Wednesday, December 29, 2010

... "One kind word can warm three winter months."...

... i wonder how i fell out of this simple habit! ... i mean... all i have to do is fire this site and then start hitting the keys ... in any case i cannot match the depth of thoughts coming from Rokr... nor i have the flair of GarryZ or ChanZ... and i realised that i am also lacking the 'touch' of ChitZ ... but then i am what i am (oops!) ... and thus i must continue the way i started ... with the purpose with which i started and with the same intensity i started with...

... and just as usual i was distracted by the FB... two strikes in a row is a very bad score... very bad... so i will be at the 1 lounge with A-MG ... sometimes NOT having any plan should be the Plan-A ... and thats it! ...

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

... "your intelligence is my common sense"...

... my favorite bloggers are not blogging and this is rubbing in on me! :-p




... meanwhile, u guys enjoy this video! :-)

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

... "...sometimes seconds are longer than the usual..."...

Thought of You from Ryan J Woodward on Vimeo.



i am seriously not in that frame of mind where i can pen down my thoughts in coherent manner and hence the video! :-)

Saturday, December 11, 2010

"Flying is the second best thrill to cheerleaders; being caught is the first."

... i guess past month has taught me a very important lesson... no wait!! ... i am pretty darn sure that i have learned very important lesson during past month... :-) but then i had a plan and i was improvising it anyway... and then came the Viral and then my parents and then ... some of you already know the story... to cut to the point i am 'better & better' (to take the tag line from my company's Ads!) ... in terms of awareness towards my finances, health, profession, family, worldly possessions and etc and etc...

... thanks SRW for all the support during the crisis... A-MG for letting me know u guys are available... Mom and Dad and Ka for awl the important things (and Money of course!)

... thanks GarryZ for writing in... NinaK for the advice...


... " ... and then i realized, she is no more... working in this company! ... " ;-)

Thursday, December 2, 2010

... "Poetry is what gets lost in translation" ...

... aha! here it is! my blog! ;-) ... main to isse bhool hi gaya tha! ... mera baccha! ole! ole! ole! ...

... and if u think i am not making sense then maybe MAYBE you are right! :-p

Monday, November 1, 2010

..."I will miss you!" ...

... tragedy stuck today!... one of my uncle expired in hyderabad... and what's bothering me is that i never met him... ever! ... strange as it may sound... strange it is... i still can't believe what has happened this afternoon ...

... i pray for his soul... and i pray for buaZ and for all the family... may the lord give them strength in this tiring time...

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

"Of all the animals, the boy is the most unmanageable."

... those who've been interacting with me during this past month will agree that there wasn't much change in my routine and YET i missed out writing my blog!! ... to be honest there is no excuse and ... just when i started typing this i was hit-upon things to do... now usually this remains in the confines of my head and it just remains there, however i am feeling compelled to strike off the items ASAP...

... and now that i feel better than before lemme keep this momentum going by writing some meaningful stuff here... alot of things actually... m not sure where to start from so i will do it randomly... me and Amogh decided on one fine night that we should go for a 'trip' ... and i am not talking about the overnight trip to the nearest hill top with sufficient fluids and clothes and of course some edibles...

... we were interested in more of a pukka trip to a pukka tourist destination and only with friends... and then we went off to our respective floors and dozed off... and then sometime back his parents paid visit here in poona... and then his mom invited me over the dinner... and then during the casual conversation i was again offered to visit their hometown... of course i told them that i would be delighted...

... so on another one fine night we decided to move one step closer to making this trip a reality... and he immediately called his brother(s) to ask about their opinions/schedules etc ... and in next 15 minutes we booked out train tickets to one fine 'hill station' about three hundred kilometers North-NorthWest from the Zero Mile location...

Sunday, October 24, 2010

..."There is no point climbing the ladder of success if you lose respect with every step."...

... the title of the post is shamelessly copied from GarryZ's FB profile... now that i have made the confession i feel light at heart!... ummm.... not exactly!... i mean... i never felt any burden in the first place! ;-) ... honestly! ...

... this whole month been very very hectic... and that is just one of the zillion excuses i can think of for not writing my blog... and as of my close friend often reminds me... "you can think of any excuse just to justify yourself!" ... i dunno if it is a good thing or bad... maybe it depends upon the excuse or the situation or the action requiring the excuse... just like almost all the decisions we take in life... u cannot group them either as good or bad... there is so much grey area involved that it wud be foolish on the part of us mortals to be able to distinguish...

... i have no idea what i am writing about! ... i hope things workout for me!! ... inshallah!

Saturday, October 23, 2010

... "People who hate you are just the confused admirers, because they cant figure out the reason why everyone loves you"...

... what can i say... love u Ka, Kittu, NikkiZ, AaD, MoD, ShaD... and get well soon Pooh! and don't worry about anything... this too shall pass... u just need to take care of ur self first... and Jaggu! i wish u all the best for ur future... whether in aastralia or umrika... i guess Pandhi and Talla and Manee are already there somewhere... get in touch with 'em...

... thanks AaD for sharing Mod's number! ... it was goody goody feeling talking with her... (btw i cudn't give her the mazze wala surprise... but still!) ...

... thanks Sharad for the 'dinner' ... i can't forget the first runner up in the musical chair contest! ;-) ... phew! ...

... and i tried calling RokR... cudn't get through... and it was naaaaiiiceeeee talking to mom and grandma earlier tonite! ... i am loving it!...

Friday, October 15, 2010

...“Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase.”...

... slight course correction in my flight path... i've set the ball rolling... and one small step towards one giant leap... may the navratri bring-in what i am aspiring for... amen!

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

... "If there’s no one to capture your smile; be your own photographer." ...

... ah! ... aha! ... argh! ... and similar expressions were aplenty past week... and i forgot to post the final installment of the 'four giggles and a bhai' series... in-fact i had to end it hastily... and those who are aware of my style will agree with that...

... but then i cannot guarantee the consistency of a professional writer blogger ... i am the male version of the 'Plain Jane' ... and then i found this on the FB profile of a friends' better half! :-)


U often hv a fw relations in life dat r nt very close to ur heart n neither cn dey be named, bt wn u think abt those people n what dey r facing in life- despite d fact hw dey behaved n treated people around u, u tend 2 pray n bless dem silently. Coz...

“Everybody in ur life, good or bad hs certainly contributed to mk u a distinguished individual n it’s solely on u, wt u reap out f it- d best or d worst!”

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

..."four giggles and a bhai (part 3)"...

... who would have thought that with bridges crumbling over and roofs falling like bungee jumping, we will be able to host the Commonwealth Games on time... the key word is 'on time' ... the ability to host the Games was never questioned, it was the never ending delays and corruption and all that was giving all the jitters to all of us... or atleast to those who cared and bothered about their own reputation... after all we are now connected to lot more people who in-turn are connected to a lot more people spread across the world... it's not that the local politicians will face the axe, it's the 'image' of the country that was at stake ... and thank god (or was it the Army?) we made it a spectacular event and not only that... the news just came in that we have won another gold...

... but then this is not a CWG news update... this is my blog and i am in the middle of a story... and if u have come this far without noticing the titles of the posts (highly unlikely!) ... i must say it for the record that this is the third part of the story of my dinner out with NikkiZ... and of course along with three of her colleagues ...

... it was almost a deja-vu ... me driving to Sayaji after office to meet NikkiZ ... except for one crucial thing... the roads were empty and so the drive was smooth... and while i was waiting at the lobby, i was glued to the flat screen LCD... with some news channel repeating over and over and over again the Ayodhya verdict... and then she arrived... dressed in red kurta and matching sandals... and with the longest-happiest-hi-on-the-earth i cudn't care what was blaring on the TV...

... we went back to her room and chatted away for a while... and then arrived 'Green' and 'Grey'... so called because they wore such colored clothes later in the evening! duh! ... and after brief intro i returned to the room while the ladies walked away... and then enters 'violet' ... i never knew she was 'inside' ... so we had tea and some cookies and then we were off to the MG Road...

... as i mentioned earlier... i cudn't memorize the route to MG Road... so my best bet was to reach up-to the nearest point and follow the road signs... but then road signs in pune are like engaged employees in an IT company... our trip started pretty good... the Mumbai-Bangalore highway provides one of the best route for that unwinding driving pleasure... enough turns to keep your steering wheel oiled...

... and then the confusions started mounting and then i lost track!... NikkiZ came to the rescue and wud roll down her side of the window at almost every corner of the road... and then on one such occasion we turned from the 'one way' and there was a gang of policemen waiting for their share of kill... i was asked to 'pull over' and talk to the 'sahib' ... NikkiZ: "what are you doing? just drive away!... do u want me to take the wheel and drive?" and with four pretty ladies and totally lost me ... not to mention my language handicap AND it was the 'verdict' day so policewale will be 'extra' vigilant!!! ... i stepped outside murmuring "i have never done this before!"

..."so u want to pay money? fine!" NikkiZ was NOT helping on this one!... while i was arguing convincing the thug like tthulla that i am not used to this area and i was asking for directions... guess what? violet came over and took my side! ... actually i was surprised! i wasn't expecting any of the ladies to step outside and i was getting very upset... i mean VERY upset... but then the senior tthula simply responded "aage jaa ke left turn" to violet's continuous query "hume MG Road jana hai!" ... so there was a hush and we returned to the Vista and continued...

