Nuit Blanche

"You have not lived a perfect life, unless you have given something to someone who will never be in a position to repay you"

... first of all... this is for Himani... Welcome :) ...

... i feel funny being under some invisible 'pressure' to post on my blog and not being pissed off about it... i guess i am experiencing some kind of adulation... from a humble beginning about nothing to a blog which is about ... well... nothing...

few observations i made today...

...it was third consecutive day i have not touched my newspaper... alright... i picked it from my front door... but tht's it... they all there... resting on the table...

...heavy rains can be of immense help... i got a car wash without breaking a sweat!

...it pains when you are two tables away and still...

...i have not been blogging regularly... and still added a follower!

... it doesn't matter how early it is... if it's your li'l sis on the other side of phone saying 'good morning' it IS good morning!

... and even though i ended up working exact 11 hours straight... i am smiling 'coz it is June 11 today

..."there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren’t going to do anything productive for the rest of the day..."

... well... the title says it all... and i need some sleep... this is going to be a very laung summer! ...
(following post is in retrospect)

... rumors are flying in all the directions and they are mostly 'bad news' ... at least to me... first of all there was no news on REFER ... so i wrote an email and got the reply that crushed the seed in the seed that i had planted for 'a change'... it was a very professional one liner reply and very prompt by the usual standards... that i am not the one... i cud feel the darkness that followed that reply... may be it was the minor blip in the voltage supply... nevertheless ...

... the day had only started... it was 0630... the mail was sent around 2200 on 8th... i shld have read it at home... good that i missed... atleast i got a sound sleep... atleast i enjoyed the cool breeze while coming to office in the morning... at least ... well... there it was...

... so to makeup for the loss i decided to finish one long pending work and made it a point that i will finish it today... no matter what... and i succeeded... it was finished before lunch! (sometimes i feel i need some negative feedback to in a positive way to energize myself) ...

(ends)

... and then... one glance at lunchtime yesterday... ' my Summer Hartley from 'Definitely maybe''

... i feel better today... June 10th 2010...

..."we regret to inform you that..."

... i can't recall the exact message ... probably they wanted to say: "... you are NOT the guy we are looking for..." ...

... well... to borrow from Garryz' FB status:

"Hope is just like Phoenix...it dies and rises again. From the embers it becomes the fire itself. Hope is the last resort...That pole star which keeps us sail through the most difficult of times. Try your best not to let that light die in you..."

amen

..."Wandering re-establishes the original harmony which once existed between man and the universe"...

... a promise made is debt unpaid... so goes the cliche...

... it was one of those 'eureka moment' day yesterday... i realized that i haven't posted in days ... and then i saw this scrap from Vikz on Chirkut... and then couple of courtesy messages later another realization drew upon me... Vikz and his wife Ritz are returning to India... for good...

... it is always hectic and tense when u have to move ur house... now imagine planning and packing everything when you have to leave the country! ... and in those moments i made a promise... "aaj ki post dedicated to u" ... and that was when i had returned from office... it was aready past 00:00 hrs and with Chanz posting about Ghosts and stuff, the maahaul got charged with nostalgic emotions... so i knew i had to write about this guy and there were still good memories ... if not all from school time... atleast i remember the Patiala trip...

... however we ended-up discussing about starting a joint 'project' ... i dunno how he struck upon the idea (or was it vice-versa!) ... to start a group blog... Him and I to start with... and other like minded people can chip-in later... now i can bet my silky mustache upon the fact that my fellow blog readers have not seen Ritz photographic skills... and so i can safely and confidently claim that she has an eye for photography... and so i suggested that She can join in as well... while Vikz suggested that Pooh be a part of the project as well... "she can write about management stuff" he said... now THAT wud be interesting!...

... coming to more important things about it... who wud host it? ... the contenders were Blogger.com and Wordpress.com ... latter won... y? hell y! ... and then came the difficult part... what this blog will be about??? i mean seriously...

... two guys... one in UK packing to return back to Native ... chatting with his school mate somewhere in Western Injia in the middle of the night... thinking about starting a joint blog... and THEN thinking 'about what?'...

... and then a marijuana minute later we decided that this will be about travelling... a travel blog... a travelogue.... (another one?) ... i mean ... there are zillions... right? ... right! .... but hey! this is not just ANY travelogue ... this will be a niche project by two gud 'ol skoolmates... so keep reading for more ...

