The Good Life...

2009-10-06T17:42:00.003+05:30

I envy people who are able to blog regularly ... write regularly ...

Thinking about what you want to write is one thing, and making sure that you go ahead and do it, inspite of how time pressed you are is another matter completely ...

But then I guess, most of the people are monetarily motivated for it .. and some even get free stuff for writing reviews ... (something that the FTC will change soon)

Understandable that getting to such a level where people pay you to review stuff, the kind of peer group influence takes time ... and an awful lot of patience .. and a ton of SEO in today's world ...

Wonder where will the world be in a few years .. when everyone is a self proclaimed expert on things and there are reviews everywhere ....

Consolidation sites exist even now, which depend on crowd analytics and intelligence ... They'll only probably increase even further now ...

Oh the future .... if I only could see you .... I'd invest in you ... :)

2009-09-04T11:59:00.000+05:30

Father...ooh...oh...oh...
I see the world, feel the chill
Which way to go, windowsill
I see the worlds on a rocking horse of time
I see the verse in the rain
Ohh...ohh...ohh...ohh...

Oh, dear dad, can you see me now
I am myself, like you somehow
Ill ride the wave where it takes me
Ill hold the pain...
Release me...
Ohh...ohh...ohh...ohh...

Oh, dear dad, can you see me now
I am myself, like you somehow
Ill wait up in the dark for you to speak to me
Ill open up...
Release me...
Release me (3x)
Ohh...ohh...ohh...ohh...

- Release, by Pearl Jam

2009-09-01T01:21:00.005+05:30

Shit happens.. Life is like that... It pains too, but then its really alright isn't it?

Like someone once said,

"Pain is Inevitable, Suffering is optional"

Bad things will happen in life, mistakes, rash decisions, weak moments and more incidents which will challenge your very ability to take life...

But then its upto us, what we learn from the incident(if at all)...

I've always felt life is all about choices, you have a choice each time, in each situation, in each road you take ... everywhere...

You score less in your exams, you have a choice, study harder and build your strengths or just be sad and lose out on studies and get involved in the wrong places..

Your career is not going right, you have a choice, either you stick it out and compromise or just do what you feel is right and follow your dreams...

Relations are not working out fine, you have a choice, either make it alright, sacrifice, compromise, forgive, but work it out, or else make your stance clear and step out.

Whatever happens in life, take the best things possible out of it and move on... thats whats most important, move on ...

Probably the best philosophy in life is to always keep on foot ahead of the other...

2009-04-24T14:53:00.004+05:30

Stuff I wanna Buy....

1. Porsche 911 GT2

Upfront... Porsche ... There is no substitute .... :)

2. BMW 7 series

Sheer driving pleasure .... It's one of the best cars to drive and be driven around, either ways, will be sure to have awesome technology, and a complete Driver's Car ...

3. A Vintage Jaguar coupe, the one with the loooonnnnnnnggggg bonnet.

It ignited Jay Leno's life long passion for cars, and for good reason... the beauty of the car is in its stance, the elegance, the presence, the monster inside the sleek and long bonnet. Such a grand sight. *Sighs...*

4. Bang & Olufsen BeoLab 5 and BeoSound 9000.

The sheer class of the Bang & Olufsen speaker range coupled with the awesome technology that comes with it makes it a must have.. no matter what the investment...

5. A Chalet in Switzerland -

Nothing beats the grandeur and laid back charm of a Swiss Chalet.. A perfect place to park the beautiful machines mentioned above and a heavenly abode with wooden floors, beautiful views, cozy fireplaces, lush green lawns and crisp fresh air... :)

6. Vacheron Constantin - Tourbillon

The way the watches are made, the complexity in each watch, the fact that only 10-100 pieces are made per model, the beautiful beautiful looks of the watch...

7. Franck Muller - Master of complications - Casablanca

One of the most exclusive watches in the world, the sheer genius of the man behind it... the exquisite pleasure of owning a timeless classic ...

