I, Me, Myself..

Local talk

2012-01-26T11:43:00.001-05:00

These days I travel to and fro office by train. So after a long break am enjoying the daily local talk..
Every morning as I take the same train, I find the regulars smiling at me as opposed to the initial frown :) Not exactly am engaging in conversations, it still is fun to listen, right now, two females are chatting up on multiple recipes..both seem to be software engineers, and juggling time between office and home..but I guess this time is giving them the well needed break... I know how much that is sooo required!!
Then there is another lady who gets down with me, doesnt really talk much but smiles at me when we meet in the morning waiting for the train..we talk a bit as we gear up to get down..
When you see the same faces daily, you start smiling and a bond is formed.. I havent really traveled in Mumbai Local that regularly as I do now.. But I love it anyways..

6 years

2012-01-26T11:39:00.001-05:00

Been 6 years since this blog started.. and there have been a lot of gaps in blogging. Another year has started and the blogging is still slow.
Hope I pick up a little. :)

An year that was

2012-01-01T05:15:00.001-05:00

I remember the year had started with no chutti to MBA classes and an impromptu trip with my mother's school teachers..first working day and I had bunked office :-D..
Over the year, I really dint have many vacations except the one that my parents took me to Anjarle..but surely finished up lot of leaves..so much so that my Boss has an allergy to my leave plans :)
The overall year so study and exams and assignments too. When the final paper was done on 18 Dec I felt such a heavy relief..Although it was a part time course the pressure has been quite something. And what have I gained? Additon to my EQ and some amount of Management jargon :) one thing I learnt this year is that nothing can compensate experience! No management theories tell us what is the right decision to take..it can only analyse after a decision has been taken. It gave me quite some good friends and a lot of intellectually stimulating discussions too which I will miss now :(

Our car was another event..being a newly launched model, Tata Venture was just fit for our farm needs.. It first was terrifying due to hugeness yet once it started running it has been a pleasure.. It took a 2 months leave from us and got a heart transplant..sorry engine transplant, still I got to have my dream drive on it ..and this year!!

The important and the best thing that happened in our family was my brother and sis-in-law declaring that we would have a bundle of joy by end of the year!!! The 9 months have been soo exciting and when the wait was over, the little one has been a real treasure.. Our little Princess - will call her Chinu - is so little so cute so lovely so nice.. So much so that she will fill all the years to come..

Happy New Year!!

Critics!

2011-11-14T04:40:00.002-05:00

There was a man who had an amazingly gifted dog who could walk on water. He was very proud of him and took great care of him.

One day he went fishing and walked the dog along with him. There was another man fishing stoically smoking a pipe. The man with the dog wanting to show off his dog's unique capabilities told the other man "Let me show you something" and threw a playing ball far in water and instructed his dog to get it.

The dog happily ran over water and got the ball back to his master who asked the other man "Did you notice anything about the dog?"

He replied, "Yeah, your dog cant swim!"

We see such critics every day in our life who can find shortcomings of the best things. How do we react to such critics is important. Do we get bogged down by meaningless criticism or ignore it?

You know it, the best way is to ignore it.. but make sure that you don’t ignore constructive criticism..

Random thoughts

2011-09-24T16:42:00.000-04:00

Was thinking over multiple things, and realized that I have lost lot of friends due to loss of communication and not due to actual fight or quarrels..

Fights or Quarrels can actually be resolved..even at a later stage.. but catching up later? it doesn't always work..because till then each one of them has already built a novel on what the other person should have done and has not done..

Other is, does constant pressure situation make you impatient and panicky? Am dealing with a new PM for last three days, and he seems to have pressed the panic button already when the project is still in its 1st week. Is it his normal behaviour or has he been moulded into it due to situations he has been ? So far, I haven't heard a good thing about him barring one person.. so also my experience in last three days hasnt been encouraging.. the dilemma is should I escalate now or give him more rope..

Its also been interesting to see how shy people get pushed to react strongly when a limit of frustration is caused. Wishing that shy person luck to tide over the situation and upcoming inquisitions the person might have to face to.. or may be the escalation would simply pass by and the residue would be negative sentiments..

When the world is struggling with inflation and earthquakes and floods and bombblasts.. I am stuck in the world of musings of my own with too many random thoughts..

Tere mere beach me...

2011-08-26T13:37:00.000-04:00

Sometimes you cant share everything with others..the relaxed feeling that overwhelms you when the waves at the beach hit you.. The light rain that just touches you to bring the cooling effect.. And the feeling it brings when it makes circles in the retreating waves..its simply amazing.. The thousand circles forming with drops of rain greeting each other at the curves looks like thousand smiles.. It affirms the fact that smiles bring more smiles..
Its simply awesome feeliing that compels you to share but you just cant describe enough..probably you need someone to share the same wavelength as you..
I have been to the beach in rains earlier.. And I have always yearned to go again.. The beach, the sea always overwhelms me..and the rains make me happy...when they both come together, they make a memorable experience..
Can I have some more time on the beach please..

(As I post this, I remember its August, and I did not mention the dream drive I had prior to the Beach experience, A drive with trees on both sides of the road empty up and down road and no other vehicle around.....)

Leaders

2011-06-21T09:56:00.001-04:00

Leaders come in different flavours..
One is the type who try to continuously push you by telling, this is what everyone does, whats the delighter? Where s the icing on the cake? You need to have a proper storyline....
Other is the type who continuously encourage by telling, you guys are the best, you just need to put it out there..we always have constraints, given the constraints you have done a great job..dont get tensed, you just need to put the storyline together in this way, and just be yourself!

Which one have you met ? I met both types today !!
And I would love to be the second type.

Learning

2011-06-06T11:29:00.001-04:00

Learning is never bad.. Either you learn good things or you learn what to avoid..
( when i invented this quote today, i was advised to take pravachans :))

Barkha bahar aayi

2011-06-02T10:55:00.001-04:00

I always have loved the rain.. It simply changes the atmosphere, the surroundings and so very quickly..
Although it brings in some troubles in the man-made world, but still..with all troubles, it still is a beautiful season..

The smell of wetness, the green coming out of nowhere.. The cool breeze ... And the drops of rain..

Oh, this heralds our sowing season, our rice crop.. Our farm will go green now :)
In this first rain, want to listen to
"Banwra mann dekhne chala ek sapna"

Searching for Water..

2011-04-17T05:11:00.000-04:00

Would you believe if someone said that if you walk with a coconut in hand and it will react to the presence of water table underground?
When I heard of it from one of our acquaintance, I refuted the claims. He was damn confident that it works.. and I was looking for a logic in it.. Finally he agreed to come with us to our farm and look for water for us..

When we reached our farm and took out the coconut, he asked to take it hand and walk with it in a area.. It was only dangling on my palm as I walked and I was laughing at the idea and as I reached a point, it started taking a direction upward, as if there was a magnet pulling it.. and the coconut stood up! I moved back few steps and walked it up again.. The coconut went horizontal when i was back and when I returned to the point , it stood up again !!

The person who works on our farm is one of the tribals, and there were another 2-3 guys from the village on our farm.. Everyone came around to see where the coconut was standing up.. They knew that it stands when there is water!

Do you believe it ? If not see the video..

Link to the video : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oq9l0vmiE78

It happens only in India!

What is it all about?

2011-04-09T12:34:00.001-04:00

So what is the basic requirement of any relationship? Not really just a GF-BF kind.. It could be any, a brother-sister, friends, colleagues, boss and team or any..
love or the expression of it?
Cordiality ?
Connection or frequency of it?
frequency of Meeting in person?
Knowing whats going on in each others life ?
Or is it just the feeling that 'I do care about you'
Let me know...

Emotions

2011-04-03T10:45:00.001-04:00

A painting or a picture can evoke a lot of emotions.. And it all depends on the state of mind you are in..
In a absolutely disturbed state of mind, I see it as a lonely sailorsailing out..companion ship is leaving towards the horizon leaving this boat alone.. Beech manjhdhar me akela sorts..the sun setting down and the thought of approaching darkness brings in a gloom..
To put it positively, I can think of a morning glory, the night has passed and the rays of sun have shown that the boat is not alone in the water and possibly it knows some direction..the thinning clouds are residue of the dark storm that has passed and promises of a clearer day ahead ..
What emotions do you see in it?

Biggy and Tiny

2011-03-26T07:31:00.001-04:00

Biggy and Tiny both recognised me !!! Met them after a span of 1.5 years! When I had said bye then, I had accepted the fact that they would forget who Aparnaaunty was.. now they both are older sisters of 1 year olds..Its really wonderful feeling that they still remember me.. Love you little ones!!!!

Looking for a car

2011-03-20T01:48:00.000-04:00

Yess.. Looking for a brand new car now ..
I would love some small SUV like the Toyota Rav4 ( I had driven it in US ) but similar cars arent available in India in my budget. We either have large SUVs like Sumo, Scorpio.
So what do I want in the vehicle? We want that for travelling to our farm mostly, carry stuff to and fro, run on the mud roads near our farm and on the highways too!
On other days it should be able to carry 5-6 of us around..
Over and above, my father should be able to drive it as well. I know I can drive all cars..

Hope to get a decent one very soon.. Currently looking at something like Venture or Eeco.. Lets see..
Any suggestions ??

Conversations

2011-03-02T10:01:00.000-05:00

As I am returning back from office today after putting in 10 hours on a holiday, am thinking about the sms conversation with the friend who was going to join me in office..
It went as follows:
I have started, will reach in another 45 mins to one hour.
'On my way. Will take 35 mins more to reach,
'So you will be the first one to reach :)'
'Sometimes i too manage to be first :)'
'Everyone cant be first. :) happy you are getting the chance.'
'Dont you think coming first to work on a holidayis not an achievement to be happy about'
'Coming to work is not a happy thing. Coming first is.
now that you know you will be first would you slow down? if yes, its not a happy thing, if no, its not.'
'not all journey are happy. But as said by someone ..-its the need of the hour and go an extra mile..'
'Dont quote someone, being content with the miles travelled is also a virtue. Also, the journey is always happy, the destination may not be..'

After this, his battery died, and the conversation stopped. Knowing his experience, am I way too optimistic or positive about life? Not that I have been overburdened by work always like he has been, but I do try lifting up spirits of people around me.. Not sure if this helped, but we had a pretty successful day..

What do I say about this:.

2011-02-08T11:37:00.001-05:00

Dunno how it works.. And what do these girls feel when they are doing this..
In our daily bus to office, a burkha-clad girl gets in the bus at a stop near Mumbra which is a predominantly Muslim area. By the time, we reach office, the burkha is nowhere seen, not even a scarf over the head and I wont even be able to identify who the girl is. Similarly, on the way back, the same girl gets down at the same stop clad in burkha, which is obviously not seen at the Starting point at the Company.
I just saw one girl in the train. At Thane, she climbed with her dupatta put on both shoulders. By the time, she was ready to get down at Mumbra, she had wound her dupatta all around her face and head to have only her eyes uncovered.
What do they feel? Societal pressure to be seen conservative? I feel these girls are facing a lot of criticism when they step out of their area. Is this just the trade-off they do to be able to step out?
I believe right and wrong are relative terms. Right for someone may be wrong for someone else. But I really wonder, what do these girls feel..

Love-to-Hate

2011-01-06T09:51:00.001-05:00

Some people you simply love to hate. These can be at office, can be acquaintances, can be relatives as well. They come in all ages, sizes and quantities. Being utterly irritable is their basic property. Some other properties seen are- being chipku, being high-handed, taking all limelight, taking credit for others. The list is not exhaustive.
Dealing with such people mostly makes you lose your temper and frustration mounts on you. Visible side effects are making faces behind their backs, not answering their calls and pretending to be busy when approached.
More inputs are welcome!

Aaj mere yaar ki shadi hai

2010-12-28T02:53:00.001-05:00

I am at a marriage.. Of my schoolfriends. The girl sat next to me for 9th and 10th.. And guy sat in front of me in the 10th class.
Yes, it started there.. And I never knew till my friend told me herself 2 years later.. They have gone through a lot over the last 12 years.. She is an engineer now and he is a doctor. We kept in touch, lost the contact, and are connected back agin. Over the years, I got to know about her father's prolonged hospitalization and demise, his continued support to her inspite of his studies getting affected. Her job in Mumbai, his studies in Pune. His parents opposed, they convinced.. She lost her mother few months back after their engagement .
And today when I see them together, its all so worth. I would have missed this occassion, if it was not her brother- who convinced me I should be here when I called to say sorry- and my colleague who took over all work responsibilities and let me leave office.
I am happy I am here to wish them all the best as they start a new inning of their life..

Diplomacy

2010-12-21T10:31:00.001-05:00

How interestingly do we behave,isnt it? When it comes to presenting something to our bosses, everyone tries to keep it precise and avoids creation of further questions.. Be it a regulat team member presenting to his Team Lead or Project Manager or a team of TLs/PMs presenting to the Senior Management.. But are the bosses that dumb?

Life comes at you fast!!

