Musings

Adios Bangalore!

2011-09-13T12:06:00.001+05:30

Moments of fun,joy and laughter
Moments of love, pain and anger
Each moment is a story
Each day is a memory

Some memories are on the wall
Some memories left through the window
Most are packed in the deep corners

Each new beginning is preceded by an END, make sure it is pleasant and memorable!

In My Opinion

2011-05-23T14:06:00.000+05:30

In my opinion...words should heal more than they hurt

In my opinion...life should be lived more than passed

In my opinion...smiles should outnumber the frowns

In my opinion...love should happen

In my opinion...friendship should be treasured

In my opinion...ill should be killed

In my opinion...happiness is not time or person bound

In my opinion...giving up is correct

In my opinion...loneliness has its charm

In my opinion...cheats should suffer

In my opinion...hurt should not linger

But who cares for my opinion?

Mind And Matter

2011-03-02T00:51:00.004+05:30

Mind - There is no point waiting for the right opportunity, you have wasted enough time on it already.
Matter - There is no point wasting more time in doing what you don't enjoy!

Matter - The guy is cute, go and talk to him!
Mind - Don't even bother, look at the shirt he is wearing!

Mind - Don't eat Death By Chocolate, you wont be able to burn even half of the calories.
Matter - If I have to die, let it be death by chocolate

Matter - Lets be patient with people, all of us have our own imperfections!
Mind - To hell with it, he deserves curt replies!

Mind - Lets have financial goals and spend wisely
Matter - You look good in it, buy it!

Matter - I m going to live my life to fullest!
Mind - I will make sure it happens!

Mind - I will make most of my life!
Matter - I will make sure you don't forget feelings behind it!

Thank god they agree sometimes!

I Did n't Realize

2010-12-11T09:50:00.006+05:30

Most of the people I grew up with, are married!

And they look at me and *think* why I m not!

Most of them have assets and are building more!

And my big ticket items constitute phones!

Most of them have responsibilities and families to run

And I only think about the 20 min on the treadmill!

Most of them plan for career and growth!

And I have not even found mine!

Most of them worry about life

I am still discovering mine!

Did I miss growing up?

PS: As I think about it, I realize that there are many of them who are as clueless as I am.

Ignorance is Bliss!

Cheers!

Don't!

2010-09-11T23:31:00.000+05:30

Don't let the dreams fly
Don't let the world die

Don't let the tears invade
Don't let the smiles fade

That is the time

2010-07-29T16:23:00.003+05:30

Throughout our lives we have this innate need to prove ourselves, succeed and be at the top. So, we fight for grades, college seats, placements etc. Most of us don’t realize that in this rat race we forget our dreams, interests and passion. We are always ready to choose the best paying job with best of the companies.

Soon, work becomes mundane and boring. We first try to make it interesting, trying new things and slowly we get into the system. Mundane becomes routine and we settle into it. Then we change our jobs and the cycle continues.

We become so used to the system, that trying new things is too scary or demanding. Suddenly, all those regular principles of work life ‘enjoying the work you do’, ‘money does not matter’ are threats to a big fat paying job with world’s best employer.

That is the time when your courage is tested and your guts are questioned.
That is the time when you decide your interest will not die
That is the time when world is free and you are elated
That is the time when you will prepare for the journey of your lifetime

Dream dreams no one else can see!

2010-06-25T13:58:00.005+05:30

Free is all you gotta be
Dream dreams no one else can see
Sometimes you wanna run away
But ya never know what might be comin' round your way

On a day like today
The whole world could change
The sun's gonna shine
Shine thru the rain
On a day like today
Ya never wanna see the sun go down

Somewhere there's a place for you
I know that you believe it too
Sometimes if you wanna get away
All ya gotta know is what we got is here to stay
All the way

On a day like today - the whole world could change
The sun's gonna shine - shine thru the rain
On a day like today - no one complains

On a day like today...

PS: This is one started as a JLT post but I'd like to dedicate this to my bro, for the inspiration he has been :). 'Dream dreams no one else can see' is one of my favorite inspirational phrases! One of favorites from Bryan Adams! Watch it here.

Have a nice weekend!

Feel Good Feel Happy

2010-05-09T12:22:00.004+05:30

Surprise your loved ones

Say I Love You

Have a Chocolate

Eat good food...lots and lots of it!

Sing your favorite song loudly

Get drunk with friends ;)

Listen to the rain drops falling on the roof

Enjoy smell of earth after rain

Let ur hair down in the wind ;)

Shout from the roof top

Go for a long drive

Laugh till your tummy hurts and you are in tears!

Smile at someone!

Wish your mom 'Happy Mother's day' , she would smile for sure, I sensed it on phone :)

PS: This is combined effect of the day. To cheer up a frnd who is having a dull day and for those who believe that every day is spcl with your loved one so why wish them on only one. Sometimes you have to say it and make ur loved one feel special! Let it be today :)

Yeh Sachin ka Cricket hai!

2010-02-24T22:34:00.010+05:30

Long ago I mentioned about the cricket craziness of our country. Now, when the favorite batsman of the country achieves something which no one has ever achieved in the history of the game, what do you expect?

From 190 to 199 each run was being tracked. So when I decided to pack up and start for home, I was asked to get back on my seat by 3 boys because it might effect the vaastu settings (even if you dont watch cricket it still applies to you). Such is the passion, that they are happy to read it on cricinfo and not watch it live because they don't want to risk the change in coordinates of their position!

Buses were empty, roads were empty (last time it happened during India Pakistan T20 world cup final!) and news channels were overflowing with Sachin! From the countdowns to comments like " M so happy today... as if I scored a double ton :))) .. this surely calls for celebration" Facebook was overflowing with Sachin! Those who missed it had comments like " Main gadha meeting mein tha... everyone was in cafeteria". To capture the true feelings of those who missed it, read this article. Although the article is fiction, I m sure there are many who would feel the same way as mentioned. I have personally seen some of them ;)

Cricket may still divide us sometimes but Sachin always unites us! As the article said "Some people believe he is legend, some think he is God, others don't have a right to life".

Cheers to Sachin!

When is the right time?

2010-01-27T16:23:00.002+05:30

One day while coming back from office, I heard a conversation between two girls (the ladies were seated apart and made sure that 20 of us hear what they are talking about). Like everyone in that bus they were from an IT company and like every second person, a Techie.

Lady 1 was extremely unhappy with her job and Lady 2 was trying to pacify her.

Lady 1 – “I will go back to my native, do a M.Tech and become a lecturer”

Lady 2- “Why did you study Engineering if you wanted to be a Lecturer”

Lady 1 - “I never wanted to be an Engineer, my parents wanted me to , so I became one.”

After a pause,

Lady 1 - ‘Now I m not in the age to go and try something new’

After listening to that conversation, I was thinking a 20 something girl is saying she is too old to try new things! So instead she prefers to sulk about her job daily or settle for a ‘less fancy’ job of a lecturer (according to her friend). So when is the time to do the thing you always wanted to?

There are many stories around us, where people have left their successful careers to build more successful careers in the field they love but not all of us have the courage to do that. Some of us are bound by family responsibilities, our lifestyle needs others are risk averse so we are comfortable cribbing about our work daily and not changing anything about it.

I might sound bizarre or too idealistic when I say that one day we should leave everything and say ‘ I m going to do this’ as someone said ‘You can either do it, or always wish you did. Your choice.’

PS: Quote courtesy

3 Idiots

2010-01-11T16:39:00.005+05:30

After watching this movie, I thought maybe I m the only one who found it ‘ok’ and nothing great as everyone was saying. My brother was the other one who said the movie is bad, as it is said ‘Same blood in the veins’ ;) .

I ve been asked why I did not like it. Here is why:

I never saw Ranchor Das Shyamaldas Chanchar – it was Aamir Khan putting efforts to be like a 20 year old. Unfortunately, it never seemed real to me.
Others also looked over age to be 20 year old! ( Maybe it was the IIM campus or the MBA mind, which gave the thought, that perhaps the better way to present it was to show that these students have come for MBA and that is where Rancho puts forward his thoughts. Perhaps, that never crossed Director’s mind coz the plot comes from Five Point Someone!)
8 AM Farhan asks Raju to be at campus. Then they drive to Shimla then somewhere to Ladakh then to Manali then to Ladakh, still they reach in bright sunshine!
Rancho had the solution to every problem from medical to scientific!
Kareena was a like a hypermarket, cure for all medical problems with one doctor, from being a paralytic expert to a gynecologist, she knew it all.
1980s style – heroine meets the hero 2 times and she falls in love!
Hero has miraculous powers – can heal his frnd with his talks!

I m not saying that the concept is bad, it is good, but the execution of it is not real. Unlike Munnabhai series, where atleast I could identify with the characters, who were human, in this movie Rancho is out of this world with magical powers.

I m not even saying that movie is not a good entertainer, it is! There are many fun moments and comedy but it did not meet my expectations. In the second half it turned into total bollywood flick, Raju getting the job with the candid talk, heroine eloping from her marriage etc etc

Perhaps naming the movie ' Aal iz well' or ' Ranchor Das Shyamal Das Chanchar' was a better idea!

A Tribute

2009-11-26T19:21:00.003+05:30

The city where serenity and exuberance exist in harmony

Cluck cluck of the Local is symphony

The city of dreams

Where zeal of life always beams

Perseverance is your trait

This time persevere not to forget

Move on but with the pain

Throttle till the enemy refrains

A tribute to Mumbai!

On a day when whole country paid homage to the dead of 26/11, our politicians were still busy in politicizing the issue in name of public welfare. What a shame!

San Francisco Diaries - III

2009-10-21T13:12:00.011+05:30

Thursday was not a busy day at work so I got time to venture out. I decided to utilize that time to visit Chinatown which is the biggest Chinatown outside Asia. As I stepped inside the up market street of San Francisco transformed into mini China. Colorful flags and lights were on the streets everywhere. Typical Chinese items in silk, umbrellas and other goods were on display, the raw sea food smell was in the air. Unlike the tourist crowded streets of SFO the streets here were full of natives engaged in their usual chores.

After spending about two hours wandering on the streets and some shopping, I decided to go to Ghirardelli square to execute my dessert dinner plans. I decided to take the cable car to my destination. I waited for about 10 mins at the stop but there was no cable car and none seem to be coming as well. I decided to walk down three blocks to the origination point and board it from there. As I walked down two blocks, I suddenly found myself in a crowd of hundreds of people. It was amusing because a block before that, everything seemed normal and suddenly a mob! As I made my way through the crowd trying to figure out what could be the reason, I go to know that President Obama was in the hotel across the street and the crowd there was protesting. Like true America, the protests there were cosmopolitan. So there were people protesting for probe in 9/11 attack, demanding for single tax payer in California, urging him to get out of Iraq and Afghanistan etc. I waited there for 10-15 mins to get a glimpse of Obama but decided to move on when I heard it will take more time.