8. Westone 3 - The world's first 3 way driver earphone..

The most comfortable and best sounding earphones ever made... like the holy grail for earphones .... Waiting to get my hands on one sometime ... :D

lots more to come ... will keep posting .... :) and in the meanwhile will come up with a more realistic list too ... or rather a more immediate one ... :D

2009-03-25T13:32:00.000+05:30

Having a "Near Perfect" day is a good revelation ... a blessing actually ... it makes you look back at the day and say "Hmm .. did pretty well there... " along with a dorky grin in place ....

The dorky grins are there in place even when the "Near Perfect" day is unfolding ....

My bike's been giving me troubles... tell me I'm weird but sometimes, it reminds me of a Girl friend .... Troublesome at times, it'll conspire for the most opportune moment to get weird and refuse to start.. At All ... and then when I push it all the way to the mechanic (With many hearty attempts at starting it in between) ... it starts firing with the first kick from the guy there and the mechanic looks at me with a "There-you-go-son,-all-you-had-to-do-was-kick-start-it" look.... Hmmm.. only if he knew ... *Dorky Grin* (with grease stained hand from my insistence in helping the mechanic)

Then there are days when I feel within my mind that no... today it shouldn't get clogged.. absolutely not.... I'd be screwed otherwise.. Seriously..... No, Seriously.... and somehow it just seems to listen..... it runs and gets me to the place in time.....

But the day before was one of the off days ... had to reach a dinner meet at 8, figured if I leave by 7:30 should make it there .... and yes .. you guessed it right ... I did NOT reach there in time ... Reached there by 9 .... The vehicle tanked up after a few kms .... a little push and shove and lots of coaxing later it starts .. Covered in sweat but exalted with the bike running again .... only to go phooot again .... :( ... happened another two times .... DRENCHED in sweat ... numerous phone calls inquiring my whereabouts ... tired me ready to crash on the suddenly very inviting roadside.. (The vagrant on the roadside did seem reluctant to share the space though :))....Rode it a few more kms and then freezed completely .... pushed it till the hotel in neutral and let it rest in peace there .... and I floated into the upper terrace BAR cum rest .... Peace ...
*DORKY DAZED GRIN*

So its not been really good till now, but the "Near Perfect" day has only started now na ....

Today was the day I went around to pick it up and show it to a mechanic .... The mechanic was more than helpful.... gave me a blow by blow account of what was wrong with the Bike, what repairs it needed, and what he'll do to make it ok ... OK, I'm convinced .... you can handle my bike dude ... go ahead .... :)
*DORKY REASSURED GRIN*

Before the Bike repair trip, I did give an exam ... (slipped my mind.. considering how really pointless I consider them....) The exams were good too ... considering my 5 hrs before the exam study time table ... it went pretty well ...
*DORKY RELIEVED GRIN*

The mechanic told me to be back after 3 hrs for a Shining, clean, healthy, repaired bike ... (OK .. he DIDN'T actually use those words, but didn't I mention my bike's capability to act remarkably similar to a spouse ?)
*DORKY PROUD GRIN* (owing to the fact that I understood all his carburetor, engine jargon and also helped him with the cleaning of the carburetor)

So with 3 hrs and an exam on the next day, I go out for a movie with a friend (Who also had an exam on the next day :)... )... Little Zizou.... a really really cute movie .... I loved it ... the entire experience was a god one... ages since I liked a movie in the theater so genuinely....
*GENUINE SMILE*

Movie over .. Bike ready, gleaming in its new Polish and repaired completely .... Looked gorgeous .. kinda reminded me of the day I saw her first ... Girlfriends also tend to have that effect on you sometimes .... after years and years or being together .....you feel the need for a new girlfriend .. oops .. I mean Bike ... and then suddenly, when you see the girlfriend... oops .. Bike (Man they are so similar, me confusing them :) LOLLzz ).. again in a shade of its former pristine glory, you seem drawn towards it ....
*BACK TO DORKY GRIN, NOSTALGIC ONE ...*

All said and done (and hefty bills paid) .. the bike did run smoothly.... and took me to my beloved SIC campus safely ....