(latest: Vikz called soon after landing here... i am touched! feel good... this is going to be a good sunday... the pizza is on the way...)

..."There is a theory about remote existence of honest politicians. Unfortunately, no one ever heard about it"...

... Feel Act Communicate Think ... and if u try to make an acronym... FACT ... this is what we all do, all the time... not necessarily all at the same time and definitely not in that order... why i am telling you about this? ... well... never mind...

... i realized that i am becoming more and more conscious about my goals and the vision and the SWOT ... thanks to the 2 day workshop/program/training... now this may sound like a good thing... 'coz it increased my awareness from the Unconscious-Incompetent stage to the Conscious-Incompetent stage...

... whats painful however is the fact that i've been in that Conscious-Incompetent stage for quite some time... i was already aware of that... and this workshop/program/training reminded me of my pathetic situation like 200 times in 2 days... so i feel even more miserable!...

... the "Be Brutal to Yourself" motto was well hitting ... so well hitting that it still pains when my mind wanders into the "action" part of the FACT ...

... while i need to take some rest and devote myself towards the "flight plan" ... my "Flight Plan"... u enjoy the lyrics of the beautiful song by Notting HillBillies... the link to the song can be found in previous post...

Railroad Worksong:
Working on a railroad for a dollar a day
Working on a railroad for a dollar a day
Working on a railroad good buddy for a dollar a day
Gotta get my money gotta get my pay

Take this hammer take it to the captain
Take this hammer take it to the captain
Take this hammer good buddy take it to the captain
Tell him I'm gone tell him I'm gone

If he asks you was I running
If he asks you was I running
If he asks you good buddy was I running
Tell him I was flying tell him I was flying

If he asks you was I laughing
If he asks you was I laughing
If he asks you good buddy was I laughing
Tell him I was crying tell him I was crying

This old hammer rings like silver
This old hammer rings like silver
This old hammer good buddy rings like silver
Shine like gold good buddy and it shine like gold

Working on a railroad for a dollar a day
Working on a railroad for a dollar a day
Working on a railroad good buddy for a dollar a day
Gotta get my money gotta get my pay
Gotta get my money gotta get my pay
Gotta get my money gotta get my pay

..."god is a kid with an ant farm"...

... for some reasons i've been quite busy lately... cudn't concentrate on blog among other things... and then out of the blue i was asked to attend this 2 day program on 'Self Management and Personal Effectiveness' ...

i jumped at it... any of my colleagues wud have jumped at it... not because that it was a program on 'Self Management and Personal Effectiveness' ... they wud jump at it because it was held @ our HNJ campus...

... for two days... in an office that feels like heaven... with all the walking angels... some good looking and some with ruffled hair and crumpled shirts!... buggers! ... just because they are working in an IT setup doesn't mean that they have to dress so 'cool' ... anyways... i felt out of place... like a stranger in Moscow...

... the program was good... maybe i felt that way because i wanted to feel that way... anyways... for those who are into shooting the beautiful landscape while travelling by rail... this should be a visual treat... and for those who like to tingle their eardrums as well ... listening to this song might be a good idea...

..."People are more violently opposed to fur than leather because it's safer to harass rich women than motorcycle gangs"...

... and the search continues ...

[...i plan to add more to this post... perhaps later... come comments might do good :) ]

..."Where there is much light, the shadow is deep"...

...two day program on "Personal Effectiveness"... maybe u should see the difference in my blog afterwards :p ... who knows?... to be delivered @ our Global Delivery Centre in HNJ ... feeling a bit awkward a bit uncomfortable a bit angry a bit excited and whole lot 'looking forward' ...

... it always feels good at the HNJ campus... let's see...

... meanwhile, u enjoy this ...

“My dearest colleagues seem to become metamorphosed into snarling beasts if I as much as glance at them, even if my glance is a complimentary one.”

... it all started with an innocent looking post about NOT trusting your gut @ HBR website...

... the thing is... about an year ago i was so hooked to the idea of pursuing my MBA program that i decided to read/follow/observe/subscribe to any darn material related to management... i was in a new(er) team in new office and with even newer (and better) responsibilities... all this happenings rekindled my sub-conscious passion of meeting newer people from different walks of life with varied experiences and motivating peers and leading men and women (and children maybe?) ... and then there was the 'rumor' of the (...now seemingly fabled...) "Restructuring" ... that seemed so real at that time... and so i subscribed to the Harvard Business Review... for one year of their monthly publised gyan with access to their unlimited articles and other online resources... the future seemed bright... my is was my future...