My day ended with a sumptuous dessert dinner at Ghirardelli, which is known for its desserts, ice creams and chocolates.

Friday was a memorable day of my trip, the reason being that I got to discover Californian mountain ranges. Now, although I like being in cities but a visit to scenic mountain ranges excite me more. This is what exactly I did with my friend, Biker Dude on his motorcycle. Biker Dude is a veteran when it comes to mountains, he has trekked many mountains in California and in India as well, the latest being Leh. Biker Dude said that Big Sur is a very nice place to be and you bet it was.

Big Sur is to the south of San Francisco and is known for its breathtaking views. The first stop over to Big Sur was at Stanford. Biker Dude gave me a guided tour of Stanford and I also got a chance visit one of libraries of Stanford. (Incidentally, Biker Dude gave me the guided tour of B’lore when I first landed here). After the guided tour, it was time for Big Sur.

Drive to Big Sur was through cities of Santa Cruz, Paulo Alto and the strawberry farms. The drive along the pacific coast was scenic with each locale offering a breathtaking view. Interestingly, unlike India there were not many commercial establishments along the drive. There were quite a number of cars and motorcycles travelling but still only at certain stops there were restaurant or petrol bunk. Biker dude told me that in US, there have been special efforts to preserve the natural beauty of such places hence except for some locations the whole drive is not commercialized. That was the reason, that the waterfall at the Big Sur is not accessible to public and you can view it only from a distance. After spending some time at the waterfall we started for our journey back. The journey back gave another view of the scenic locations. We also experienced the different weather (if I may call that). So while most of the drive was sunny, for some parts it was cool, for a short stretch on the drive it was so windy that I could not even hold the camera!

As we returned to SFO, there was one thing still left in my to-do list for SFO, The Golden Gate! Biker Dude helped me with that as well. We drove on the bridge reached the other end, viewed it and made some unsuccessful attempts of clicking some pictures. After a halt of about 15 mins, we started for the city amidst the clouds on the bridge.

One thing about the SFO trip which deserves to be mentioned is the food. I got to have different kinds of food ranging from Mexican, Mediterranean, some awesome pizza, spaghetti, and Californian sandwiches plus not to forget the famous Ghirardelli dessert.

Oh yes, before I close , remember the first day when the cab driver said “usually South Indians are very reserved , so he refrained from talking to me”. Well, on my way to Airport, I met a Nepali driver who was born and brought up in Belgaum, in Karnataka. After he got to know that my destination is B’lore, the first thing he said was “ South Indians are very good and friendly but North Indian are arrogant and rude” , I smiled at that and thought when I get down, I should tell him that I m from Delhi but refrained from doing it in the end!

Strange are people’s perceptions!

PS: This 2 incidents quoted are not to hurt anyone’s sentiments about their ethnicities, this is what I experienced. Let’s not be judgmental

San Francisco Diaries - II

2009-10-19T15:52:00.013+05:30

The next two days were usual and nothing special happened except unseasonal rain. I was told by a local that usually it never rains in SFO in October month but this time it was different. The funny thing about the weather was the wind! So people who were carrying umbrellas had no respite from the rain coz the wind will blow the umbrella off or will turn it upside down, so ppl will either get wet or do rain water harvesting! Because of the rain I could not execute my plans of going to Crookedest Street and dessert dinner at Girardelli.

As for Crookedest Street, I executed the that plan on Wednesday morning. Crookedest Street, which is a section between between Hyde and Leavenworth Streets on Lombard Street. It is the made with the winds to ease the treacherous slope for the vehicles coming down. You can read more about it here. The best way for me to reach to Lombard street was through the cable car line, coz that way I could experience the ride on the vintage mode of travel as well. The cable car ride reminded me of rides in fairs, it was slow but enjoyable. I guess for most of the people it is a welcome change in fast paced SFO life.

The cable car I took left me at the other side of the Lombard street. After walking one block up, I found myself at a street which seemed like the gardens of the apartments on either side. I was skeptical while moving upwards whether I m going in the right direction. Anyways, the sight was beautiful so I decided to go anyways. The climb uphill was surely a testing one. Even 2 steps seemed like a big task, after 15 mins of struggle I managed to reach on the top where the downfall started. Standing there I could realize the danger and the reason behind making it whirling. The innovative thing about the street is, there are plants and flowers on either side which does not give an impression of a busy in a major street. Also, the fact that it is made of bricks instead of mortar, gives it the lawn outside the house feeling.

Wednesday evening was suppose to be fun and I was looking forward to it coz I would get to attend 'Aerosmith' concert live! Since the time I got to introduced to Aerosmith I love their songs! and got to seem them live ... you can guess the excitement.

After some initial delays, I managed to reach the venue just before the concert . With their entry, the crowd roared and with each of their hits the atmosphere became more electrifying! From 'Cryin' to 'I dont want to miss thing', every moment spent there was what the crowd treasured! It is always exciting and interesting to be part of such gatherings where music unites everyone and each and every person in the crowd is moving to the beats! You gotta be there to actually feel it!

This was the end to another eventful day in SFO. The next 2 days were more interesting for me. As they save the best for the last, my last day in SFO was a perfect ending to the trip. More about it in the next post.

San Francisco Diaries - I

2009-10-12T05:32:00.006+05:30

The dawn of Oct 10 2009 was long. I boarded my flight to San Francisco (SFO) at 2.20 AM and reached SFO at 11.30 AM the same day! Oh that was a long day! I was greeted by a familiar language in SFO, the cab driver was talking in Punjabi to his folks somewhere. He told me that he used to work with a small tech company before it was acquired by a bigger company and he was fired! Now he is happy driving cab and being his own boss. Interesting he told me that usually South Indians does not like much talking, hence to be on the safer side he did not talk to me! (Remember this)

On the way, I could see what I identify America with, cardboa rd houses, lane driving, following traffic rules , no honking. The drive to the hotel was quick, in 40 mins I was at my destination in the downtown, Sutter Street.

The first evening in SFO was spent in discovering the various streets around my hotel. Like most of us, I know America only from the Hollywood movies and the T.V. series. So we perceive America to be bold, individualistic and imperial (perhaps that’s got to do with the skin color). Well, my first experience was no different except for the imperial part. Everyone was busy, some towards their destinations, some with their friends etc etc. So a girl in pink hair is walking no one notices, a guy in pink pants is walking no one notices! That’s the America I knew from the media and it did not fail to meet my expectations.

(This was the first picture I clicked)

After some exploration, I went to Fisherman’s Wharf Pier 39. Being a Saturday evening, the atmosphere there was festive. There was a rock band comprising of teenagers playing some old numbers and the crowd consisting of people of all age groups was cheering heartily. Families were having good time on the swings, ice cream parlours. It actually reminded of fairs in India, (which use to happen when I was a teenager, I mean Diwali Mela or a regular fair in the colony types) people enjoying, merry making and having a good time! After a sumptuous Italian dinner the travel tiredness began to settle in and the fact that I didn’t sleep for almost 24 hrs accentuated the sleep. So the day ended early at 8 P.M.

Sunday Morning was chilly and cloudy in SFO. After my breakfast, I ventured out to the nearby streets again and discovered Union Square. Union Square is basically a public gathering ground just like our very own India Gate in Delhi (Point to note : Each Delhiite loves India Gate). There was a cultural program happening at Union Square. Girls were dancing on some Punjabi number, which only people in remote interiors of Punjab or country missing NRIs would know!

Interestingly, more than the desi junta, there were people from other ethnicities, some enjoying the music others trying to make some sense out of it :) . I was greeted with a smile by each person I saw there, something which California is known for and not the entire USA ( which I came to know later!)

These were my first two days in the 'land of dreams' as it is called.

Watch out for more!

Surprise Surprise!

2009-10-02T23:20:00.004+05:30

This time for CC :).

It was CC's b'day last Sunday and time for surprise!

MM came up with a brilliant idea of surprising CC with a treasure hunt for small gifts. In the end, CC was surprised ( although it was not visible on her face!) and never expected something to happen in this way!

Me and MM decided that first we both will go shopping for the stuff needed for the surprise and then later, I will take CC out so that the setting can be done. After spending around 3 hours buying the stuff, we came back home. Now, it is little tough to hide some things from CC coz she is a curious case with a 'Why?' on her face always. So we decided to hide the stuff in the apartment gym and after myself & CC leave for our 'walk', MM will do all the preparations. Our friendly neighbor in spite of bad health happily volunteered to help!

After a really long walk, when I and CC returned home, this was in store for her. The B'day cake in the center of the room, a big box next to it and a small chit of paper. After cutting the cake, CC enthusiastically opened the box to find her gift no. 1 and the chit paper guiding her to the next place where the next gift was waiting. I must mention CC's excitement here, before the others like me and friendly neighbor 2 could even hear the clue, CC would run to the place and get to the next clue! The whole event last for about 10 mins which included 10 clues which means about a min for guessing each clue! Now thats called timing!

CC was running from one post to the other and more than the gifts, she was interested in reaching the next clue and finally when the treasure hunt was over, she was like ... seriously its over?

This was the tale of another surprise! :)

Before I end, I need to mention something. The surprise idea here is patented by CC&MM Co and if you wish to get inspired by it , please at least acknowledge. I publish this disclaimer, because I noticed that some people got inspired by this b'day idea and did not even bother to acknowledge :(. ( For those who are wondering, I monitor my blog stats and know that my blog got hits from outer ring road in b'lore or US)

Moments in Life!

2009-09-06T22:37:00.005+05:30

Some moments in life make you the realize:

It does not matter if things are worse in your life

It does not matter if you dont know what are you doing

It does not matter if it seems unfair

Some great people around give the best times of life!

Had a great today! :)

Happy B'day to Me :)

2009-08-17T21:09:00.012+05:30

This is by coincidence that the 3rd post in a row on my blog is on b'day.

The story starts like this, 2 weeks before my silver jubliee b'day I tell my roommates Crazy Curly (CC) and Mobile Maniac (MM) make it special for me, surprise me. So, this is a tale of 3 surprises which made me feel special and left me totally speechless.

Surprise 0 : This was more of a incidental surprise ( mayb we can call it something fluff). Sunday Aug 9, 2009, call from some courier delivery guy:

Courier Guy: "Ma'am there is courier in your name, can you give me directions to your house"

Me: Gave Directions and told my room mates.

CC : "Hmm .. courier, B'day coming , secret admirer ... hmm... hmm "

Me: "Yeah .. who it could be :P"

After about an hour, we call up the guy again coz there is no news from him.