On the way .... in a prominent and blatant case of flirting, while seriously risking my relation with my Girlfriend natured Bike .... wait for it .... hold your breath ....

I took a Pulsar 180 test drive *BIGG WIDE GRIN, PLASTERED ACROSS MY FACE* and also inquired its price ....

I know ... pretty shocking and all ... but then again .. I think its time I moved on .... A pulsar 200, a ZMA or a FZ16 ..... soon .... pretty soon .... :)
*HOPEFUL SMILE*

My bike too seemed to realize the same.. or was just putting in good behavior ....
what ever the reason, it got me to campus, without further incident .....

The coconut vendor on the road leading towards the institute too contributed to the "Near Perfect" day syndrome ..... HE is one perfectionist guy.. the other day.. I told him to give me a "Nariyal" with a nice creamy innner part and awesome water .... and believe it or not.. that guy actually threw away one "Nariyal" which had only "Nariyal Pani" and no "Malai"... and gave me one which was the one according to my specifications .... now I know good Customer Service when I see it ... He did ensure that his customers got only the best .... left me impressed ....

So today too I dropped by on my way back from the mechanic ... and asked for my regular stuff .... he opened one and it was all water again according to him... and almost apologetically he asked me whether that is OK, or should he break another "Nariyal" for my preference .... I declined and took the first one ...

You know how those tiny tiny little things matter a lot suddenly ... Well the "Nariyal" did turn out to be a one with "Malai" in it .... :D :D :D
It did have a nice effect with me .... especially with the "Malai" being exactly the way i like it ... soft and so so tender, that it melts in your mouth .... :D
*DORKY CONTENDED SMILE*

And as they say .. Good days are temporary ... Bad days will come too ... they'll go as well, but they DEFINITELY will be there ....

And considering the fact that I haven't really studied much for tomorrow's exams .... I don't think the BAD DAY is too far away .....

2009-03-06T14:49:00.004+05:30

1. 192 students .. 79 placed so far .... :(

2. "Highest package ever @ SCIT" record broken twice this year .... :)

3. Exams starting in 15 days .... :(

4. College over in another 30 days .... :(

5. Attendance short in classes ... :(

6. No exemption or consideration for Placement coordinators .... :(

7. Job secured as Sales Manager ..... :)

8. Package 7 lacs PA ...... :)

9. Shifting into a bigger house with my folks .... :)

10. Bike, 2 services and oil changes in 2 months ..... :(

11. Bike, on its last legs ... :(

12. Will most probably buy the Yamaha FZ16 in a few months ....... :)

13. Right now, broke ...... :(

14. Single ...... :)

15. Lonely days .... :(

16. No fights on why I didn’t call or meet or think or ponder or whatever .... :)

17. New Cellphone ..... :)

18. Dropped it for the first time ... :(

19. Safe and sound .... :)

20. Know very well, it isn’t going to stay that way ....... :(

21. Will get in another 4 companies at least to campus ..... :)

22. Awesome friends around ..... :)

23. Had minor arguments with Dad .... :(

24. Posting in Pune, Ghar ka khana everyday .... :)

25. Can't stay out late if at home ...... :(

26. Need a break from all the rush ...... :)

27. Not possible right now, reason? refer to point 13 ...... :(

28. Disappointments ...... :(

29. Achievements ....... :)

30. Happy days ..... :)

31. They pass .... :(

32. Sad days ....... :(

33. They pass as well ..... :)

34. Life moves on ..... :) :) :)

2009-02-18T11:32:00.001+05:30

And here’s dad making me sit in front of him and talking to me about the ill effects of talking on a phone. The report, cut from a newspaper, which has apparently run out of better news, reported by a reporter who apparently does not get better opportunities and the person who wrote the thesis in the first place, a college teacher from some village in Kerala, who again conclusively does not think much about education or anything else more worthwhile.

The talk was a repercussion of me and my supposedly monumental phone bills, backed with a demand for a new phone, since my current one is holding on with the sheer will power that i manage to have in its case (The external body is broken and the joystick functions extremely reluctantly, if at all)

The diseases he counted out and the supposed repercussions, if true should have me in my grave by now or at the very least have me in a severely depleted defective state of being, something I assure you I am not.