... and boy! oh! boy! ... its been one full year now... and my new team is no loner that new... the office is ... well... office... and i don't even want to talk about the responsibilities... not even to my HRBP in our next scheduled one-to-one... whenever it is... BUT... and i feel like kicking Rabbit's arse!... however ... the only thing that has remained with me over all this time... apart from my gained pounds... is my HBR Subscription...

... so when i started reading this post at their website... the words "sorry Malcolm" in the very first para grabbed my attention... and i clicked the link... and found myself at the serene looking website... since the article i was reading was on gut feeling... i clicked on the "BLINK"... and then i tripped over to the "Tipping Point" ... pretty soon... i was all over and out on the site... like a dog!

... and then... in a jiffy and on a flash... something like "in the blink of an eye" i ended up buying his three books from Landmark... it took sixteen minutes and three sixes in a row on the final invoice... i punched the credit card number and the order was placed... damn!... u can't even snatch the 'cash back' ...

... so now they are lying on that shelf... smelling like fresh biscuits... and ever so inviting... i am thinking of starting with the Tipping Point... because that was his first book... and i really need some push... some nagging... some sarcasm... some motivation... some wink... some hi... some hello... some smile... some naughty looks... (u still need more hints!!!)...


(plz visit, read and promote: BackBones)

..."Give a man a fish, and you'll feed him for a day; give him a religion, and he'll starve to death while praying for a fish"...

... there were several occasions in this past week when i felt bad for not writing on my blog... its just that i had returned from Dilli and on both outward and return journey KF let me down... and then i found there wasn't much activity by bloggers whom i follow... except on the fashion front... and even with all the dose of VitaminF ... and loads of attitude looks; i couldn't motivate myself... i mean not enough to write a post...

... BAB suggested to pay a visit to our prod line in second shift... I jumped at it the next moment... his suggestion was not the first time... we have been there on several visits many a times... however this time we decided to be there for longer duration than usual... the result?... mehnat ki kamai and mehnat ki neend ... simply put... it felt great... we observed things that went unnoticed earlier...

... while the weekly meeting on [confidential] issue was another 'time spent in air-conditioned conference hall with tea' ... and had there not been a smiling face with attractive watch on nazuk kalai ... who wanted to strike a conversation with me in sign language! ... i wud have excused myself from the meeting... and then i realised i was hungry... all that dal-chawal was gone!... so couple of SMSs and quick wrap-up later i was in the cafeteria savouring on masala-dosa with hot cuppa coffee...

... and i am getting a little impatient with 'Mr. Wacky' ... lord save the world... and btw i am curious if recession is over... i mean ... some men are getting 100 % hike!!! this is freaking me out... 100%!!! ...



... and to wrap this post... i must say that i am immensely happy for Ritz & Vikz... who are coming back to India... the young couple had to 'put-up' somewhere in the Queen's Land... and so once again... Welcome Back guys! love u both! :-)

... samvedna...

... this post touched my heart... no wonder it is from 'Samvedna' ...

..."Marriage is nature's way of ensuring that a woman picks up some mothering experience before she has her first child."...

... can u imagine what kind of silly words these websites can make u type... just to leave a comment or one's blog???

... btw... Nitesh's marriage was good and of course memorable... met couple of school friends... missed some of the turns on my way to attend the ceremony (in my home town!)... had to take a detour!...

... return flight of Kingfisher was delayed by 2 hours... which may not sound that bad... now try to picture yourself arriving @0110 hrs!!... yep! it IS bad... and to top it all... there was some 'non-serviceability' of the 'equipments' because we were not served Tea or Coffee... and not to mention... the water bottles served were 'hot' if not 'normal'... is this where the Kingfisher is heading??... and btw i recently joined the Club membership ... i think somehow i got swayed away by Clooney G ... from his act in 'Up in the Air' ...

... hopefully... i will be posting some more photos from the wedding ... provided my memory remains active and my schedule permits... as of now... it is 0330 hrs here in Poona ... and i am feeling sleepy...

