Wednesday, April 28, 2010

..."To succeed in life, you need three things: a wishbone, a backbone and a funnybone"...

... the week was going great... "We'll Let You Know"... was keeping my mind and soul and dreams and everything else so entangled that i couldn't concentrate on work... Rabbi was getting impatient... he wud ask every 2 hours on the updates... i mean... he sensed that i am 'lost in the thoughts' ... anyway... Saturday came ... and being in second shift i cud hardly wait to catchup on the sleep... now when u accumulate 30 minutes of sleep deprivation daily... on a weekend all u want is to redeem that sleep quota... however this was not just any Sunday...

... for some reason i cannot imagine... i woke up after seven hours of sleep... i mean ... i opened my eyes and the tiny clock showed 0800 hrs... i thought mebbe it's not working... besides it was quite quiet outside... and then i was sitting there wondering why i am not feeling tired! ... and then with lightening speed i ended the Sunday chores... and it was i guess 1030 when Ajay pinged...

... "maine ek ghar dekha hai!" he said over the phone... and for a nano second i thought mebbe he has decided to buy one... and then, perhaps sensing my "What?" ... he immediately corrected "arre! for rent!" ... "Oh!" ... i think he was still evaluating some options when he asked if i can join for a look... well... i was almost ready... so i grabbed things that i thought i would require and blasted off to his place...

... while the first place we visited was not in MG's and my liking list... after the second and third and then fourth... and we all agreed loosely for the first place... i think Ajay liked the pool... dunno about MG... i think i just liked the ambiance... and the fact that it was only first floor so less walking :p ... i know i am lazy... so don't say it in 'comments' ...

... while returning MG suggested for a movie... and we went back to their place booked ticket for 'The Bounty Hunter' and ... what?... watched the movie... duh!... and as for the movie... well ... i think u can save ur money for something else... say .... some other movie maybe?... or how about some birthday party?... or u can buy some pottery and fill it with water to quench the thirst of all those animals who are passing by... from land or air... or how about stealing some stuff from the flea market (not literally ofcourse) and turning it into one of the most seductive attractive piece of in ur wardrobe... u want some ideas? ... i bet you do... just don't strain ur curves...

... anyways... maid was asked to prepare 'partial' dinner... rest was to be taken care by MG... and once again i was enjoying the 'ghar ka khana' ... with special bhindi ki sabzi... thanks to the improvisation by Ajay... and after a tummy full of yummy food ... we all returned to where we belonged...

... and then it was one monday that i wudn't forget... not anytime soon... i realised my '40 winks' after the 'final wake up alarm' had put me 14 minutes behind schedule... which meant i was still 14 minutes ahead from arriving 'on-time' at office... but then ... it's better to drive like a pro on a highway than to drive like a maniac-in-search-of-parking in office area... so i started with the longer version of vroom... and then i did what is not supposed to be done by 'customers' ... as we call them... :D

... it is a four lane highway... both sides... and it is in the middle of the richest municipality in the 'world' ... i am not checking the claims by the local corporators... and it has NO lane markings... and it is littered by the ars*hol*s on wheels of such magnanimity that even ShooMaykhr (sorry Jags!) will struggle to drive... but then i am not a ShooMaykhr... so i was cruising at 80kph... i vaguely remember that because i shifted to fifth gear... and it was a downhill slope...

... i could see a water tanker crawling along the central verge and a container truck exactly opposite to it... making it a venturi on the road... some bikers who were wandering as if they are there for a stroll in a park... i thought i wud pass-by... i knew i wud... but then the container started and with absolute no regard to vehicles on road decided to take a sharp right turn... the bikers started behaving like bees from a broken beehive... and i panicked... the last thing anyone driving a car wants to do is to 'hit' a biker... and that too with no helmets...

... and then... even with all the 'training' and 'theory' that i have amassed during my stint in automotive industry... i did what we call as 'panic braking'... and i cud hear my tires screaming ... the bikers overtook as if nothing happened ... bastards... and i drove with a gentleman composure... as if... well... nothing happened... actually i behaved as if it was intended... but then ... i knew i was shaking...