2010-12-18T03:09:00.001-05:00

Life doesnt stop for you.. Its a known fact.. Before one project has ended, another has already gone critical.. As I am still coping up with sorrow of leaving the first project, I get called for finalizing the case studies for both the days of the weekend..
No, I dont ask for a slower life.. Till I am able to keep up the speed.
When I say Life's a race.. I want to run for myself.. Not to win over someone else.. Its a race.. Not a competition :)

Optimism

2010-12-17T14:37:00.000-05:00

Is it possible to be optimistic all the time ?

I used to get frustrated over lot of things at a point of time in life. Then a friend showed me, getting frustrated is taking me nowhere.. the situation remains the same, the people remain the same and I also stay in the same place.. There is only one difference, I have grown bitter and angry and it does not affect anyone else.

I had to check my emotions and words - continuously - to stay away from frustrations in adverse situations, keep thinking to find a way because there is always a way out. and it has helped me so far..

God, As I enter the world of indefinite, please help me keep my optimism, come what may.. and when I start losing it, I will remind you of this Blog prayer :)

Ethics

2010-12-10T08:29:00.001-05:00

Ethics
Thats the current buzzword I am hearing..
Its such a touchy thing that I cant write about it !

O re manva

2010-12-05T04:52:00.001-05:00

O re manva tu to bavra hai
tu hi jane tu kya sochta hai
tu hi jane tu kya sochta hai baavre
kyu dikhaye sapne tu sote jaagte
jo barse sapne boond boond
naino ko moond moond
kaise main chalu, dekh na saku,
Anjaane raaste......

too good...

Updates

2010-12-04T13:54:00.003-05:00

When I had heard of Twitter first, I used to think "Why the hell do people want to send out their updates all the day long?"

And now ? I find it de-stressing to change my Facebook Status to reflect my thoughts at the moment and read people commenting on it .. It keeps me cheerful although my life has gone topsy-turvywith work and studies :)

Currently looking for Mobile Apps that will help me blog..

(And you thought there was some change from my life :) )

Slipping away

2010-10-26T13:36:00.004-04:00

I am talking of friends.. dont we all encounter the slipping ?

School Friends, College Friends, Training friends, Location friends, Commute friends, Neighbourhood friends, Team friends, et al..

I am not talking of acquaintances.. I am talking about friends, whom we are pretty close with and share our lives with them .. and after a point of time the contact breaks.. for no specific reason.. how much ever you try to put things back.. it never comes together again ..

I wrote earlier about not being able to connect with friends after long time.. I guess its the same thing.. After a point of time, you stop being able to connect.. But it surely hurts when you see someone slipping away and having no rhyme or reason for it..

I read this post again .. I guess its soo very true..

Chak de!

2010-10-13T12:54:00.003-04:00

Have you ever heard a running commentary of any sport ? How the commentators put the picture up through their words..their excitement and sorrow .. the anxiety and the relief .. They try to do the 100% communication from the only channel of Voice !

It was the Men's Hockey Semi Finals in CWG. I accidentally had tuned into the sarkari FM station 107.1 which was giving out the commentary .. It was the time of Penalty shootout which was to resolve the tie-breaker score 3-3 of India and England. 5 Shootouts and as each player attempting at the shot and the goalies taking pressure at each minute, the commentators in Hindi and English were so animated that they brought the stadium in front of the eyes.. and when the team India won - the English commentator went crazy with happiness !!!

It has been a good season of sports at CWG.. though it had not started on the right note due to the hungry, insatiated politicians - the sportspeople have been brave and courageous enough to battle all the odds and excel at their sport ! There hasnt been enough facilities or money or expert coaching but these guys have been fabulous !!

Kudos to Team India ! how many gold, silver or bronze medals you get is not important, Its important that you have excelled and have been better than all of your prior achievements !! Wish you get all the recognition you deserve !!

CWG ends tomorrow, but there are the Asian Games coming up ! All the best !!

Have we lost sensitivity ?

2010-10-09T13:27:00.002-04:00

Random incidents .. dont know what to make out.. have we lost our sensitivity ?

An little incident on one of the mornings last week where a a father aged around 35-40 and his son aged around 8-10 were waiting for the son's school bus. The father did not seem happy with waiting part and seemed restless. The place where I saw this is a intersection of two roads and these guys were on middle of one of the two roads. An old man who was hard of hearing and had a hearing aid in his ear , probably was unable speak as well. He went to this father son duo, held the son with arm and took him to side of the road and actioned him to say "Stand here, there are vehicles on the road, take care" Mr. Father , unfazed, unaffected, did not give another thought to it. for a moment till the old man went away, the son stood at the side, Father didnt, and then the son was back in the middle of the road with his father !

First Class compartment in Mumbai Local, not a rush hour but all seats were full and a handful standing. A lady, working or collegian (twacha se umar ka pata nahi chalta) was being touched by the child on shoulder of a lady who looked a little lower middle class and probably got into a wrong compartment.. This suave lady tells the other "Hey please move to that side, please move a little" (NO, Its not a translated sentence). The other lady lost and just said "huh? ?" She wasnt able to understand English at all.. Our suave lady said the same thing in english again.. and got the same response.. Seeing the conversation not going towards communication, I translated for the sake of the lost lady.. and then she moved a little away :) No I did not get any thanks from anyone .. but thats not the point.. Dint the suave lady know hindi ? cant she have done it herself ? I still wonder ..

Interesting thought

2010-09-02T12:39:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to put it down..

Dahi-handi s are so contemporary to Corporates ..

Originally started by the great management guru - Shri Krishna.. An attempt to get people to work in a team towards a single Goal - Butter , which was good for their health. The team consisted of multiple skilled people - strong Balram, physically challenged Pendya and other differently abled cowherd friends. They made an human pyramid to reach the pot of expectations set by the Gopika's..

Now ? the politicians put out cranes to hoist the pot of Money. Pull it up higher and higher as the human pyramids start building.. and there are a lot of various teams putting together the pyramids.. competing with each other..

A very interesting thought came to my mind as I watched one of the cranes.. Doesnt it get any more closer to Current world corporates ?

Today, all companies are competing in equally cut-throat competition. Putting their teams under pressure to win the pot of money.. the teams have different skill-levels, work in multiple layers -some take lot of physical pressure and some take the higher risk - the mental pressure..

And the customers i.e. the organizers of the show - they keep increasing the height of their expectations, and the pot of money doesnt match the efforts or cover the risk as well ..

Just wondering, do our Govinda teams also need to get into contemporary mood and look for Innovative strategies to hit the prize instead working it out the traditional way ??

I hope all Govindas have been safe today and no one has got hurt..

August... yet again!

2010-08-19T13:41:00.002-04:00

So August of 2010 is slipping away .. August has been very special month for me :) I posted this in 2008 and 2009.. Thought it wont have many surprises this time around.. But the month proves me wrong :)

I got a looong bout of fever.. 5 days !! I am still recovering from it .. I know for a normal person is this is news ? But for me, yes.. I dint get it for a very long time..

and another thing happened to me is the admission to premier B-school for a year long Management certification course.

As a few more days of this month are left, lets see whats more yet to come..

Its good to be sick

2010-08-16T08:54:00.002-04:00

.. when your sickness and leave due to the sickness helps you get out of a sticky political situation :)

Bear & Bunny

2010-08-09T07:27:00.004-04:00

A bear and a bunny,

Had plenty of money,

They went to the store,

For carrots and honey..

When the bear and the bunny,

Asked, "Carrots and honey!"

The man in the store,Cried,

“Where is your money?”

How strange, and how funny!

They really had money

—And that’s how they bought,

Their carrots and honey !

( Liked this rhyme, hence posted :))

Will call you later....

2010-08-02T13:54:00.002-04:00

Have you heard it ?

"Hey, I am a bit tied up, will call you later , ok?"

"Hello.. hello.. I am not able to hear you well, its very noisy here, Will call you later, ok?"

"Hey, I am getting another call, I will call you later, aaramse baat karte hai "

And how many times does this "later" comes in reality ??

(Yeah, I am mad at my very close friends for doing this to me .. and I know they dont read my blog.. just my way to vent out !!)

Wax museum

2010-08-01T12:19:00.003-04:00

Visited a Celebrity Wax Museum , here in India.. Its located at Versoli near Lonavala.

Though the wax figures are few, they are good .

There is A R Rehman and theres Michael Jackson, Mahatma Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi, Sai baba and Satya Sai Baba, Mother Teresa and Amritanandamayi Amma !!

There are a lot of Kerali politicos, which we werent much familiar, yet I do like the efforts been put in to build in these wax models! Way to go Mr. Sunil Kandalloor!

Interview

2010-07-31T14:46:00.002-04:00

Got a chance to give an interview after nearly 6 years.. and I was scared terribly!!

The interview didnt go much well and I am not sure if they will shortlist me :(. Any ways I got to see a lot of people and their reactions..

It was an interview for an Executive Management certification programme for a very reputed Management institute. As per schedule 30 of us were supposed to be interviewed in the span of 4 hours - 8:30 am to 12:30 pm. Everyone was present at 8:30 am.. Note that all the candidates had minimum 5 years of Experience , actually much more than that.. So there was a variety of dress code followed.. from Crisp suit and tie to simply formals with tie to only formals to smart casuals as well !!! Did that make a difference ? No idea !

As everyone was called in for verification of certificates-10th, 12th, Degree and Experience - I was thinking Why do we need such an assortment ? Unless you are 10th pass, you cannot go for 12th.. Without initial 12th / Diploma, You cannot go for a degree.. Also in a degree, unless you clear all semesters, you wont get a convocation certificate - Then why scrutinize ALL of it.. :)

Anyways, the action of one candidate prior to Interview which prompted me to post was interesting.. He was waiting for his name to be called ( I know that this guy has 15 years of experience) . Till that happened, he was chanting some prayer to himself and to end it he also did a sort of namaskar with one hand, touched his ears and brushed off his actions as if he had not done anything!! :) Not that it was inappropriate , but it was amusing to see !!

Few others were reading newspapers nervously, discussing about the accreditation of the course and value of it.. More others just leafing through their ceritificates, some more browsing emails on their smartphones or even playing games and me- I was trying to stifle my yawns, holding up my sleepy bouts (Due to the lack of sleep on previous two days) and trying to keep awake every time the certificate scrutinizer called some name. I had 2 min naps as well to freshen myself up.

Now I feel, there may some other person on that group who might blog about me, who knows !

Mobile Raddiwala !!!

2010-07-21T13:22:00.002-04:00

Yeah.. Our regular raddiwala has gone mobile..

Its very simple, we call him on his mobile number, he comes home with an electronic scale , weighs the raddi (old newspapers) , pays you the amount and takes away the raddi..

Kya baat hai !! Life ekdum Fassht ho gaya hai !!

Constant Change

2010-07-19T13:42:00.002-04:00

Change is the only constant, isnt it ?

But then why do we see some people changed and yet some more as never changed ?

I guess we accept changes we like and then dont find any change .. and when are not able to accept it we quip ' How much has this changed !!'

(Written with nothing particular in mind and BTW this is my 100th post !!)

Rain Rain

2010-06-14T13:37:00.003-04:00

It rained today.. heavily near my office, bit scantily near my home..

The newspaperwala where I buy my paper said to me on friday, "You people carry this umbrella hence it doesnt rain.. " So I dint carry it today.. And truly it rained ..

Been a long time since I enjoyed it .. in US Monsoon season doesnt exist. It rains every few days. Guess it does have a pattern, but surely not a season. Dont remember many incidents when we were caught unawares by rain, or dint get a chance for the superstition like mentioned above :P

When it rained, never got much drenched.. barring a few occassions.. After all, could not afford to fall sick. So seeing it raining today I was overwhelmed !!

Rain Rain, Come again.. If you dont like, I wont take an umbrella again !

Mobile Camera

2010-06-12T15:30:00.007-04:00

Some things amaze us and they are in our daily life.. The best way to pick it up for Memory storage is the Mobile Camera.. Here are some of my recent pic(k)s...

Nandi Bail

Dont have a english translation for this . In Maharashtra, they decorate a bull and get him out to places. He is supposed to have supernatural powers and can answer questions in Yes and No..

I was amazed to see this one just near my home while going to office.

Innovation at a roadside Bhajiwali

I liked this little battery providing light to the road-si

de vegetable seller.

If you can see carefully, there is a rechargeable battery down there and two sticks giving the light an elevation.

Mast white light me sabje dekho aur le lo !!

A Bad Jam.. Traffic Jam ..

In traffic jam. people get crazy and get into the wrong lane to try to get ahead of the stream, jamming it hard for the oncoming vehicles!

I am so afraid of this, that I am still learning to drive in India :(

And the Latest One all the way from Goa.. in Madgaon Market.

I tried reading it, but I failed to read it in first attempt. It needed some logical building to read a typical Indian Name "Venkatesh Acharekar" (I am still wondering its Acharekar, Azrekar or Ajdekar). The Portugese had a typical way of spelling and it shows in Goa where all Indian names have been spelled differently. There's one "Caxinata" which is equivalent to "Kashinath".

Dunno how they would have spelled my name.

Letter

2010-06-09T13:24:00.004-04:00

When I was in Hostel during my engg. days, I once dint talk to my parents for sometime just because they dint send a letter with my parcel ..

