......... &**@@#, Whats up with U???! Call me Up Sweet#@()!. Ever since we ........#$#% '. As i sit pondering, what , when , where, how ...........I recieve a barrage of apologies saying that wasnt meant to be. How sad ....... ;-( . But yeah ........... it did give me a high for a moment. ;-)

Well ................... I enjoy 'messaging'. It's really interesting to chat with somone over messages. From petty fights to huge arguments the thrill derived out of messaging is unfortunately absent in 'talking' to a person. The time delay from when you send a message to when u recieve a reply to it , the remarks which you make that could be misinterpreted, SMS's almost gives you freedom to say things which you may not want to say to a person on a call. :-) . Its downright exhilarating . The adrenaline rush to check a response to your message and the disappointment when U dont recieve a reply. Its all in the game. :-)

Hmm ................ that's about it for now .............. I have a message to reply too. ;-) . So catch U all later. :-)

IIT Mumbai and tigers ........er .....

After a boring lunch session I head towards the Amul's store to quench my desire .......sheesh I mean quench my thirst. As i was relishing the flavoured drink ........... a converstion erupts between three employees.

Employee 1 : In my IIT mumbai days ...................... I have seen tigers
Me thinks ........... 'Maan he must be a brave daring dude aka Vivek (not to be confused with Vivek from Kaal'.

Employee 2 : ........................... ( He is just too shocked to say anything. This guy looks like he will believe Apocalypse will occur in an hour. ;-))

Employee 3 : Oh ........... those were not tigers they were leopards.

Me thinks .............. 'Oh ho!! U made a small mistake Employee1'

Employee 2 : What' s the difference actually ,according to me both of them are 'killing animals'

Me thinks................ 'Yeah Dude!! U got it right there'.

Employee 1 : Many of them have died there also because of they(tigers .......er...leopards) attacking.

Me thinks ........................ 'Oh its that casual in Mumbai is it..........'

I completed my drink and walked away to my desk.

A day of skewed priorities and misunderstanding!

The day began with a blazing sun and humid weather. Maybe it was an omen, an indication of how the day would lead on to be.

Spent the previous night brooding over how statements can be twisted to give a new meaning to them. How a '\n' character can bring about misunderstanding. I was an expert in 'reading between the lines' which i use to sweep people off when they dont expect it. But the way some of my'buddies' did that .............. my efforts were be littled ;-).

On a phiolosophical note .................I read a one liner which said 'Life is a theatre .......Not everyone deserves a front row seat'. Was involved in that thought. Well there comes a time in everyones life where one evaluates which row would one give to his peers and buddies. Some people who have been unnecessarily given front row seats have to be moved back. Well some of them who U thought deserved the front row ........... actually seem to be excelling in the backstage. They work on U so that others can see U perform well.

Ah ...............am i an expert on skewed priorities ......................Well time will tell :-).

One Small Blog...... A giant leap for blogging!

Hey,

This is my very first blog. Just as how .......... ' Rain, just a collection of water droplets' , but then each of the droplets generates immense pleasure to the recipient, on contact. Here I begin recollecting the moments that have interested me.

Well the title is a rip of from Neil Armstrong's statement . But yeah ................... :-)