..."Job mein miley na miley... har insaan ko apni Life mein promotion lete rehna chaahiye"...

... i got so much sucked up in the office lately that i just forgot i have another life as well... saw her some days back... had a sigh of relief... i fear this may not last as long as i think it wud... neither it will end the way i hope it will... but then...

... deposited two cheques that were lying in my car's glove box from past two months... another sigh of relief...

... got a call @ 2100 hrs... my white good's consignment was on its way to be delivered... i asked y at this unearthly hour... no answer... neways... it came... another sigh of relief... the consignment will remain packed till atleast Monday... and that is bcoz i will be visiting my native... love u all! mwaah! mwaah! :D ... balle! balle! .... aaahoon! aaahoon! :D

..."Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft!"...

... it was Mother's Day on Sunday... Ajay & MG completed 3 months of their marriage on Sunday... and after years of managing and months of deliberation... i went on a shopping spree on Sunday... most expensive after Vista... and as if this was not all... my sis decided to buy a touchscreen phone! ... i need that like... now! ... and that is the reason i got my Motorola serviced today... khaide paer as my grandma says... so i hope to be back in Poona next monday with MY touchscreen! .... heee haaaa! ...

.... alright! ... on some serious note... i wud appreciate some visibility for this article by Aura, by my fellow bloggers...

...pssst:: i mentioned here that Aura will come-up with something good... :D

..."Living up to ideals is like doing everyday work with your Sunday clothes on"...

... it rained like a madman on the loose... started around 1530hrs yesterday... we were perhaps the last lucky lot of lads successfully making out of the office canteen to our desks... anyone who thought of taking second round of tea with the punjabi samosa arrived two hours later... and visibly excited (perhaps they were trying to hide the nervousness!)

... the rain and the thunderstorm that followed, did what they usually do in our company premises... they tear apart the trees... if u have seen the videos or photos of devastating cyclones... u can scale it down to 1:50 and u can picture what it looks like here... the thing is... this may sound exciting even romantic sometimes... but when u realise that you have parked your precious gem in the jungle parking in such situations, the air-conditioning wudn't seem to be work... so we went for a stroll after dinner to have a look... and it was covered with 'fresh' leaves from the trees...

... and tomorrow is going to be another Sunday for shopping spree... i pray we finalise at least one refrigerator for Ajay or else i will be in MG's line of fire! ... (...i am exaggerating the speculation...) ... and there were couple of points i wanted to write about... i am not able to recall now... neways... will post soon...

..."There comes a time when a man and woman realize that their separate schemes can be better achieved as a conspiracy."...

... i used a quote about 'grains of sand wearing u out' for one of my post recently... and after Chanz commented that "Atul, you really have so many problem"... it stuck me how easily we tend to get all drenched in the grains of sand... and lose the focus from the golf balls... we keep counting the pebbles ... and we may continue to pour the coffee (or beer; if that makes more sense to you!) ... thinking it as 'doing our part'... i also remember "Tumhare paas bahut free time hai na!"... that pinched... perhaps pierced through... my heart... the innocent remark was so well placed sarcastically in the middle of the conversation that i felt the vacuum sucking a beat of my heart away...


... whenever i see my dad's name on the screen of my mobile phone... i expect two things... the call will end after two or three more rings... and when i will call back it will be my sister or mom/dad (depending on the time of the day)... so when the phone kept ringing today... i felt the urge to pick it... and then the 'hello' was in familiar but not the usual voice... it was my grandmother! ... how on earth it is possible that one person i was thinking about yesterday would end up calling me!!...


... my mom is very fond of telepathy... and i have experienced some practical examples ... in fact so many and so often that i have taken it for granted that if and whenever i am hanging around her, all that i have to do is take a deep breath, shrug my shoulders and copla eye contacts and she knows what i am thinking... (i bet this wud make my would-be-better-half very very envious; where ever she is right now!) ... but i neva knew i wud endup chattin with grandma! :D ...

... and that's when i realised i was missing the golf balls... the pebbles and the gravel mattered no more... the door squeal was inaudible and to heck with the Trojans! (although i must thank Chanz for the effort she took to advise me)... and after reading that Dolphin was not being invited by ISB, i remembered the time when i cudn't crack the DCE paper... i knew i had prepared seriously enough and i knew i have answered the questions right enough... but still... i came back home along with my father in the scorching heat of Dilli from their NSIT campus to Sahkhet and fell on the bed with tears... my stomach was churning... i felt terrible...