During my Onsite assignment in US, I normally talked to my parents every alternate day. Yet I always asked for a letter with any parcel they sent for me :) Just 2 personal words.. But written by someone..

Today I received a gift - a purse - from a close friend overseas and very unexpectedly. The first thing I checked was is there a letter with it ? I was so disappointed as there wasnt one ..

A letter is such an important thing.. I read today in one of the columns in a Marathi newspaper..trying to translate a part that I remember from my morning quick skim..

Letters have grown so old fashioned these days. Its easier and faster to get in touch with phone and email. But does it give the same happiness of refreshing your memory when you read an old yellowing letter than an email on milk-white screen ? Does an email give the personal touch felt by a letter ?

As I am writing I realize I have heard about the amazing power of a letter just few days back.

In the year 1996 (start thoda filmy hai but ok) I had written letters to all my first and second cousins from my paternal side, all those who we know in our family tree and sent a rakhi with it.. We had then brought together our 8 brothers and 6 sisters. Last month during my brother's marriage, my aunt- one of those 8's mom- mentioned the letter. She said it was that letter that brought them closer to the family.. She still has that letter about which I had forgotten till then. :) Today all of the brothers are in touch with me (touchwood !) though they may not be in touch with each other (sad part, but true).. The point is those letters and their impact !

Though all of above is true, have I stopped writing ? I can blog as it is typing but can I write on a piece of paper ? Can I write letters and then can receive more and get less disappointed ?

Tag

2010-06-03T15:02:00.002-04:00

I dont pick up tags much, thought theres no harm :)

Things you have done during your lifetime:
() Gone on a blind date
(X) Skipped school (or college)
(X) Watched someone die
() Been to Canada
() Been to Mexico
(X) Been to Florida
() Been to Hawaii
() Been to Australia or New Zealand
() Been to Europe
(X) Been on a plane
(X) Been on a helicopter
(X) Been lost
(X) Gone to Washington, DC
() Swam in the ocean(floated:))
() Seen the Sequoias and/or Redwoods
(X) Cried yourself to sleep
(X) Played cops and robbers
() Recently colored with crayons
(X) Sang Karaoke
(X) Hiked up a mountain
() Paid for a meal with coins only
() Been to the top of the St. Louis Arch
(X) Done something you told yourself you wouldn't
() Made prank phone calls
() Been down Bourbon Street in New Orleans
(X) Laughed until some kind of beverage came out of your nose
(X) Caught a snowflake on your tongue
() Danced in the rain-naked
() Been skinny dipping in a pool or a hot tub (Creek)
() Written a letter to Santa Claus
() Been kissed under the mistletoe
() Watched the sunrise with someone
(X) Blown bubbles
(X) Gone ice-skating
(X) Gone to the movies
() Been deep sea fishing
() Driven across the United States
() Been in a hot air balloon
() Been sky diving
() Gone snowmobiling
(X) Lived in more than one country
(X) Lay down outside at night and admired the stars while listening to the crickets
(X) Seen a falling star and made a wish
() Enjoyed the beauty of Old Faithful Geyser
(X) Seen the Statue of Liberty
() Gone to the top of Seattle Space Needle
() Camped in the Mountains
() Camped on the Beach
() Been on a cruise
(X) Traveled by train
(X)Traveled by motorcycle
(X) Been horse back riding
() Ridden on a San Francisco CABLE CAR
() Been to Disneyland OR Disney World
(X) Truly believe in the power of prayer
(X) Been in a rain forest
() Seen whales in the ocean
(X) Been to Niagara Falls
(X) Ridden on an elephant
() Swam with dolphins
() Been to the Olympics
() Walked on the Great Wall of China
() Saw and heard a glacier calf
() Been spinnaker flying
(X) Been para sailing
(X) Been snow-skiing
() Been to Westminster Abbey

तो

2010-05-29T12:49:00.002-04:00

असतो तो आसपास , इतरांसारखा. फार वेगळा नाही वाटंत. कोणाचा लक्ष सुद्धा जात नाही आणि कोणी ओळख पण दाखवत नाही
ग्रीष्म आला की मात्र याला धुमारे फुटतात आणि हळु हळु आपण त्याला बघू लागतो - कारण आपल्या लक्षात आलेलं असतं की अंगाची लाही लाही करणार्या वैशाख वणव्यातुन तावुन सुलाखून , सुर्यालाही लाजवणारी लाली पहरून आश्चर्यचकित करणारा हा गुलमोहर असतो

I realise its friday when..

2010-05-28T10:54:00.002-04:00

.. when my mom wakes me up saying "Just today, tomorrow is a holiday for you"

.. when guys in my company bus dabble in bright colors like red and red and black

.. when one of my married colleague who lives in a joint family gets in a "oh no its friday" mode (dreading her weekend workload)

.. when I have to get my team to fill timesheets and ensure they have completed it

.. when I return back near home and our Istriwala (Laundry) shop is closed :P (Friday is their weekly off)

and then I realise that I can sit up late tonight and chat with my friends

Teacher and Ex

2010-05-24T14:32:00.002-04:00

Some words never go together.. Like teacher and Ex.. have you ever heard someone , even yourself saying "I met my ex-Teacher today"? No ways.. Teachers never go Ex. It doesnt sound at all good.
This came up when I was talking about my Classical dance teacher. I left it aorund 15 years ago. But when I said, my ex-teacher has performed in a live programme, I did not like the word myself..
And then all teachers started crowding my memories..

I still remember sitting near my Jr KG teacher's chair. After completing whatever she had asked us to, I was caught doing a mischief :P. I dont remember her name though.

Then there was our Gracy Teacher for Sr. KG. She was such a sweetheart. I dont remember what she taught us, but I do remember the pleasant way she used to talk to us. Even if she always talked in English and I was too young, I knew I understood everything. On the day I forgot to take my Schoolbag, she had hugged me and quietened my tears. On the day I wore a Uniform Shirt-pant like boys, she had told me very sweetly that if you are a girl you should wear Pinafore and that it looks good on me. She passed away last month. I last met her some 3-4 years back and I feel there should have been another chance.. She was one teacher I remember who was never in any controversies, never heard any complaint or cross word about her. She remembered every student's name whichever class you are in. Gracy Teacher- May you rest in peace and I will never forget you.

Then there was my Marathi teacher who has been mentioned here.

Then Vrinda teacher, Beola Teacher, Pereira Teacher, Naik Teacher .. thats till standard 4th when we had only 1 teacher for all subjects.

From 5th-7th, teachers changed subject-wise. Vasantha teacher, Meenal teacher, Jyoti Teacher, Padmaja Teacher..

The in Final years of school, we had Sekar teacher, Bhalerao Teacher, Jignasa Teacher and the unforgettables Bhat Teacher & Bhat Sir.

Teachers after this stage were more professionals and less personally involved.

But I should mention, our Hostel Warden ARP sir, who loved us but always scolded us for lot of disciplinary goof-ups :P. Also Our IT Dept. Head and our Local Guardian in college - Prof R C Thool and his wife Thool Madam.. He is a gem of a person and always provided us with every facility and kept us free from the College Bureaucracy red tapes.

Its been a loong loong time since I met or contacted many of them. Hope this post starts a thread of communication!

There have been a lot more teachers teaching a lot at every walk of life.. I have just mentioned the Academia here :)

Time test

2010-05-16T14:50:00.002-04:00

I believe Time test is the bestest (wanted to make it Best test, fir plan change).

I mean Time tells you, who wants to keep in touch with you and who doesnt. Becos for acquaintances , or forgotten friends, we wouldnt prioritize our time.
So also as time goes, we analyze our friendship more objectively, and if we think the other person is not worth your time, then out the person is from memory frames and "time"frames..

Yeah, I am a bit cross with a friend who doesnt have time to talk / chat / meet. But I felt like writing more becos I just chatted with 2 friends of mine - One was my roomie in college days and other cubicle mate in the first 2 years of my first Job. I was soo unable to connect for more than 2 minutes with them. While there is this another friend(who was originally a friend's sister, but turned out to be closer than the original friend :P), I can connect with her pretty fast, and we keep chattering for hours together-even if late nights. I guess its a part of life..

I do beleive time can distinguish a friend for you. No matter after how long are you meeting/talking/chatting, you can still pick up the thread of communication. You dont look for topics to talk with a good friend, they just keep flowing..

Dumbo

2010-05-12T14:27:00.004-04:00

Sometimes I feel I am such a dumbo.. I havent been a fan of some genre of music.. i dont even know the right pronunciation of that word "genre".. People younger than me have taste for a specific "genre" .
Some of my colleagues are pursuing post graduations, doing weekend classes and what not.. even though I wanted to, I never ended up pursuing it with so much fervour.
There are other colleagues who have jumped ship so many times that with half experience than me, they are now earning nearly equal package. I havent ever given a thought. :) not that I have any particular reason..
There are these young people who are aware and conscious about the various career options they have and also have clear ideas on what they want. I have simply drifted along my way so far.. never had a clue about available opportunities or have fought for any particular thing..
There so many others that do a lot of things to improve their health. I dont find the find the motivation inside me.
(Not that I have not got it externally, but by experience, external motivation can push me only for a limited amount of time, I lose interest in a short span and end up having side effects)

The point remains, am I so much a dumb person ?

Is it just me?

2010-05-07T14:09:00.003-04:00

Sometimes, do we all feel like bound by obligations that we cannot break or is it just me ?

Sometimes, we are compelled to take a decision professionally but emotionally its difficult conveying to the concerned person. Or is it just me facing this situation?

There is this colleague of mine, who has seen me over last 3 years. I have changed drastically in my behaviour over these years. I had a very hot temper and I used get frustrated angry with people who would not understand my view. Time and a lot of efforts has taught me to calm down and react after thinking. But for this colleague of mine, I guess she always has my old image in her mind when she speaks to me and so the conversation sometimes goes a little awry.. To avoid friction, I minimize interaction with her. I guess I am doing wrong by keeping the interaction to minimum, I am not giving a chance to her to adjust her perspectives.. But yet I feel, Does that happen to everyone or just me ?

I am not wondering why does that happen only to me .. But just wondering if I am normal or I just think too much about everything.. I guess as per my quote earlier, these things must also have a reason.. Need to brood over it to find out.

Enjoy !

2010-05-02T13:30:00.001-04:00

How to deal with frustration

2010-05-02T04:56:00.003-04:00

This is something I googled for "how to deal with frustration" It sounds good to me. Link is "http://www.life-with-confidence.com/frustration.html

The emotion you’re feeling is “Frustration”.
With a capital “F”. Maybe even add in some anger because you’ve been working really hard towards your goal or on a project and it just isn’t working. Or you feel like you’re stuck in a dead-end job and can’t find another one. And you may not even really know why. All you know is that you seem to be stuck and no matter how hard you try, you don’t seem to get anywhere. You’re just spinning your wheels in the mud and all you feel is pure frustration. Sound familiar?

This is the point where a lot of people will just say, “I Quit” and give up. Before you do though, here’s 8 ways you can blast through any frustration:

1. Ask Yourself, “What Is Working in This Situation?”
Even if feels like nothing is working, look closely and you will probably find at least something that is going right. So, that’s good. You’ve found something that’s working. Now, how do you improve it? By asking this question, you’ve taken yourself out of the negative mindset of “it’s hopeless” and are back to focusing on the positive.

There's something that’s working and that will give you a clue of what direction to focus on. You may find that even if your previous issues come up you’ll be able to resolve them in the process of concentrating on your improvements.

2. Keep an Accomplishments Log
Write down everything you accomplish in a log. If you do it in a monthly format you will be able to see all that you have accomplished in just one month. You may be surprised by how much you have done. If you realize there’s not much on the list, it may open your eyes to the fact that you may be procrastinating more than working or that you are using too much of your energy going in too many directions and that you need to focus more. Hopefully, you will have lots of items on your list then you can see that even though it may not feel like it, you are moving forwards. The log will also help to highlight where you were the most effective and where you need to work harder.

3. Focus On What You Want to Happen
Go back to the big picture. What is the desired outcome? Sometimes, we get so wrapped up in one problem and trying to solve it that we forget what we were originally trying to accomplish. Try not to ask yourself, “Why did this happen?” Asking questions like that will keep you rooted in the past. It doesn’t offer a solution to the problem. The important thing is knowing the answer to the following two questions:
- What do you want to happen differently this time?”
- What do you need to do in order to get there?

4. Remove the “Noise” and Simplify
When you’re trying to solve a problem, you can get so wrapped up in trying to find a solution that you add unnecessary clutter, noise, and tasks to a project because you thought they “might” be a solution.

Working on this website, I get bombarded by offer after offer of “easy ways to run your website”, “get more traffic”, “make more money” etc. They’re just noise though and usually a waste of my time even reading them. These people are just trying to make money off of me. They have no interest in whether I succeed or not. When people are frustrated by how slow the hard work process is taking, they get tempted by these “here’s what you’ve been missing” and “I’ll make it easy for you” offers. Usually, it ends up that if you do get tempted by the offers you discover 6 months down the road that if you had just stuck with your first plan and just kept working at it, you’d be a lot further ahead by now. Not to mention richer from not having spent money on the Get Rich Quick schemes. Believe in yourself. Simplify and go back to the basics. Determine what is really necessary and remove everything else. Anything that takes your time and effort that isn’t adding value, should be eliminated.