... the good thing?... i got my favorite parking place... and then enjoyed the 'vada-paav' in breakfast...

Monday, April 26, 2010

..."Pain is temporary. Quitting lasts forever."...

... if you wake up feeling grouchy and are running late for office and your car doesn't have ABS ... then trust me... you should not drive fast... i mean real fast...

... when they burn that rubbber on TV it looks good... and when they skid that car on TV it looks better... but it is NOT when it happens with u...

Sunday, April 25, 2010

..."Sometimes the most important thing in a whole day is the rest we take between two deep breaths."...

... wat a Sunday! ... and for the record .... i luvvvveed the bhindi and dal and raita and chapatis and salad... Ajay gets full marks for cooking... :p


Saturday, April 24, 2010

..."A perfect summer day is when the sun is shining, the breeze is blowing, the birds are singing, and the lawn mower is broken."...

... when you are visiting a holy place, u tend to develop spiritual thoughts... at least on your way to the 'temple' ... u start the journey with a whisper of prayer... may be a note of thanks to that Almighty who finally 'arranged' to made this journey a reality... and u thank those who ended up with u in this journey or vice-versa... u thank the driver for coming only one hour late... okay!... u don't do that ... but in our case ... i almost did!... i mean... this was my first journey... i do not know how long it will take to reach there and i was pretty 'charged-up' with excitement ... and i have a confession ... i wasn't particularly in that spiritual mode... yet!...


... for me it was a 'road trip' first... albeit to a famous 'shrine' ... and of course ek mauka to pay my respect and perhaps strike some deal... i mean... i feel i am at that juncture in life when u need some push from 'forces of higher nature' ... so there we were...


... now we had one of the best 'darshans' of Sai Baba... that one can imagine... and the best thing.. we were not 'dragged' by the marshals... :) ... so after the darshan and thousand meter walk on the hot paved way (at least it seemed thousand meters then!) ... we were back in the Taxi... the AC was full and we were heading back ... at some point before our journey began... Ajay told me about the sugarcane juice vendors around the Shirdi... apparently the striking thing about them is that they don't use the modern machines to extract the juice from sugarcane... but a jugad... if u want to use that term... and since it was fairly hot and we had already devoured the sandwitches and the poha and upma we had earlier was lost in our intestines... we decided to stop at one such stall... the juice was fresh... the place was... well... deserted... and i cudn't stop myself to ask Ajay to take a picture... and it was MG's phone that came handy...





... we were not feeling that hungry then... i mean... fresh sugarcane juice with Kurkure to munch... and therefore we decided to have lunch after reaching Nagar... Ahmednagar for the uninitiated... another reason for that decision was that our driver was confused about the whereabouts of good place to eat... and as the fate may have it... we were not able to 'locate' any good hotel to 'satisfy our hunger'... i liked that term! :p

...so it was decided that we will have our petpooja @ poona ... i guess MG was not very convinced with the idea... i can only guess what was going thru Ajay's mind ... and being a Piscean i was in a position to convince myself for any argument...

... and as it happens with me every time my mom asks me to join for the breakfast/lunch/dinner... i felt the hunger pangs somewhere after Nagar and lawng before Poona was in the sight... the kurkure and Juice were lost again... but then somehow we arrived with our growling stomachs... and sweaty shirts...

... after reaching Nashik phata we had to decide if we shld visit a restaurant... or order at home... and after several rounds of discussions we thought let our mood decide after physically reaching home... and since i have experienced this several times before... upon reaching there we were simply too worn out to visit any place again... so ... we called the PizzaHut... and after some anxious hungry moments later... our packets arrived...

... now i am hungry!... i mean... it's time... to munch something...

Friday, April 23, 2010

..."If you're in a bad situation, don't worry it'll change. If you're in a good situation, don't worry it'll change"...

... got an email forward today... liked it... sharing it... "dealing with ambiguity" is one of the requirement of the new role i was interviewed for... and while i am waiting for the 'results' to be disclosed on 27th... i am dealing with ambiguity on daily basis in my current role! ... "to be or not to be" ... meanwhile enjoy this piece on 'yearly review':

----------------------------------------------------------------

The Art of Appraisal

Big Boss: This year your performance was good, excellent and outstanding.
So, your rating is "average".