... alright!... NOT being able to crack DCE and NOT being invited to ISB are in two way different leagues... but then... and yeah! now i know when the bloggers i am following are not posting they have some far better things to do than i can only imagine... sometimes not even that! :-

... so i must say 'all the best' to Rokr: ur "flight plan" is keeping my chain of thoughts in right track, keep posting... to Aura: for she will surely come up with some verse to touch everyone's heart... to Kapil, Vikz, Karan, Enigma, Garry, Chitz and some Anonymous people who have given standing instructions to me NEVER to mention ANY thing about them... Lady Tao knows about that and i know she will smile after reading this (... IF she reads this...)

..."You do not really understand something unless you can explain it to your grandmother"...

... with over a decade of exposure to computers, i feel immensely proud of myself about being able to keep my PC/Laptop bug-free... and i must confess, i despise people who are utterly careless about this basic 'computer hygiene'... and then... i was told that my lappy has a Trojan...

... with so much information available on the Internet... i was not able to find a simple way to 'delete' this 'unsearchable' file and make my lappy's life easy... my Antivirus program prompts me every hour about this file in one of the 'OS protected folders' ... and says that it cannot remove it... and it won't tell me either how to do that... so i am getting very very annoyed with this... can the real saviour please leave comment?...





...in another unrelated event... i was told "we have not yet made any decision about you" what does that suppose to mean?... being a Piscean i thought it is my birthright to be indecisive... a birthright forced upon me... however i do not expect 'managers' to be indecisive on matters of such importance... but then... i am not an MBA!... sigh! ...

... and for those who care a hoot... my Vista's rear wiper is very noisy and driver's door has started squealing...after just one day of showers in Poona... so much for the build quality... i think you don't just buy a Tata Car... you buy all its quality problems... 'more car per car' also means 'more problems per car'! @_@

..."It isn't what they say about you, it's what they whisper"...

...when u wake up in the morning realising that you are not feeling "Monday blues" u know that it was a weekend well spent...

..."There's a difference between beauty and charm. A beautiful woman is one I notice. A charming woman is one who notices me"...

... a lot of feats accomplished today... starting with the morning...
1) i woke up @ 0500 hrs... no alarm... no shor-sharaba... and still ... wide-eyed i was up @ 5!
2) i washed my car ... every nook and corner... wiped clean with loads of affection ... and i fell in love with her again! :-D
3) i drove @ 100kmph on Poona-Bombay highway...
4) mah Vista was loaded up to 'teeth' and we drove half the length of poona... (MG was supposed to take a picture... but then... we all were too tired to remember that!)
5) we shifted 'entire house' in just two cars! ... figuratively...
6) it rained later in the day...followed by aandhi! ... meri car was covered with dust! :'( ... why me? why me???
7) had one of the most delicious masala dosa in recent times... mebbe i was too tired for for anything hot crispy and chewable... psst...my imagination is running wild...
8) took quite-a-few photographs in public places... which are not at all ... well... used as 'background' ... mebbe it was some inspiration from 2 Cups of T'n'Koffey

-- hope to receive some pictures from MG's camera for ze uploads...

EDIT:: one important event i forgot to mention earlier... an old batchmate called ... i'll call him 'FM'... it was good to catchup with him... i think close to eight years! ...

..."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...

..."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...

..."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

..."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...

..."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*

..."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!)

..."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... :)

..."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!...

... "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...

"... 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...

..."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...

..."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? ;)

..."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...)

..."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...

..."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

..."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'...

..."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...

..."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!

..."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! ... ;-)

..."I could dance with you till the cows come home...On second thought, I'd rather dance with the cows when you came home."...

... our mind has an amazing ability to make us forget things... trivial stuff never occupies the ever expensive memory space inside our brain... maybe because we should spend time remembering good things that happened to us... good things done to us... good things done by us... good things said to us... things that made us feel special or better ... things that made us happy...

... i was travelling in a 'night flight' ... it was more of a late evening flight from PNQ to DEL ... and believe it or not ... i reached the airport 3 hours prior to the departure... lemme repeat... three hours prior to the departure... and i am talking about PNQ airport... it's the size of my School... and i am not kidding... i was starving at that time... around 3 pm... and this was in spite of lunch i took prior to leaving early from company...