5. Multiple Solutions
You always have options. You just need to brainstorm and figure them out. Tell yourself you need to come up with 8 possible options to what you’re dealing with. Just knowing that you have lots of options will help to make you feel better. You won’t feel like you are trapped in one negative situation. From your list, figure out the best direction and go for it.

6. Take Action
When you get into serious frustration with a problem, you tend not to want to work on it anymore. It’s hard, it’s frustrating, and you’re not getting anywhere. So, anything to avoid having to be in that situation may be far more attractive. Procrastination may start to set in. If you can keep taking steps forwards, you will probably make it past this temporary hump. As Thomas Edison said, “Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up” and “Surprises and reverses can serve as an incentive for great accomplishment.”

The other thing that can happen is that you start to spend a lot of time worrying. Worrying is a definite way of energy and does not move you in a forwards direction. Only taking action will. Once you start moving forwards again, you will most likely find that you worried for no reason.

7. Visualize a Positive Outcome to the Situation
A lot of times you can get stuck on focusing on what you don’t want to happen or fearing the absolute worst thing that could happen. The top athletes of the world will imagine themselves competing flawlessly over and over again. There is no room for failure in their minds. This is what you need to focus on as well. See yourself achieving your desired outcome. What will it look like? What will it feel like? What will you say? How will you feel? Take the time to visualize it and really feel it. It will inspire you to keep moving forwards.

8. Stay Positive
Things are usually not as bad as they first appear. Sometimes, things seem much worse simply because we’re tired or mentally drained. Taking a break and remembering to keep your sense of humour can also help. This time of frustration will pass. A positive mind is far more open to solutions and answers than a negative one that thinks it’s just “hopeless” and thinks “what’s the use?” A closed mind will not be able to see the possible solutions when they do come along. Stay positive.

As with any problem, the solution is to figure out what your options are, decide on a plan, focus, and then take action. By using the above 8 steps, you should find that you’re running into fewer problems and feeling less frustration. Instead, you may find that you’re running into opportunities and you know exactly how to take advantage of them.

Few quotes

2010-04-29T04:22:00.003-04:00

Quotes that I have developed ..

There is no better motivating factor than TINA factor .. (There Is No Alternative)

Nothing ever goes wrong.. as everything happens for a reason :) (Variant of All that happens , happens for the best)

Tip

2010-04-24T14:05:00.003-04:00

How much tip do we pay when we go to Restaurants ?

In US, even if we went to a restaurant with Buffet, for more than 6 people a gratuity (Tip in other words) of 15% of the bill amount. And they served only the Rotis and one Tandoori chicken at the table. Plates, Cutlery, Food you should bring out from the Buffet Table.

Back in India, even for A la carte, where you get separate set of plates and cutlery for starters, main course and dessert set and cleared , food served in plates, continuous supply of water, clean up of table after every course, Finger bowls, mostly everything at your service .. what do we pay in addition to the bill as a tip ?

I have seen more than one occasions where the tip paid was less than 1% of the bill. In actuality, the wages of an American Waiter and that for an Indian one would differ radically..

When I added a tip of nearly 8% ( an amount to round it off to nearest 100) , I got surprised eyes and opened door as I left .. :)

I only had to keep the payment away from the eyes of my Mom .. but thats fine.. I can explain her ..

Recording Light

2010-04-16T14:48:00.003-04:00

So here are the Assignment photos from my Photography.. I got an A+ in the course.. I have to see how much I can take this further....

Note: As a composition written in an exam doesnt have literary value, dont look for too much of artistic value here :)

The bird

2010-04-16T14:34:00.003-04:00

Office Canteen.. lunch time.

All tables packed and people tracking empty spaces by keen eyes.

Suddenly, in a corner there is a loud noise. A pigeon attempted suicide at one of the Big exhaust fans spluttering its tail and a side of feathers on 2-3 tables near the fan. People move from their seats. Some leave off the food , rest move a little away.

Someone washes hands, gets the water for the bird, picks it up and puts it away in a place where no one would stomp on it. He keeps the water bowl near the fowl so to help it.

The 3 tables in vicinity of the Suicide spot are empty, cleaned up by the canteen staff.

A new bunch of people enters the canteen, loves the sight of empty place at peak hour and rushes in to occupy the place.

Life returns to as usual!

Zamana badal gaya hai!

2010-03-15T15:42:00.002-04:00

Have you seen dogs running behind people carrying Milk or bread ?

Today I was surprised when I saw a dog gnawing at a man's hand carrying packets of ... Do you want to guess ? .... gutkha !!!!!!!!

They say the country is going to dogs.. but where are the dogs going ?

Farm'pur'

2010-03-02T02:21:00.004-05:00

Visited our farm at Badlapur.. Just 30-35 kms away from home.. Pics from my Mobile cam

Happy Holi (?)

2010-03-01T13:54:00.002-05:00

So my Amma wanted me home for Holi.. Me too as it had been 3 years since I had the Puran-polis she makes.. So I had initially refused the invitations to Pune - one by my would-be-Bhabhi and one from my Best Friend. To add to reasons, I had my Photography class on Saturday evening and Sunday 8 am to 5 pm. So I was very vocal about not getting any time to be in Pune..

Then another dear friend calls up to tell me that she is coming to Pune from Delhi with her 8-month-old daughter, Pari. So I get all enthused to take the trip .. My Amma was dejected, but understood that I had to make the trip. So to cheer her up, I promise to get back on Monday evening to have the Puran-poli.

So I leave my home on Sunday morning 7 am with 2 days stuff packed in my back-pack , Get late for the regular train, yet manage to catch it. Then I reach the class, where it starts a whole 15-min late.. then in the first break we head to a farther restaurant-just for the sake of the delight of a friend's taste buds- and again get late to get back to the class. Again the break is extended for another 15 mins. Then again after the class ends at 12:45, as pre-decided, we are supposed to head to Atria Mall for a demo of Macro lenses at Canon Image lounge. So have lunch, rush rush to Worli.. reach later than the decided time 2 pm :D and again the actual demo starts later .. The delays happening were very unlikely as our Sir normally starts right on time. But it was a different day. I could slip away from there at 4 .. reached the bus stand at 4:15, got a ticket for Shivneri -the last one for the 4:30 bus - and started my travel.

After a good ride and a rickshaw "ride" to my friend's place , when I reached my Best friend's place, I was welcomed by a tired face.. where normally I am welcomed with Open arms, but this trip was different :( After an hour and half, my Delhi friend arrived with her sleeping kid :( .. we had dinner together and then she left for her sister's place.. My best friend-already sleepy- slept in next 10 mins. and me restless with my stomach-ache that had started before I left Dadar, could not sleep for another hour.

Next morning, I woke up at 6:45 without a beckon at the time when my first daily alarm goes off, even though I had silenced it the earlier night. As we got freshened up by 9, I called up my Delhi friend to check if she was up and ready to meet again. But she was sleeping with her kid, so left a message to call up once she wakes up. Another friend from Navi Mumbai, started at 10 to meet this Delhi friend. But we did not any call till 12. My best friend and her husband with other few friends of theirs went to play Holi and I - due to my allergies - was left to surf TV channels. after a set of photo shoots, another set of phone calls and discussions, My best friend, her husband and me were cooking lunch for us three at 2 pm. By the time we had our lunch at 3 pm, the Navi Mumbai friend arrived, Then my dear Delhi friend had arrived. so when I started planning to move around 4 to start for Mumbai, she was asking me to stay.. Finally I could start at 5:30 pm.. So as to get a better reaching time we went to Swargate. But found full crowd, complete chaos, and a constant redirecting Govt. employees and piece of information. All the buses till 8 pm were reserved fully. Another phone call and found someone at the ticket line at Pune station.. So rushed to Pune Station just in time for the bus. 6:55 pm I had started back for Mumbai.

Story doesn't end here, I get down at Vashi Plaza, try to get a NMMT for Dombivli and I get after another 20 min wait. As soon as I settle down in a seat, the bus starts sputtering and making nasty noises.. so its taken to a Bus depot. Another wait for 15 mins and we are transferred to another bus. By the time I reach home, I still have my stomach-ache, its 11:20pm, pretty late for dinner. Yet my parents are waiting for me, putting out the dinner. I eat only the Puran-poli as promised although my stomach says no ..

And now I am blogging? To write about the trip that was so unsatisfying.. All the efforts and trouble to see my friends, who were not so enthused to see me :( .. To express my sorrow on not making it a point to meet my would-be-Bhabhi and making her (& I guess my Brother as well) mad at me.. To let my friends know that I couldn't tell them that it hurt me.. To note that next time my mother doesn't like it, I shouldn't go anywhere..

The moral of the story : Mom's always the best. and make sure your priorities are set right !

2010-02-13T01:29:00.002-05:00

This is fun..

I just posted on my facebook status "Entering a new World..' and I start getting questions "Of?", "Left your job?" "Nice, Nice" and what not..

I dont know what people are thinking.. But I am feeling like people are building castles on their own!

And me, I am just hoping that this new world entry isnt Jinxed..

As such its not so new.. I guess I was just skimming near it so far and now have decided to take it up seriously.. Just wish me luck with my Photography class .. :)

Life Gulmoharstyle

2009-12-19T04:08:00.002-05:00

A play .. 15 mins thrice a week on Radio.. I have got hooked up.

A story of 5 people - 3 girls and 2 guys.. Pursuing different lives.. but get intertwined via a common theater course. Each of them has a different story. But somewhere each story relates common problems of women. One guy - not letting his little sister pursue her interests saying that the field she has chosen is Guys field. Another Girl - facing opposition from her father to even start working or complete her studies. Yet another being harassed by her Boss by his subtle suggestive comments. Yet Another- who is being forced into marriage and not allowed to pursue her talent in Fashion designing..

The mix is quite interesting and the story keeps going on .. It sounds like something that is going around us ..

I have seen Plays, Serials and Movies , Read them.. But beleive me - hearing a play is equally wonderful!

If interested, catch it on AIR FM Rainbow every Wed-Thu-Fri 7.30 pm :)

This is a proactive Promotion .. I am not paid for advertising it :P

Driving

2009-10-31T01:45:00.002-04:00

I used to admire how the US drivers would take turns with their HUGE trailers..

Now? I feel our Indian Truck drivers and Bus drivers have more skill and tackle a very difficult task day in and day out.. They have to Drive on roads , take care of the vehicles overtaking or trying to overtake them, dodge the people crossing their paths (be it a road in City or an Highway) , Take turns (thts the most fabulous piece)

When you get a chance notice their maneuvers ..Its fascinating how much multi-tasking they do!

Great Moments

2009-10-15T07:31:00.002-04:00

Some great moments in your life can be very simple..
One of my teammate said "I want to be like you"
I am not sure what emotions rushed for a few moments.. From Pride to Happiness .. a sense of responsibility that I have to be followable.. (Wow what a word!) .. a moment of success.. and what not!

I know I am boasting.. but I guess sometimes its ok !

I am back!

2009-09-22T08:03:00.001-04:00

Returning back after a 2.5 year assignment from US of A was something interesting. There were multiple sets of comments that I heard / received.

Here is one

X : Did your project end ?

me: No , I chose to return.

X : Have you gone mad? People die to get to onsite, and then do whatever they can to stay in US, and you are going back?

me: hmm

X : is it recession? Did they offshorize your stuff ?

me: No, a guy has already replaced me

X : I think you want to switch your job, so you are getting back. You have been a long time with this company, I know you will back soon from a different company.

me: ( If you have got it all figured out by yourself , why ask ?) As of now, I havent planned anything..Well Lets see how things go along .. See you later.. (How else do I stop the firing?)

Another one in India as I am back

Y : So you got bored in America ?

me: (Smile) Well, kind of ..

Y : Its so much tough getting food out there isnt it?

me: Well not so much , you get pretty much every Indian stuff there..

Y : But is very costly there , isnt it ?

me: umm, it depends..

Y : You must be feeling hot here isnt it ? It must have been very cold there in America?

me: Actually I was in Dallas, which is pretty hot and dry.. Its just more humid here.. Aaachuu !!

(For the uninitiated, Dallas, Texas is in lower lattitude, a bit higher than Mumbai and sees Extreme temperatures , Mumbai has been never that hot)

Y : YOu are having a cold !!! Stay away , did you get swine flu ?

me: (Taking two steps back) Ah well, not that I know of .. Aaachuu!!

Note for the readers, I have just got sever cold and cough due to change of weather, NO FEVER , and you cannot catch a Flu from reading :P

Another Friend inquiring on Yahoo messenger

F : So you are back ! welcome back!

me: Thank you ! How are you?

F : Hann Ok ok.. You tell me, what did you get for me ?

me: Did you ask for something :P ? Got lot of Choclates, come down to have it till stocks last..