... few more turns and then we arrived on the MG road... and then violet's memories came rushing back... "there is a mall somewhere here"... "where is the barista?" (or was it CCD?) ... "Dorabji's??" ... i felt like a deer in the headlights! ... and then we *finally* reached the SGS Mall... eggaxtly opposite to the Dorabji's! ... jai ho!

Monday, October 4, 2010

..."four giggles and a bhai (part 2)"...

... i am not sure what is the 'good' time to write a blog post!... or rather what are the factors that translate an ordinary, non exciting, bland blog post to oh-my-god-this-is-so-freaking-good stuff!... i am not sure about that... so what do i do? i just go ahead and start typing... rather punching on the keyboard... random thoughts as and when they connect with each other...

... i was on phone with an old school friend... he was trying to reach me and i missed his call then i called back and he was in some meeting and then he called and i was driving and then i called and he missed the call!... and to top it all... i later kinda forgot to make a follow through... and then he called just now... i could hear the 'hum' of the local train he was in while returning back to his place from office... and with the usual hi and hello and kaisa hai and job kaisi hai and stuff... (i forgot to ask about his wife though!! :-| )... my phone battery died... in fact it's been on the death bed since long...

... the real shocker came this morning when my phone would shut down switch off immediately after switching back on! ... i sent an SOS sms to those who might try to get in touch with me and then still kept this old relic with me... i have been using this phone since 2007... and this is one of the most basic ones... and what pissed me off that the battery played this prank on a monday morning!... i mean... i took leave on friday and saturday and sunday was my weekly off... and in these three days of extended holiday it was working just fine!... the old mugger decided to 'die' on a monday morning! ... what the eff!!...

... oh! u might be wondering why i took leave on friday AND saturday clubbing it with my weekly off sunday... u r not wondering? well... anyway!... you see... we get these Special leaves... just a fancy name for the casual leaves... and since these cannot be 'accumulated' after the calender year... we are 'forced' to use them... and i had ten of such leaves in my account... so bang! i applied for the two day leave and made it an extended holiday! ...

... now this was before i received the call from NikkiZ... it was on thursday afternoon... and she said that she was in town... and this was not any ordinary thursday we are talking about... there was some electricity in the air... and may i say some strange excitement... not the oh-this-is-going-to-be-fun kind of excitement... mebbe it was uneasiness ... everyone was hooked on some kind of news dispensing medium... and the afternoon was getting hotter already... the verdict of the Ayodhya 'dispute' was to be made public and the city was getting close to a complete shut-down...

... and combination of some work 'issues' with the excitement of my weekend and her phone call drove out the very thought of the court verdict from my mind... so while we were planning the time of rendezvous and trip down to the MG road for 'shopping' on the phone, the weird look from my colleague (and a friend) made me wonder what's wrong with him!... after i said the last 'okay' and disconnected the call, he made me realized that it was the 'verdict day' and travel to city is not advised... well... atleast i can visit to Sayaji... so i thought...

... and then came the email from the APAC that the HNJ teams can leave early and in any case i was leaving early... so i drove back to my room... on the way to get a glimpse of the car washing facility and it was closed... i could sense the eerie silence on the roads and the thin traffic and blazing sun and not-so-clean car!!! ...

... and just now i realized it's late and i guess i need another part to complete this story ... so keep commenting and keep reading and keep encouraging! :-)

Sunday, October 3, 2010

..."four giggles and a bhai (part 1)"...


... the absence of an internet connection at my room has been a blessing in disguise ... the only way 'out' of this 'problem' was a different proxy server address to access FB and Blogger from the office... however it wasn't that fun...

... to cut the month long story short, i used this 'disconnected' time in pretty neat way... first of all, my sleep deprivation was negated... then i finished The Tipping Point and then started Blink and i was so buoyed from these literary successes that i started Outliers parallel to Blink!! ... it was the summer of 2007... only in a different room...

... and though the month started with tragic event... it ended with a dinner with my cousin and her three colleagues at a 'dhabba'... and i hope u have guessed why this post was titled that way... and i think this is only the second time the title and the content are linked directly...

... it was NikkiZ's birthday last week and the verdict of 'Ayodhya Dispute' was expected as well... the verdict, however, was 'postponed'... but u can't postpone a birthday; especially if it was already 'marked' in the calender close to two decades ago... so i picked-up the phone and dialled her number... and perhaps for the first time i heard a 'sleepy' hello instead of the 'longest-happiest-hi-on-the-phone' u can imagine!... so i started with almost formal introduction of mine... and then i got the 'longest-happiest-hi-on-the-phone' u can imagine... apparently she lost her phone on her last official trip... and guess what? she lost all the numbers as well! duh!...

... and then she told that she was 'ambushed' by her colleagues... and got the birthday party... which went on late (i am not adding anything new to the trend, right?) ... and she slept very late so ... well... but she managed to pass a crucial information... that she will be in poona soon and then we can catch-up..

... so just when i was doing the mundane stuff some reading/replying the emails... i saw her name flashing on my mobile phone screen... the venue was same as the previous one... so i can skip the google maps... however in the excitement i overlooked the fact that she and her colleagues (i thought it was colleague!) were planning to go to MG Road... and then without the Internet connection at my room i never had a chance to 'memorize' the route from Sayaji to MG! ... and guess what??

(part 2 on it's way!)

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

..."If you drink don't drive. Don't even putt"...

... i lost two posts in three days! :-( .... this is not good! ... will get back soon with details! :-) ...

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

..."The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell"...

... itz been quite some time... although with the festive season on and almost everyone engaged with some or the other activity i feel my nano-hibernation wasn't missed much... in any case, this month started with not-so-good events... a close friend lost his uncle and then some trivial office stuff kept me un-hooked from Internet...

... another big contributor to this absence was my ISP ... apparently the Tata Indicom Broadband customer service people are more concerned for the bill payment rather than quality of the service... so i asked them to terminate the connection... and which they did... and to add insult to the injury, Tikona and MTS both failed to give me a new connection because of less than required signal strength in the vicinity...

... so now... every day after reaching my room... i take my own sweet time to refresh myself... read the entire newspaper... and then some more... and then i pick any book that lies on my bookshelf... and then read it!!... i feel so revived and refreshed for the rest of the evening that i am now going "early to bed and early to rise"... and of course i am feeling better & better everyday...

... with my company's appraisal still unclear, there is a visible distress in office... and this adds to the other trivial stuff that i have to take care of... i do hope that things will workout for better... so to conclude this post ... "aawl izz well" ...

Monday, September 13, 2010

..."There's only one thing that can kill the movies, and that's education."...

... sometimes i wonder what is more difficult: making new relationships or maintaining the old ones! ... any answers? ...

Thursday, September 9, 2010

..."There is a fine line between coincidence and fate"...

... this month has not started on a good note! ... i hope things change soon... and Rokr made another inspiring comeback on his blog... keep posting mate! and GarryZ u are hereby 'tagged' to complete the questionaire i answered in my previous post...

... pray for me and my friends! ...

Friday, September 3, 2010

..."Stupidity is permanent; ignorance can be fixed."...


... it was refreshing to get a message from Chitz... my perception about her is of one reclusive blogger, probably because she has far better things to do in life than to type endlessly about the day's or week's saga... ;-) ... and all she 'said' was that i am tagged!... now u might have read my 'reaction' on being tagged earlier so i won't repeat that... on the brighter side, it feels good to know that at least some stranger is kind enough to remember and send a message across! ... :-) ... so to complete the tag here are 3x7 things about myself....


3 places i would pack my travel bag for

I spent considerable 'impressionable' time of my life in Simla (also called Shimla)... and given a chance i would love to go there again (pity it is not the same anymore!)... would love to add more hilly and cold destinations especially European ones ... then in the second place, with some mystic charm, comes the Arabic countries including countrysides of Afghanistan ... and in the third place is the bright and sunny Greece ... with colorful landscape and winding roads to unwind ur mind...

3 On-Screen characters i love to watch

... quite difficult to list down three... i like the characters who portrait loving and caring and devoting relationship... in thick and thin of life... i think i have posted some characters in one of the earlier post... okay okay they were only of the women characters but then u should get some idea na?

3 moods that describes me the best

attached - when with my family and some close friends
detached- when with people i know are back-stabbers and snobs
happy- this is usually all the time... i can't let this life ruin my time spent on this planet! ;-)

3 things i always think of doing on a weekend... but never did.. :)

clean my house, join the gym and go for a long drive with friends...

3 things from my childhood that i cant forget

cassette cover of Neil Diamond and the tape reorder, my sky blue bicycle, my toy car with doors that would open!!

3 things i wud never say no to

food, usually sweet one!; quiet time spent alone or with someone i can't write name of; being a sounding board to friends and family

3 things i cant live without

internet, books and pizzas (i am trying to cut down on the third item and haven't eaten one since past one month!)

... and i have done away with the tag rules... why? arre! meri marzi! ... if u do feel like sharing these trivia about urself then u r welcome! :-D

while i try to figure out way forward in my life and my next post ::
"
Your patience may have long to wait,
Whether in little things or great,
But all good luck, you soon will learn,
Must come to those who nobly earn.
Who hunts the hay-field over
Will find the four-leaved clover.
"

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

..."You Look Good, I am Fine. Thank You!"...