Apparently the researcher in question put in four cell phones with a chameleon in a cage and in four days, the poor thing turned white and apparently lost its ability to change its colour, its prime defence mechanism. Apart from the sheer futility of the entire exercise and the horrid injustice to the poor animal, it doesn’t prove anything at all. I for one, and I’m sure most of my species would agree, would not really be bothered about us not being able to change our colour, which I am tempted to bring to notice, we can’t anyways in the first place.
Another research from the same dork proves that the arteries of a frog explode when kept in contact with a ringing cell-phone. Again, how very inconclusive and over the top cruel. I can almost imagine the poor frog being held up and the constant ringing near it, with its shivering body and heightened heart rate awaiting uncertainty; Certainly not good. Time and again, the human species has proved that we are more capable of adaptation than anything else living, except perhaps the cockroach, who, it is said can even survive a nuclear bomb. But then I don’t really think roaches would be using mobiles in the near future, so we’ll stick to humans.

We have an affinity to cholesterol and all things unhealthy and also some of us have an affinity to exercise, both of them leading to extremely tough arteries, which leaves the bursting apart thingy out of question.

We live in a world of more, it is said. More of everything, money, people, choices... you name it and I can show you an alternative to it.... But isn’t it a good thing in a way? The time to live is now, a time where everything is plentiful and more, where everything is accessible, you can have anything you want at all, provided you have the dough and the contacts for it....

People who come up with such stories are vying for a piece of the same pie, popularity, two minutes of fame, an article in the newspaper... so I won’t really blame them for this piece... but it’s up to us to understand and selectively perceive only what is really important for us.. Leave out the trivialities in life, be materialistic, who really cares if you like your iPod and your phone more than anything else... be whatever you want to be as long as you are happy...

Oh, and btw, I did get the new phone.... a Motorazr V8... real slick...all said and done, my dad is indeed a sweetheart.... :D

2008-12-16T16:46:00.002+05:30

Optimism helps ... most of the times at least .....

Problem ?

-> MBA ... due to complete the course in 09.
-> Recession.
-> Companies freeze hires.

Solution ?

Optimism .. and hard work .. so as to be prepared when the opportunity comes ... If it comes ....

Well this was more like a frustration post ... a better post would be up soon ...
A humorous one at that .....

2008-06-08T21:00:00.002+05:30

The Encounter

When he entered into the restaurant first, the first thing that struck me was the sheer innocence and sweetness that was etched all over his face. Not more than 10, was my first guess, on second thought I thought he may be around 12 or so. He was as thin as could be humanly possible, with probably just skin wrapped over his bones, but his face was angelic. But for unfathomable reasons, I could immediately see troubles and problems, safely kept inside away from the prying eyes of all. Along with him came his father, trundling behind him, with an unpleasant grin on his face. I grinned to myself and said, surely this little fellow must have forced his budget constrained father to visit the restaurant and this was the reason for the father’s annoyance.

They took a seat diagonally opposite to me, so I had a clear view of their activities. The waiter came up with just one menu card, which was apparently not enough, because the father took it and began scanning through it. He struck me as an inconsiderate father who does not even consider the fact that his son may also need to have access to the menu so as to order whatever he likes. He began to get all restless and fidgety, he asked the card from his father once or twice, but to no avail, he then asked the waiter to get another one, the father didn’t make any response of any kind. After a while, the father signaled to the waiter to come, in all probability to place the order. The child signaled his father about writing something with his hands, but the father just gravely shook his head and began pointing at various items on the menu card to the waiter.

After this he went out, where to, I don’t know, and apparently the boy didn’t either. He called again to the waiter and asked him what the order was and checked it against his own menu card.