F : Courier Companies bhi hoti hai .. You can send by that ..

me: HAHAHAH

F : So what electronic items did you get ?

me: Not much, lens for my Camera, camcorder.. small stuff..

F : What did you get for me?

me: (Speechless)

F : Aur tera Bank Balance kitna hua hai ? YOu must have got a very fat sum there, isnt it?

me: uhh?

F : Thoda daan Punya karna chaiye .. mere jaisa gareeb koi nahi milega tujhe

me got logged out due to a Load shedding routine. ( Load-shedding is a scheduled power-cut, the routines vary area wise from 1 hour to 18 hours).

For the first time, I was thankful about Load shedding.

No hard feelings for the friend, she was just joking. She is a very close friend of mine and is very obnoxious by nature. But she deserved an entry to this blog becos she wasnt asking about my health or my contact number to call up and talk but interested in other things :)

These are typical conversations I had. In my views, US of A is just another country. It has its own beauty, culture, abundance and discipline. I do not compare it with my own country as India also has its own beauty, culture, abundance and discipline. I dont compare the two as I beleive it will devaluate both of them. I had done my job with assignment I was given and it was turning slightly monotonous. Also my visa was expiring and I wanted to get back to my family.

Right now, I am happy to be back !!!!

Relations - 1

2009-08-13T01:19:00.002-04:00

Boy and girl..
Girl commutes to office in company bus with a group of friends. Sees the boy everyday and likes something about him. Boy sees her everyday , she stands out in the group with her bubbly nature.

He wants to be part of her group , partly for her , but is shy and waits for someone to ask. So one day when there is some birthday in the group and as the group is celebrating, the girl walks up to the boy and offers him a piece of cake. He is happy, accepts the cake with a smile. Next day, she invites him in antakshari and he joins the group to become a part of it.

Some days later, in office, he receives an appreciation. His team forces him into giving an Icecream treat. As he is at the counter ordering icecream with a friend, she comes in there, flashes a smile at her. The mischievous friend informs her about the Ice-cream treat. She asks "Mere liye Ice-cream ?" He hands the one he had in his hand (which he had got for himself) to her.. By the time the mischeivous freind has reached back wth rest of the team sittingin the canteen and have started laughing at the boy. When he returns back , he is teased by the whole team ..
She realises he is being teased , enjoys the ice-cream and plans to increase the fun.
Next day when the boy is in canteen with the team again , she approches him with an Ice-cream in hand gives it to him and says "Thanks for yesterday's Ice-cream !" Flashes her smile and goes out .
Boy nonplussed ! Team split into peals of laughter ! and Girl out of focus...only for the scene..
Boy accepts to the team there is something between the boy and girl.. Team enjoys the affair and
spreads the word of impending engagement.. Girl and Boy are involved in this relation... :-)

{ This incident is based on a true story.. I kind of liked the way it happend and just wanted to share.. Do not ask what happend next.. The story ended here and life started .. }

August is back!

2009-08-06T01:13:00.002-04:00

Yeah.. August, the month is back this year. Augusts have always been eventful..
This August, I am transitioning.. My role to someone else at office and preparing to go back home after two lifetimes at two different locations of our Client (The lifetime term is from a senior management in client company).
What more's in store for me in August is still unknown !! Hoping for the best -as always..

Katti - Batti

2009-06-30T01:11:00.002-04:00

आरगट्टी बारगट्टी तुझ्याशी कट्टी फू !
तुला मी खेळात घेणार नाही , चॉकलेट गोळ्या देणार नाही ,
आलास तर घेइन गाल गुच्चा अंगावर सोडीन भू !!
झुकझुक गाडी, पमपम गाडी , शेतावरची हम्मा गाडी ,
आम्ही सगळे जाऊ भूर , एकटाच राहशील तू !!!

Something that I remembered from my childhood when I read a post by a friend who wrote about her concepts as a kid...

2009-06-19T18:16:00.002-04:00

काहीही झाला की त्याचा विचार आणि अति विचार करणे हा माझा स्वभाव... खूप जुना... आणि कोणाच्याही कपाळावर छोटीशी सुद्धा आठी आली की मला वाटतं मीच काहीतरी केलं.. मग स्वताःला समजवायचा , की राणी जे झाला , जे केलं ते Ctrl+Z थोडीच करता येता... पण जाऊन माफी माग ... आणि मग कळतं की त्या व्यक्तीला काही वाटलंच नव्हता ... कालचीच गोष्ट ... लंच मध्येच कॉल आला... मीटिंग जोइन करतेस ना... मग समोरची प्लेट मित्राला म्हटलं धुवून ठेव please... आणि मग मलाच वाईट वाटलं असं काम सांगायला... नेहेमी त्याची आर्डर सोडायची सवय... मला नाही , माझ्या मैत्रिणीला... कारण माझ्याकडे नेहेमी फाड्कन काहीतरी उत्तर असतं :-) पण तरीही असं कोणाला काम सांगतात का ? म्हणुन नन्तर सॉरी सांगायला पिंग केलं ... तर तिथे ही पचका ... " एवढं परका समजलं का ?" परत कोणालातरी दुखावल्याचं दुःख .... आणि नंतर कळलं की या गाढवाने काही केलं नाही... बिचारी माझी मैत्रिण ... तिनेच केलं होतं ..
वर दोघाही मलाच वेडो म्हणतात... असावी मीच ... नाही तर एवढीशी गोष्ट ती ... ती पण जगजाहिर करावी :-)))

This is my first trial with devanagari font .. Takes time but I guess I can do it !!!

Calming

2009-06-14T05:59:00.001-04:00

sound of waves on the rocks.. Moonlight.. Stars.. The distinct sound of kirr kirr.. Pleasant coolness in the air.. Solitude.....
That's what I am enjoying right now .. A time to just watch, feel, enjoy... No running thoughts..Absolute calming effect!
I can't explain to my friends who were asking me why I am out here instead of the tent .. I don't think they will understand that the moon woke me up and lured me to this place and inspired me to blog...
I liked this campsite very very much !!!

Dragging Conversations ..

2009-06-11T16:07:00.002-04:00

... What did you have for Breakfast / Lunch / Dinner ? as per the appropriate time..

... Aur kya Special ?

... Aur aj ka kya plan ?

... "For the Unmarried " Shaadi kab kar rahe ho ?

... "For the People Outside Country" Vapas kab aanewalo ho ya udhar hi settle hone ka irada hai ?

There are many more.. Want to add ?

iPhone

2009-05-14T22:25:00.001-04:00

This is my first post from my iphone. I am so excited that I can now post my thoughts as they come. I mean I can't complain I did not have proper resources :-)

Overwhelmed

2009-04-22T22:45:00.003-04:00

.. Thats what I am right now..

I was in a dilemma about speaking out a thing.. which my brain knew wasnt the right thing to do but when I am in an emotional turbulence I always say the wrong things :-) ..and that was what I was going to do..
Suddenly Tiny who was playing around came to me and said "Apanna aunty tu bolu nakos" and I had my answer! I was snapped out of the mood, totally out of the turbulence and perfectly normal :-)

Just amazed how God gives us answers when we need them !

Good Friday

2009-04-09T14:40:00.003-04:00

My Offshore team in India has a holiday in India where approximately less than 5 percent of total population is Christian, and I will be working in US where over 75 percent of total population is Christian.

My Client leader was amused to know it was holiday in India :) and so am I now when I checked up the stats on Internet..

Travelling in Air

2009-04-04T18:09:00.002-04:00

I just travelled around thousand miles via air this weekend to some friends after around 6 months..

It was a one-stop flight.. and a pretty sunny day atleast in most parts. My first flight started off a little later than the scheduled time due to technical snag (I guess a common thing with US Airways, I have seen it on 5 out of 7 flights I have taken) . But as it started off, I began to admire how Dallas Area looks from above.. Just one patch of buildings..nah Skyscrapers .. and only in that little patch of land..rest all flattened out, some lines ,some squares in yellow or brick red, slightly green at some places , it was a beauty to be beheld.. The Football grounds in bright green stood out various places in the view.. I know this view can be seen in wikimapia.org but looking at a picture and a real one is different..
As the plane rose higher, the view started vanishing and after few minutes of turbulence, we were on a white sheet of clouds. .No. it wasnt a sheet.. it was as if cotton was stuffed down there.. or may be white buddhi ke baal (candy floss) just kept there with covers removed.. After I while I got engrossed with the book in my hand "Vapurjha" . Its a collection of excerpts from a Marathi writer Va Pu Kale. His writings are pretty straightforward and realistic .. and more about this book or writings some day later.. As Charlotte, NC was nearing , and the plane started its descent, a different part of the country started getting visible.. lot of green , more of red , black lines and dots - more dots than lines, different hues of water bodies and to top it off, little pieces of clouds floating out of nowhere.. It was like seeing the foam of washing powder spread by little child over a dark hued carpet.. As I was savoring that view, the plane soon landed and I realised that I was about to miss my next flight.. So as soon as I got down the plane, the quest to the next gate started.. I also realised that there was an elderly couple - should be in their 60-70s - were also rushing for the same flight.. by the time we reached there, the flight had already taken off. We then found ourselves talking out at the rebooking queue.. We got the next flight for after 2 hours and that flight was again another end of the airport.. Well the old lady then asked for assistance and preferred to go by the airport vehicle with her husband.
On the next flight, as it took off, I was again looking out of the window at the foam design for sometime then back to my book and i dozed off..
When I was up the sun was shining brightly and the clouds had risen up from the cotton candy level.. we were descending towards our destination airport.. I was again mesmerized with the passing clouds and was watching it under the shade of my book as the sun blinded my view.. Suddenly, the guy behind me pulled down the window and said "Here you are !" I was so angry at the point and thought "Mr Agavu, I was enjoying it the way I was looking at it !" Obviously he wouldnt have understood Agavu which is typical marathi word for Overenthusiastic.. and then i realised , the sun might be actually disturbing to him as well or atleast his intentions were to ease my efforts of holding the book against the window.. But then I lost my interest in the view .. Slowly we descended out of the clouds in the rain, and as the speed of the plane reduced .. the water stream on the window pane which started with a slant, reduced the angle with the window to zero and stream could be identified into successive droplets..
Out on the airport, picked my luggage and then the rental car, next in plan was to drive to my friend's place.. After a few wrong exits, finally got on to the right highway and then slowed down with the traffic :-) By the time I had reached, it was 12 hours since I had started from my place.. and I was one timezone away..

The journey was quite good, when I compared to my Roomie's .. We had started at the same time, and the first part of delay in first flight.. But unfortunately for her, her next flight ws flight to India and she missed that by hours .. and the next flight they put her on is 24 hours later.. Even as I am writing this, she is still in US when she was supposed to be in India.. I wish her a safe flight ahead and overall a great trip as she would be seeing her Husband and son after a span of 6 months..

Gurudev

2009-04-03T02:27:00.002-04:00

Long long time back, There was a chawl in a small suburb of Mumbai It was a single level chawl.. tiled with Mangalore tiles, each house had a living room and a kitchen and set of toilet and bathroom.. There were little lines of such houses, paralllels and perpendiculars, 3-4 houses in one line.. it was a one big maze..
This story is about just one of the line of houses which had 4 houses. One of the house out of these four (as far as I remember) never had kids or had very quarrelsome kids who never came to play. Rest three had 2 to 3 kids per house. The families mingled with each other and gelled in quite nicely. All kids were around the same age. So all these kids would play together, watch TV at one of houses (Ramayan especially), study together , etc. etc. Once upon an exam time (I guess there was still some time for the exams to come) all kids sat together to study, rather all parents made them stop playing and got everyone to get their books to study. Since everyone had exams, they got their books out.. but what would the younger ones do ?
A little boy in 1st standard (1st Grade for the uninitiated) and a little girl in Senior KG ( Kindergarten is school grade right before 1st grade) did not have any studies to do as their exams werent that important (Remember its Long time back ) . So they kept going around their older brothers and sisters and continuously grabbed everyone's attention. How would the parents allow such a thing? So they set a task for the boy to teach the little girl how to write in Marathi as he was learning in a Marathi medium school and the girl in English..
अ आ इ ई ...
Don't quite remember what happend later.. but that evening and that teaching has been photographed in my mind. After long time, around 20 years, it took some coincidence and some internet for these two chracters to get in touch again to find none of us stay even near the same place, the chawl doesnt exist, its been demolished to become a Apartment complex, everyone's now have settled down in their lives happily.. But when I called this friend "Gurudev" he never remembered why ..
We are still in touch via Chat, Orkut, Email, Forwards.. and its always fun to talk to each other..
and when I got the company award, he came to know of it from his sister as she works in the same company.. I got an email
"शिष्योत्तमे, अभिनन्दन"
(meaning , "Congratulations to the Best among my students")

It made me smile in my pressure filled day when I was running in and out of meetings..
It brought me back my childhood memories , the little house which seemed soo Big then, the little joys of life which were so abundant.. and the little friends around who would enjoy everything with same innocence !!
I cant go back there in the same age and place, but I surely did spend the rest of my day happily

Tiny and Biggy - 1

2009-03-27T10:36:00.003-04:00

I know 2 little girls, just a few months apart.. Lets call them Tiny and Biggy. Thats how these two are..
Tiny and Biggy are in the same age group - 2-3 years old, so they like to play together.. But Biggy is a little dominating, i.e. she wants everything for herself, wouldnt listen to anyone, and its her way or no way .. She shouts, cries when it doesnt happen her way, and at times hits or scratches the person trying to restrain her.. irrespective of who it is.. Tiny is towards the silent end, she does want things for herself, but she would share as well.. when things doesnt happen her way, she cries a lot, but then a distraction helps to get her attention somewhere else. She is afraid of strangers as well..
So when Tiny and Biggy play - there has to be a supervisor, so that Biggy doesnt start hitting Tiny. But then, Tiny wants to play where Biggy is and so does Biggy.. Whatever Biggy is playing with, Tiny wants to play exactly the same thing, and vice versa.. Initially, Biggy dominated the scene, she would not allow Tiny to play in her house, hide all the playthings, hit Tiny when she felt like and then Tiny would cry.. As time passed by, Tiny started retaliating.. If Biggy hit her, she would hit back, if Biggy came to her place, Tiny would hide her playthings..
Yet, both of them need to play with each other.. But little Tiny's Dadda is worried.. "Is she turning into Biggy? Lets not let her play with Biggy" But Tiny's Mumma says, She is going to learn a lot more things when she goes to school with several other Tinys, Biggys, etc.. Let Tiny decide for herself whats right whats wrong.. and Instead of preventing her playing with Biggy, efforts should be put on letting Tiny know what she should not learn..
I agree with Mumma..
I like to play with both of them.. Tiny is wonderful! Biggy can be cranky at times, but when she is not, she is a nice girl..