Kumar: What? How come 'average'?

Big Boss: Because...err...uhh...you lack domain knowledge.

Kumar: But last year you said I am a domain expert and you put me in this
project as a domain consultant.

Big Boss: Oh is it? Well, in that case, I think your domain knowledge has
eroded this year.

Kumar: What???

Big Boss: Yes, I didn't see you sharing knowledge on Purchasing domain.

Kumar: Why would I? Because I am not in Purchasing, I am in Manufacturing.

Big Boss: This is what I don't like about you. You give excuse for
everything.

Kumar: Huh? *Confused*

Big Boss: Next, you need to improve your communication skills.

Kumar: Like what? I am the one who trained the team on "Business
Communication", you sat in the audience and took notes, you remember?

Big Boss: Oh is it? Errr...well..I mean, you need to improve your Social
Pragmatic Affirmative Communication.

Kumar: Huh? What the hell is that? *Confused*

Big Boss: See! That's why you need to learn about it.

Kumar: *head spinning*

Big Boss: Next, you need to sharpen your recruiting skills. All the guys
you recruited left within 2 months.

Kumar: Well, not my mistake. You told them you will sit beside them and
review their code, and most resigned the next day itself. Couple of them
even attempted suicide.

Big Boss:*stunned* (recovers from shock) Err...anyway, I tried to give you
a better rating, but our Normalization process gave you only 'average'.

Kumar: Last year that process gave me 'excellent'. This year just
'average'? Why is this process pushing me up and down every year?

Big Boss: That's a complicated process. You don't want to hear.

Kumar: I'll try to understand. Go ahead.

Big Boss: Well, we gather in a large room, write down the names of
sub-ordinates in bits of paper, and throw them up in the air. Whichever
lands on the floor gets 'average', whichever lands on table gets 'good',
whichever we manage to catch gets 'excellent' and whichever gets stuck to
ceiling gets 'outstanding'.

Kumar: (eyes popping out) What? Ridiculous! So who gets 'poor' rating?

Big Boss: Those are the ones we forget to write down.

Kumar: What the hell! And how can paper bits stick to ceiling for
'outstanding'?

Big Boss: Oh no, now you have started questioning our 20 year old
organizational process!

Kumar: *faints*

Thursday, April 22, 2010

..."I want to tell you a terrific story about oral contraception. I asked this girl to sleep with me and she said 'No.' "...

... Amit shared this link and i am re-posting the video ... hopefully the details of Shirdi return trip will be added to this later...



and check this link as well ... (courtesy Amit of course!)

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

..."Of course there's alot of knowledge in universities;the freshmen bring a little in; the seniors don't take much away, so it sort of accumulates"..

... it was 1130 when we 'entered' the Shirdi city... and soon we were chased by the parking attendants... Ajay kept on saying park closer to the entrance and i cudn't see any... however soon we spotted the gate to the temple... and parked in the 'parking area' ... basically it is just some open space with a dangerously open pit on one side... and since the mobile phones are 'banned' inside ... it was MG's hand bag that came handy... another instance why women need such a big bag...for more insight read this...


... "sir jaldi kijiye bara baje ki aarti shuru hone wali hai" ... we were told... i glanced at my watch 1145... also we were supposed to remove our shoes... first thought was to leave them in taxi... and then this guy at the shop volunteered to keep them in his shop... MG decided to keep her socks on... later we realised she did the intelligent thing... actually it was the moment we stepped out of the shop we knew she did the intelligent thing ...


... Ajay and I were all OOH! AAH! ... "Gate kahan hai??" ... apparently we parked in pretty good place... all we had to do was cross the road... however the hot asphalt made those 30 seconds one of the longest and perhaps the most painful ones ... at least in the recent memories... "why do we need such wider roads" was the thought that crossed my mind for a second... i know it was silly thought... but then i was walking on sizzling tarmac! ... now i wonder why they can't build a decent covered over head walk way...