Almost five minutes passed away with the child fidgeting away and throwing quick glances to whoever may be giving him more than a cursory glance; still no trace of the father. Now the child becomes restless and moves away from the table. He goes outside in the direction to where his father had gone. A minute later he appears, with his father and two other gentlemen, both of them gesturing with their hands rapidly and using greatly expressive eyes. His father was also gesturing back in the same way, then he turned and I saw the hearing aid, the father was incapable of hearing or speaking.

I felt a sudden lump in my throat. The inconsideration that I saw at first was gone, what was left was a person who felt threatened by the more able people around him, waiting to snatch away his authority from him, to show him subtly, sub-consciously that he was an outcast. I wondered at the life he had lead until now. How he might have been treated by his peers in the merciless stages of childhood.
A reverence rose for the man who despite the mutiny of his existence had come out as a winner, he chose to lead a normal life and held his own regardless of his own shortcomings.

The friends of the father were looking at the child with a look of deep affection reserved for the favorite nephew. The cheer and the enthusiasm in the actions of the people were palpable. Leave the child, everyone else was incapable of an oral conversation. Surprisingly at first but more and more apparently later I noticed the child take part in the silent conversation. And suddenly everything seemed at ease, just the way it was meant to be.

It embodied the fragility of the people, how vulnerable they are, the wounds they hide deep inside in a place they hope no one could see, the strength in the same innocent faces, the compromises that the child had to accept as a part of his existence, the strength that it gave to his character, the patience that would be a part of him, the father who stood up against the odds, who would command respect from his son for the man he is and above all the affirmation of the victory of the human spirit.

2008-05-22T15:15:00.002+05:30

After all .....

Two more days .. Thats it, thats all is there before his son turns 16. Its not just everyday that you turn 16 and the party on the birthday was definitely going to prove that point. He was unwilling to spend so much money on a birthday party at first, but his son's insistence made him give in. After all, his son reasoned, you don't turn 16 everyday...

His son .... he still remembered it clearly, the first time he held him in his hand, his tiny eyes closed in blissful sleep, his hands balled into tiny fists. It was all fresh in his mind, as if that day was just yesterday.

It was not smooth sailing for him during those days, he was the sole bread winner and the job didn't pay too well. His son came in as a ray of hope into his life. His smile seemed to wash away his worries. Even though the difficulties in life persisted, everything seemed manageable.

Every evening his son would wait for him to return home so that he could ask him for a ride on the scooter, the ride done the smile on his son's face was priceless. What wouldn't he do to see that smile.

Compromises were something he had learned to live with in his childhood, and something he continued to do. His son was growing up soon, and he had to ensure he got the best of everything. His income had stabilized to an extent and he was satisfied with the fact that he was able to provide for his family. His son had new needs, the reasonable ones had to be fulfilled. The unreasonable ones were not given into. He knew he wouldn't pamper his son and make him unworthy of a respectful living. The reasonable ones had to be fulfilled even if it was in lieu of his necessities.

"Dad", his son said, "I need new shoes for playing football, the ones with studs on them, all the others have them, I can't play well enough to get into the team otherwise !". He knew his own shoes could wait, they'd been with him for the past 4 years now, uncomplaining and sturdy, torn at some places, but nothing a trip to the mochi couldn't fix. He knew they could wait. His son's football ambitions however had to be nurtured.

His son looked up to him, he knew he couldn't afford to be slack anywhere. He knew he was his son's hero. He was in his most formative years now and discipline needs to be imparted. Care needs to be taken so that his son does not stray away from a good life.

His son was turning 16 day after and he was proud of him. He was doing well in college and played for the school team in soccer. The dreams he had seen were coming true.

The party was all set to begin, all his friends had arrived. Quite a popular lad his son was, he knew that and was proud of it. His son was flaunting his new cellphone, N-series or something, they had bought it in the afternoon as a birthday gift.

The cake was simple one, good one nevertheless, OK wouldn't do.

He was sitting on the couch watching the proceedings, smiling contently. His son came up to him, gave a quick one arm hug and sat down next to him.

"Dad, I've always wanted to ask you something ..."

"Go on... ", he smiled encouragingly.

"When is your birthday dad? why haven't we celebrated that ever?"