... it's goin'to be a fine night tonight, it's goin' to be a fine day tomorrow ... i am so neck deep in such trivial (or so they seem!) matters right now, that i can't think straight about things that are more important in my life...

... i need peace ... love ... care... and maybe a shoulder to keep my aching neck happy... i need a break and if i were to face God right now... oh-boy! She will have to face some real anger from me, the mortal! ... She better remain engaged in some more un-worldly work...

Thursday, August 19, 2010

..."The danger of the past was that men became slaves. The danger of the future is that man may become robots."...

... so how many mails u get on an average in a day? ... and before u read further... guess the number... and NO this is not any quiz or anything...

... the thing is... i received a letter from my sister today... and the envelop also contained the rakhis inside it ... and i asked about the mails and not the emails ;-) ... the old school style, hand written letter... albeit in a very poor handwriting... but who cares! ...

... i have read it 5 times since evening and have taken three photographs of it! :-) ... and in another photograph i tried to pose with the letter! :-D ... it is so freaking fun getting a letter in this manner... with zillions of emails and attachments and FB status and Chirkut scraps and all ... this form of communication is so touching and effective and personal and makes more impact on the reader than any other way... err... barring the phone call and video chat... but then the fundamental requirement of a phone or a computer with a broadband is just a little too much for a large swathe of population...

... do u know u can still send a postcard? and inland letter? and if that sounds oh-so-poor-middle-class u can start writing a letter on a paper with a pen... to anyone u care writing a letter to... put it in an envelop affix postage stamp and then post it... provided you still remember where the heck is the letterbox!!! yes! it was of red color! ...

... you don't have to write it to your distant relatives... try posting a letter to your sister or brother who resides in the room next to yours... or to your mom who resides in... errr... the kitchen most of the time... or to your dad...

... see the expression on their face once they open the letter and realize that it is not a bill or cheque or spam (the original one!) ... i think i am going to do just that... after all u have to reply to a letter na? it is the custom bhai! ... remember? "patr ka jawab zaroor dena" ...

... i am off to watch Qurbani ... not again ... i didn't finish in the first sitting! ... and btw Zenat is so maasha-allah! ... "laila-o-lailaaaaaaa... aisi tu lailaaaaaa" ... you got the drift...

Wednesday, August 18, 2010

..."Every song ends, but that's not a reason to not enjoy music."...

... for the first time in my life... i went inside the vault... The Vault!... can u imagine? ... MP asked me to come along to discuss with this guy about this proposal for our project and there i was... inside one of the most well guarded places on the company premises...

... and i met in-person with one of my school alumni... she happens to work inside The Vault... and all these months i wanted to meet her... talk to her... and there it was... all over... in less than 45 seconds... one of the briefest and coldest 'first meeting' with someone... anyone actually... but then i am happy....

... u have to take the small step before u can take that giant leap...

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

..."If you ever need anything please don't hesitate to ask someone else first."...

... its been quite a week... wait!... it is only tuesday!... i mean... its been quite a 'week' since i last posted here...

... remember i told ya about the movie we went for last weekend?... i mean I went along with AS? ... well... it was on a Sunday and it was (i think!) Aisha... the movie was okay and all... and it was then that we decided that it is actually a pain in ... well alot of areas whenever we have to go for a movie on a Sunday... i mean the logistics and all is pretty darn tiring!... so rather than going on a Sunday we should plan the similar schedule on Saturday... and it was readily agreed upon... BUT! ... August 14th was booked and not for a movie but a 'party'...

... its been VERY long time since i attended the Independence Day celebrations... i mean ... more than a decade or so... it used to be fun in school... the best part of the occasion? motichur ke laddoo ... and they were oh-so-yummy-fresh! ... the feeling of deshbhakti and all was one thing ... i am talking about the innocent and pure ecstasy about celebrating something that was is important and it had to be preserved because we acquired gained it after giving qurbani and all...

... i am talking about motichur ke laddoo ... and all the sweetness they would bring... i want to write more but... i gotta watch this movie and then have dinner and then sleep and then... well... u know... get up early in the morning and then gotta go to office...

Saturday, August 14, 2010

..."Work is the curse of the drinking classes."...

i m off to AS's place for the party!... u enjoy the blog post originally written by our company's President::

...psst... no news of the appraisals yet! :(

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Many of my colleagues were concerned at my reaction to what they perceived as “negative” feedback. They needn’t have worried. I’m delighted that many of you cared enough to comment publically. It takes a great deal of courage to volunteer an opinion in the way that more than 50 of you did, and I couldn’t be more pleased. Some of the comments are sobering, and others are misplaced. However, one of our values is to be “straightforward and honest” and I think that many of you who took the time to post are embracing that value fully.

Disengaged Management?
One of the consistent themes of the postings is the limited interaction between managers and their direct reports. Recognizing management as a “role” and not as way of deferring status and additional compensation is a major concern of mine. The role of the manager is critical to the evolution of our company. It is central to our ability to scale and grow. However, it is unfortunate that whilst many managers want to stimulate the development of highly-engaged employees they do not see themselves as active players in the process.

Sometimes, this comes from a mistaken idea that an employee should be totally self-motivated. Other times, it comes from the view that the “company” is responsible for employee engagement. In this context, I’m not sure who the “company” is. In fact, employees should be self-motivated, but the manager or supervisor plays the key role in setting the climate for that motivation, and for employee engagement.

I can't overstate this point.

If a manager wants his or her team to be motivated and engaged, it is very likely that he or she will have to change. If they don't, any team is doomed to failure. If you look at teams in other contexts, you will quickly realize that leadership determines success. A sports team has a coach. A symphony orchestra has a conductor. These teams don't spontaneously develop without effective leadership; they develop and grow with the help and guidance of a leader whose job is not to control, but to teach, and encourage; and – when necessary – organize. A good way to describe the role of the manager is that of a catalyst, a force that causes things to happen for other people, and for the team.

Managers as Catalysts for Improvement
Some success factors that enhance a manager’s ability to perform his or her role well include:
1) Highly developed inter-personal skills
2) An understanding of basic psychology regarding what makes people engage and perform
3) The capability of balancing between tasks (getting the job done) and people (ensuring that team members are satisfied with the process of getting the job done)
4) A willingness to listen and ability to communicate – Managers must have a preference to listening and understanding, rather than controlling and talking
5) Demonstration of a sustained commitment – Managers must commit themselves to the team, and not give up when the going gets rough, or success is slow to come
6) Consistent behavior – Managers must behave in a consistent manner regarding team work because managers who sometimes encourage team process, and then sometimes bypass the team, confuse the hell out of everyone
7) Walk the talk – A team takes its cues from the manager; you cannot break inter-personal rules, fail to listen, and use autocratic prerogatives, and still expect members of your team to believe that you really value working together
8) The ability to deal with the problems of team members – Sometimes a team does not have the internal resources to deal with a member that is uncooperative, or so unskilled in group behavior, that he or she becomes a barrier; a manager must be able to coach when necessary, problem-solve, establish consensus, mediate and –ultimately – deal with the problem

To practice these skills, the manager needs – first and foremost – to engage. This is a first step in any relationship, and yet it’s the biggest mistake that I think managers within our company make. I have weekly staff meetings with my direct reports. I also have a two-day face-to-face quarterly review. How many managers ensure that they have the same level of interaction with their direct reports?

Managing for Effective Engagement
Many of the managers I’ve spoken with have said that they have too many direct reports – particularly those managers who have responsibility for staffing, or our hourly-paid employees. Whilst I empathize with the challenge, I also believe that in these circumstances managers need to be proactive, work smart and appoint team leaders who will share the load and responsibility for “managing” the team.

Since my last blog, I’ve asked a number of managers how much time they spend with their direct reports. The responses I’ve received have been disappointing, and yet extremely revealing.

Most managers don’t have formal staff meetings. Nearly all the managers I’ve spoken with don’t gather their teams after the quarterly briefings, to reinforce key messages. When company announcements are made (e.g. organizational changes, corporate initiatives, etc.) most teams do not get together to discuss these important issues. It is no wonder that we have a communication challenge in this company; when our managers are not talking to their direct reports.

I urge all of you who have direct responsibility for people within Tata Technologies to reflect on your performance as a manager. If you don’t have staff meetings, then start having staff meetings. If you don’t have time set aside to interact with your direct reports every week, plan to do so. Take responsibility for solving many of the problems that were raised following my last blog posting. My job is to create the environment in which you, as managers, can effectively execute your responsibilities.

It’s your job to manage!
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Friday, August 13, 2010

..."I would never die for my beliefs because I might be wrong."...