... by the time i was boarding, there was no sign of sun... although it wasn't dark yet... and at the aircraft... fake smiles greeted the 'guests' ... the lights were dimmed and then... what i saw outside the window from my Airbus A320... literally took my breath away... the aircraft still gaining height... i could see the edge of the sun... setting on the 'horizon' and moon some distance above it... i turned back to glance over to my co-passenger and then to the 'hostess' and then gulped some more 'complimentary' water... and took some time to catch breath... and looked outside again... it was the same sight...

... i never understand the 'guest announcement' they make over the radio... be it by the cabin crew or by the 'captain' ... they are not being forced to say it so quick... i wudn't mind the interruption provided it can be clearly understood... and i hate the fake accent... we are all Injians damn it!... speak in simple english...

... and before our 'cuptaaan' cud inform us that we are about to land in navi dilli... i had my second 'sight of the day' ... millions of glittering lights... some arranged in a serpentine... some arranged with military precision... rest all moving like red and yellow ants moving up and down... in frenzy of collecting food... and suddenly the 'Earth Hour' made sense... it was no longer a gimmick from some fanatics trying to capitalise on the 'save environment' as their punch line... i cudn't see the stars... i wasn't even looking... the sight 'down under' was far more captivating... and i was hooked... even the cabin crew was pale in comparison... i was like a grownup kid... at a beach... ;-)

..."sapno se bhare naina to neend hai na chaina"...

..."What's the point?" he asked... and i shrugged my shoulders... and i felt bad... not because i couldn't convince him "why do people blog?" ... i felt bad because he missed the point after getting so excited about it in the first place... and then i pondered over it... why do people blog?... why do i blog?...

... i was very excited last week... i was "going to my native" as they say in this part of our country... although the worst way to ask that is "tum gaon jaa rahe ho?" ... i used to give "WTF?" expression when asked like that... now i am at peace... and i smile and nod in the peculiar way the locals do... it's like those 'dancing' dolls they used to sell at traffic lights some years ago... i told them "baba i am from dilli, it's not a 'Gaon'" ... but then they never bothered to correct themselves...

... "For Ten days!?!?!?" he (almost) fell from his seat... "Seven actually!" i said sheepishly... and then i realised he was trying to look at the calender at the far side of the Hall... "Shaadi karne jaa raha hai kya?" ... i was red! ... and i wasn't blushing... i was getting irritated... "theek hai!" ... and i walked out of the cabin...

... for the first time in my life i was flying in the nite... and to top it all... i had no idea if it was G'gn or D'li!!... and i had a Nano waiting to pick me up... arriving @ airport never felt so good! ;-)


...thanks GarryG for the 'motivation' ... keep reading for the 'travelogue'...

..."everyone needs someone to mix business with pleasure"...

... i think i have yet to regain that blogging groove... nothing much is happening in the blogs i follow... nothing much is happening in life rite now either... and whatever happened in the past week... well... i am still in daze... "wo saat din"...

..."Change is just around the corner"...

... a decade old association ... coming to an end... i will miss ya SahKhet! :-)

... " Toh Poona Mein Tata Gaadi Banata Hai??" ...

... driving Nano on Dilli Jaipur Highway was fun... and i am loving the Engine sound... it's so Race Car type... ;-)

... gurgaon needs some road signs... better roads... less dust and gravel... err... and i need an apartment ... mebbe some land...

... and i wud encourage the readers to go thru some of the old posts while i am trying to make some time out of my *busy* schedule to post here in detail... i am sure they will get some answers... :D

... "Look! It's Nano!"

... returned after 3 day trip to UMB ... in Tata Nano... and loved every bit of it... more updates to come soon... :)

..."You don't attract what you want, you attract what you are"...

... now this is quite easy... u have to identify the person sketched and the artist... sahi jawab dene waale ko milega meri taraf se likha hua article on the winner's choice of topic... and of course right to publish that article on his/her blog/magazine ... (*)





(*)Disclaimer:
1) the author of this blog does not claim to guarantee the fulfilment of the said promises.
2) the artist and the muse are NOT eligible to enter the contest.
3) there is NO time binding on the delivery of 'article'.
4) the implied sarcasm is not intended to 'hurt sentiments'.
5) the implied sarcasm is for amusement, perhaps.
6) [any other thing that i might have forget, i may accept or deny later]

..." I don't care if you don't like me...I wasn't put on this Earth to please You!"...