... anyways... we were in the queue and that was comforting enough... i am still impressed by the arrangement they have done for the devotees coming in such large numbers... i mean... multi stories hallways with fans and LCD screens and coolers... it is very elaborate and very well thought of... the blistering heat outside was quickly forgotten...


... the 'darshan' we got was very satisfying... and i can't add more to that... soon we were in the open space ... and next was second round of our 'paapon ki dhulai' ... we came out and landed right on the cemented pavement... oh! i forgot to mention! ... the HOT pavement! ... only this time it was painful... every continuous run was of 5 meters... and Ajay and I were feeling the heat... and literally... while MG couldn't stop smiling!...

... anyways... we reached our Taxi... and we were sweating like pigs... and then started our return journey... the third round of one memorable trip... keep reading... :)

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

..."Life in itself is an ocassion so why wait for another one,Hence i play dress up everyday"...

... it was another 'evening out' at Ajay's place... with a vehicle @ my disposal it has become easier for me to focus more on the destination than at the journey... although once in a driver's seat the journey is as exciting as the destination... anyway ...there i was... comfortable and relaxed and enjoying the cool breeze that is always available in abundance in his 9th floor penthouse apartment... (in my opinion he should buy this place!)... when he disclosed that he is planning to pay a visit to Shirdi 'next Sunday'...and since i have never been to that place... even after spending three years in Poona... i jumped at the opportunity... nothing is more exciting than a road trip with a college friend... so after evaluation of several options and confirmation/cancellations ... it was decided to go there by a hired taxi... with me Ajay and his wife... ummmm...MG?...

... the taxi was to leave at six in the morning... after flirting with the idea that i spend the Saturday nite there... we decided that i will reach early in the morning and have breakfast... and we all then proceed for the journey... so i woke-up @ 0430... ready by 0515 and reached at our 'base camp' @ 0530 hrs... the boiled-potato-roasted-onion-sandwiches were ... yumm... what should i say... umm...delicious... (Psst... Ajay can cook quite well!) ... and thanks to timely intervention by MG they were edible too! ... and THAT early in morning they were 'best-in-the-world' ... along with hot tea... and finally we began our (at least my personal) memorable trip to Shirdi...

... the roads till Ahmednagar... or simply addressed as Nagar... were good... however after that there are some very dangerous pot holes big enough to engulf the trucks ... and i am not exaggerating!...for a distance of a little over 200 kms... we took about four-and-a-half hours to reach there... and with one minor and one big pit stop... the later one was at some roadside 'dhaba' for some snacks... we ordered 'kanda-poha', 'upma', frooti (women u know!), pepsi(boys u know!)and hot tea(smart handsome charming compulsive bloggers!)... anyways... we reached just before the 12 O'clock aarti @ Shirdi... and we were 'stuck' in the queue... it took us a little over two hours before we had one of the best 'darshan' one can expect at such place... however our 'test' was yet to come... soon after coming out of the main chamber we had to reach to our taxi... crossing the hot cemented way and then the 'sizzling' asaphalt... parked at... what seemed like kilometers away...

... having gone there and paying visit with darshan of Sai Baba... was an experience good enough to ignore such 'agni pariksha' ... and when u have had such a good onward trip... can the return trip be less eventful?... nah! ... but for that u have to wait for my next post... :D

... meanwhile i found this video on a blog i follow... thought of sharing the video thru Youtube... enjoy!...


Monday, April 19, 2010

... "Happy Birthday Poonam!" ...

... u know her and u know she is one good fella I can always call (...sometimes she calls back!...) for any confusion on any topic under the sun... (mostly it's 'professional advice') ...at any time of the day... take care and keep smiling kiddo... may the Holy Mother have her love showered upon u...

Friday, April 16, 2010

"... at the end of the day it's the pat on your back and not your paycheck that matters..."

"Atul!... come in here..."