... was feeling low in any case... so thought of doing this 'tag'...::

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1. How did you get one of your scars? – ah! unwillingly through a painful event! :-)
2. How did you celebrate your last birthday? ummm.... at my company along with my team mates, thoughtful enough to order a cake and all! :-)
3. How are you feeling at this moment? tired and sleepy!
4. How did your night go last night? good!... was on an outing with a close friend and his family...
5. How did you do in high school? do wat? duh!
6. How did you get the shirt you’re wearing? i bought it like most of my other clothes! :-D
7. How often do you see your best friend(s)? one of them is in my company, on same project so daily!... others are always available on phone!
8. How much money did you spend last month? who are you? my wife?
9. How old do you want to be when you get married? i am old enough to get married!
10. How old will you be at your next birthday? exactly one year older than i was at my previous one!
Nine what’s:
1. Your mothers name? i already filled that in my college admission form!
2. What did you do last weekend? oh! i went for a movie with a friend! :-)
3. What is the most important part of your life? being alive with no physical disabilities and caring and loving FnFs...
4. What would you rather be doing? taking my dinner with a movie playing along...
5. What did you last cry over? argh! this one is overheating my grey cells! :p
6. What always makes you feel better when you’re upset? someone looking at me and passing a smile... trust me it feels so good!...
7. What’s the most important thing you look for in a significant other? this is tough to answer... :-p
8. What are you worried about? becoming another TBG!! (no offence to ze original TBG!!)
9. What did you have for breakfast? white bread and sprouted dal!
Eight you’s:
1. Have you ever liked someone who had a girlfriend/boyfriend? Yes! Yes! (and No! that is not for two different persons!)
2. Have you ever had your heartbroken? Yes! Yes! ( this time i think it is for two different persons!)
3. Have you ever been out of the country? i fly to home... so does that count as 'away from the mainland'?? :-p
4. Have you ever done something outrageously dumb? Yes!
5. Have you ever been back stabbed by a friend? it was a pretty close call, so Yes!
6. Have you ever had sex on the beach? nah! it's so ... umm... sandy sandy!
7. Have you ever dated someone younger than you? Nah!
8. Have you ever read an entire book in one day? it was close call, so No!
Seven who’s:
1. Who was the last person you saw? i saw "her". i see "her" does that make any sense???... then leave it! :-p
2. Who was the last person you texted? MG
3. Who was the last person you hung out with? AS and SRW... i am pretty available awl the time...
4. Who was the last person to call you? SRW
5. Who did you last hug? Romeo (remember??)
6. Who is the last person who texted you? MG
7. Who was the last person you said “I love you” to? ah! i will pass!
Six where’s:
1. Where does your best friend(s) live? one at drivable distance and others at flyable distance
2. Where did you last go? to my gaadi's service station
3. Where did you last hang out? Star Bazaar, Poona
4. Where do you go to school? there... right right! yes! there!
5. Where is your favorite place to be? to be wat??
6. Where did you sleep last night? wat a silly question!


Five do’s:
1. Do you think anyone likes you? liking someone is a broader term, be specific!
2. Do you ever wish you were someone else? No! (trust me!!)
3. Do you know the muffin man? muffin wat?
4. Does the future scare you? not enough to wake me up from sleep!
5. Do your parents know about your blog? not sure! i guess not!
Four why’s:
1. Why are you best friends with your best friend? there is no answer to that question, u can't have reasoning behind it...
2. Why did you get into Blogging? first time because i thought it wud be cool, second coming because i was in pain and wanted to vent it out!
3. Why did your parents give you the name you have? wait! i neva asked! ... (though i know the story behind my 'pet' name!!!)
4. Why are you doing this survey? i have "alot of free time" ... some one said that... in a very sarcastic sadist tone... and we were not even on the phone!
Three if’s:
1. If you could have one super power what would it be? heal the pain with my touch, ANY pain...
2. If you could go back in time and change one thing, would you? m not sure... may be yes, probably not...
3. If you were stranded on a deserted island and could bring 1 thing, what would you bring? a satellite phone with built in GPS... duh!
Two would-you-ever’s:
1. Would you ever get back together with any of your ex’s if they asked you? don't have any Axes! :-p
2. Would you ever shave your head to save someone you love? to save someone? as in from baldness?? :-D
One last question:
1. Are you happy with your life right now? may not be completely...but Yes!
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... don't forget to comment :-)

Thursday, August 12, 2010

..."In modern business it is not the crook who is to be feared most, it is the honest man who doesn't know what he is doing. "...

... it was quite an evening with SRW and his family... at the soft opening of the Star Bazar in Poona... and even though we missed the opening ceremony , where the chief guest was Mr. Noel... we had a good time there anyway... and then the hot dhaniya and jeera parathas with the traditional makhhan ... simply yummy! ... pizza nahi to yehi sahi! :-D ... i am loving it!

... the food court there is awesome and the crowd was good! ;-) atleast today it was! :-| should i visit there 2moro as well?? mayby on sunday??? :-D

... i must catch some sleep now...

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

..."Eighteen holes of match play will teach you more about your foe than 18 years of dealing with him across a desk."...

... it worked! ...

... as i am writing this, i feel content about the way this day unfolded and is now crawling into the the darkness... dry and warm and breezy... my 'no-holes-barred' lashing on those who were not following the practices put in place for our project made a good impact... i was feeling a little nervous after the meeting... "i should have shown restrain" and stuff like that... but hey! who is suffering because of that?? if i am responsible for some quanta of work and it involves a big team with members from different functions (a.k.a CFTs) then it is the prerogative of every darn individual to step in and keep every one on the same page or at-least keep *that* one person in loop who is going to answer the whole bloody progress... i was getting sick-and-tired about fire-fighting and clarifying and clarifying again and filling the communication gap...

... neways... there have been more updates on the project's partial status in past 24 hours than there were in past 7 days... i am already feeling good about it! ... apart from it ... i learned a lot in one of the CAD platform we use here... i had to make a design proposal and this [long-phrase] duffer has already proven his in-capability... so i decided to take the initiative and do some CAD work myself... and it was very very humbling... i learned somethings and at the end of the day i was proud of the work done...

... and then there was this one a li'l embarrassing moment... while driving away from my parking, at the end of the day in office, i passed two PYTs who were looking in my direction and before i cud notice (and nod!) i moved away pretty fast and then realized that my Vista was all covered with mud... dried over two days in baking sunshine! ... sheh! ... i felt so... ummm... bad... that i went straight for the car wash... and got it all cleaned...she is so yummyly shining in the streetlight right now! :-D

... and it was my cousin's birthday today as well... and AJA dropped by to say hello... and she smelled good! :-) ...

... and it seems SRW is having a bad weekend! ... :-| ... u take care champ! may ur network card comes to life and u get 'ek botle petrol' as well! ;-)

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

..."Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."...

... i have found some very interesting stuff to keep myself engaged with my laptop... i have yet to start exploring it, and i am pretty excited about it...

... and i must mention about couple of incidences before my grey cells give-up on me... first was my comment in response to the blog post of the President of my company... his last post was quite... ummm... very well responded by the employees... with exact 60 comments... this was the most popular blog post of our President... and thanks to the kind of response it got... he decided to do a follow-up post as well... and today we got the emial about it... first to comment was one of my team-mate... and i was supposed to post another comment immediately afterwards... however i had to visit our 'planning shop' and the after posting my comment... i found it appearing third! neways!... better late than never...

... second important thing that happened today was my outburst in our project's weekly review meeting... while i have been trying to impart some 'best practices' gyan to my extended team about the project management, communication and wat not... all is going in vain... in-fact the communication gap is now wider than the grand canyon... so when i was asked, in a connotation that i am NOT doing the work i was assigned, i told everyone what i thought needed to be told to everyone... why crib later on your blog and with your friends... you have to rise to the occasion sometimes and vent it all out... (thanks Chanz for igniting the fire!) ...

... and while i was about to close this piece... i recalled... i got a very important piece of software code today ... a friend helped in procuring it... and i must devote more time in 'going through' it... while i can't disclose more about it... all i can say is that i am pretty happy about it...

... and i am happy that Rokr took time from his busy schedule to comment on my post! it is not a common occurrence people! ... and i am eagerly waiting for his latest work of art...

Monday, August 9, 2010

..."Today is the tomorrow we worried about yesterday"...

...many a times i feel blessed... and this feeling usually remains in the less understood world of the sub-conscious... it has happened on more than one occasion and it happens on fairly regular basis that i notice this 'blessed' life consciously... ever wondered what is that makes human life special?... and if i may say better than some of the other species sharing this planet with us...

... what makes human life better is the fact that you as a human can read this blog and your pet can't! ... and before curse me with that word you use with your gang let me tell you that i started writing this para with different state of mind and then decided to go the lighter way...

... and boy-oh-boy it feels great ;-) ... and now we must start with the adventure trip of the Saturday... i was feeling impatient, for the whole day in office... and i was going through all the emotions and feelings that flood during such anticipatory meetings... when you have to meet someone in the evening and you haven't seen that person in a long time and you have good memories of old times and since you have spent some time together there is some common memories to laugh to sigh and to crib and then there is this funny feeling about the meeting itself... about 'catching-up' on the old times...

... so there i was rushing on the highway with raindrops splashing on the windscreen and music blaring on the speakers and my fingers dancing on the steering wheel... i was flowing with the traffic and i was not even angry at the stupids behind the wheels... and this eagerness was not just for my good ol' schoolmate... the tall-darkfair-handsome guy with infectious smile and spring in the walk... the eagerness was about meeting him along with his oh-so-beautiful-better-half...

... Romeo... so addressed here because his name starts with R... and Juliet ... his oh-so-beautiful-better-half ... so called because her name starts with... you guessed it right! J... ah! and now wipe that smile off your face... so i was eager to meet this loving and charming and caring and friendly couple... and i couldn't think of using them with any other pseudo name...