Sometimes, Sorry means
It's Not My Fault, It's Yours;
Accept It, It will make me feel Better.

Sometimes, Good Night means
Don't keep the phone yet, I want to talk more.

Sometimes, Take Care means
I am not well and need to be cared for.

Sometimes, Disconnecting a Phone call means
I am upset, but call me back...

Sometimes, Me Looking at You means
I love you more than anything in this world,
and I may never say this loud enough...

..."i'll be back"...

... i am too tied up with some stuff... shall be back with some 'matter-full' post... and in the meantime enjoy the pics of my B'Day gift... :-)

... "we have a black hawk down, we have a black hawk down"...

... it was not my day today... immediately after stepping out of my room i had a gut feeling that i shld wait for some more time... basically not to go to office *this* early... however the devil inside me told me that if it is early i can always take the longer way... i get to drive on the road and it is always fun to do that...

... i almost had my first accident when an auto rickshaw driver decided to take the sharp turn after giving me signal to pass... one very hard braking later i thought mebbe this was what i felt uneasy for... however the worst was yet to come...

... with my company's main gate 500 mts away on a straight road... my car's tubeless tire burst ... pulling the vehicle towards left and hitting the pavement... i checked the damage... a large chunk of the outer rubber wall was hanging with scratch marks on the wheel rim... a bit shocked after the incident... i sat there in the car for some time... then called the dealer and he gave me the number of the local service station... i was told that the tire will be replaced *only* if it is a manufacturing fault *and* if it is in warranty... my first reaction was WTF ... i bought this car 7 days ago... what do u mean "If this is under warranty"?... i was told that that the dispatch will assess the damage and tell me if this can be replaced in warranty ... and i will be charged cool 500 bucks for that...

... to avoid arguments later i thought it wud be better if i pay these fellows from the service station as they can assess the damage 'first hand' ... however the help arrived in the form of a mechanic and his driver... only to replace the spare wheel... they had no way to judge if this failed tire can be replaced in warranty...

... so there i was ... mildly shocked... 500 bucks lighter... sweating in the summer sun... on a highway... beside my company's wall... along with my company's flagship product in passenger cars ... with a bitter taste in my mouth...

UPDATE:: ... i have uploaded the photos of the damaged tire ...

..."U know y kids luv athletes? - Coz they s%#!w lingerie models? -No, That's y v luv athletes. Kids luv athletes coz they follow their dreams"...

... i watched 'Luck by Chance' (LBC) yesterday nite ... and i liked the movie... i am now an official fan of Farhan Akhtar... and u may find this surprising that i never heard of this movie till i read that Karthik Calling Karthik (KCK) is Farhan's 3rd movie... i remember that 'Rock On' was his first... one query later Google sent me to Wiki and voila! ... it mentioned LBC... and here is another interesting part... Farhan directed Dil Chata Hai (DCH) and Lakshya... both movies have special place in my heart... so in a way i was liking Farhan's work before i realised it... and thanks to the myriad of technology... i was enjoying the LBC @ my room till early in the morning...

... and thanks to technology ... rather our dependence on it... we find ourselves in some really interesting situations... take the recent example... our email servers are down from past three days... our entire India operations are now... well... 'severely affected' ... however... if u see the mood here in our office... not a single soul is complaining... there is no disruption of 'work' ... everything is going more or less smoothly... in fact the only hiccup i faced was that my presentation along with the support data remained in my 'outbox' on the first nite of the outage ... and next morning i realised that i missed 6 calls from my boss! ... and the presentation was needed for our review meeting in later in the day... i dashed with my sleepy eyes... and did some damage control...

...and damage control... is what i have been doing from past 50 weeks or so... ever since i was 'transferred' to this dept... its been quite an experience... i have more 'responsibilities' but no 'appreciation' ... and before i vent it all ... i should call it a day...

..."God acted like a Man yesterday"...

... it was hot and dusty... and i spent 40 freaking minutes in the sun to wash my car... with teasing neighbours... and guess what?... it rained in the evening... and thanks to our 'jungle parking' ... my car was covered with leaves! :'( ... and i see no clouds now! ... what the heck!...

... i need some explanation from God...