CC:(Talking in Kannada) "Where are you? You talked about the courier"

Courier Guy : " Yeah it is the Airtel Bill, we will deliver tomorrow" :)

Surprise 1: Sunday Aug 9 , 2009 there was a mail in from Shoppers Stop. The contents of the mail were regarding the order confirmation. The first thought that came to my mind was, credit card fraud. Then I saw the mode of payment, it was through bank account. Obviously, then I thought net banking fraud. Since, the amount was Rs 395, I was thought stupid fraudster only fraud Rs 395t! There were no deductions from my bank account as well. This got me curious, I called Shoppers Stop customer care and found that MM had ordered the gift for me. I tried to control my laughter, as I was at home and didn't want MM to know that I came to know about the surprise! But after 10 mins, I couldn't control myself and I asked her. She told me that CC had put my email id instead of MM's, hence the goof up and spoilt surprise! We both laughed our hearts out on this :).

The outcome of this surprise was very important for the next suprises which were lined up for me, because this gave me the clue ( and the restlessness) that there is actually something cooking. Also, the determination to MM & CC that coming ones should not end up as disaster like this!

After the debacle of surprise 1 I almost forgot about my b'day celebration thing until Thursday Aug 13, 2009. I was talking to MM on Thursday, about the usual things on office when suddenly out of the blue she mentions "Surprise 1 ruined all thanks to CC". This got me thinking why the sudden mention of it again? My Sherlock mind gets to work.

On Friday Aug 14, 2009, around 4 o'clock there was a sudden activity happening in my team. 3-4 people were going towards the meeting room led by Ankita. Their movements were skeptical, after some time I asked Abhiram whats happening, he didn answer my question! Thoughts back to last night, are these guys also involved? After sometime a colleague gave me advance b'day wishes! This confirmed the suspicion something related to my birthday was happening in the meeting room, because before this there was no mention of it. Later, while coming back from tea break everyone was asking what are your plans for Sunday? This confirmed the fact, something was happening and my office gang was also involved in some way. Also, this triggerred my extra thinking mind on what it could be. Had it not been my good friend Easwar, who advised me to let CC & MM do whatever they want to, I would have looked for clues to find it out.

Surprise 2: Sunday Aug 16, 2009 12: 00 AM, there was no activity happening at my place. CC & MM wished me and went to sleep. There was cake in the fridge I knew, but they were not asking me to cut. Nextdoor neighbours came wished me and were 'surprised' that nothing was happening! I presumed when I will be in deep sleep, these guys will ask me to cut the cake so that the photographs and the video will have me in unkempt hair and sleepy eyes. After calls and messages I went to sleep at 1 A.M. Around 2 A.M I woke up and found both CC & MM missing from their beds , the tube light of the living room was on. I could see some balloons also! I thought, ok let them come and wake me up! After 15 mins MM walked in:

Me: What are u guys doing?

MM: Nothing! ( Can you beat this-1!! ... I wanted to laugh out loud!)

Then later they both came and said get ready. I found both of them in good clothes & not their night suits! I thought "Oh! they want to look good in the video and pics!". I went to the cake, blew off the candle but I was not allowed to cut the cake!!! They said we will go outside and do it! I said "Terrace?" MM said "Yes". After this, they both started getting ready, wearing jackets, brushing teeth etc I was wondering "Why all this for terrace?" They asked me "You want to change?" I said "For the terrace... No!" After getting out of the house, instead of going towards the terrace we went downstairs before I could ask why, MM said we will celebarate in parking lot, someone is there to meet you! I thot who it could be ? As we were approaching the parking lot, we got into a cab! ( I also forgot, I m not in a PG anymore, so if someone was there , that person could have come to my house!)

Then I realised we are going out and I was in my night suit and slippers! But more than that, I was wondering where? To the Airport? Is someone coming? My bro? But there are no domestic flights from 12:00 AM to 4:00 AM? After sometime, we were on a different route, so that was also out of the question! After sometime, we lost our way and MM said "Imagine, I was supposed to drive", this was the clue I was looking for, Nandi Hills! Had to be! When the driver asked someone the way to Nandi Hills, it confirmed the suspicion. CC smiled at me, after that incident with the expression "you know now!", I talked about something else, then the look on her face was "Thank god, she does not know!" (Can beat this -2!!)

When we reached Nandi Hills, it was little dark and there were many boys there. They all seemed drunk and the three of us thought, it might not be a great idea to get out! MM and CC were really disappointed that after all the planning, the surprise is turning out like this. After laughing at it for about 25 min, we decided to venture out come what may! Dawn was just breaking, and the scene outside was not as bad as it seemed. There were families around and everyone was enjoying the misty and windy early morning! This was it! I was supposed to start my 25^th B’day in beautiful locales ( the best one cud ask for!)

We found a terrace of a building to do the cake cutting ceremony and to save ourselves from the crowd and the dogs. (yeah they were there too!.. before my office gang asks … there was no incident this time :P) Due to the wind, it was difficult to light candles, in fact it was difficult to stand still also, actually it seemed everything will fly off! The cake, the bouquet, MM,CC!

Surprise 3: All this while CC was carrying her laptop, I asked her why? She said we thought we will play music while cutting the cake! Well, the real reason was something else! CC and MM with their sheer brilliance at planning surprises decided to create a b’day video for me where they showcase the who’s who of my life. (Like they do in Jai Jawan show on NDTV)The video started on general note about the year 1984, then the meaning of my name followed by a poem my good friend, a message by MM (who happens to be my roommate for about 2 yrs now and for the first time she told me, what she thinks about me) and the next door neighbor . I was really surprised to see my brother’s message in the video, followed by my mum, all the cousins, uncle, aunts, grandpa! That was a moving moment and made me feel special! When I thought, this is it, there was more, there were messages from the folks in my office, some pictures of all us and some unedited videos of mine, eating samosa in office, searching for my specs etc etc ( Joseph you are dead for this!) At the end of the video I was like wow! Gr8! Awesome! So this was the whole conspiracy!

MM & CC had approached all good friends of mine for the video but unfortunately could not get it from them (Guys I have your names!) CC said till Friday evening there was no response from anyone and she was skeptical if the idea would fly (I m noting this also) MM was all hopeful and kept the spirits going. They both had appreciation for my office gang, whom they only asked for video messages but those guys being the creative selves gave them my pics and unedited videos as well ( Joseph!) along with Happy B’day song in the background! Both MM and CC thought it was very sweet of them!

This was the tale of my wonderful 25^th B’day made special by my dear roommates. I thank my entire office gang, Abhiram, Ankita, Arun, Joseph, Karthik, Mythreya, Neha,Premjith, Sanchit, Satish it was indeed very sweet of you guys ( except the samosa video) Easwar, Reema and Mandar.

Last obviously not the least, special thanks to MM & CC for making this b’day so special. As I have been saying, “You shall be rewarded” ;)

Whats with the Reality Shows?

2009-07-29T13:06:00.004+05:30

I stumbled upon the Indian version of "I am a celebrity, get me out of here" on TV last night. I was not expecting something worth watching but was more interested in knowing, how TV channels are hoping to get TRPs with these shows. The so called celebrities ( half of them you wont even know) are suppose to do some 'dare devil' tasks to win something. This lady ('discovery' of another 'reality' show) had to collect some stars to arrange for dinner of her team mates. The lady got all kind of 'stuff' on her self for that like chicken shit, maggots etc etc. While watching I was wondering, perhaps this is the kind of celebrity she always wanted to be .. shitty celebrity ;)!

This is just one those 'amazing' shows. There is an Indianised version of "Moment of Truth" , "Rakhi ka Swayamvar" , MTV brigade etc etc. I dont know what do they want the audience to see in such shows. Is it what is happening in some person's life whom you wont ever meet in your life or Rakhi Sawant marrying on national television with ridicule moments like Karva chauth for 5 men! ( This all has been covered in news...sigh!! They forgot Rakhi is a bad actress, it is apparent that she is 'acting')

With only beeps audible in most of these shows, I wonder if T.V. is still the source of 'family' entertainment.

Happy B'day Bro!

2009-07-23T20:26:00.005+05:30

This time not for the blog but for my dearest elder brother (This is surprise no 2 for him). Ok, I might have painted some picture here. But thats not the only side of him, being dominating comes easily to the family ;) (pun intended!).

Like all siblings we grew up fighting and playing together (Although in fighting, I only recall being beaten up always!). I remember long sessions of board games on summer vacation afternoons, different games of cards, hide-seek and cricket (ya i was given the 6 balls in the last!). School days were little tough, considering I was known as his sister and I was also suppose to be 'brilliant' like him! I remember in class 7 I got more marks in Chemistry exam because the teacher saw that it was my paper :). There were fun moments also, like in his Class 9, I was called to his class and the teacher told me that he is not studying which I should tell my parents! (I loved that moment!). Also, being pampered by girls who had crush on him ;). After he moved to hostel 1998, our fighting and paying session did not continue much, because he was home only on weekends. He got me one TT bat, after I told him I started playing in school :).

Offlate, we have tried being friends but his paternal instinct takes over and from a 'discussion' it becomes a listening session for me :P(He proof reads my blog and sends me corrections over the mail ;) ). All my cousins, are scared of him (nowthe situation has improved) because the his image is like this:

My time is precious, talk only sense to me.
You are young, so listen first.

After this his paternal instincts take over again and it becomes a listening session again! As, I said this is just a perception, my dear cousins, you should see him in his friends group, he is total masti and fun to hang out with ( frnds please leave comments about it) and you wont even realise that this our very own 'bhaiya'.

I m always told (this is at the risk of sounding boastful) that I m independant, smart etc etc. Well to a large extent the credit for this goes to my brother, had he not been there with me always and told me to be something on my own I would not have been here :). Today, I have a great life and great career, all thanks to him and his confidence in me :).

Thanks bro you are the best! I have always copied you and tried to be like you and will continue to do so! Love ya!

Happy B'day!!!

2009-06-15T16:57:00.001+05:30

My blog turned 1 on May 17. ( I was too busy with things to notice ... a conversation with a friend reminded me of that!)

When I started the blog, I had a target of at least one post per week, which I followed initially but then later as usual it did not go the way I planned it. I have always enjoyed writing about my observations, getting appreciated for it was a bonus! It feels good when people ask when is your next post coming? or the last post was really nice! Like every coin has 2 sides, I ve got my share of criticism as well ... its all part of the game.

The fun part of blogging is the response you get, the post you think is great will elicit average response and the average post will elicit great response! I remember the reaction from my friend for this post, he was amazed and surprised with my observations! His reaction amazed and surprised me! Such is the blogging world ;)

To mark the anniversary of the blog, here are some of my favorite posts:

Yeh India ka Cricket Hai!
A Day in Life!
The Seventeen Year Old
Silence
Parson's Valley
Surpriseeeeee - This one is the favorite among the favorites! .. The expression on Abhiram's face were priceless :) !!
F.R.I.E.N.D.S

Happy Reading!