... i was absolutely clear why i was heading into that cabin... i had my yearly review/feedback session on Wednesday... and informed my boss about the interview i was supposed to attend on Thursday... so it was natural that i will be asked to face my Super Boss... i was trying to recollect the 'statement of purpose' i had prepared in my head... and i realised that i couldn't locate the exact gray cells i wrote it on... so i just walked in... just like that...

... i was getting an impression that he wanted to 'better' the deal ... "what position they are offering u?", "how long u have been here?"... and stuff like that... "we need u here!" was the best thing i heard in long time... although for a split second i thought this could mean he won't let me go... "do let me know about the interview, all the best" ... i felt quite relieved...

... and there i was... my first interview in exact three years!... and i mean exact... i was excited and nervous and thirsty and felt like taking a nap on the comfy 'bed' they have kept in the lobby near reception at our Global Delivery Center... it was one of the most relaxing interview i have given in ages... and i was falling in love with everything... the ambiance the wooden table the AC the water bottles the quietness of the office... i could have chatted with my interviewer for another hour... but her phone rang and i realised that i have to catch the shuttle back to my plant within 10 mins...


... now i am feeling low... very low on energy... i want to switch... and i need to seriously upgrade my wardrobe... and i know She is listening to my prayers... please please please... break the silence and tell me when i am heading where i am heading...

Thursday, April 15, 2010

..."It isn't the mountains ahead that wear you out, it's the grain of sand in your shoe."...

... i wud like u to read this article before you read any further; word by word, line by line with rapt attention... and once u have finished reading ... go to that water cooler, sip some, come back and then read that article again...

... it is not very often we are asked tough questions or intelligent ones or thought provoking... the ones which will make us cringe... run for shelter... to avoid them... because either we are afraid of answering them or plainly don't know the answers of... we tend to develop some amount of hatred for those who ask such 'silly' questions... that strong disliking maybe short lived... the scars, that this intrusion into our core makes, remains for quite some time... and there are some scars that just adds character to ur personality... and i love that... :-)

... "what do you want to do?" ... she asked... took me some time to gather my senses... she was bang-on... i was stunned...

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

..."rukavat ke liye khed hai"...

... the mortal is alive and will be back soon... and Garry... the thing is that u got tagged albeit accidentally :p ... and good to see ur comment Rockr! ... what shld i say... welcome back? ;)

Saturday, April 10, 2010

..."It is not economical to go to bed early to save the candles if the result is twins."...

... there is no such thing as 'too much tagging'... so here is another one... its called "Guilty or Innocent" ... and the best part is that u don't go anywhere if plead guilty ... and since these tags are like "forward this email to 20 people and u will get lucky" ... i am doing my part...

... thanks GarryG for this... i am getting addicted...

RULE 1- You can only say Guilty or Innocent.
RULE 2- You are not allowed to explain anything unless someone messages you and asks!
RULE 3- Copy and paste this into your notes, delete my answers, type in your answers and tag to your friends to answer this.

Asked someone to marry you? Guilty
Ever kissed someone of the same sex? Innocent
Danced on a table in a bar? Innocent
Ever told a lie? Guilty
Had feelings for someone whom you can’t have back? Guilty
Kissed a picture? Guilty
Slept in until 5 PM? Innocent
Fallen asleep at work/school? Innocent
Held a snake? Guilty
Been suspended from school? Innocent
Worked at a fast food restaurant? Innocent
Stolen from a store? Innocent
Been fired from a job? Innocent
Done something you regret? Guilty
Laughed until something you were drinking came out your nose? Innocent
Caught a snowflake on your tongue? Innocent
Kissed in the rain? Innocent
Sat on a roof top? Guilty
Kissed someone you shouldn't? Guilty
Sang in the shower? Guilty
Been pushed into a pool with all your clothes on? Innocent
Shaved your head? Innocent
Had a boxing membership? Innocent
Made a boyfriend cry? Innocent
Been in a band? Innocent
Shot a gun? Innocent
Donated Blood? Innocent
Eaten alligator meat? Innocent
Eaten cheesecake? Innocent
Still love someone you shouldn’t? Guilty
Have/had a tattoo? Innocent
Liked someone, but will never tell who? Guilty
Been too honest? Guilty
Ruined a surprise? Innocent
Ate in a restaurant and got really bloated that you couldn’t walk afterward? Guilty
Erased someone in your friends list? Guilty
Dressed in a woman’s clothes (if you’re a guy) or man’s clothes (if you’re a girl)? Innocent
Joined a pageant? Innocent
Been told that you’re handsome or beautiful by someone who totally meant what they said? Guilty
Had communication with your ex? Innocent
Got totally drunk on the night before exam? Innocent
Got totally angry that you cried so hard? Innocent
----
the tagging part:
Chanz (poor girl is facing the 'Dharna of Dushts'! ... so cheer her up!)
Garry (she is keeping me from writing on 'serious' posts by tagging me, and i am not complaining!)
Varun (he will NEVER respond to such 'tags' and related 'silly' activities, but still!)
Rohan (Sid's fan may like his posts as well...)
Sudipto (... one of the best dressed man i know and have met in person...)