... on my way to his place i called him as well, just a courtesy call... and Romeo informed me that he is 'on-the-way' to home... "perfect!" i thought... just enough time for me to stop-by for some 'take-home' for vahini ... and there i was... on this by-lane on the highway of this 'adventurous' trip ... and just when i thought it may take longer than i have planned for ... she smiled again ... the ever-so-lovely seductively-charming Lady Luck... the parking wala was eager to know how much time i will take at the 'market' ... i asked him "tell me a good bakery and i will come in 15 minutes" and before he could charge his grey cells for the answer, i spotted one right there in front of us ... so i pointed the store to him and "five minutes" i muttered ...

... this bakery was however pretty well stocked compared to the size of it... so i took all my time to scan through the mouthwatering delicacies and then asked this girl to help me out with the stuff... while the 'chocolate box' was almost immediate choice for the Juliet... i thought it would be better if i have some sizable stuff to take a bite on... so couple of muffins for the destination were packed and one piece of pie and one chilled can of sprite refreshed me for the road ahead...

... and as i was inching towards the destination... i tried to match the coordinates i downloaded from wikimapia and google and the verbal instructions from a friendly colleague... and i was doing pretty good till i noticed the PYTs ... WTeF!! this area was is this haute?? how come i neva visited this place? ... and then i realized that i neva had any reason to visit this place earlier... so bad! sigh! ... neways... i was there for another reason... and so i continued with the mental map...

... and after some wait in front of his 'colony gate' Romeo arrived along with his dad... and then we proceeded for his house... and here is the funny part... Romeo neva told Juliet who exactly is coming for the dinner... and it's not that we have met before it's just that i had used my tuti-futi marathi while commenting on some of the photographs on Chirkut... so she has some reference in her mind of me... or that's what i think... and while i was still busy with the 'welcome ceremony' and exchanging greetings he asked her if she can recall me... and 'puneri mulgi' was enough to retrieve me from the vast warehouse of intellect...

... and i must admit that i was feeling so-at-home there that i removed my shoes and socks after a while... and was busy watching some live show from Poona... and was actively involved in zeroing upon the right car for the couple and then... well... we continued chatting for quite late... and during this time Romeo told his father that "he is a very good writer!" pointing at me... "writer?!" i mumbled nervously and he corrected himself by explaining my blog mania... i was startled... i had absolutely no idea that he was reading my blog!!! ... i mean... i have some IP addresses that i have 'labeled' thanks to the technology... but this was a bingo moment! ... i found this new praise very very ... ummm... seductive! ... i remember i saw myself like Chetan Bhagat and Paulo Coelho on the back cover of my blockbuster... neways...


... and then we sat together for the dinner and vahini served along with her mum-in-law and there it was... one of the best smelling most delicious-mouth-flooding-yummy poori and chole and ful-gobhi!... and i was not even aware that it was drizzling outside!! ... i mean... who cares when u are being served such delicacies... and as if this was not enough there was more! ... then came some traditional sweet dish... made of coconut and boondi and sweetened with... well.. something sweet... and this accompanied with custard and the ever so desirable the one and only the best the bestest the rass-gulla ... and i was so well fed that had it not been for my uniform that i was wearing, which reminded me that i have to travel awl the way back to the outskirts, i wud have fallen asleep there!!... :-)

... and the trip back home was even more delightful... when was the last time u raced with a BMW?? ;-) ... more on this tomorrow... keep reading and keep commenting...

Sunday, August 8, 2010

..."The day I am afraid to do that is the day I am no longer fit to lead. "...

... i set a personal target to post precisely 31 entries this month... which would mean precisely zero 'no show' ... a feat that many of us would boast of in our school time... ninety nine won't do ... the attendance has to be one hundred percent... and before i get more nostalgic about the school time i want to put it on the record that i failed in keeping that particular personal target... like some of the other personal targets that i had set for myself... but hey! that's okay... because this time i was having good time... it feels great meeting old friends and devouring maa-ke-haath-ka-khana...

... the past Friday was almost a freak day... it started and then progressed with some high temper and halla... however as the day was coming to end i was feeling... well... tired... and while i was posting my last adventures i was already exhausted with the frayed nerves... and then there it was... the ever-so-charming Lady Luck... oh-she-is-so ... umm... neways... she smiled and Vikz pinged... it was yet another goody-goody chit-chat with an ol' shipmate friend... and then i pestered him for paying a visit to Shirdi and Nashik... and also suggested him to make it along with another ol' shipmate friend... and then... cop'la minutes later we ended the conversation...

... and then another cop'la minutes later someone pinged me... the same ol' shipmate friend i was suggesting Vikz to come along with... his name starts with letter R ... so i will call him Romeo... (reasons later)... and Romeo told me that he is in town... and i was ever so delighted... and then he told me that his wife is also with him... (it was very dumb of me to ask "where is she?"!) ... and since last time he they were in town we were not able to meet... this time i suggested him instantly that we meet on Sunday... only to get a straight reply that they will be leaving on sunday... and u don't have be a genius to figure out that the only day we cud have planned out meeting was Saturday... and so that was decided ... and then the co-ordinates of meeting were exchanged ... his present house was the meeting point... and it was is on the other corner of the city i am staying ... and that wud mean i have to make a dash straight from the office in case i have to arrive closely on time... and ofcourse he asked me to stay for the dinner... and i can go to any part of the city only to get one mouthful of ghar ka khana...

... now i am not going to blabber about how the saturday was spent in the office because the fun started from the evening... and the final 30 minutes to strike 1700 hrs were harsh... very very anxious moments... that is the moment u don't want to be in the 'cabin'... for watever reason... and this is true on ANY given day... on a saturday this anxious feeling gets squared... finally it struck 05:00 in the clock and i was racing my Vista on the highway... it was raining and i was not complaining...

... now i have never done this... but i am going to take a break here and continue with the story in the next episode post...

... keep reading...

Friday, August 6, 2010

..."Why should we take advice on sex from the pope? If he knows anything about it, he shouldn't!"...

... my day started didn't started with the good ritual today... i was pissed off and it was not even 0630!!! ... and it is such a trivial matter that i can't even mention it at such a platform... neways... i tried a lot NOT to spoil my day because of it... and even though now i remember reading in my daily forecast in the newspaper about the upcoming 'trouble with colleagues in office'... i kept my calm... and let the music 'take on my nerves'... and of course my car was all washed up ... :-) ...

... but as they say ... it will strike when you are least prepared ... the bolt struck me... in the rabbit's cabin... i was given head start by SRW on wednesday about this issue (let's call it Katrina) brewing on... and to some extent i tried to resolve other (equally) important work on thursday and thought of working on Katrina, still at the horizon and heading towards me, on friday onwards... after some breather...

...and today ... pretty early in the morning ... i was already full with my day's quota of work... calmly put into my lap by rabbit... when i got the phone call from SRW ... he reminded me of the urgency about Katrina and i immediately started working on it... when i was called by rabbit in his cabin, the messenger was his pet tail-wagging-arse-licking-ever-depressing-pessimistic-duffer-to-the-core kongo ... i walked in with my usual confidence... head high shoulders straight and spring in the walk...

... and then started blah-blah-blah and i had to answer blah-blah-blah ... and there was some more Blah-Blah-Blah ... and i replied with Blah-Blah-Blah ... and then there was some calm... the 'solution' was provided by rabbit... and i suggested some improvisation which involved rabbit's pet the tail-wagging-arse-licking-ever-depressing-pessimistic-duffer-to-the-core kongo... and while i agreed for the long term solution...the short term solution... the fire extinguisher involved tail-wagging-arse-licking-ever-depressing-pessimistic-duffer-to-the-core kongo ... and while we were in the rabbit's cabin he nodded with scary resemblance of that of a daug! ... and we walked towards our respective seats...

... and then this tail-wagging-arse-licking-ever-depressing-pessimistic-duffer-to-the-core kongo came to my seat and asked "tum kya keh rahe the wahan pe? mujhe samjha nahi"... and i wanted to say that you tail-wagging-arse-licking-ever-depressing-pessimistic-duffer-to-the-core agar samjha nahi to wahan kyon nahi poocha?" ...

... lekin office ki maan maryada ko dyan mein rakhte hue maine apne upar kaabu kiya aur fir conversation thoda progressive banane ki koshish ki... lekin tabhi tail-wagging-arse-licking-ever-depressing-pessimistic-duffer-to-the-core kongo ke super-duffer excuses ko sun kat mera fuse ud gaya... and then the conversation became almost free-for-all-use-all-mouthful ... almost free-for-all-use-all-mouthful ...

... i walked away... and one glassful of cold water and one facewash later the day progressed with cold glares and mincing teeth...

... had it not been SRW's arse on the line-of-fire i wud have taught tail-wagging-arse-licking-ever-depressing-pessimistic-duffer-to-the-core kongo some lesson in the art of taking responsibility...

... to end this post on a lighter note... here is the saar of Ramayana::


Poori RAMAYAN biwiyon ki kahani hai...

Laxman apni biwi ghar pe chhodkar chala aya.

Rawan doosre ki utha ke fas gaya.

Hanuman ki apni thi hi nahi magar doosre ki dhundhne mein Lanka jala dali.

Ram ko apni wapas laane ke liye 10 din tak war karni Padi.WapasLake
bhi kya mila?

Ek dhobi ne apni biwi ko wapas ghar mein nahin liya,to Ram ne apniwali
ko out kar diya.