Snippets

2009-04-18T21:58:00.011+05:30

Disclaimer: This post is an inspiration from following article, to share few interesting reads and observations. (Yeah I m one of those "I follow my elder sibling in everything" types :P)

PS: Another interesting post on the same blog is How the Bible got altered

I read two interesting articles on Harvard Business. These articles talk about what difference do simple things like an apology and a regret can make. The first one I want your apology describes how one word 'sorry' can change things. The author says "apologizing is a humane gesture, a way to treat others with respect. And, not for nothing, it might just keep us out of a fight". Do read it.

The other one Go Ahead, Have Regrets says having regrets is good and can help us improve in life. It says learning is best when an emotional component is attached to it.

I went our for a day outing with my office gang. Here are some of the take aways from the trip:

My colleague Nithya has a lovely house with 2 dogs, Goofy and Peter Pan. Goofy is the one who likes biting guests which means I need to watch out for him whenever I go to her place!
There are 2 kinds of dog bite, one is soft puppy bite and other one is actual dog bite. But as my colleague A said a bite is a bite :)
My colleague A and P are as scared of dogs as I am! Both were checking out for Goofy at Nithya's place. Now hopefully my other colleagues will find more scape goats for their 'dog bite' joke ;) . (If you are wondering why am I targeted with 'dog bite' jokes, here you will know why!)

Btw I watched the first IPL match today (courtesy my cricket crazy colleagues), I think the Indian factor was missing from IPL. There was no noise, no drum beats, no cheers in the background :(.

In the end, a suggestion, I recently started using Twitter, in an effort to know what it is. I think it is a cool tool to know about many things. Try it out!

Yeh India ka Cricket Hai!

2009-02-27T23:42:00.008+05:30

I have never watched a cricket match in a stadium. The experts of cricket in my office (one of them is an ex-cricketer who played state level cricket) told me, you should watch it for the electrifying environment there.

After being in cafeteria at lunch time today ,I couldn't agree more. India v/s New Zeland Twenty20 match telecasted live. If anybody intends to see the unity in India, they should have been there. Each good ball bowled by Pathan was appreciated in same "good ball' by everyone, each missed opportunity to grab a wicket witnessed the same "Ohhhhh", each extra run conceded left the same expression "India still has a chance", each wicket taken met with an "applause".

If there is a Cricket match, people in my team always search for a table closer to TV, so that they can happily watch the match while having lunch. After finishing if someone (usually a girl) asks "lets go", either they will give the "can't you see that match is in such an exciting stage" look (although India would have almost lost .. but umeed pe duniya kayam hai) or they will say, "after this over". On many occassions, lunch time have been adjusted to accomodate for the start of a match or a particular innings. It does not end in cafeteria, in office , one of them will shout "Hayden is out", excited heads will pop up "is it" and then go to cricinfo page on their screens.

I m not a sports freak, so probably I would not understand their passion but what amuses me is the detail with which they follow it. They would be sitting miles away and still know, if it was a good ball or wrong decision or an edge. Maybe it is easy to find that out, but as a novice (I do know the basics infact I know more than that...Leg side, Off side, I watched after match discussions of Harsha Bhogles, Geoff Boycotts, Ravi Shashtris, Richie Benauds .. dekha :P ...and I know the names of 'not so good looking' cricketers as well .. all thanks to my dominating brother who never gave me the remote!!) in cricket, I really find it 'high-funda' stuff.
All said and done, it is great to be a part of that 'electrifying' environment.

PS: I was reading someone's blog a while back on PJs.Hence, I am tempted to add this PJ as the closing note :). Remember my colleague, the ex-cricketer? Let us call him 'P'. This is a conversation between us:

Me: I want check if my outlook is working properly, will send you a test mail.
P: Test mail kyon ... One day mail bhejo .. jaldi pahunchega !! * Ha ha ha *
Me : :-/

Delhi - 6

2009-02-22T20:23:00.005+05:30

I just watched Delhi - 6 and If you ask me how was it? I will say I don't know!

I was looking forward to this movie after listening to its brilliant music and watching the trailers on T.V. But I dont know what to say about it! The director has tried to show many stories in the movie, ultimately he does justice to none. You wont know how Abhishek Bachchan is to be percieved as a NRI, how he is to be considered American when we dont know about an inch of his life in America, what does he discover in Delhi which he says "is mine", how a serious riots scene suddenly turns into comedy at the sight of 'Kaala Bandar', why hero suddenly falls in love with the heroine, why 'Masakali' is there in the movie etc etc. Each of this is there in bits and pieces, but it is not convincing enough to be a part of storyline.

I am sure all the Delhiites will like the first half of the movie, seeing our own Chandni Chowk,Purani Dilli, identifying with the chaos and the characters. Its the second half where things go haywire and you start wondering, whats going on? Then the total bizzare climax adds to the confusion. I was not bored in the movie, but I am still wondering what was it about!

I dont think the director has done justice to Rahman's brilliant music. It seems as if in the end Rakeysh thought to himself "Oh! Rahman composed music for the movie, I totally forgot! Let me put it some bit here and some bit there".Some of the songs like my favorite "Rehna Tu" is lost in the movie. I dont know why it was played in background when Abhishek was with Rishi Kapoor! In an interview he said, his favorite number is "Arziyaan" mayb that is why it is the only song played at the right moment and at the right time.

Even after so many negative points and extermely useless, waste climax, I liked some parts of the movie and the music ofcourse. Watch it to know one more side of Delhi and Delhiites :)

A Day in Life!

2009-02-16T23:36:00.003+05:30

I look back in time and desire for the day …

The day, sun was shining on me

The day, wind was smiling for me

The moments I treasure for my life

The snippets I pleasure for my life

The walk to the sea should have never ended

Cause each second spent was splendid

The smiles never faded

The spirits never jaded

The day, I wish lived forever

The day, I wish ended never

I look back in time and desire for the day…

Bizarre!

2009-02-09T10:55:00.005+05:30

This is a really funny thing happened in my friend's office. Let us call her AD for easy reference.

AD works in a big company with small office in India. There are about 30 people who work in her office. The atmosphere in the office is very casual with usual jokes and teasing. By usual, I mean jokes in food habits, way of talking and yes, the pairing up as well ;).

The incident goes like this. Office guys started teasing G with a female colleague Ge's name when Ge was not in office. Initially for two months, he did not talk about it. Later on, he went on and complained to the Manager. The Manager said, talk to your colleagues and thing will be sorted out. But that did not happen and for some reason G left the job.

Ge was on a 3 months assignment in USA and had recently come back. On her arrival she found, that she has been called to the police station. When she went there, she found out that her ex-colleague wants a 'letter' from her, stating ' There was no relation between them'. Since she was not involved in the matter at all, she refused to give any letter. Then the tough time for police staff started.

First a senior constable took turn to explain to the guy, that why is it not possible get 'that' letter legally, later on the senior inspector of the station tried the same. G showed him the letter he had drafted saying "The people of my office are saying that I have an affair with my colleagues. I am no way related to that girl and I need a letter saying the same thing from that girl . I need this letter for my future reference". The inspector could not stop laughing at that letter and the persistent request for a similar letter from that girl. In the end, he was declared 'gone case' by the case was closed.

How bizarre things in life can be :)

PS: Special thanks to my friend AD for her inputs ;)

The Seventeen Year Old

2009-01-20T19:46:00.002+05:30

The Seventeen Year old still lives in me...

The Seventeen Year old still cribs in me...

The Seventeen Year old never seems to grow up...

The Seventeen Year old still wakes up...

The Seventeen Year old still complains...

The Seventeen Year old still refrains...

The Seventeen Year old never ceases to exist...

The Seventeen Year old still persists...

The Seventeen Year old still binds me...

The Seventeen Year old still drives me...

Merry Chirstmas!

2008-12-26T12:00:00.000+05:30

A friend of mine asked me yesterday if I asked for something as my Christmas wish. I told her that I get many good things in life without asking so it is not fair for me to ask. Another friend of mine proved me right. I and MDS, as I call him, were playing my favorite game ‘Rapid Fire’ online. The response to this question makes me feel special.

The question I asked him was, “one thing you could change in Charu’s life?” to which he wished for something I have lost long ago. Something which I miss and will miss always in my life, something very important in every person's life. I never saw it coming from him, because we did not speak about it lately. Still it was very sweet of him to wish for that. On that note, I would like to dedicate this post to MDS. MDS you are a very special friend and I treasure your friendship, thanks for being my friend.

Silence

2008-12-01T15:10:00.002+05:30

It's the pent up anger
It's the thoughtful mood
It's the belief that talking is no good

Words are many, but intentions are none
Thoughts are many, but reflections are none

India's 9/11

2008-11-27T21:03:00.002+05:30

India's worst terror strike continues. Its been almost 24 hours since the fight started. Death toll rises to 125 including the top cops. We have been used to bomb blasts here and there now, but this one shook the nation.

As I watch the continue struggle on T.V, I m wondering where did such a big intelligence failure happened, that some 25 fanatics entered our financial capital and took the city on ransom? The quantity of ammunition that enabled them to fight for 22 hrs,went unnoticed? Randomly they killed 3 top cops, one of them being 'encounter' specialist? Lot of questions with no answers. I don't have any relatives in armed forces or anyone in govt. service who could perhaps answer these questions and say that this tragedy was unavoidable. I know it is not possible to catch people when they suddenly try to go on a rampage and fire blindly, but there has to be a way!

The question I have been asking myself since the time I saw the horrific incident is, how as an individual I change this situation of some fanatics coming and attacking us every now and then? I don't want to hear that individuals can not anything, remember its just 25 people who are creating all this mayhem right now.

A Wednesday

2008-10-02T21:48:00.004+05:30

Those of you who haven't watched a good hindi movie in recent times should definitely go and watch this one, those of you who have, add another to your list.

The movie starts with Anupam Kher, Police Commissioner of Mumbai recalling the most interesting case of his career, on his retirement day. He gets a call on a wednesday, that the caller had planted bombs at different locations in Mumbai, in order not to cause any damage, he asks for four terrorists to be sent to a designated place. The whole movie is about how the system reacts to it and what happens in the end is the best part of the movie..I shall refrain myself from mentioning anything more, because it would not be fun for you and it wont be justice to the movie. This no song, one and a half hour flick brilliantly captures the situation we as a nation are facing today. It asks some compelling questions about the way a common man deals with terror, how the police force is helpless in some cases and a peek-a-boo in their daily life as well.

I m no movie critic, but in their style I would like to say, the strength of this movie is the script and undoubtedly Naseeruddin Shah. He is an actor of brilliance we know, the way he has acted in this movie is just inexplicable. The way he delivers each dialogue, the way he walks and in the climax his speech, everything is just awesome. The supporting actors also did justice to their roles, my favorite being Aamir Bashir ( I have a crush on him since the time I can remember!)

