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! :-)

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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!!!) ::