Why don't I write much?

2009-03-11T14:04:00.001-04:00

That's what I was thinking when I came across few blogs where they wrote only few sentences in a post..

I guess I should attribute it to my habit of telling detailed story behind each event..

Been teased for that..Heard people calling me boring as well.. but I don't want to lose the moments I get, when I linger behind in the story - the day, time , the place it happened..

Sometimes its just good to remember..
And in that I forget what I started with in the first place :-)

Delhi-6

2009-03-05T20:43:00.003-05:00

Disclaimer :This post isnt a review of the movie. This is more about random second and third thoughts

Watching a movie as soon as it gets released is not something I normally do these days. But Luck By Chance, the three of us, My friend-colleague-roomie (FCR), our friend-collegue-neighbour (FCN) and me decided to go for Delhi-6 on the immediate sunday after being impressed by the songs. Luckily as well, none of us had any scheduled activity (Note that we all are s/w engrs and in support). Next step after deciding to watch a movie is callling up all other colleague-families in the apartment complex and inviting them to join. With a lot of Kabhi han kabhi na, except one family , all of them (including 2 families with kids aged 24 months and 30 months) agreed to join.

Show time : 2:30 pm Decision time : 1:45 pm during Situation: Common Lunch in progress.

and as usual we made it. ALL of us just inside the theater when the Rakeysh Mehra's archer is pulling the strings of his bow.. Pitch Dark Theater and we expected a full theater so walked in till the middle of the theater and waited for some light on the screen....

Kids restless, weak mobile lights , searching for a row.. Finally in that darkness someone said, "Are ye row me jagah hai " so the first guy goes in .. and finds that the row is FULLY empty till end.. So we all fit in one row..

The movie unfolds , Abhishek coming with is daadi Vahida to any gulli in Dilli. Like a real Indian-born-US-citizen-visting-for-first-time , he sees and tries to make up with the difference consoling himself its not for long., gets used to having people around trying to judge him, listens to everyone, grasps the various beliefs and the extents people go for their beliefs and so on.. Funny scene is when Daadi suddenly gets serious and he shouts "Call 911" [rofl] ..

Well you can read the story on the internet.. Too many reviews are out..

When we came out of the theater and looked at each other everyone of us was "Its a good movie" My FCR agreed that she would take me to the next movie (The previous two movies I went with the group were "Heroes" and "Chandni Chowk to China").

When checked with friends and family in India, it seemed to have a very poor rating.. Public felt it was bakwaas.. Kuch bhi dikhaya hai and all.. This set us thinking why we liked it.. and it dawned..
In office where we all work, we are used to incidents where there is no track or trace of why a thing has been happening such for so long, or even the people who set it that way. No explanations shall be available on any event.
I guess liking the movie was just a Professional Hazard in Personal Life.. it was just about accepting things as they are shown and not try to find a logical explanation.

Confused on what I am trying to say ? Well thats the way it is ..

Boss and I

2009-02-05T01:23:00.004-05:00

Some feelings you cant explain..
I received an email from our HR asking for a photo as I am nominee for some award.. As far as I know for this award, I had requested one of other leaders to nominate my boss.. and she said it was already being done..
As always there are only a certain number of people that can be awarded.. So with this photo request, I am feeling too sad that, probably, my boss hasnt received the award and I have..
The realisation of being nominated for an award does fill in but then the sorrow is overwhelming..

I know I am in the world of probabilities.. but I do not want to get past my boss.. till now I have always achieved things after him .. after all he has taught me a lot and got me till here..helped me all the way in my personal and professional life to grow in the right way.. first as friend then as a leader , always as a great mentor!

And I am not the only one who likes my boss -- another colleague and friend who is in my team says in Rajanikanth ishtyle "He is a LEGEND in the field of IT"

I hope sincerely that my boss gets this award and not me.. or probably an award better than this one!!

UPDATE !!! My boss and I both got the award !!!!!

Reason, Season or Lifetime

2009-01-27T15:03:00.000-05:00

People always come into your life for a reason,
a season, or a lifetime.

When you figure out which it is,
you know exactly what to do.

When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need
you have expressed outwardly or inwardly.

They have come to assist you through a difficulty,
or to provide you with guidance and support...
to aid you physically, emotionally, or even spiritually.

They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.
Then, without any wrong doing on your part
or at an inconvenient time,
This person will say or do something
to bring the relationship to an end.

Sometimes they die.

Sometimes they walk away.

Sometimes they act up or out and force you to take a stand.

What we must realize is that our need has been met,
our desire fulfilled; their work is done.

The prayer you sent up has been answered and it is now time to move on.

When people come into your life for a SEASON,
it is because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn.

They may bring you an experience of peace
or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it!
It is real!

But, only for a SEASON.

And like Spring turns to Summer and Summer to Fall,
the season eventually ends.

LIFETIME relationships teach you a lifetime of lessons;
Those things you must build upon
in order to have a solid emotional foundation.

Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person/people anyway, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.

It is said that love is blind, but friendship is clairvoyant.

Thank you for being a part of my life...

( Forwarded by someone..dedicated to the friend I am thinking of , with a feeling that I have lost that friend )

Consoling

2009-01-19T09:03:00.002-05:00

Last night I found myself trying to comfort two older people.. who are richer in experience, higher up in position and older to me in age..
For the older of the two, I was at loss of words.. it was a situation that I knew he was in long before he told me.. But still, I did not expect him to come to me to tell..personally.. and I could not comfort or console him..

The other person, very close to me, was frustrated at work and so much that he wasnt listening.. But it was Gtalk and I chattered of continuously.. and if he takes atleast one thing out of it , he should be fine.. But I know, he will find his way out.. I was just an outlet and he wont take in a single thing.
*** But I think I could post that conversation which is full of tatvagyaan as a blog *** (hehehehe)

So when I had planned to sleep at 11 , I slept actually at 1 am.. and there is a long day ahead of me..

Belated Birthday

2009-01-12T20:36:00.003-05:00

Some days are like that..You dont want anyone to come to your place especially in large numbers.. Just the people you stay with.. and things happen rapidly against your wishes, surprising, making you happy and making you guilty for feeling like kicking all the people who had come to your place..

One such day was the last sunday.. I wanted to home all the day long.. woke up a little bit before noon.. then with my 2 roomies decided up a simple menu for lunch but the ingredient was at a different colleagues place, so asked him to get it.. He came with his roommate with the ingredient and for lunch .. I was soo frustrated at the presence of external people at home. On top of it, this guy is a absolute male chauvinist (I almost said p*g) so when another colleague dropped by for a while with his little girl, this MCP tells her "Dont play with the electronics and become an engineer, go for arts commerce and get into teaching" Well the eighteen-month-old little girl was too busy playing with a red mobile, so dint mind, but all of us three roomies blasted off on him.He actually has a girl of his own as well.. He had to retreat for the sake of it.. but it was just too frustrating for me..
As evening came in one by one some more people started dropping in .. all from our apartment complex and seemed to have just arrived by chance.. I was damn bored with already existing people and this addition was irritating me.
I was trying not to get into a conversation as I am absolutely bad at them in such mood.. And suddenly a Cake Appeared from No-where and everyone burst into a "Happy Birthday to you " I was puzzled, surprised, dazed and absolutely had nothing to say than a Smile and a thank you.. It was my birthday party as I wasnt in US on my birthday! So everyone had planned to drop by together for a little party with a delicious Choclate cake (the cream of which ended up as my Facial) ..
It cheered me up totally !! The party was followed by a Pizza party and lot of fun and timepass..
and a guilty conscience that I hated it when everyone was joining in..
I am sorry guys and Thank you very much for the Cake!!
I will be careful next time I get frustrated for no reason...
Note: this post started in January , but concluded in March..

Moment of Test

2009-01-10T15:00:00.000-05:00

In 2008, I saw two of my colleagues failing the test of time and integrity at work.

Both of them people of good and helping nature.. A lot crazy and selfish at times but equally helping to the person in trouble.. These two were the people who supported me in my initial phase in US.. First two to arrive on spot of my accident to console me..

It happened roughly this way.. Mr A , had access to the Production systems, goofed up something in one of the programs.. realized and fixed it on spot without letting anyone know. When questioned, lied that he did not fix.. When the lie was found , he was taken out of the Project .. and then probably asked to resign. He is in a different company now.

Mr B, had access to Production, resolved an issue, but took out some personal vengeance during the testing and printed out improper words on a Purchase Order at one of the Business Branches with someone else's user id. An absolutely ridiculous act which spoiled all his reputation built up as "Security Czar" and a denial which led him directly out of the company...

Both of them lost control of themselves at the moment of truth, helm of power and responsibility. But I guess the mettle of person is tested in such situations. You pass and you feel better about yourself .. or you fail and fail miserably, lose everything you gained.

Oh God, how much ever sufferings you give me dont let me fail in one of such moments in my life.. You may not give me a lot of success in my life but give me the strength and courage and right conscience to pass such testing situations.. !

Friends and Quarrels

2009-01-10T08:21:00.002-05:00

One of my college friend married recently. At this marriage, I met a few of my college time friends.
This meeting brought back the sad memories of college.. Not that my college time wasnt fun, but there was this last year where we had a girls hostel vs boys hostel quarrel which marred the relationships and friendships of previous three years.. Unfortunately this meeting brought out the bitterness of quarrel more than the long-term friendship. We took a lot of snaps with all of us in all the available cameras . My mobile did not have a camera. So I dont have any of the memories in snaps.. but my friends have them.. they are still my friends and I tend to remember the caring nature of the most bitter person, innocence of another, being there of the third and the helpful nature of fourth person and so on.. The bitterness of the quarrel does come to my mind, I am human and normal to get that, but i can force my mind to see beyond .. But can that quarrel be never solved? those friends.. can they be reclaimed in the same way.. the pure fun.. can I get that back ? Its been a long long time.. I have forgotten the details of the quarrel.. not sure how many do remember it even now.. but i have lost my friends.. a lot of them..
One of my best friend had then tried to soothe me out from the frustration , he was a part and then a spectator of the incident, by saying - how does the quarrel affect you? when you dint do any thing wrong why should you take the blame and get upset.. and those who last beyond such quarrels are real friends.. I did not accept it then, was too sad, frustrated, angry and lost about it..
This marriage, this meet brought out all the memories.. and yes, beyond the bitter people, I do have a few who have lasted. My best friend who helped me get on, the friend whose marriage I attended (He invited me two months earlier and then he found my number and called me two days before his marriage and made me cancel all other plans and coaxed me to be there for his marriage) , one other friend who called me "mummy" .. Though a handful, I do have got some of those who were in the quarrel. Well , Life's like that .. you win some , you lose some..
I hope to get the photos of the marriage from atleast one of the people who were at the marriage.. I hope he gets added to the handful who are in the real friends list..

Ego

2008-11-25T16:34:00.000-05:00

Its such a mysterious thing. I just put a define:ego and whoa!! Such a long list ..

http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4SUNA_enUS292US292&q=define%3aego

To my perception, this one fits the bill

The self, especially with overtones of self-importance; The most conscious part of the mind, which mediates with one's surroundings

The reason, as usual, is in my surroundings. Seeing a lot of things happen due to ego, Clients, Colleagues, Friends, relatives and even mine

For mine not to affect anyone else, I guess need a different level of self-consciousness, a check on self every moment, Am I doing/saying this for some reason or am I doing it only because it affects me?

Lets see how it goes…

Followers

2008-11-16T19:09:00.002-05:00

I found I have two followers!! I was so amused to have followers for a blog that is so infrequently updated..