I think after a long a time I watched such a good hindi movie and would recommend you also do so :). Before I close, Rajeev Masand ( the IBN film critic), known not to like any of the hindi movies gave 4 stars to this movie and you can read his review here.

Happy Watching!

Parson's Valley

2008-09-22T17:36:00.019+05:30

Last weekend, I joined my office gang for a trekking trip to Parson's Valley. Parson's valley is 27 Km about from Ooty.
Before I go further, I came to know during this trip, that people are scared about my using real names in my posts and they presume that I will always give them "publicity", therefore I am not using real names. :)

Disclaimer: Pun intended with superficial names.

Our first destination was Masiangudi, where we spent the night and went on a night safari, Friday afternoon we started from Bangalore. The first halt in the journey was at Maddur Tiffans which is famous for its Maddur Vada . After dining on some delicious dosa and tea, we resumed our journey. We watched the hit kannada flick "Mungaaru Male" (if thats the way its spelt) on Uncle Photo Kumar's insistence. Actually, he was tortured by his friends, family, neighbours etc. who made him watch this movie about 7-8 times, he made sure that we were not spared either. He also took the charge of pausing after every scene, so that it was easier for Favorite Uncle to translate for people who didn't know kannada. For the benefit of the readers who are not familiar with the movie, the movie is about an overweight rich brat, who falls into gutter and love when he sees the heroine for the first time. As usual the heroine was engaged to get married, also happened to be his mom's best friend's daughter. Usual hindi movie type things happen and the girl also falls for him and decides to leave a cute, good looking handsome, army man for an "thief" looking, orange pants blue shirts kind of a guy. In the end, the hero decides to sacrifice his love for the name of heroine's family and her father and a rabbit dies because of the pain the hero suffers!! ( Sob ... sob .. ) What a torture it was ... hats off to Uncle Photo Kumar for going through this 7 times with his folks, 8th time I think was more for sadistic pleasure :P

Around 10.30 PM we reached the cottage, where after dinner we started for the night safari. This was my first experience of a night safari, so I was looking forward to it. It was a fun experience to roam in jeep and spot animals and at the same time keep an eye at the back to see if some of them decided to follow us. We spotted some bisons, deers and a herd of elephants. It was a normal drive and only for few seconds it got adventurous when an elephant decided to rest in the middle of the road, right in front of our jeep and refused to move. After sometime it went to the other side, but was giving signals as if he will come charging once we go near. Thankfully, nothing happened. The ride was not toll taking but PAC Man was too tired or excited that he mistook Facebook photo and Sures (I thought of mentioning his real name because nobody remembers it anyways ;) ... but then I decided to stick to the rules) to bisons. I guess Facebook photo and Sures were too tired to hit him, so nothing happened.

After 4 hours of sleep, we started for Parson's Valley. When we stopped at the RTO junction at Ooty, to pay the taxes, what happened, is something all of us wont forget our lives. One of my colleague, lets call him Tall Guy, got to watch it live and cannot stop laughing at the mention of it( I am sure he must have started now, which he calls "painful laughter"). Myself and SV started to explore the place while the driver was doing the formalities of taxes. We went up to a small track to explore the nature and appreciate the beauty. While we both were sight seeing 3 dogs decided to party and chose both of us as their treat or in SV's words, they came onto him singing "I have been waiting for you". If I say I am not fond of dogs, that would be an understatement because I don't like them, I don't find them cute, adorable etc etc, let us just say I can not stand them, so I just run! When the dogs attacked SV, I stood there for 2-3 seconds as it is always said " do not run when dogs come charging at you", the Tall Guy was also shouting the same from the back " do not run...do not run". But then I realised, that was not helping, SV started to run, if I dont run, I might be their target. Both of us ran to best of our ability, I escaped but the dogs still managed to leave an imprint on SV's leg. The other members of the group were not aware of what happened. Favorite Uncle thought it must be a leech while PAC Man started to think of arranging for salt. When Favorite Uncles saw the torn jeans, he thought to himself, " Wow, this was a different leech". While all this was happening, Tall Guy was trying to control his laughter and at the same time was worried about SV.

The drive to Parson's valley was beautiful and scenic. Trees swaying with the wind, no litter, everything was awesome.

On our way, we crossed the "dustbin" of Ooty. The sight was pathetic and the stench was unbearable. It was sad to see such a beautiful place marred with non-biodegradable waste, most of which came from tourists like us.

At 11 A.M we reached the cottage where we were supposed to stay. It was surrounded by mountains on all the sides. It was the perfect place to chill out, relax and do nothing but be with the nature. After having breakfast, we started trek towards the waterfall. The trek was a simple with one or two difficult stretches. It was a walk in beautiful garden surrouded by mountains, with no honkings or noise from anywhere. Trek also had its funny moments, Smiley trying to balance on two rocks in the middle of a stream.When he just managed not to fall and stand for a moment, Facebook photo came from behind, held his arm and said "Smiley give me hand, I need to cross". Tall guy crossing the stream and Facebook Photo following him, shouting "what way are you taking me, I m on my toes" ( Tall Guy's height - Facebook Photo height = 1 feet approx) or the one liners like "Darr se mat daro ... cliff se gir ke maro".

In the evening, the after effects of dog-bite were clear, not on SV but on Tall Guy. He would start rolling with laughter at the mere mention of the incident in the morning, in the process taking everyone along the laughter ride. While having evening tea and delicious bajjis, another funny incident happened. PAC Man was having tea in Verandah in Facebook Photo's room. He said I am your guest you should ask me what I would like to have. Facebook Photo very politely asked him. When he said I would like to have some tea and bajjis, she said "Oh! this is exactly what we have for you". PAC Man said, "no you are suppose to say .. here it is ..tea and bajji". At this statement, Facebook Photo turns to me and says very seriously "this is exactly how we use to play house-house"! When explained what was it, PAC Man was appalled at it and asked everyone to forget about it.

About 7 P.M bonfire was started. The evening was full of myriad things. First we had fun playing dumb charades, after which we had a good laughter session where nine of us laughed our hearts out on the dog bite incident in the morning. I don't recall the last time when I laughed for that long at a stretch.Actually, at least for me, the sight of Tall Guy recalling the incident and rolling in laughter was hilarious. After rounds of laughter, we all got serious and discussed almost everything in the world, from politics to struggle for freedom to philosophy to marriage to live in!

Sunday Morning was pleasant and sunny. Some of us decided to go for a walk but ended up reaching the top of the mountain. The sight from the top was scenic, it seemed as if there was nothing in the world, except for the place where we were.

After breakfast we proceeded for short trek to Porthmund dam. This trek was a bit difficult than the path we trekked the day before, but was as scenic as well. The view from near the dam was simply amazing. It seemed like a perfect painting,with mountains, blue sky and water.(I am actually short of words to describe it)

In the afternoon we started for Ooty. We halted at Ooty to buy some Ooty choclates and then proceeded towards Bangalore. The journey was mostly spent watching movies and sleeping, except for cases where PAC Man, Uncle Photo Kumar, Favorite Uncle and Smiley decided to sing every song played but lost out when I asked them to sing "Jee Karda" from the movie Singh is Kinng ;) or the case when a slow moving SWIFT moving in front of our vehicle was blocking our way. Tall guy commented "the driver must be a learner or a woman", the reply to which was "If he is a man he is a learner, if woman she is bad .. wow" by a smart female ;). SV deserves a special mention for being a sport and taking all the jokes in a positive way. This trip was a perfect break where all of us just chilled out, had fun and did nothing.

Aise Hi Time Pass

2008-09-15T15:28:00.005+05:30

Its been days since I posted something. The reason is not that I was busy with something but nothing happened which triggered the writer brain. For my craving of blogging, here are some snippets from conversations and observations from the past.

Conversation 1:

My mom was talking to my chachi ( my father's brother's wife) about my sleeping habits ( I m famous in my family, this includes every possible relative, their relatives, neighbours, pets etc. for sleeping the for almost 12-14 hrs a day)

Mom : Kaisa lagta hai, itna bada bachcha ( she actually meant a young woman) sleeping for hours and getting up late every morning!

Me: Bahut achcha lagta hai, kabhi soke dekho subah ke 11 baje tak! ;)

Expression on my mom's face : "Hopeless!"

Conversation 2:

I was talking to my dear friend Sowmya about the texture of her hair ( yea .. the girly stuff!)

Me: Sowmya, you should use a conditioner to soften your hair, mine were also that bad, after I started using conditioner, they are better now.

Sowmya: Are you sure you are not adopted by your parents?

Me: !!!...!!!...!!!...!!!

Sowmya: Your hair are like south indians, rough and curly, none of my north indian friends have such bad hair!

Me: (I was speechless for rest of the conversation)

(After looking at my bro's pics, she discovered how similar we look, thankfully now believes that I m not adopted! ..She is one of the few people who leave me zapped many times)

BJP Govt recetly completed 100 days in Karnataka. So, 100 days bonanza was travel in Volvo buses at Re.1. For those who are not aware, Volvo buses are high end mode of public transport, very much like the Whiteline buses in Delhi. The fare for the bus is 4-5 times the normal fare. The logic (if there was any!) behind that move was to motivate the IT junta to start taking public transport. Well I guess it motivated the regular commuter to take out their vehicles because the usually crowded buses were jampacked, which was more of a hassle of regular commuter like me. The up side of it, on Saturday I saw a family of 10 people getting into the bus enjoying the ride for about 10 mins and getting down two stops later. It was more of an experience for them, like they are going to the amusement park and enjoying the rides. So, next time, if the govt plans to run such a campaign, I would request them to do it on a weekend or holiday!

I recently watched 3 movies in a span of 2 days ( thats an achievement by my standards!). Sleepless in Seattle, City of Angels and Kung-fu Panda. Before I go ahead, I should warn all the classic romantic movie lovers, my taste in movies is little eccentric. I don't like most of the movies people like and therefore what I tell of these movies, you might not be able to take it :).

City of Angels : What? When? How? Why????? Kyon ... there are better ways to torture yourself, at the end of the movie I was thinking ... Why did I go through it? One stupid angel doing stupid things and I watched it !!!

Sleepless in Seattle : After City Of Angels this was a respite, but in the end I can only say "Kya Bakwaas hai"

Kung-fu Panda - Easily the best of the lot, no stpid angels, no bereaved families only Kung-fu. Good time pass ... thats it.

I guess good amount of time pass stuff for my writing. Let me know your thoughts :)

Surpriseeeeee!

2008-08-29T22:10:00.003+05:30

Today my office gang decided to celebrate my belated birthday and wanted to surprise me. But thats not the surprise I m going to talk about (sorry guys ... I knew it before ;) ... ).The actual surprise was for my team mate Abhiram and the quietest person in the Marketing and Alliances team, Sanchit.

Surprise No 1

Target : Sanchit

Objective : Overdue birthday celebration

Sanchit was told to join everyone in cafeteria for my birthday celebration. In the middle, on the table, two cakes were kept. I was standing with a knife(to cut the cake obviously!) waiting for him to join.