Aur end mein kya hua?

Jis biwi ke karan itni badi ramayan hui wo to underground chali gayi!

Abhi socho,itna jhamela hua kayko?

Kyun ki Dashrath ki 3 biwiyan thi!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

..."If you ask me anything I don't know, I'm not going to answer"...

... it requires a little more than 20 days to develop a habit... and it takes abundant and perhaps unmeasurable amount of conscious brutal discipline to keep it that way... and if i am not making any sense it is because i just returned from the Service Center and after four days my Vista got some replacements...

... the scratch was painted over (rash driving by the service station guy during first service!)... combi-switch replaced (was sticky in operation!) ...one head lamp replaced (water condensation inside the sealed unit!) ... chrome plate on the bonnet replaced (it was burnt because of the Inter-cooler overheating!)... fuel lid replaced (it was cracked since inception!)... burnt fuse replaced (the reason why i saw the white smoke from the AC vents)... and the leather on the dash will be replaced later ( the glue was no good and the wrinkles can't be repaired!)...

... i guess my car has claimed more warranty with-in six months than they (us) ever thought of... no wonder photographic proofs were asked from the service station... should i sleep happy or drive like i love to drive???

Wednesday, August 4, 2010

..."Some folks never exaggerate - they just remember big."...

... i am not sure if u have heard about the "disruptive idea" theory/concept ... however i can bet my one week old grown up beard that once u know or read about it, u can sense that the it holds true in our day-to-day events... no matter how well u plan or u think u have planned there is that one element that can will change how ur day is going to unfold...

... so i was supposed to get my vehicle today from the service station, i was planned to leave almost on time from the office and then write about some entertaining events that occurred on previous sunday etc. etc. ... but nah!... my Lady Luck is ever so seductive and charming and loving and caring and what not... that first she decided that my can won't be ready for me... then SRW will persuade me to go to this shop for purchasing a mobile phone...

... and as if this was not disruptive enough... i asked him to go out for a pizza (WTF!! again???) ... so he cooked up a story at home for coming late... and then SHE smiled again... we were told that a particular offer was not available... so we were pissed off and decided to go to the McD ( i know that is pathetic!) ... and then on the fly i realised that there is Dominos' ... and there we were... now as if the pizzas' choices were not enough they killed me with the confusion on the offers... finally we i ordered a family size pizza for two of us...

... and now fully stuffed and tired to core i am wondering how i ended up writing this much when all i wanted to say was that i can't write about the entertaining events that happened on previous Sunday... sigh!

Tuesday, August 3, 2010

..."I don't believe in God but I'm very interested in her."...

... i wanted to narrate the Sunday story... got caught up in office ... now not left with energy to type that much so here is a fast copy-past job...

the song is "Damn, Sam (I Love a Woman that Rains!)" by Ryan Adams
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As a man I ain't never been much for sunny days
I'm as calm as a fruit stand in New York and maybe as strange
But when the color goes out of my eyes its usually the change

But damn Sam I love a woman that rains
Clear as a bell and sound as an old engineer
Clear as a bell and sound as an old engineer
With talented breezes that blow off your hat with a sneer
As a man I've never been much for talking to
I'm as open as the door in her house that leads to her room
And when the color goes out of my eyes she's usually too

But damn Sam I love a woman that's blue
As a man I aint never been much for sunny days
I'm as calm as a fruit stand in New York and maybe as strange
But when the color goes out of my eyes its usually the change

But damn Sam I love a woman that rains
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PS: i have written two hundred and two posts (including this one!)... and my blog will complete one year on Aug 30th! ... thanks :-)

Monday, August 2, 2010

..."If at first you don't succeed, cheat, repeat until caught, and then lie!"...

... the knocks on the door were getting louder... and there was some coughing and noises... i knew it was morning and it was not THAT early... still... i knew it was Sunday... and i was not in mood to move drag myself out of bed to answer the door... and then i heard my name being called... in a voice that was more familiar than the others... my landlord had arrived... and it was ten in the morning!...

... argh! i recalled that i woke-up earlier and put-off the alarm before it can... well... wake me up... and then i went back to sleep... i guess... but now i cudn't escape... i had to answer the door and he mumbled something and i gave that sneer and then he looked around and then he left... but the damage was done...

... wait-a-minute ... what did i put that alarm for?... it was a rhetorical question... ah!... my car had to be taken to the Service Station...(i know GarryZ is smiling now!) and this reminds me that i missed mentioning one another important event that occurred past week... and i wonder how i missed mentioning that!...

... one fine evening past week... while returning from the office, i dropped a colleague (who also happens to be a friend) on the way and just when i was less than 100 meters from my place... i saw a white puff of smoke coming out from my AC ducts and there was this smell... something had burned... i pulled over to the side and switched off all electrical accessories ... switched off the engine and waited... coming out of the car first and then waiting was another option... but i never executed that one... and after 30 seconds of anxious moments i cranked the engine and went straight to the nearest service station...

... it was six in the evening and there was only one person over the counter... and the moment i started narrated the incident he interrupted and told me that it is six and it is closing time and that was the 'tipping point'... i blasted him first and then went over to have a word with the Works Manager and then he assigned another engineer and after few "diagnostic" moments later i was asked to leave the car for the check-up... and since i was not in a mood to do that at that particular moment... being already pissed off and then it was late in any case... i told him i will do that on Sunday...

... so there i was... with sleepy eyes and unkempt hair... sitting on my bed and wondering if it is late for the service station trip... so i completed the morning business in jiffy and called the Service Station... the lady on the counter told me to come over ASAP... and voilà i reached there ASAP ... and then i realised that i forgot to break-fast! grrr... that was how my stomach was talking to me... and this was despite of the pizzas and garlic bread and pepsi i devoured previous nite... sheh! kabhi na mitne wali bhookh! :P ... so i asked the receptionist there to arrange for Tea ... and i slipped into the sofa and started enjoying the morning newspaper, while some show 'India got talent' was running there... i finished the newspaper and devoured some more time on the magazine... i was actually not feeling bored at all... in any case it was Sunday and it was drizzling and i was not in any mood to go anywhere...

... and that is when i heard someone calling me... i looked over and it was the same guy i vented my anger the other day... and since it was a different morning... i tried not to let my previous emotions ruin this day for this young chap... so i patiently narrated the issues and he kept logging them on a page... i could see he was running out of the space... he suggested that i leave the vehicle straight away and i was pretty okay with that... on one condition that he arrange a drop for me back to home... as the gentle drizzle had turned into rain... and then he said that there was no driver available... and before my temper raise it's head again... i suggested that he collect the vehicle Monday morning from office... and he agreed...

... so now i was free to go back... and then i called this friend of mine who moved out last nite from the floor above mine to the floor above my landlord... and he was more or less ready to go... he had to take bath and all but then guys are speedier in such tasks so i drove to my landlord's place... and the good thing was that he had not eaten since morning... so we thought of going out and then a movie as well... in next 15 minutes we were on the way to the usual place for our movies...

... and then i could see the trailing cars on their way to the parking... and the red sign of 'Parking Full' was already up... and this was on a wet Sunday in NOT the posh Poona ... and it was 1315 hrs!!! W.T.efF!!! ... now we had two options... either to park the car at the other shopping mall on the exact opposite side of this one and then take the subway to kill time OR drive to some other place...

... we chose the second option and he called another friend to inquire for other 'good' multiplex in the vicinity... and meanwhile he asked me to keep driving... his gut feeling was that this 'other' multiplex is close-by... now the truth is that i love driving and add rains and low visibility due to clouds and well maintained roads... and i can take you anywhere... even to the moon... so while i was enjoying the music and drive my co-passenger was on phone getting the instructions LIVE on the phone ... who needs GPS eh? ... anyways... we realized that we have overshot the correct turn...

... more confusion followed on the 'actual' turn to the multiplex ... and we were not complaining... to cut the chase (i am disappointed that i have to...) we watched the Inception... to end the Sunday...

(i will be bringing a detailed version on the Multiplex hunt and movie selection and some more excitement... keep visiting...)

Sunday, August 1, 2010

..."I have introduced myself. You have introduced yourself. This is a very good conversation"...

... it was turning out to be another Saturday... nothing extraordinary... however... some events... rather series of events... unrelated to each other... had occurred... and some were still occurring...till late nite...

... the thing is... all of us in our company are eagerly waiting for the Appraisal Letters... i mean u have NO idea how eagerly... EVERY mail from the APAC or HR or any official NOT related to E&D was given utmost priority... so much that the 'Send/Receive' became the most clicked button after 'Delete' in our MS Outlook app...

... so when one fine morning we received one such mail... about our President posting on his blog there was a swarm in the office... everyone even remotely aware of the word 'blog' ended-up on the link... and some people (including ur's truly!) were also busy in 'spreading' the awareness about his latest post... and dear-oh-dear... it has become the MOST read and MOST commented and MOST viewed item on our corporate intranet till date!!! ...

... and as if the hell broke loose in response to that post... the comments and the arguments and reasons and the anger and the frustration and every possible emotion except the ecstasy (and related ones) were flying in all the directions... phew!