Friday, April 9, 2010

..."If you can find a path with no obstacles, it probably doesn't lead anywhere."...

... first of all... Happy Birthday Jagriti! ... may ur pains get washed away in the high tides of Sydney... the city of blinding lights...

... in another important developments ... my uncle's surgery went off successfully... and it is a huge relief... and i mean HUGE... and my family is still talking time to settle down in new place... and while all this was happening about sixteen hundred kilometers away ... in another world ... i was pondering over the mail from our APAC HR about internal job posting (IJP) for Learning & Development dept...

... it is not unusual in my present dept for people to seek transfer on different projects or aggregates... under different manager... and this is due to numerous reasons... seeking a change in HR is unheard... and that too "from engineering field?" ... "are u crazy?" ... i have heard that before... i mulled over it... i wanted to talk about this with family... and then gave a second thought... it is better to seek opinion from people who are "in this field and at good position to guide" ... besides with so much happening there i didn't want to add another topic to their list of concerns...

... so i called my usual choice for 'guidance'... she is a trail blazer... just this short in literal sense... and being into Leadership Hiring business, is always in a position to give some clarity and a different perspective... i remember calling her around same time last year... our restructuring was planned and i wanted to make a better decision... and although the restructuring never happened ... (psst: it is rumored to be just around the corner!) ... i felt great just talking to her... i always do... somehow she missed my call...

... so this time i called another 'guiding angel' ... she can work 48 hours non stop, take care of her kid and family and still manage to give the most energetic greeting u can imagine on a phone call at anytime of the day... it always make me smile the way she stretches my name AND the 'Hi' ... and i am a bit surprised how she managed to 'know' me ... after all these years... and with not that much interaction... now the thing is that she started from technical field and then switched into HR... is very successful... and so it was natural for me to pickup the phone and call... 30 mins later i was more or less convinced that i should apply (at least)... and that is what i did...

... that was yesterday... then today i first talked with one of the closest confidant who also happens to be a colleague... and i was looking for some harsh feedback... honest one... and i got loads of it... just when i was getting overwhelmed with his points and counter points ... we decided to part ways... and it was a very good talk... and then ... i picked up the phone and decided to call one person whom i thought of calling in the first place...

... three phone calls and 60 mins later... i am having serious doubts over my decision... i mean serious doubts... "what were we thinking?" ... the thought came to my mind ... just like 'Sandy' thought in the movie 'The Rebound' ... the only difference being that it wasn't 'we' it was 'I' ... and being a Piscean makes these matters worse... it is like living in the moments of trance... remember 'Vanilla Sky'? ... anyways... i think i already know what to do... it's just that i need some sleep...

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

..."One reason a dog can be such a comfort when you're feeling blue is that he doesn't try to find out why"...

... the 'process' is simple, i was told about the Tag-a-thon... and i had to ask about it 'coz i was tagged... i mean, not the ones those US army wears... i was tagged on a blog... not just ANY blog... it's GarryG's for Christ's sake! ... and Dino (may his soul rest in peace!) is the ambassador of this blog... and i was tagged in the post there... so i now have to pass the buck... err... tag!... before that... you, the unaware innocent casual reader of my blog will be inundated with seven random facts about me... (i have been told to be specific... i guess this will be deviating from my core competency of being vague!) ...