Voice 1 : Sanchit, come and cut the cake!
Sanchit (shell shocked and scared) : What?
(Actually, his expressions were " Oh my god! they (about 20 of us) have conspired against me ... there is a trick .. there is a trick ... there is a trick...)

Sanchit reluctantly came in the center, stood at meters distance from the cake, still doubting that he is the "bakra".
Me : Sanchit, the cake will not explode, you can cut it.

He saw his name on the cake and realised that everyone was indeed serious about it and it was his belated birthday celebration. As soon as he cut the cake, my team mate Joseph in his fatherly tone said "Dekha, kuch hua thodi na!" ("See, nothing happened")

Afterwards, Sanchit told us that he was indeed surprised and at first as his reactions said, he thought everyone was joking!

Surprise No 2 :

Target: Abhiram
Objective : Gift for his new house ( this was also long overdue)

Abhiram was told to come out of the office after the cake cutting. He was told that there is a special gift for Charu in his car (I will tell you a little later how the gift got in his car). Happily, in his usual "don't care" walk he reached the parking lot, along with me, Neha, Mythreya and Premjith. I went and stood near car's front door. He looked at me and then at others.
Mythreya : "There is a surprise in the back seat"
He opened the door, saw two bean chairs there and was surprised. His expressions were , "What kind of birthday gift is that!!!". He looked at me and then the chairs again. Mythreya informed him that this was his house warming present, which was long overdue. For about 2-3 minutes, he could not believe it, he was amused with what happened. While leaving parking lot, he asked, "Seriously is it for me?" It took him fifteen-twenty minutes to finally accept (although we offered to help him in pinching himself so that he finally realizes)

Now, how the gift got into his car. Premjith told Abhiram that there is something more planned for Charu, hence he needed the car keys to get the stuff. Abhiram, being himself, happily obliged :). By the way, earlier the plan was not to tell him and let him discover the gift when he leaves office. I was just guessing what could have been his reaction then, calling the guard and telling him that something got into his car :)

I like surprising people and being surprised as well. Its always fun to get something unexpected as gift and see reactions on people's face when you surprise them :) . Although, I had an idea but still it was very sweet of everyone to arrange for the celebration. I would like to thank all my M&A team members ... keep surprising ;) !

the five people you meet in Heaven

2008-08-26T23:10:00.003+05:30

I am talking about the book by Mitch Albom, the writer of "tuesdays with Morrie". The title was intriguing so I picked it and after reading the first chapter of the book decided to buy it.

This is story of Edward, who is in the autumn of his life. Eddie, as he is called, is not happy with himself, his job and his life. Like many people in real world, he believes that he has not achieved anything in life and life has not been fair to him. The story starts with Eddie's death and then talks about his journey to heaven, where he meets five people, who explain to him his earthly life.

Most of the people he meet in heaven, he had never met in his life on earth. Albom beautifully describes Eddie's meetings with the 5 people and what heaven means to each one of them. Each one talks about Eddie's life and leaves him with one learning, one message. Although, what Albom coveys is nothing new but the way he said it, is the strength of this book. What I like most about the book is the story he crafted and the words used to put across the ideas. The narration is simple, but gets boring sometimes especially when he talks about Eddie's meeting with his wife, Marguerite. To give a glimpse of it, here are some of my favorite lines from the book:

"All endings are are also beginnings. We just don't know it at that time"

"Strangers are just family you have yet to come to know"

"Why would heaven make you relive your own decay"

"Sons will adore their fathers through even the worst behaviour. It is how they learn devotion. Before, he can devote himself to God or a woman, a boy will devote himself to his father"

"You have peace when you make it with yourself"

"It is not until much later, as the skin sags and the heart weakens, that children understand; their stories, and all their accomplishments, sit atop the stories of their mothers and fathers, stone upon stones, beneath the waters of their lives"

"That wish followed me to heaven, even as I waited for you."

"Hatred is a curved blade. And the harm we do, we do it to ourselves"

"When those senses weaken, another heightens. Memory. Memory becomes your partner. You nurture it. You hold it. You dance with it."

"Silence is worse when you know it wont be broken"

Happy reading!

The Jinx

2008-08-15T21:44:00.004+05:30

As I sit down to write this post, in the background of Ranbir Kapoor talking on IBN Live, bewildered eyes gaze at me. To let you understand their bewilderment, let me give you some more information:

Date : August 15, 2008
Time : 1:23 AM
Place : Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi.

Now, you must be wondering what I am doing at this time at the airport:
Case 1: No, I am not on international travel and waiting for my flight.
Case 2: I did not plan a surprise landing at home for my birthday (which is coming soon) and am waiting for the taxi to arrive.
Case 3: My family has not forgotten to pick me up from the airport.
Case 4: No, I am not doing this for an experience or adventure.
This post is not to share my experiences with different airlines or how bad the infrastructure or the management is. This post is to talk about ”The Jinx”.

Since the time I shifted to Bangalore three years ago, I have been taking flights for my travel back home to Delhi. Invariably, either in to or fro journey, I get to spend hours and hours at the airport.

First time it happened when I was travelling from Bangalore to Delhi for my viva to complete my B.Sc. Bangalore is famous for its traffic jams, so I was advised to start bit early, to be on the safer side. Being the cautious self and fearing that my elder brother will shout at me, if I miss the flight, I decided to follow what I was told. So, for 8.30 P.M flight I started at 6, instead of 6.30 as I planned. Twenty minutes and I was at the airport (it was in the city then!). As soon as I entered the airport, I was greeted by a sms from Air Deccan that my flight has been delayed by an hour. Bang! This is where the long stays at the airports, either Delhi or Bangalore started and things have not changed much since then. I managed to kill time by browsing books at the Sankar’s (book store at HAL Airport), buying one and reading it, eating, and just by looking here and there.

Second incident what I remember,(certainly it was not the second such incident of waiting at airport), was when I was leaving Bangalore after completing my MBA. My brother was suppose to me (he was in Bangalore at that time). Being the cautious himself, he arrived early and hence dropped me early at the airport. After checking in, while waiting, an announcement is made “Air Deccan flight to Delhi has been delayed by 45 mins ( I think!), we deeply regret the inconvenience caused”. The musings in my head, “I’ve been in this situation before, was it a dream, do I get a Déjà vu”. I don’t remember what time I reached then (you still expect me to!) but yeah I do remember reaching next day, i.e. after 12 midnight.

Third one was when I last came back from Delhi (yes, this time it’s the Delhi airport). Flight was at 5.15 AM, on a Monday morning. I went to the security guy at the gate, he took a look at the ticket and said, the flight is gone, you might want check with the customer service.

Customer Service: Yes the flight was preponed and we could not reach you.

I took evening 7.15 PM flight.

5.15 PM : I was all ready to go after confirming with Air Deccan (3 times) that the flight was indeed on time. My brother was late, because he was stuck in office. We rushed considering the peak hour traffic. My brother drove faster so that we reach on time. When we were hardly at 20 mins distance from the airport, SMS : Your flight DN – 662 to Bangalore has been delayed by an hour and will depart at 8.15 PM…Déjà vu !!!

Since there was no point going back, I got down at the airport.

Wait … you thought its over?? The story has just started … After the security check in every half an hour there was an announcement:

“Air Deccan regrets to announce further delay in its flight to Bangalore due to the late arrival of the aircraft” ( Yes, I have listened to these announcements so many times that I have by hearted them now!)

8.15 … 9.15 ….10.15 finally the moment arrived, Air Deccan decided to take people to Bangalore. I finally reached at 12.30 AM and obviously luggage had to take time, so around 1.15 AM I came out from the airport, where my roommate was waiting for me with cab. Thankfully the airport was only 6 Km from my house at that time, so it was not much of a hassle travelling that late at night.

Today : This one has been quite a different “waiting” experience (you will come to know why). The Bangalore Airport, also known as BIAL, is out of the city for which you need at least 2 hrs of travel. This time my flight is not Air Deccan, so I hope for no delays (hope is such a beautiful word!). Flight time is 8.40 PM, so it would be good if I take the 5 o clock Volvo to the Airport and reach the Airport by 7, 6 would have been too late plus it is not a wise idea to risk it with rains and traffic in Bangalore. 4.45: I reached the stop, got into the Volvo, 5 PM sharps it started.

After taking the longest possible route, stopping at every street possible and helping people like me discover the ‘true’ Bangalore, Volvo finally dropped us at the Airport. The looooooong never ending journey finally ended in exactly 2 hrs!

My friend Raj, who was taking the same flight, but was still on his way to airport, called and told the flight is late by 40 mins ( oops it happened again!). I loitered around a bit on the airport, before settling down to access free internet at BIAL. After reading news, blogs, I checked in. 9.20 PM was the departure time, at 9.30 we were in the plane wondering will it fly or not! Finally 10.10 it took off and 12.40 we arrived in Delhi.

Now for the ‘different’ part, I m used to flight delays and hence waiting at the airport, before the flight, is a norm for me. But today, there was more to it. Due to heavy rains and water logging, Delhi faced massive traffic jams, hence my brother could not come to pick me up. So it was decided, my uncle who was already at the airport (he is Airport operations manager for DLF) will pick me up after DLF’s flight departs at 1.30 AM. Well, that flight was delayed (No comments!) and he got late J . I always go to my house with a big bag, which always goes as check in baggage, and it takes 40-45 mins to get it. This time I took a small bag which came in as cabin baggage and I did not have to collect anything. So I got more time to spend at the airport lounge!!!

Since I had time and an “EXPERIENCE” to share, I decided to utilize it to share it with you. So till the time my uncle arrives I will loiter around at the airport (I have not done that at 2.30 AM … yeah that’s the time now), look at the sleepy faces, watch IBN Live (that prog is over !) and wait as usual :)

PS : I have another flight to catch on Aug 24 ;)

Lyrics!

2008-08-08T23:01:00.006+05:30

Thought of sharing some of my favorite lyrics. Some top of the mind recall ...

"Koi to chal zidd fadiye ... doobe dariye ya mariye" - Chake de, Chak De!

"Soch zara jaane ja tujhe hum kitna chahte hai ... rote hai hum bhi agar teri aankhon mein aansoon aate hai ... gaana to aata nahi hai phir bhi hum gaate hai" - Kabhi Kabhi Aditi, Jaane Tu Ya Jaane Na

"Ek chota sa lamha hai jo khatam nahi hota ... main lalk jalata hoon .. yeh bhasm nahi hota" - Chod aaye hum, Maachis ... Gulzar ... awesome!