... and then one Friday morning while i was busy gearing up for the office... AJ pinged me on Gtalk... now he is one guy who has kept himself insulated from the adverse effects of technology w.r.t social networking, to a very good extent... so i was mildly (and pleasantly) surprised seeing his 'Hi!' on the screen... to cut the chase ... he wanted me to make some arrangements for some trips... and even after some frantic phone calls and requests for favors i felt kinda bad coz his wife had to close the deal on her own... although seeing the bottom line today i am happy that the things worked out for 'em...

... so now that i have mentioned today i must continue from the morning... but nah! wat happened on Saturday MUST go on the record! ;-) ... one of my colleague staying at the floor above mine was moving out on saturday... and my landlord, being the good man he is, helped him... so while all the guys were busy packing and all... an idea, that i have executed on prior occasions as well... was put into my mind (... i am already inspired by the Inception! ;-) ... ) and it was simple... all that we had to do was to sell the raddi and the money that we would get will be spent on the Pizza and stuff... now this time the idea made even more sense... in terms of the money we might get... this colleague of mine had apparently never sold the old newspapers to the scrap dealer... so all i had to do was open the boot of my Vista and fill it to the top... with the good old newspapers... and boy-oh-boy it was trunkfull...

... and we ordered what we thought wud fit in that budget and sufficient for us... but when u have spent the entire saturday afternoon packing and moving and unpacking your hunger has no bounds... so while i collected the pizza, others were busy in moving and un-packing the stuff at the far away lands... and when they came back and opened the Pizza box... our jaws dropped... not because we were starving... i mean not ONLY because we were starving... our jaws knew no bounds of the ground beneath and they followed the gravitational pull without any effort...

... we realized immediately that the pizza was insufficient for the workforce sitting around it... and i had to make the emergency phone call to the PHD for repeat order... and then we waited... slowly munching the mozzarella and whatever topping was there... while the pepsi flowed like anything... and then it arrived... the second batch... and then came the signal... the stomach was quiet... all the growling and whining was gone... the eyelids were falling over... had trouble keeping them 'upright' ... and the speech was... well... ummm.... i dunno... i felt asleep...

... it was the knock on the door this morning from my landlord that made me realize... it was Sunday! yippie! ... and now the story begins...

Friday, July 30, 2010

..."When you jump for joy, beware that no one moves the ground from beneath your feet."...

i am posting an email forward... just not in a mood to 'write' a post! :-)

----------------------------------
Two men, one American and an Indian were sitting in a bar and discussing about their family problems. Shot after shot.

The Indian man said to the American, 'We have problem in India we can’t marry the one whom we love, You know my parents are forcing me to get married to this so called homely girl from a village whom I haven't even met once.' We call this arranged marriage. I don't want to marry a woman whom I don't love... I told them that openly and now have a hell lot of family problems.'

The American said, talking about love marriages... In America We can marry the one whom we love ……I'll tell you my story. 'I married a widow whom I deeply loved and dated for 3 years. After a couple of years, my father fell in love with my step-daughter and married her, so my father became my son-in-law and I became my father's father-in-law.

Legally now my daughter is my mother and my wife my grandmother. More problems occurred when I had a son. My son is my father's brother and so he is my uncle.

Situations turned worse when my father had a son. Now my father's son, my brother is my grandson. Ultimately, I have become my own grandfather and I am my own grandson. And you say you have family problems.'

The Indian fainted........!!!

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

..."work to learn, not to earn money!"...

... i was on phone with my mom few minutes ago... and made an innocuous query... "kya kar rahe the?" ... "hum Gita sun rahe the!" ... the background 'music' assured me it was on some religious channel i couldn't care more... i have seen numerous 'Gita saar' posters during my formative years... in various forms and with various images' combinations and in various places...

... i wonder if there is more to Gita than just the saar ... i mean... the Gita is a part of the larger conflict and it seems very kiddish focusing on the gist of the lecture given in the midst of the battle which happens in midst of the colossal conflict of Hindu mythology...

..... argh! sheh! ... i left this post hanging here... started at i dunno wat 6.30 or so... and it's 8.30! ... don't even remember wat i wanted to wrote! :-) ... i guess since i am feeling somewhat better i can leave this post... consider it abandoned! :-D

Monday, July 26, 2010

..."The victor will never be asked if he told the truth."...

... the worst thing that can happen to you is realization that you are completely and wholly incapable of coming to terms with the fact that you are in such a sticky situation which is a result of inexplicable circumstances occurred in past or occurring right now with mathematical accuracy in-line with the theory of probability... and to rub the salt on the wounds... this realization comes with absolute positive and profound clarity out of nowhere... it could occur while picking the banana from the buffet lunch... or while trying to walk swiftly through the drizzle without the protection of the umbrella... or while trying hard to make sense of the conversation on the mobile phone only to notice that your phone is about to die for the lack of 'charge' ...

... had a chat with my mentor today... i was am so confused about my higher education program that even one of my closest friend was not making any sense ... every word he (my friend) was uttering was falling dead on my eardrums... i was am so upset about not being able to make any headway in the chosen path of mine that i fear i may snap on someone very badly ... and this is going to occur in office for sure... ek taraf to dus-dus saal puraane duffers bharti kar rakhe hain aur doosri taraf appraisals bhi nichore hue nimboo ke maafik dete hain!

... and as if this is not enough... i am not getting any good news from the home front... good news as in news that would make you smile... i need a click... may the holy mother of divine powers have mercy and blessings on my family...

Thursday, July 22, 2010

..."Don't argue with people who write with digital ink and pay by the kilowatt-hour"...

... every movable or unmovable entity in all the universes (including ours!) operates in a Cycle... you may call it with any name including the cycle of Birth & Death... i would like to call it The Cycle of Transformation ... IMHO there is no such thing as birth or death ... these are the, so-called, buzzwords... like the "Re-cycle" ... used so often and with such dispassion in today's vocabulary that their true essence has... ummm...died!

... all of us follow The Cycle of Transformation... and there are zillions and zillions of cycles within every individual entity... and not only that... these cycles of each entity follow their own timeline of low and high... and are influenced by the zillions and zillions of cycles of entities co-existing in their universe...

... and in case you are dangerously approaching that state of mind called confusion or boredom, i must assure you that this blog post will not let your mind fall into the abyss of unconscious wandering ... infact if you have made it through this far i must admit that you are able to comprehend english! ;-) ... alright! the reason i went into this 'philosophical' state of mind is that i am now under the dual attack of cold-n-fever ... actually it's more of cold and mild fever...

... so had to leave early from office... the doctor was unavailable and i can't find the last prescription i got from him; most probably i left it on the chemist counter... ate some over-the-counter stuff with large cuppa tea and popped some paracetamol... slept and now awake again... second round of tea with bourbon taken and guess wat? ... i started reflecting upon some things from past present and future... and ended up punching this stuff on the notepad...

btw i met a former colleague... who happens to be on a official trip to poona, for copla days... we met at the time of our joining this company... in dilli... apparently like all those people born and brought up in the 'Northern' part of the country... he couldn't take the gastronomical shock of maharashtra and add (or subtract) to it the delicate art of people management and u get a ' perpetual homesick'... so he left the organization and moved back to one of the trusted names in the 'cooling' apparatus... of course somewhere in north...

... coming back to the cycles... what i want to say is that we as humans have certain 'advantages' to 'understand' the reason behind actions and events that occur in the close vicinity (and sometimes in far away places) and then make use of this understanding to become more aware of what are we doing right now and how this will affect the future...

... which in more humble terms means whether to switch your job or go for higher studies as part time option or full time higher studies or continue with current company with newer assignments (by specifically asking for it) wagerah wagerah... i am getting a little weary and the flight path adjustment depends upon some of the factors which require more clarity... i do hope "this too shall pass" ... i am a patient man ... :-) ... and down with cold i can assure of that...

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

..."The most pleasant and useful persons are those who leave some of the problems of the universe for God to worry about."...

... i woke up this morning with a sneaking smile on my face... unusual for me but it was there... i cudn't help it... and i was not in mood to wipe it off... so i left it there... and went about the morning business... the moment i stepped out of the house i cud see the drizzle ... and the smile was turning into a grin...

... for the uninitiated... i am an absolute "dry day" lover... whether i am well sheltered or not i despise rains... i am utterly absolutely no "rain lover"... in fact i am closer to being "rain hater"...

... as i approached my mode of transport i felt like jumping in joy... the sparkling clean porcelain white body and the black roof and the alloy wheels and the radials were "oh-so-clean!" ... aur hon bhi kyon nahi ... i made a pran yesterday that i will get my Vista cleaned ... and no matter what...

... the determination was so strong that even though it started pouring the moment i stepped out from my room yesterday evening... i continued with my plan... and even though a minor detour threatened my schedule i improvised and continued and thanks to the sincere effort of SRW i was able to reach the Utkarsh car wash ... and utkarsh it is...

... so there i was ... driving my clean car in the evening of cold and wet evening... the whole idea of spending some money on the car care initiated few weeks ago...

... "In your city today and tomorrow" ... the message was clear and it was still early morning... i mean... i barely dragged myself out of bed... and there it was... the short message landed at my phone... now an sms this early is usually another forwarded sms from my younger siblings... so i continued with the chores... just before stepping out of the house, however i decided to peek into it... and it brought the surprised "boyish" grin... the one u get when recall one of your "younger" school teacher...