Thanks Gullu and Purnima !! I already have you on Google Reader- So I get your updates when-it-happens..

Being Charged Extra?

2008-09-15T20:38:00.001-04:00

Tuned in to my car radio in one of last 2-3 days. Since the local desi channel was having some discussion going on , I changed it to another one where it had the Delilah show.Something about the Delilah show that I know.. I used to hear it in Connecticut during driving in the evenings. Usually I used to be alone in the car so wanted some sound around. Dint understand much of the songs, but her soothing voice telling to "sit back and relax" used to be good to hear. When I arrived in Dallas, I thought I will have to look for some local FM channel as driving company, there I had found the desi channel radio Salaam Namaste. Once I lost what frequency it was and started the scan, and at one point I heard Delilah, to my surprise, to sit back and relax...So back to what I want to write about.. As usual, Delilah had a caller who said she had been dumped by her ex-boyfriend and now she was going around with another guy, whom she loved but is always afraid that he doesnt love her enough or will just dump her again. Delilah's answer was something that I liked. She said " You walk into a Store, and you have bought a can of soda. You are standing in a line in front of the cashier, and when its your turn the cashier says your bill is 28 dollars while you are buying a can of soda for say 3 dollars. You ask the cashier, I have just bought this soda for 3 dollars and you are charging me 28. If the cashier replies, yours in just $3 but the person in front of you did not pay $25 so you have to pay it , what would your reaction be ? " The caller realised that she was treating the new guy with pain of the old and she then agreed she will think it in a differnet light. Thanking Delilah and requesting her song dedicated to the new guy she hung up.
Nice answer isnt it? Many of us keep doing this a lot of times in lot of places.. Angry with someone , take out your frustration on someone else. Frustrated with something in your life, keep bickering about everything.. I do it a lot of times.. but now I will watch, am I charging the person for something that he hasnt bought ?

Anniversary

2008-08-11T22:11:00.002-04:00

An year back this time, I was in utter shock.. as I had an accident while driving..

Today when I look back at the year of driving, it has been hardly 2-3 months that I havent driven around. I had bought a 125K miles car in November and have added nearly 7000 Miles on it..
I got my US Driving License in this one year..
I have driven nearly 900 miles on a 4 day trip and 500 on another 1.5 day trip ..

and not to forget , I pay nearly $200 as insurance premium every month :-)

But I am a better driver now! Happy Anniversary !

{ Touchwood!!!}

August Rush

2008-07-26T01:34:00.002-04:00

August has been very happening month for me since last few years..

August was the month I joined Engg college, the same month that I met inseparable and closest freinds.. Friends whom I can pick up a conversation after any gap of time.. Touchwood

August is the month I had the first interview and then I got my first job.

August is the month when I bought my first digital camera :-)

August is the month when I had my first car accident ..

and Again August is bringing a change in my life.. A new place, new kind of work..and I guess a new place where I know very little people around..

but then when the month is named August, the change has to be good :-)

Tagged by Purnima

2008-05-13T14:50:00.003-04:00

I am tagged by Purnima.. I love to read her blog so when she tagged I did take out some time to answer her tag.. My answers below will be evident whats on my mind..

I AM THINKING ABOUT : Why am I so uninterested to complete the work that is scheduled to be done till tomorrow morning?

I SAID : duh! I don't want to work anymore.. but I have to..

I WANT TO : go home in Dombivli , Maharashtra, India...

I WISH : I could fly and reach home now!

I WONDER : Why did I agree to come here in first place :-)

I REGRET : getting angry and frustrated when I have too much to do in too little time.. and after I have wasted a lot of time on unnecessary things

I HEAR : news right now about the inflation in India and commodities shortage..

I AM : BORED... TIRED.. Complaining..

I DANCE : when no one is looking

I SING : when a song starts playing in my mind

I CRY : almost on any occasion - it could be watching a senti scene in a movie ( I had tears while watching OSO ) or I could be absolutely angry and most when I am chatting at home..

I AM NOT : well since last 3 days.. got Jabardast Jukam and Khatarnaak Khasi.. have recovered 90% now..

I MAKE WITH MY HANDS : Chapati dough .. Software Engineer ke life me apne haathonse kuch banane ka mauka hi kahan milta hai .. haathon ko keyboard aur mouse se fursat mile tab na ..

I WRITE : whatever hits me hard.. hard enough to set me writing..

I CONFUSE : emotions with everything.. life and work, friends and colleagues, personal relations and professional relations..

I NEED : a break and don't know how to have it..

I TAG : No One and Everyone - No one specific and Everyone who wants to take it.

Disclaimer: No proofreading or review has been done on this post. Deemed unnecessary

Love Story

2008-04-20T21:32:00.002-04:00

This isn't a story if you are looking for one.. This is about the book I came across.

Love Story by Erich Segal is a wonderful little love-story. Its a story that can happen in any country, in any decade and with anyone. A straightforward story narrated vividly!

It struck me for its simplicity. The initial sparks between Jenny and Oliver , the constant intellectual tussle between these two and the bluntness in expressing their feelings to each other. Their will to follow their heart, and then take responsibility for everything that happens after that.

Its the story of a couple who meets in their college days, starts on a quarreling note yet feels the impulse to continue to be together, slowly realises that they like each other in a different way and understand each other in the way they don't understand themselves. Due to disparities in family statuses, don't get approval from one side, and go on to marry sacrificing their dreams and then slowly start adjusting to reality and then reach a comfortable place slowly and surely. The story then takes filmy turn and the heroine gets a incurable disease and takes a graceful exit teaching her husband to love his own father whom he never respected or was even on normal speaking terms with.

The height of this Love story is the definition of love which-as it indicates-is true for every relation..

Love means not ever having to say you are sorry.

I am thankful to my friend who recommended this book to me..

Waiting for the time to "Spring Forward"

2008-03-09T03:12:00.000-04:00

An interesting thing for me , who was born and brought up in a country where there is a single time zone and the time is constant -- Daylight Saving Time

In US :
In Spring , the time changes from 1:59 am to 3:00 am .. Springs forward and in Fall, the time changes from 1:59 am to 1:00 am

Its interesting to see the effort Humans put to control The Time, which is considered as the fixed fourth dimension of life.
and its more interesting how humans cope with this change.
- Trains , to save money on schedule printing, run late when Spring time changes and Stop for an hour in Fall to catch up the original time.
- Computer Servers , if not correctly patched, run scheduled jobs at different time, disrupting schedules
More interesting facts on
http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/k.html

Hey it just happened :-) I stayed up to see how clocks change.. My Cable TV clock changed from 1:59 to 3:00 .. While my Cell phone company dint .. its 2:02 am when it should be 3:02.

I actually wanted to see this change of time .. I am yet to check the servers I manage , They had missed the time during the Fall change.

Poor my friend, his wife has job at 7 am , we just had a party till 12 at his home.. They were already sad about one hour less sleep.. and they were going to rely on the same cell phone company.. I hope the Cell phone company wakes up to the correct time soon!

I know this post doesnt have anything except few random thoughts on the DST. But still , its my blog and so I can write any stuff! ( I know you are reading the right word :P)

Just like that

2008-02-29T19:56:00.002-05:00

I just want to write today.. Dont have any special thing on my mind..
I generally write when something hits me hard, bt been sometime since I got hit :-)

Few notable things that I came across
A quote : Life is a long lesson in humility.

Found this nicely built website on Veer Damodar Savarkar..
www.savarkar.org
Skimmed through and loved it !

Also brooding on one of the shloka that I know very well since childhood, but dont exactly know the Meaning. .

Purnamadaha purnamidam purnaat purna mudachyate
purnasya purnamaadaaya purnamevavashishyate

I am sure I will find it soon..

Piggy Bank

2008-01-31T21:42:00.000-05:00

My Roomie and I were looking for Birthday gift for a little girl who is now turning EIGHT.. The eight is in Caps as the little girls likes to pretend to be older than her age :-)
After a little thought for her craze for dancing and coloring, and her trying-to-be-older-than-her-age attitude, we chose to give her some sensible gift , a Piggy bank.. Something which will help her learn that little by little one can build up a fortune.
So "Do deewane sheher me , Raat me aur do peher me" started looking for a nice little piggy bank.
In US , we generally look for things in the Mall or the super-stores which boast
"We sell for less"
"All the Ingredients"
"Where It Begins"
"Its All Inside"
"Don't stop living in the red"

So we went on the search .. Initially we had thought its going to be easy. But soon we found out that searching a Piggy Bank is like searching a needle in Haystack.
Toy-stores ? One of them had really ugly piggy banks or miniature locker-cupboards for Coin savers.
The store of world-famous Children's entertainers who say "Its a small world" dont keep piggy bank or even a mousy bank.
Card Stores? They have piggy bank marked "For our first baby", "Daughter's College fund", "You are turning 70" ,
Super stores -- Only one of them had Piggy bank which was huge enough to be a Pumpkin was too costly to be fit for a Piggy bank.
So after roaming in the mall for 3 hours, in a superstore for 1 hour and another for 1/2 hour in another store we dint buy anything :-(

Just a day before the birthday, we picked up some toy and gifted it to her.
Fortunately the little girl liked it!!

Taare Zameen Par

2008-01-08T20:40:00.000-05:00

Taare Zameen par is a movie about Dyslexic Children.. Wonderfully made!
As one of my friend says, its the real use of a powerful medium

I happened to watch it twice , on continuous days .. It happens with me that second thoughts and Third thoughts are too much from a critic's point of view. With Taare Zameen Par, I happened to find more meaning in the movie second time I watched it.

I feel its not only the Dyslexic children, its with every child.. Each has a different plus point, native talent. Is it really brought forward?

Forget children, do we elders know what is OUR real talent? How much do we know ourselves? How much do I know myself?

Do I need to ..

Kholo Kholo Darwaze
Parde Karo Kinare
Khuntey Se Bandhi Hai Hawa
Mil Ke Chhudao Saare

To find

Tu dhoop hai Chhamse bikhar .. Tu hai nadi O bekhabar!!
Beh chal kahin , ud chal kahan
Dil khush jahan , Teri to manzil hai wahi ..............

The Divine Flute

2007-10-28T01:47:00.001-04:00

I am on this train to Richmond, Virginia, a journey of approx 8 hours and the first time in US that I am going somewhere alone.

I am armed with Ipod, laptop (I can plug it in to recharge) and printouts of a Manual to pass this time..

But this isnt about the Journey.. Its about an musical experience.. I have my Ipod set in Shuffle mode and have put on all the songs.. So any one can come up for my listening Like a radio :-)
So I was reading the Manual and was captivated at a point and a Jugalbandi of Bansuri and Veena started off on my Ipod. In few minues, I was compelled by the music to put the papers aside and close my eyes. As I closed my eyes, I felt as if I was sitting in my Kuldevi temple in Goa , in front of the Shri Chamundeshwari Mahamaya and gazing intently at her..
The Flute veena recital ends in Tabla beats. As these beats started , I was brought out of the trance and I was back in the train in US..
Not that I heard this instrumental for the first time, But I looked at the names of Performers and the description. It was a wonderful recording of the performance of Prakash Hegde and Jaishree ( Dunno who they are )..
The Description explained the trance.. The Bansuri -Veena recital was in Raag Durga Alap!

"What are your dreams?"

2007-10-13T16:38:00.000-04:00

Some days ago, I met a colleague who use to travel in the same bus from office to Dombivli back in India. I had met her at Annual Function just a month before that. She kept in touch and that day she was in Milford on the Train station. She wanted to see me and then had to go elsewhere. I had my car then, so I thought I should pick her from the station and drop her to the location she wanted to go. So I went to the station picked her up, and since she had sometime before she had to go her desired destination, I took her to my place.

We started chitchatting and slowly moved to the purpose of her visit here. Then she started describing her business , which was a Multi-level-Marketing business. I hate MLMs, not sure of the exact reason for the distaste , probably I seen more people losing money in it. But still, as I did not feel I appropriate to reduce her enthusiasm, I let her continue.
As in all MLM's one of the few initial questions was "What are you dreams?"
I got stuck..terribly.. I couldnt think of single dream that I could tell..
The conversation then drooled on to materialistic goals to money and how MLM can bring you money , etc.etc. All the crap I had heard when few more ML marketers had tried to sell me their stuff..

The question has haunted me .. till today. What are my dreams.. Sometime back I wanted a house of my own.. after staying away from my home for 6-7 months I realise I need a Home, little or large, but should be full of people loving and caring for me , instead of a big, empty house.
I want keep working, it keeps my brain active. Make me sit doing nothing, and you have bored me to death.
What else do I want in life? I need to find out ..

BTW today morning , I woke up dreaming that I was running through the corridors of a big school with a hallticket for an exam, searching for the classroom where my number was .. Does that signify anything?

MY Car

2007-08-23T12:19:00.000-04:00

I got a car! As in US, the distances are great ad for easy mobility you need a car..
So I bought one.
The car.. I learnt to drive here.. was a little bumpy initially .. probably dangerous.. But it was a good feeling. Being on your own, moving out for your own things. Not depending on others for anything.. Just Being yourself..