"Aye zindagi gale laga le... hum ne bhi tere har ek gam ko gale se lagaya hai" - Aye Zindagi gale laga le, Sadma

"Honth pe liye hue dil ki baat hum...jagte rahenge aur kitani raat hum...muqtasar sii baat hain tum se pyaar hain ....... Dil bahal to jayega is khayal se...haal mil gayaa tumhara apne haal se...raat ye qarar ki beqaraar hain..." - Tum pukar lo, Khamoshi (1969)

"Aaj agar bhar aayi hain...boonden baras jayengi...kal kya pata inke liye aankhen taras jayengi...jaane kahan gum kahan khoya...ek aansoon chupake rakha tha...Tujhse naaraz nahi zindagi ... hairaan ho main" - Tujhse naaraz nahin zindagi, Masoom (1983)

"Dekho chod ke kiss raste woh jaate hai ... saare raste vaapis mere dil ko aate hai" - Nahin Saamne, Taal

"I'll be your dream ... I'll be your wish... I'll be your fantasy ... I'll be your hope ... I'll be your love ...be everything you need... I Love you more with every breath ... truly madly deeply do" - Truly Madly Deeply, Savage Garden

"And I give up forever to touch you ... coz I know that you feel me somehow ... you're the closest to heaven that I'll ever be ... " Iris, Goo Goo Dolls - City of Angels

"I tried so hard and got so far ... in the end it does not even matter" - In the end, Linkin Park

"If you're ugly I am ugly too ... in your eyes sky is a different blue ... and I wish I was camera somtime, so I could take your picture with my mind ... put in a frame for you to see ... hoe beautiful you really are to me ... " - Ugly, Bon Jovi

"I could stay awake just to hear your breathing ... watch you while you are sleeping.. while you are faraway dreaming ... Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure ... I dont wanna miss a thing" - I dont wanna miss a thing, Aerosmith

" If fears what makes us decide ...our future journey...I'm not along for the ride...coz I'm still yearning...to try and touch the sun...my fingers burning...before you're old you are young...eah I'm still learning ...I am falling down...try and stop me...it feels so good to hit the ground..." - Falling down,Avril Lavigne

"So, no one told you life is gonna be this way ... your job s a joke .. you're broke ... your love life is D.O.A ... " I'll be there for you, F.R.I.E.N.D.S theme

What about yours?

Yeh hai Youngistan meri jaan!

2008-08-03T20:24:00.003+05:30

MTV Roadies 5.0 was a craze and so is Splitsvilla I guess!

Roadies 5.0 was an utter useless tale of 13 ( I think!) people, who thought only way to win is by bitching, politics and everything else but performing. I still remember Roadies season 1, which was more about the tasks participants were doing, the beautiful places they got to visit and the amazing ride they had. Never really followed the show after that season because it turned into its current form . Now, there is a new show called "Splitsvilla" where 20 gals are suppose to impress 2 guys and winners get to be MTV VJ! When I first heard about the concept, my question was, how is the capability of being a VJ related to impressing some guy on a TV show? Considering this is a MTV show, I did not bother much.

I was little saddened by the fact that prime audience for this show was the age group of 18-22 (which I think is definition for Youngistan as well, please correct me if I am wrong). According to me, these shows propagate that only way to win is politics and back stabbing. There are no real friends and you need to "use" people to proceed to the next level. I used to wonder what kind of impression they are leaving on the younger generation. What are they telling them about the world outside their colleges?

A recent read on a youngster's blog is a relief ( sorry, can not publish the link without her permission...will try my best though!) This 20 year old, satirically mocks the show and the kinds, discusses Indian politics in her blog. Good to see that not all youngsters think that it is cool use the F word as adjective for everything, they are still bothered about what is happening in the world, it is a beautiful place and life is indeed simple.

F.R.I.E.N.D.S

2008-07-29T10:09:00.008+05:30

This friendship day, a dedication for some of my special friends. This post will come as a complete surprise ( or shock!) for some of them, so I m refraining from taking names here. Instead, I will be addressing them with their nick names.

PS: Dear friends, this is not the order of preference. You all are dear to me. I m just following the order in which I met you :)

Poo - I m struggling to recall how we became friends. We share years of arguments, fights, laughter and fun. Your enthusiasm and pataka energy is always inspiring. I guess we will never agree on things about life, relationships still we will be the best buddies as ever, that is the fun part of our friendship. For you, I can definitely say "Pataka things come in small packages"

Kunni - The way you describe in my orkut testimonial, I must have really bullied you. Short walks to bus stop, long gossip sessions, last min exam preparations at my house, everything we did together was fun. I admire the way you have dealt with the tough times of your life and have come out strong. Keep it going!

Chinu - I know we are not best of the friends and we rarely talk. Whenever we do talk, it’s about what’s happening :). You are an amazing person. Your helpful, caring and jovial nature has always been an inspiration :). You are one of those people, who I know, will always give the correct direction to a lost soul. I have to admit, I was kind of scared of you initially, perhaps because you bullied people for the 3rd seat in the last row :P.

Ashu Kaala - I know you hate that name ;). Making friends comes easier to you and you very well know how to keep them life long. Your "live life king size" enthusiasm keeps it going in tough times. I know you will do wonders in your life, you just need to be little patient. :)

Cool Gal - As I have said earlier, you are one of the coolest people I know. Always relaxed and chilled out. I can relate to you in many ways. All the fun moments I spent with you, I will cherish for life.

Momma - My first roommate. You made my life a lot easier in those hostel days. You are my destination, for some sane advice on lot of things, which I m not good at. Just for the record, I don’t think, I m that scared of you now but I love calling you Momma.

Cheeku - You easily get on my nerves with things you do, you know that! That is why you do stuff which irritates me. What sadistic pleasure you derive!! Thanks for helping me in tough times and always being there. Remember, "rote hai hum bhi agar teri aankhon mein aanson aate hai" ;)

Uncle - Your patience to deal with things is great. I wish I could have a fraction of it. I m still learning how to help people even if you don’t like them or if they are mean to you, I hope I do get to your levels one day. Believe in yourself a little more, that is the only thing that is missing rest you are doing wonders :)

Arvind - I don't have a nick name for you :). Although, we have not spent much time together, still I think you left a great impact in short span of time. Your words of wisdom still help me find the right way and will be with me always.

EJ - It is tough to find words to describe the friendship we share :). Whenever I m in distress, disappointed, I know whom to turn to for the magic words. If not a solution, atleast we manage a smile :).

Chatter Titli - I still remember your 50 words in one breath. Jovial and chirpy you were always fun to be with. We all miss the good old PG days and your wall jumps :). I wish you get everything in life that makes you happy.

Somu- I love those lost curls, thoughts and talks :). Every moment spent with you is full of fun and laughter. Trips to your home are one of my favorite weekend activities, so that I can pull your leg :) and being a sport you always join in the party.

London wali mem - The reason you come in the end is because you are the one who bears me a lot :). Being my room-mate you get to see the real wicked me ;) (We have people you can testify). I guess you already know how much pleasure I derive by cracking all those jokes, playing pranks and sprinkling water on you. Our crazy ideas, discussions everything makes me laugh to the extent that my eyes are always full with water. I know, I get on to your nerves many times and you choose to ignore all those incidents. I take this opportunity to apologize for it and promise to reduce it. However, the pranks will continue ;). Thanks for everything and let’s hope all our crazy ideas see the light of the day or the dark of the night!

I hope that the next time, when I sit down to write on what my friends mean to me I have more names added to the list :).

"Friendship is unnecessary, like philosophy, like art... It has no survival value; rather is one of those things that give value to survival." - C. S. Lewis

The Bully Story

2008-07-12T15:05:00.005+05:30

Traveling in the bus, at the last seats has many memories and stories associated with it. While coming back from our off site trip, I and my colleagues got into the stories of what we did in school bus. Here is one of them, which I found most interesting.

Our story has four major characters, Kid 1, Kid 2, Kid 3 and the bully.Let us address the bully as "RAG". Being a bully, RAG would not leave any opportunity to bully the 3 nice kids.These kids being the nice ones, never answered him back. One day, while returning from school, the kids were as usual sitting at the back seats when they observed RAG decided to join their bus for a change. He was sitting at the 3rd seat from the front. The day in the school was not a great one for the kids; RAG had bullied them a lot while having lunch, in the break, during the games period. The kids at the back seats, started talking about the day and RAG, that was when one of them got an idea.

Kid 1: “We can start a new custom in the bus today. Since all of us have to get down at the same stop, while going forward, we will start slapping everyone on the head, saying "bye, have a nice time". When RAG’s turn comes, we all will hit him real hard on the head for all the hard time he gave us today.”

Kid 2: (Looking at the overhead cabin of bully’s seat) “Shit…there is nothing there, otherwise we could have pretended taking our stuff and dropping all the heavy bags on him.

These two good ideas kicked the third "thinking" brain and he came up with a brilliant plan.

Kid 3:” I have a big bag, which is heavy because of the books and food I m carrying, while walking past him I can pretend to lose balance and hit him with the bag”

Kid 1: “Good idea, my bag is also heavy and I have water bottle as well, I can also pretend to lose balance, then hit”

Kid 3: “This is even better, one of us will breeze through him, so that he looks behind who it is, then the other one can come and hit him in the face”

Kid 2: “This reminds me of my history lesson, where in Bhagat Singh’s revolutionary party, everyone was volunteering to carry out the noble task of bombing."

In the end the three kids got down without doing anything to RAG. RAG also got down at the same stop as those kids, and the kids being nice ones, offered him help because he was lost. But he being a bully was not interested. And they parted their ways.

You might be wondering, how would the kids manage next time when they would be bullied? They have a mentor in bully’s class and those two do not get along. The mentor would be glad to help the kids always ;).

My experiences with a NGO

2008-06-26T11:08:00.011+05:30

My friend Sowmya, recently wrote a poem on her experience at Aashayein. In simple words she beautifully described what we get from Aashayein. (I wish she publishes it somewhere, so that everyone gets to know ... I hope you are reading this Sowmya and now you know what to do!). When I tell people that I work for a NGO, some of them give "sounds jazzy" looks, others think that we work for the "tag", the rest are supportive and say "You are doing good thing for the society".

More than doing good for the society, I think we do more good for ourselves. We learn many things. When you see small kids smiling and rejoicing you feel in a different world. A world full of laughter and fun. A world where you see, how easy it is to be happy with few things in life. A world where hope always survives.

At the end of the day, I leave with a feeling, that I might not be doing great things but at least today I tried to help someone. I tried to bring a smile on a kid's face and I have contributed howsoever little it is, to his future well being. I guess I have put it in simple words here because what you feel then is inexplicable. Perhaps this thought of a fellow Aashayein member, will help communicate my thoughts better, "when an old man says thank you or a kid comes running, hugs you and cries, such moments leave you with a tear in eye and you just stand there and smile".

Knocking on heaven's door!