He smiled, patted his son's back and said nothing. The party din was all around, but he seemed to be unaffected by it.

He looked back at his life, the compromises he'd made, the sacrifices.

There were days when he had to live of rat infested rooms with five other people sharing the room. Days when he had to go without food or proper sleep. He knew what it meant to earn money. He had learnt it the hard way.

Merry occasions like birthdays never found a place in his life. Those were luxuries he couldn't waste hard earned money or valuable time on.
He had faint recollections of a date being scribbled in his birth certificate he had chanced to see once. But he had failed to associate any importance to that day. It was just another day, in which you have to work in order to get paid.

Life was a struggle and all he knew was that he had to come out on top.

He had kept everything aside, he had lived his life for his son, to make him a good person, a person he would feel proud to call his son.

He'd lost himself somewhere in the vagaries of life, he couldn't remember the last time he had given into one of his own fancies. Come to think of it he did not have any wishes anymore, it was for youngsters, not old men like himself he thought.

"Wishes ...."
A chuckle escaped his lips, as though taunting himself for even playing around with that thought.

"Dad, are you alright?"

He nodded and held his son's shoulder and they walked together towards the party.

It was his son's birthday after all ....

2008-05-19T11:27:00.000+05:30

Fallen in love once again !!!!!

ok guys ... awesome news coming up ..... yours truly is now the proud owner of an exquisite work of art, le mieux, the absolutely supreme ... Ipod Touch ....

The piece is a true work of art .... It is so beautiful that I literally can't find words to describe it ...

Now now ... all the lavish praise is justified ... I got it as an advance birthday gift from my folks and ever since i have fallen in love with it. The screen, the features, the sheer genius of the technology .....

Now the space definitely seems to be a bit on the lower side when compared to the 80gb classic ... But nevertheless, the technology used here more than makes up for it .... The finish of the product is beautiful(The back can actually double up as a mirror) ... the multi touch screen is smooth and the transitions between screens is nothing short of magical .....The cover flow is something which i have always liked, even on the itunes, on the itouch though is much better to use ....

I've been busy, putting in album arts and lyrics into each songs since then ....:)

As a great person once said ... "Live your life as if everything is a miracle or as if nothing is" ..... i choose the former at least in this case ...

And it has to be kept safe no doubt ... A sleek black leather flip case does that work .....

*Takes a deep sigh* .... I'm in love ... no doubt ....

2008-05-17T10:16:00.000+05:30

Hey people .... all these years, i thought i was smart, you know every time you look back in life, and see a situation you could have handled better, you sort of feel that you've matured since then.

But what strikes me is that such a feeling is perennial, just yesterday I was installing a BlackBerry server and all the components required for it. I mean a fresh new system altogether, the whole thing was a new experience for me. Installing and configuring the DNS, AD, MS Exchange, install the IIS, SNTP, NNTP and all. Totally into networking. Whew, can you imagine a disaster where you walk into the Manager's cabin announcing that the setup is done and we need a key for connecting to the Nokia server, and he asks you the IP and the port numbers and you give him a blank look. I mean you really remember all this stuff the time you are installing? Nevertheless lesson learnt: Keep note of what you do and its probably a good idea to write it down.

Anyways the technical stuff apart, today morning i felt that it wasn't too much from the manager's side to expect of me. I mean i know I'm capable of more. I did look up the machine configurations and now I know pretty much whatever there is to know about it.

Life will keep throwing up ... ahem, i mean keep throwing stuff at you, you just need to be ready and alert always and make sure u come out on top of it ....

2008-05-09T18:50:00.000+05:30

Where are we lost?

In life there are times when you need to stand back and reevaluate whats going on really in your life.

Is it really what you really really wanted to do that you are doing now? Is is what you set out to do? Is it happiness that you get with what you do? or is is just a savage satisfaction from beating a co-worker in the appraisal.

The meaning of life is different to different people, everybody interprets it the way they want to.

Now i don't want to sound too philosophical here, but i really am faced with this reality now.

As a child i was so happy, so free and so full of enthusiasm, so naive, s full of glee. If i think of the things i have done as a child, i am shocked of my mettlesome capabilities ..