I loved driving.. I could go wherever I wished to..

Then one day, I decided to join my friends for a movie. While I was on the way , I lost my way, then found it, and then in a confusion and a hasty decision I met with an accident. Hit another car, panicked, hit the gas , climbed the curb and hit a signpost. When the car could move no further, I realised I never hit the brakes. I wasnt hurt physically, but totally shaken.. I was totally unable to think of anything. I called my friends to help me out. They came soothed me out.. took me home, then to a movie. I calmed down a little till the evening..
As night darkened , I felt too nervous, too gloomy ..so much that I just walked out of my apartment and kept on walking .. I was going aorund the place for atleast 2-3 hours before I felt exhausted. When I could take it no more, I called up my friend to take to over to their place.
It took a day more for me to calm down. But the stress took me out and I fell sick..
3-4 more days and then I was fine. and then came a call from my insurance company telling me that they had declared total damage on my car, and that it cannot be repaired. They wil pay me the whole amount , but not my car.

So I have lost my car.. and gone back to the same phase as I was a 1 month back.
This one month was a great time. I can never forget the moments I got with myself.. The time I spent behind the wheel , with the speed , with a little anxiety of driving the right way yet the happiness of actual driving..
I sure will try to get another car for the love of driving..

Randomly something..

2007-05-28T15:19:00.000-04:00

Long time I havent posted anything.
Wanted to write about my 1 week Driving class, How my teacher expected me to get the control of the Steering, judge the Speed fluctuations by amount of pressure on the Gas Pedal(accelerator) and Brakes and Mainly how to take the Left turn in the Right way and How I frustrated him by not doing it correctly. I wanted to mention the specific turn which is a 120 degree turn which I managed to go wrong at every attempt and just missed to hit a car on this turn or climb the curb or just brake hard due to anxiety. I actually was in tears on a day when I got scolded badly for just missing to hit the car. Naah, he dint expect me to hit the car , but wanted me to make a safe turn.Now that tuen is called "Aparna turn" and the story is repeated to every person passing by it :-).
I also wanted to write about my happiness when I could drive till office without getting any instructions on the last day of the week. But never could put together the time and words for this.

Then I started off with my experiences with water after reaching here.. Being Always fascinated by water, I liked it here as well. The Wadsworh Falls , the Newport Beach , the Hudson river rafting.. Water in differnet form.. Each refreshing, each coming towards me.. I have no words for the experience..

2 months since in this country.. I dont feel much difference.. Looking at things and their working, its starkly different.. But underlying people, tendencies , working , feelings dont change.. I have been staying in Indian locality and also have American friends as well to give me insight into their lives.
What I see, is humans dont change much.. They stay the same, the upbringing matters a little , so does the society.. When it comes to reaction, we are humans and dont belong to any country..

This was not what i planned to write. I had planned to write a thought an an experience..
We three room-mates had gone out for a dinner last friday. They asked me a question " Tell us about yourself" A very simple question.. and I was dumb. I just couldnt think of a single sentence to say about myself. I was trying to put together something to say.. But I couldnt .. Finally what i blurted was " Who I am ? What I am ? is the eternal question .. 'Koa Hum' ( In Sanskrit) is the question is something that everyone is searching an answer. Ask me something specific that I can answer"
The topic ended there.. Probably they took it otherwise.. no idea..

The thought: It came up in a chat with a friend. He had watched a movie 'The Pursuit of Happiness' and I asked "Did you find it" That made me realise, Happiness is a pursuit till we kepe searching for it in others.. It simply stays inside us and we never look for it.
My inspiration for this was Shrek 3 - We always know what we are from inside. But we tend to beleive what others say . When we stop hearing others and Start believing in self we find The true Winner!

Is my thought and experience linked? Does it say that I dont know who I am , and I need to search myself? Does no harm finding what I am . So need to try!

Fast and Furious!

2007-03-27T08:57:00.000-04:00

What happens when a person who has just learnt to move hands and legs in water is taken to Deep ocean for a Swim?
I Know how it is!!

I had learnt driving in Dombivli, India from a driving school. after 7 months I went for a license exam, and got the Drivers license , International Driving Permit , et al. I also enrolled fro practice sessions with my driving school. I could take only 5 classes of half an hour each.
I have reached US 2 weeks ago. And I see that as I was informed, you are handicapped if you cant drive. But since driving is easier here, I felt I could manage.
So I got a rental car at company expenses. My friend, Hemendra asked me to drive on his colony road, and found that I know very little so he dint let me drive later in the day when we went to get Lisa, our American Friend and went on to dinner at another friend's place. The whole Stretch includes two Interstate highways, 2 Intrastate highways and the roads in the City of Hamden, Milford, East Haven.
As we went to the place Hemendra was driving all the way, as he had seen my driving.. We had a great dinner , it was Mexican without spices and Spanish. About the Dinner later some time. This story starts after the Dinner and the movie..

So After the Dinner and Movie, Lisa insisted that I drive back to her place, Hamden. and she navigates me to drive. Hemendra warned her against it.. But she was quite confident of me. And it took only minutes before she was sorry..

I was instructed .. "When I say right , you turn it on my side , when I say left turn to the left, when I say fast you have to step on the gas , when i say stop apply the brakes and slowly" So I was first to get the car out of Parking lot. in a reverse gear. Now hence onwards I dont speak.. Its Lisa or Hemendra .. "Right , RIGHT , You will hit the Car" "Slow Slow, brake brake " and I stepped on the Gas !!
Just missed the car on left. Now On the roads. In US of A you have STOP signs at intersections, where ther is no need of Traffic lights. AT each STOP sign you have to stop the wheels completely and then move forward. So as I encountered each STOP sign or signal.. "Stop Stop STOP" "Brake brake APARNA BRAKE!!!" and then when it was a turn .. "Right right RIGHT" , "left Left LEFT! APARNA LEFT" "Now stop doing that girl"
Thank god the roads were empty.. Slowly and bumpingly we reached the highway or the freeway that is an Interstate freeway.. Now the rules for Interstate freeways is that you have to maintain your laneand not to drive under 40 miles per hour. All the vehicles hence speed at 80-90 miles per hour.. and me was hardly reaching 20 miles mark.
As we entered the Highway , I was in full panic-I was at the wheel, three other people in the car. Some other vehicle hits in full speed and dunno what next.
Now anything after this is something I have heard from all these 3 people, I hardly remember the way.. The speed shot up to 55-60 and the wheel was shaky.. I was continuously drifting to the left and I had to drive on the right side of the road. I was drifting to a higher speed lane without any intention to drive faster, and without any indicator. atleast 3 cars whizzed past too closely and everytime Lisa pulled the steering to her side.. It must have been an hour or probably half , I really dont know and we reached Lisa's Town.. and slowed down.. Again a slow and bumping ride till her apartment came.. and when I stopped finally and parked and pulled out the keys, everyone came out.. And Fati, Hemendra's wife found her voice, after 5 minutes of coming out of the car. Me too regained a little of myself.
Because all the time I was driving
1. I was confusing between the Brakes and Accelerator(Gas Pedal)
2. Left turn was a fulllll left and a Fast one
3. Right was equally a full turn and fast one.
4. "BRAKE" word made me hit the gas pedal
5. "RACE" word made me hit the brakes.
6. Hitting any of the pedals with leg was quick, hard and fullpressure everytime, so a Brake wud be bringing the people on backseat to front and speed increased by 5-10 miles.

From Lisa's place to Hemendra's home ,Hemendra took over.. He had to :-)
This started my driving training all over again in US 0f A.. Story of this week long training some other time.

Radio Idli Softs!

2007-03-15T01:50:00.000-04:00

Radio Idli .. an innovative concept.
It started off with a discussion to start a BAND of musicians in our Idli house Council. Idli house Council itself had started off by a bunch of Saraswat friends who had met over the Internet and thought of meeting offline. The meeting point was Idli house, a place run by the legendary A Rama Nayak family - a place where we got the typical Saraswat taste in the idlis / undis / khotto replete with all the Saraswat specific accessories like hinga(asafoetida ) chutney, pitti chutney or moolga pudi, karbeva chutney or nimbda pudi , loni( home made butter), Daalitoy whatever you ask for! This was a treat for all those who had left their homes for a job in Mumbai!
Soon this council of Idli house outgrew the Idli house capacity and as it grew , people from all walks of life , all ages of life were included in this enthusiastic group.
Meets and treks made all of us to do something more than fun and the Vision 2007 was born. To know the hidden aspects and talents of everyone and put it to some use of the community, Counselling, Job hunt, whatever possible.
As talents uncovered, it was found everyone had a great love for music, and so it started of as Radio Idli. Record your song and send to Nagesh.It can be a filmy song, it could be just your take at instruments, it could be a bhajan in any language, no bar! Nagesh took time from his busy schedules to upload it it on a blog as a snippet, give some of his RJ comments. Soon With songs came the music and so did some pep-talk. Sankalp peppered the Chutney Chat - interview sessions, Spontaneous Questions and interesting answers. Then came Lokabhiraam, he came , he spoke and he conquered the hearts of all young and old.
Radio Idli grew from being a Cherduvale Timepass to a Regularly awaited and heard Radio. In todays time when we have 8-10 FM Channels and all hooked to the RJs and the repetitive songs , Radio Idli is different. It has no bandwidth, It sits on a blog, frequency is weekly , yet it has its own audience.
Today its getting a lot of Media Coverage. I hope this week and further it doesnt pull down the Servers hosting the blog and the one storing the multimmedia clips !

As one of our veteran says , we should not say Radio Idli Rocks cos idli when become rock-like they arent eatable. So Radio Idli Softs!

I love Radio Idli!

I want to get well soon..

2007-03-14T12:24:00.000-04:00

In our younger days, I had a lesson about a boy who wanted to fall sick. In his family everyone used to fall sick and he had to get medicines for each of them. One day, he thought I will fall sick and everyone will envy me. So next time when he went to the Doctor to get medicine, he told "It pains in my stomach" As the Doctor knew his obsession of sickness, he took a totally serious face and started examining. He examined his pulse, took his blood pressure, then tapped on his stomach. The boy was curious, kept asking questions, "Did I get appendicitis? Do I have malaria? Atleast do I have a fever? or atleast a little cold and cough? "
Doctor completed his examination without uttering a word. and then called him to his seat. "Little boy, you have got no disease, you are fit and fine. Now take this medicine for your sisters cough and run home" Our boy got dejected and went home...

I used to get simple headaches, skin infections, common cold, etc. But nothing that will give me a days leave, like fever or anything.. I got a lesson and a quite heavy. I got malaria, when I dint want it. so I am on a week long leave, when I should be fit and fine to prepare for my trip to a distant place. The fever comes at a fixed time and takes away all the energy i had collected till that time of that day. Every thing becomes so hot that its unbearable. My hands and my feet eject heat.
Slowly bu surely , the medicines have taken effect and now the fever is gone.. But the so has my energy.
I have to rejuvenate and get ready for my trip!. Probably this was the time I got to think over calmly about all the things I need to do and Should not do.To clear my thoughts out of all the confusions and repercussions and face the new day with renewed vigour!

2007-03-02T12:44:00.000-05:00

Something that I liked ..

Read my VisualDNA™ Get your own VisualDNA™

Reaction..

2007-03-02T07:00:00.000-05:00

Somethings affect you in a different way..

Last saturday, I woke up early for a Driving class. After getting back, was not interested in sleeping again.. Sometime later, a sound was heard I our building. It was found that, an old lady staying alone, on the floor below, had tripped and was not able to get up. She was not able to reach the door to open it, So the people standing out were not able to assess the severity of injuries. After half an hour of discussion and trials to break open the door, my aunty struck the idea of calling a worksman from the Interior decorator shop downstairs. He came , he saw , and then he removed the window grill, entered inside, opened the door, fitted the window grill again and went back. All of us entered inside, saw that she had just not been able to get up and there were no injuries.. Three of us carried her inside to the bed. Someone got some tea and biscuits. She ate her medicine and then rested. She was alright next day and was at her door as usual.

This event set my thoughts running. I had long been postponing my visit to my Grandma. This event hit me hard and I tried for an earliest departure to her place. But alas, I could not get a ticket. I cancelled hte plans.. but it dint leave me.. Then suddenly I was too bored to go to office and felt like having a getaway.. The thoughts of visiting my Grandma came in.. Checkd the ticket status and miraculously there was one available.. I seized the moment booked the tickets. and here I am , At Karwar.. and my Grandma or Bapama as I call her, is sitting across reading one of her books.. She cant hear well, but her memory is sharp.. She can remember my birthdate, and my brother's too.. She remembers her visit to Mumbai, my aunt, my other grandma.. She remembers the time when she was young and tells me stories abt it. She doesnt flinch when I dont understand, when I cant relate, but continues.. She is 84 now.. and I wish she lives longer!

Its nice to be with her and my uncle here.. Its a differnt world..Slow paced, surrounded by hills, silent and peaceful. Its nice to see the smile on my Grandma's Face, thoughI was never so close to her.. I dont have a return ticket booked. But I dont worry.. As miraculously I am here, I will be back too..