2008-06-16T19:57:00.018+05:30

Weekends for me are time to relax and laze around at home. I am sure my friends, especially the ones in Bangalore would not mind writing it on a stamp paper . So for a change, last weekend I decided to go for a trekking trip. Trekking is something I always wanted to try, hence I joined Shilpa and her office gang to Ebbanad. Ebbanad village, is about 45 mins drive from Ooty.

The journey towards Ooty was nothing special to talk about because I was sleeping through most of it, unless woken up by a Himesh Reshammiya song or occassional flashes of camera. 5' o clock in the morning we reached and stopped some kms before Ooty and the only thing I could say about that place was "WOW". I was mesmerized by the beauty of the place. The green lawns of nature, cool breeze,sky covered with dark clouds, this was heaven! or should I say knock on heaven's door :) .

From there, we started out journey towards Ooty, where we reached around 6.30 AM. A guy by the name Chandu was suppose to pick and take us to the cottage which was our halt for about 1-2 hours before we start for Ebbanad. Chandu decided to play some game with us and kept us waiting for about half an hour after saying that he will be coming in 10 mins. Early morning breeze was a pleasure, but not everyone had the patience to wait, so R decided to address every passer-by as Chandu ( Thank God, no women were passing by!!!) and SJ decided to find the coordinates of the position of our tempo traveller because Chandu said wait right opposite Hotel Preethi Classic Towers and apparently, we were not. Thankfully, the wait ended soon and we went to the cottage. The cottage was an old colonial house with old radio, fire places, big kitchen ,etc.

After the breakfast, we proceeded for our destination, Ebbanad, from where we were suppose to start the first trek towards Beermukhu temple. I dont remember the exact height of the temple or how much we climbed, because I was busy trying to catch up with people and gasping for breath. Finally, when I reached to the top of the mountain, I felt the pain was worth taken. The view was mystic, we were actually on top of the world, surrounded by clouds. At that point, I was reminded of what my friend Gagan, rightly said earlier while climbing "How small we are in front of mighty nature!"

Next, the plan was to trek down the hill, reach the base camp (sounds fancy! ;) ), have lunch and start jungle exploration. At the base camp, which was a cottage of 2 bedrooms we all got ready to start the trek. Getting ready involved, applying salt solution to prevent ourselves from leeches and carrying the rain gear. The guide did not let me wear my cute rain coat with flowers :( , asked me to enjoy the rain and leave the "city" habits at the cottage, which I agreed to after cribbing a little ;)

Initial part of the trek was fun, with everyone stopping every 2 mins, shouting "leech...leech". When Prasan pointed out, that how we were missing the beauty of the jungle, after that some of us started concentrating on the path we were taking, while others like SJ were still busy with their research on the leeches. With leeches choosing Gagan as their meal for the day, SJ also managed to learn how to "operate" and remove them from patient's body. I did not expect to see wildlife considering the time of the day we were trekking and the noise we were making. Since I had no expectations to see wildlife, I was enjoying the jungle, the bushes, the thorns and the leeches. My favorite moments of the trek were, when we used to stop at the mountain top and I could see the whole world, the beautiful world :)

After the trek, we decided to spend night at the "base camp". Sitting around the camp fire, we heard experiences of our guides, how they saved themselves from herd of elephants, how they spotted tigers. The passion with which Sham, one of the guide, was talking with, was moving. His attachment to the place was clearly visible in his words. After the chat session, we went to sleep while Sham and his partner decided to spend some more time near the camp fire.

Next morning, I woke up at 6'o clock and the cold of the place reminded me the cold in Delhi, which I have been missing for last 3 years. Early mornings especially in mountains are a pleasant sight for me and I always look forward to it. We decided to move at 8 AM to trek back to the place where we parked our tempo traveller, but as usual we were late again. After the photo session and breakfast we started.

The trek back was more interesting. Sham decided to take us through the untrodden path, so while searching for the way, we were also trying to save ourselves from thorns, trying to move on slippery ground and of course not to forget our beloved leeches.

The next stop was Ooty, where we bought the famous Ooty chocolates and visited the tea factory. The last stop of the trip was Pykara, where we could only enjoy the scenic beauty of the place, Shilpa,Prasan and Kiran's "Gandhiji ke teen bandar"act. But to Shilpa's dismay, R grabbed the limelight, with his tarzan stunts on that tree's branch where Shilpa was hogging the attention earlier.

Before I conclude, I would like to share one of my achievement. Like each one of us, I have also inherited some qualities from my family. Aversion to camera is something which comes easily to us. Thinking of it as total waste, we never bother to smile for the camera and usually the looks on our faces are "I m gonna kill you" or "What a waste" or "Give me a break". I am proud to say that, during this trip I discoverd new ways to intensify the feud further. Do what you may Mr.Camera, I have closed my eyes in most of the pictures :) , so that you never get to see the real me ;)

Heaven is usually associated with death, but for me it is synonymous with something which leaves you mesmerized with its beauty. So when I was listening to Bob Dylan's number "Knocking on heaven's door", I realized how the title (and not the whole song) was perfect for the whole experience, hence the title :)

In the end, I would like to share something I carried from Ooty, Save the forest, Save the Nilgiris , Save the tiger so that twenty years hence when someone visits these forest, he/she can also say "Knocking on heaven's door".

Intelligence and Chauvinism

2008-06-13T13:25:00.004+05:30

Some recent incidents and discussion invoked the thought process and many unrelated things came to my mind(a dear friend of mine believes that the best part about my thought process and hence writing is that it is unstructured! ... well I don’t know to take it as a compliment or do something about it) and the only thread that could connect these thoughts was my favorite topic “intelligence” (I have participated in many discussions on “intelligence”, as to what it is and how do we define it, I feel definition of intelligence is subjective and that could be another topic for my posts. Here the "intelligence" is my way :) )

To begin with, how this thought process started. A recent read triggered the thoughts on “chauvinism”. Having lived in South India for almost 3 years now, I usually come across “North Indian chauvinism” as well as “South Indian chauvinism”. Every other day I meet people who refuse to accept/appreciate other person’s intelligence/efforts/work because they “think” that gender/race/region has not done this thing in past and therefore won’t be able to do it in future also. Another form in which I see chauvinism coming my way is, what an intelligent male friend of mine used to say, “Boys are not suppose to be cute … it does not go with Macho image”. And I used to be like ... what?? huh!! give me break.

Well the second type of chauvinism of being so called "macho" or "girly", is not even worth discussing. Its the first one which leads to this post. I think there is no bigger offence than not respecting a person’s intelligence and shoving it off as “luck” or something else. When it comes from someone who is intelligent, sorry seems to be a small word . Post these discussions and observations, I wonder usually wonder what is the use of being above the crowd if you can not respect others, but on second thoughts it is me who is placing them above the crowd :).

Nurturing Hopes

2008-05-23T20:54:00.003+05:30

This was the thought that kept crossing my mind, when I saw those kids bustling with joy, parents overwhelmed, when they saw their kids on the podium performing, getting prizes. "nurturing hopes" is the tag line of "Aashayein", with which I m associated for past few months. It might appear as another tag line of another NGO, but when you join their initiatives you see how it becomes a reality.

On Sunday, May 18th 2008 Aashayein completed one year of its existence. The one year celebration coincided with the summer camp finale, which was organized for students of Sehkari Kendriya Vidyalaya in the months of April-May. During these two months, they learned dance, spray painting and the likes.

When I reached there I saw all the kids dressed up in their best clothes, waiting for the event to start. You could see the excitement,nervousness,anxiety in their eyes. At 9 AM the event started. First item for the day was vandana and national anthem by kids followed by a hilarious skit. Although the skit was in kannada, audience's reactions said it all. The three hour event comprised of songs,dances, experience sharing by the students. Again I could not understand a single word because they were speaking in kannada, but their expressions, gestures were thanking their mentors, who taught them painting, dance etc. Parents sitting in the audience were equally overwhelmed when they saw their child on stage. Most of these parents have not seen school themselves and perhaps never thought that their kid will go to one.

After the performances, it was the time for prize distribution. Each child was called on stage and given goodies. The happiness their faces, the feeling that "yes, we have achieved something and we are being felicitated" was priceless. What was more moving than these kids' joy was the expressions of their parents'. Each one of them sitting in the audience, smiled, cheered every child who was coming on stage. I could see their admiration, adulation for the children and I could see a hope in their eyes "yes, my child will make a bright future for himself/herself". Aashayein - nurturing hopes :)

Near death experience

2008-05-17T00:25:00.000+05:30

That was the feeling I got that day when I finally entered my room.

Thursday May 8, 2008

As usual I started at 6 PM from office. It was raining heavily outside and I had forgotten my umbrella somewhere! I met my friend Raj at office gate, we decided to go to cafeteria and grab a bite hoping that rain would stop by then. After about half hour, we decided to move as rain was showing no signs of slowing down. Standing at the bus stop while trying to save ourselves from rain we were talking about general stuff, life, people in office etc.

After a while we realized that the buses were going in the opposite direction but none is coming on our side and to add to that the rain has decided to continue forever. Suddenly on the opposite side of the road, a bus stops and the conductor of the bus comes running over the road divider and shouts “come, come … there is a big jam at the next traffic junction, no bus will come from this side and we will take the other route”. There was a stern warning in his appeal, take this bus or stay at that bus stop forever. It had been quite a while since we were waiting and the objective was to reach home, it was definitely wise decision to get in.

Darkness had started to fall and the water everywhere reminded of Titanic movie where we were like the people from the ship and the conductor was the guy who was calling last set of survivors. Since that bus was not of route to Raj’s place he decided to take office cab while I managed to get into the bus.

While going through the dark roads of Whitefield, I was again reminded of numerous English movies where survivors are taken through such routes after an alien attack or bomb blasts. Here we were saved from a disaster called “Bangalore Traffic Jam”. Well those of you who don’t know what jams in Bangalore are like, picture this. If I would have taken the bus on my normal route, I would have got stuck just 4 kms away from my home for at least 3-4 hours without food, water and fresh air, not to forget the puddles of rain water on either side. I could have completed about 4 round trips in that much time walking!

Anyways coming back to my journey, the rescue bus serving its purpose to humanity was warning each bus on its way not to take that route as the “monster” jam is awaiting them. The driver even got down at places where his voice was not audible to the driver on the other side…crossed the road and went all the way to warn him. People got into the bus with the looks of "thank god you are here to save me" on their faces when they saw the drivers and conductors. Finally after 30 mins of journey when I reached my stop I saw the chaos what bus conductor was talking about, long queues of vehicles on the other side crawling every 10 mins. All the passengers in the bus were thankful to god that he sent his angels as that conductor and driver who saved them from the disaster.

To blog or not to blog!

2008-05-17T00:11:00.000+05:30

That was the question I have thinking upon for the past 3-4 weeks. After I shared some of my writings with friends, they advised me to start a blog. After snubbing away the idea many times, here I am, to share, discuss, talk, feel and experience things.