... i decided to call and confirm later in the day at some convenient time... however i cudn't hold myself... and decided to call her the moment i reached office... and heard one of the most charming energetic and longest "hi" u can ever deliver over the phone... so she told me that she will be here for two days on business trip and i told her to meet in the evening... her hotel address sms'd and located (thanks to Google maps!)... and the itinerary fixed...

... it was another "feel good" event... meeting her in this swanky hotel... i am not sure about the star rating though... the tea... the dinner... the ambiance and her stories... she is such a master of story telling ... kept me hooked with her so-well-timed pauses and gestures and expressions... so after the dinner she asked if we can go for a paan... now this was purely for the reason that she wanted to go out... she's been in the hotel since morning and so... as we approached towards my car... i was already thinking of excuses of not keeping it clean... however it was something else that caught me unaware...

... it was a piece of newspaper and the unkempt seat cover... she simply picked that paper up and laughingly said "ye kya hai?"...and gestured towards the seat... now the tone and pitch and all other effects u can imagine with sound meant only one thing... i felt mildly embarrassed... and totally goofed-up... "err... it's a new car!" mumbled sheepishly ... "WTF!" i thought "saari izzat ka kachra nikal gaya!" ... the whole situation was making my ears red... mebbe also because all this time we were with one of her colleague as well... who had joined us just before the dinner... so u can imagine the tight spot i was in... "waise it appears to be well maintained for the duration u mentioned" she said... i congratulated myself for the consolation prize...

... and then i decided... i took the pran to get it cleaned... and prepped up... and that was the reason i was sooooo happy this morning... now if you or that femme friend of yours need that ride in the city... you know where i am ;-)

PS: i am doing fine now... been on the meds for the surprise stomach trouble... buggy water and the weather...


>>>EDIT: i forgot to mention WHOM i met... well... it was my cousin! ... (thanks Garry for the clue...)

Sunday, July 18, 2010

..."... naa des mera, naa mitti meri; main hoon banzaraa meri hi zameen pe ..."...

... it seems the circumstances are not permitting me to write on some issues (some serious ones...) ... meanwhile... i went to watch the movie 'Lamhaa'... the whole experience was okay... my cousin's B'day and the pizza and the drive in drizzle and the movie of course... i feel the movie was a crap... if u have seen the 'The Hurt Locker' u will instantly notice the botched copy paste scenes...

... while i have 'experienced' some of the similar stories i can tell you that it was a very very bad attempt to make the movie this way...

... however some of the songs were beautiful and one of it was the 'Main Kaun Hoon' ... following are the lyrics and i would say it's better to get the audio cd and read the reviews in the newspapers...

--------------------------------------------------------
welcome to kashmir
yahaan ka mausam aur mahol kabhi bhi badal sakta hai

bullah kahe, tu kuch bhi nahi
main bhi kahun, main kuch bhi nahi
bullah kahe, tu kuch bhi nahi
main kuch bhi nahi

na dais mera, na matti meri
main hun banjara meri hi zameen pe
main kaun hoon
kyun apne jahaan mein
main hun ajnabi
main kaun hoon

this long cannot go
panditon ke naam par
kashmiriyat ke naam par
aazadi ke naam par
sabhi shaamil hain


naa jaane kyun aisa hogaya
begaani huwi apni jagah
naa jaane kyun apni hi taraf
uthti hain sabhi ki ungliyan
ab to yaqeen khud pe bhi nahi
anjaana hai har lamha yahaan
nazrain churaey, aankhain jhukaey
kab tak jiyen ham is tarah
kesi khata thi jo yeh saza di
ham ko kahin ka na rakha

jannat thi apni sarzameen
sufi ham ko kehte sabhi
ab to koi mujrim, koi aatangi keh raha

main kaun hoon
kyun apne jahaan mein
main hun ajnabi
main kaun hoon

na dais mera, na matti meri
main hun banjara meri hi zameen pe
main kaun hoon

chehre to sab ke hain haseen
par dil mein hai bas aag hi
bujhti nahi jo jal rahi
jo puche barhaa

main kaun hoon
kyun apne jahaan mein
main hun ajnabi
main kaun hoon....

Friday, July 16, 2010

..."If you're gonna ask someone to save the world, you'd better make sure they like it the way it is."...

... falling in love with someone ... want to fall in love with someone ... want someone to fall in love with you... what am i missing here? ...

..."it's complicated!" ... over the years i have met numerous people... i liked something or the other in them... i remember something or the other about them... i felt good when i met them ... i feel good that i met them... and wonder how they wud react if i they stumble across me around that corner...

... my school teachers(*)... my class mates from my first two standards (because i changed school afterwards...) ... my cousins living in distant lands... i wanted to write the names of awl those whom i remember from my early days of existence... however i realized that it may intrude into their privacy ... and besides it will be quite a huge list... so to make-up for the loss ... i am listing some of the 'screen names' of the characters played by some of the female artists in movies...

... the list is not exhaustive and if u have seen the movies or know about the characters then u can get some indication about the women i feel something for... ;-) ... don't spend too much time here...

> Summer in "Definitely, Maybe"
> Lorri in "The Rookie"
> Elena in "The Mask Of Zorro"
> Shalini in "Dil Chahta Hai"
> Isabel in "The Fountain"
> Romila in "Lakshya"
> Angela in "Constantine"
> Heather in "Spread"
> Rachael in "About a Boy"
> Hypatia in "Agora"
> Julia in "Original Sin"
> Tessa in "The Constant Gardener"
> Rachel in "The Batman Begins"
> Layla in "The Recruit"
> Illeana in "Taking Lives"
> Finn in "How To Make An American Quilt"
> Trinity in "The Matrix"
> Persephone in "The Matrix Reloaded"
> Malena in "Malena"
> Actress in "New York, I Love You"
> Isabelle in "The Dreamers"

.... i hope to keep this a rolling list of artists... keep reminding me about that...

Tuesday, July 13, 2010

..."What's frustrating about being disliked is that it's invariably for the wrong reason."...

... i feel much better now... one injection and bowl full of pills later... i knew i needed a break... from the routine... and trust me it feels great laying in bed with quite neighborhood... and with no phone calls disturbing you...

... as a child i always wondered what it means to 'nazar lagna' ... it was quite an experience with all the pagan acts... according to those who know these things better... i am prone to buri nazar ... in a way, my mystic supernatural immune power towards the evil nazar is... err... weak... so i have to be extra cautious towards this...

... and as if this was not enough... i have been told that sometimes it is your own nazar can make yo suffer... i think i can take this as an excuse to appear unattractive every time i step outside my place... be it to do shopping or to office or just to take a stroll... but then, who will explain all this to all ze charming ladies i meet everyday in my life? ;-)

Monday, July 12, 2010

... "all you have to do is love"...

... how is that i can be so cold hearted mean person and yet so passionately deeply committed towards those who are close to me? ...

... have i learnt the art of zen? ... am i guiding myself or being guided by the Lord Krshn?... am i the legendary Arjun? and this is becoming the mythical mahabharat? ... or may be this always was... i need my dinner and i need some sleep... i believed Paul's prediction and i believe in my hunch...

Saturday, July 10, 2010

..."i am not obsessed. i am just curious; comfortably numb but curious" ...

... following is the closing part of the transcript from 'American Beauty' ... i always carried some very different connotations about this movie... in the end it turned out to be very very dramatic... almost moved me towards the end... i am impressed how effectively the subtle unsaid love and care and tender emotions were portrayed... i kinda fell in love with the background score... links so effectively with the movie ... like the one of 'The Motorcycle Diaries'

"
It's hard to stay mad when
there's so much beauty in the worId.

Sometimes I feeI Iike I'm seeing
it all at once and it's too much.

My heart fills up Iike a balloon
that's about to burst.
And then I remember
to reIax...

and stop trying
to hoId on to it.

And then it fIows
through me Iike rain,

and I can't feeI anything
but gratitude...

for every singIe moment...
of my stupid IittIe Iife.

You have no idea what
I'm taIking about, I'm sure.

But don't worry.
You will someday.
"

Friday, July 2, 2010

..."Visitors should behave in such a way that the host and hostess feel at home."...

... i call it 'The Vault' ... more popularly known as 'The Studio' ... one of the most protected places in the company premises... it lies in the middle of the 'jungle' ... sanctum sanctorum and u require biometric clearance to enter ... a camera at the outermost gate keeps an eye on you... the intercom provided there has a list of the extension of all the 'stylists' pasted on the wall alongside... if u want to meet 'em u have to call 'em and they will (gladly) come out...

... y i m tellin ya all this? ... the more secluded a place is the more attractive it becomes... and the same holds true for people... and before i end-up saying things that better remain unsaid i want you to enjoy this 'video' ... i am (once again) captivated by the choice of the background score... and while i am searching the mp3s ... u enjoy this 'unveiling'...



... and btw ... i have been searching ONE particular snapshot of Rachel Weisz from the movie 'Definitely, Maybe'... one particular shot... rather one sequence of shots... that makes my heart flutter... that dress... that hairdo... that expression on the face... all that makes it so painfully unforgettable... and makes my life so miserable for those moments when i recall them... and the funny part is i get to see 'her' like that ... even if i don't watch the movie!!! ... so much for the prayers ... finally VLC player made it possible to share the images with you... (the dress is actually red and i have absolutely no idea why on earth it messed up with the colors!!!) ::