1) i am confused: about several matters related to social behavior or our civic sense... it's not that i am a 'single unable to mingle'(*) or geek or anything it's just that i, sometimes, don't understand the way people behave or don't behave in simple circumstances... i mean ... why can't we just 'walk over' to other person and greet them with the warmest smile or hug... and i can think of many other 'incidents' that keep me in that 'why are u asking so many questions?' and 'are u crazy?' category of people...

2) i am not good in self-appraisal: do i have to give details? ;-)

3) i am comfortable with 'emotional numbness': i have developed this as my personal survival mechanism... i remember a lot of people who were not very kind or nice to me (or my family) ... and instead of spending my energy countering them with equally damaging act... i have developed this 'emotional numbness' ... which means i do not feel angry or sad or miserable or revengeful when i hear about these people or see them or even meet them... i just feel nothing... absolutely nothing... i can engage in conversation with them for any length of time and it could be on any damn topic on earth... at the end i can stand and walk away with no feelings about what we talked about or that person...

4) i am not a big fan of promotion of population control: if one can afford it, let them make more babies for Magdalene's sake!!

5) i am not a cricket fan: and while this was not always the case... over the past one decade or so... somehow i have developed distaste for this game... i can't stand it... not even T20 (i know about the cheerleaders and all but still :p)

6) i am 100% against divorce: ... i am not married yet but still... i guess i will try to talk on this issue with my prospective life partner...

7) i can talk with any person with pukka eye contact, irrespective of what s/he is wearing (read this)

---
and now the tagging part; i have decided not to inform these poor bloggers, whom i follow that they have been tagged... i follow them because they keep things simple on their blog... and often encourage me to sit back and think about thought they wrote about... i leave it to my 'aktiv' set of readers to descend upon their blog(s) and leave comments as encouragement/feedback/kick-in-butt/critique ... and of course remind them (from my behalf) to post more often...

a) Rohit - his piece on "dekho process" is a benchmark in some strange way...
b) Surabhi - she often comes up with poetic lines that can trigger multitude of emotions...
c) Joe - his photography and articles are closest to reality, among few of those whose blog i follow AND whom i know in real life
d) Varun - accidental find via "Next Blog" link at the top of Blogger.com window; writes very motivational & aggressive stuff and then i found out that a friend of his is my colleague as well... talk about coincidences...
e) Amelia - one of the oldest blog i've been following, her article on "Blog Stalking" is one of my Favs
f) Janae - second oldest blog i used to follow... i can't recall why i stopped!
g) Smirithi - very very appealing blog... :)

Special Mention:
- GarryG
- Whistling Dolphin
- Chitz
- Pooh
- Chanz

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

..."We waste a lot of time running after people we could have caught by just standing still"...

... it is not easy to write something and then bask in the limelight and enjoy the applause the admiration the praise the adulation the smiles (and the awards!)... i mean... had that been the case i am sure i wud have become 'the most avidly read' person...alas! ... i took upon a task of writing a blog... the objective was not very clear in the beginning but there was an itch to start something i have not done before... to go in the uncharted waters... maybe just to be a part of the 'in-thing' ... somehow the objectives kept changing ... content changed... readers changed... and perhaps... i changed as well...

... my education exposed me to the pitfalls of the technology... media reminded me of the privacy concerns... friendly strangers awed me because of their 'openness' ... and over the time i realised "they judge me before they know me" ... i may not be doing somethings perfectly and maybe nothing perfectly... but how does that matter?...

... i recall at one time all that i wanted was to 'vent' the pain the happiness the anger the love the sadness the dreams and the fears that engulfed me... not at the same time of course... as and when they wud come to please me or haunt me... i wud 'write' them off... that was the plan... i guess... i do not know if i succeeded or failed in that particular objective ... i have, however, learned recently that i cannot lure friendly strangers to 'find out' things and events and incidents and people i feel passionate for... even if they are 'lying all littered around'...