..." i like the way you move; i like to see you groove; uff teri nazar, it says i want to dance with you"...

...i guess i have cracked the reason why i have not been able to write on some 'serious' posts... i mean Fear, Spirituality, God (and Goddesses!), Budget, Computers, Relationships and blah blah... the reason is simple and it was not exactly a complicated AI algorithm to deduct... at some point of time we all get answers to the problems and issues we are facing or were facing for quite some time... we may have tried harder earlier to know why things are happening the way they are happening...and then something churns in those grey cells and a smile appears... u know why it happened ... u know why... or at least u think that you now know why...

... i was watching 'Up in the Air' yesterday nite... got the inspiration from a friend's FB status and the tirade of comments about George Clooney... it was very late in nite... i mean if u r starting a movie after 1am... after the entire day and partial nite in office... it weighs u down... and while i wud admit that George is one of the smartest bloke this planet has seen, i wud also like to admit that i was hooked by 'Alex' and i guessed her 'status' pretty soon in the movie.... am i that good or it was obvious for everyone? ...

... and i wud really like to write my views on God as a woman... just need to make some time for it... i guess She is deliberately keeping me busy so that i can't disclose this to the world! ;-) ...

... some one forwarded this to me::

We don't understand Women : Their "Whatever" "Anything" OR "You Decide"

1 . (Whatever)

Men: What should we have for dinner?
Women: Whatever..
Men: Why don't we have Mexican?
Women: No not Mexican, the last time I got pimples on my face
Men: All right, why don't we have Szechwan cuisine
Women: Yesterday we ate Szechwan, today too?
Men: Hmm..... I suggest we have seafood
Women: Seafood is not good, I got diarrhea
Men: Then what do you suggest?
Women : Whatever..

2. (Anything)

Men: So what should we do now?
Women: Anything
Men: How about watching a movie? It's been a long time
Women: Watching movie is no good, it's a waste of time
Men: How about we go for bowling, or some exercises?
Women: Exercise on such a hot day?
Men: Then find a cafe and have a drink
Women: I am off caffeine
Men: Then what do you suggest?
Women: Anything

3. (You decide)

Men: Then do we just go home?
Women: You decide
Men: Let's take the bus, I will accompany you
Women: The bus is dirty and crowded.
Men: OK; we will take a cab
Women: Not worth it... For such a short distance
Men: All right, then we can walk. We can enjoy the weather
Women: I am hungry, can't walk.
Men: Then what do you suggest?
Women: You decide
Men: Let's have dinner first?
Women: Whatever...
Men: What shall we eat?
Women: Anything..

... and if u r still wondering for the answer that i 'found' as to why i am not able to write upon serious topics... well... i am just being lazy...

... If things are not happening according to your wish you are very lucky because they are happening according to God's wish ...

... so it was Women's Day on March 08... which ended like... half an hour ago... the highlight for the day for me? my mom got her driving licence!... i teased her that it was a gift... being a women's day... and her reply: "Chup be! maine gaadi chalayi thi" ... it was a good chit chat... it always is...

... even though some experts may conclude that having meaningful conversations, and not idle chitchat, is more important to keep urself happy... in my humble opinion it is equally important to have these smaller chats many a times... in a day... talks that make you smile ... when you think about 'em ... talks that are not about why you should protect those 1411 tigers... or if you should buy those BT brinjals... but about how one sparrow would come and try to dig out the seeds that u just planted in the mud pot in ur balcony... and how ur grandma is trying to shoo that bird away...

... and i am pretty excited about something... a very innocent chit-chat... that was unplanned ... and though i feel is something that my sub-conscious mind always long for...

... Happy Women's Day to All ...

..."Just 1411 Left. Quick! Buy that fur coat your wife always wanted!" ...

... experienced my first 'car problem' on Sat evening... then watched late nite show of Karthik Calling Karthik... then unplanned nite stay@ AC's place ... now enjoying Sunday... woke up late in morning... had a tasty omlette and tea... and aaloo pyaaz ke parathe... yummy! ... thanks AC bhai!...

... hope to post some meaningful matter later... :)

>a friend's status message on Gtalk:
::If things are not happening according to your wish you are very lucky because they are happening according to God's wish ! :)

...Indica Vista - Changes Everything ...

... a photo is worth thousand words...

... so this post is now worth two thousand words? ...