Monday, April 5, 2010

..."we're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl"...

... in the midst of so many things happening and with 'extra' laziness of mine ... thanks to summer... i forgot that i was supposed to write my travelogue... now i am not sure how many people wud still be interested in reading it... but then... a promise made is a debt unpaid...

... how many times u woke up in the morning and realised that it was not ur alarm clock ... or neighbour's dog... or ur mobile phone ... or a bad dream ... or doorbell... or ur mom/dad/brother/sister/husband/wife/girlfriend/boyfriend/kaamwaali or any other person with whom u share ur living space with, asked you to getup? ... and not only that... u wake up and everything is quiet... u try to listen hard... and there is nothing... not even those arseholes trying to reverse their cars from parking with blaring musical tones... it's just soft sunshine and cool breeze of early morning... that is how i found myself on that fateful Saturday morning...


... my reservations were in place and i was supposed to catch the Shatabdi for a journey of mild two hundred kilometers... my previous experiences with train journeys are 'awesome' ... i have found that it makes more sense to travel by train if u have a companion/family with u... and i am not weighing the time vs money factor... it is about the quality time spend in the comfort/convenience ... depending upon the class of ur coach of course... maybe i have this soft corner for the railroads because some of my memories of 'distant lands' are courtesy of this mode of travel...

... but this morning was different... i dragged myself from the bed and moved to the living room... my dad and grandma were chatting ... mom was in the kitchen making some of the most exquisite wholesome delicious 'aaloo-pyaaz ke parathe'...

"kitne baje ki train hai?" my grandma asked

"shaam ki hai... lekin mein soch raha hoon ki aap bhi chalo mere saath... gaadi mein chalte hain... papa bhi"... i suggested to go by the car instead...

"ab to tumhe ticket cancel karaani padegi na?" ... she queried... i read the thoughts in her mind... she was interested... dad was simply smiling... i knew he wanted to go as well...

"abhi ho jaaegi cancel"... i rushed towards my desktop... and cancelled the e-tickets... "cancel kara di ticket... ab dono tayaar ho jaao..." i told them...

"cancel bhi ho gayi itni jaldi??" ... she is 'still' awed by the technology...

"lekin itni door baithe baithe..." she still couldn't decide... my dad decide to wash the car... he is very passionate about his Nano!... i was to join him... and i told mom to persuade grandma in the meanwhile...


... everything was set ... two bags ... three people... one pilot... one co-pilot ... one passenger ... no cabin-crew... and one car... oops! i mean ... Nano... my sister had left early in the morning and she had no clue about this plan... and i told mom not to tell her till she returns in evening... and there it was ... one hot summer afternoon in Dilli... and we were on a road trip ... my first ever 'long drive' operation... and everything u read/heard about the safety concerns of Nano were to be tested... and i was literally on a hot seat... thank God they have AC in place...

Sunday, April 4, 2010

..."Just because someone doesn't love you in the way you want them to, doesn't mean that they don't love you with all they've got"...

... this April has brought some changes... i guess... and with so much to clean (mainly my room!) ... i think this minor 'absence' from blogging won't be missed...


... and i can't stop thinking about one person... and all others as well... am i hallucinating... again? ;-)

... also i awarded myself with this... for efficiently utilising the Sunday... :-)
i am not a big chocolate fan... but still... i am mortal...


artistic me:


and one final shot b4 this goes into oblivion...


psst... now i know why they were giving this free with the pizza i ordered... buggers!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

..."april fool banaya to unko gussa aaya, isme mera kya kasoor..."...

... it was the devil inside me that made me call Pooh and Kapil... i told them that i am in BOM and will be at their office in next copla hours... while Kapil promptly gave the complete address ... i feel bad about Pooh! ...

... she advised me about the traffic conditions and then even sympathised about my situation (i told her that my boss left for his home and i have to kill some time, and if he decides to stay i have to return by myself to Poona) ... the story was believable especially from the guy who has never played any pranks...

... Sorry Pooh... :-) ... and well... yes... Sorry Kapil! ... ;-)