I mean really how many of you can boast of having streaked around as dressed up as much as the day you were born, through an entire farm, with the farmers(who are in fact distant relatives, in a village, everybody is related. period) laughing at you and the cows ruminating and staring at you politely ... and dogs, giving you that tilt of the head and staring at you as if they always knew something was wrong with you all the times you were chasing them around the place .....

Really .. I was not too much of a social being, more like a loner all my life, but that never stopped me from having my share of fun, more than my share probably ....
Once while in 5th or so, when normal children have some sort of common sense, (the person who delivers common sense arrived late in my case, he couldn't find me, never was in a place long enough for him to trace me) ... i was bored and decided to make mix soap & water and just when i thought the consistency was good enough, i went over to the staircase of the building and spilled the concoction all over the 2nd and 3rd steps and carefully stepped away from the mess and returned to my other important experiments .... after about 10 mins there was a thud and a scream(more of a yelp) .... the parents of the young couple next door had taken a mighty fall, a la Humpty Dumpty .... I couldn't suppress my laughter and glee at the grand success of my elaborately planned out event.... but as i found out later mom, apparently didn't find it funny ..... After i saw her rushing at me with a cane in her hand, the next thing i remember is me in the bed, with mom, dad, brother, and the couple next door all staring at me .... now that i think of it, it was really funny ..... i still laugh when i remember that ....

Being a loner is not always the case with me, and when sometimes i did have the cheek to get down for the occasional cricket match .. i made sure i made it to the headlines .... I also agree I'm not good at the game, wait a minute, let me rephrase ... i suck at cricket and the point was proved when i took the ball ... called the Kit-Kat ball,(for reasons I'm yet to fathom although i do faintly recollect the manufacturer's name being Kit-Kat) ... anyways that turned out to be a pretty bad decision ... The ball you see is supposed to be thrown(or bowled, does it really make a difference?) at or at least near the stumps ..... but i being the smart one, tried to bowl a nice fast ball to bowl out the batsman like a classical Venkatesh Prasad(the guy who literally tore down the stumps of some Pakistani player in a cricket match after the later had hit him for a four).... but the ball probably sensed my nervousness and inexperience and decided to leave my hand a while before i intended to throw it ... as a result it left and head straight to the balcony window situated strategically above the stumps ..... and by some strange coincidence this balcony was OURS and my dear hardworking dad had just fit in some nice sliding windows over it to keep the dust out .... but apparently it wasn't designed to keep out a simple hard-plastic cricket ball .... anyways .. i leave out the inefficiency of the glass makers here ... but the ball smashed right through the beautiful pane ... and lets just say that was the end of my cricketing career(if at all there was one) .....

These are just two of the millions or so awesome incidents that built up my childhood .... and now what ... am stuck with work, deadlines, targets, budgeting money, and all the lousy things that come with being a responsible adult .... no quality time for myself... Where is the fun? Except from spending some time with friends ... nothing else remains ....

I also was a voracious reader once upon time ... any book given to me would be devoured in max of three days, three days only if the book had the consistency of a brick ... else a day would suffice ..... all that passion .. just gone ... don't know where .... lost somewhere ... hidden away deep somewhere in the daily grind of life ....

But all is not gone, i still have the same love for music as ever, if it is possible .. it has increased manifold ..... it is the one thing that soothes me, excites me, romances me, makes me cry, makes me laugh, calms me down, makes me strut around the room while holding a sweater and singing to it as if it were my beloved ..... Music is so beautiful that words fail to describe it ..... probably in another post I'll try to do justice to its beauty, while i know I'll fail miserably, whats the harm in trying ...

But one thing's for sure, i really am going to try and get my life back, the life which was fun and whacky, doing stuff just because you think it'll be fun, to just risk it all and feel your hair stand on end when you do the dangerous and forbidden .....

Don't lose yourselves friends, regain the vitality and be a child again ... do things u used to do before ..... and see that the view really hasn't changed .. its person viewing it who has ....

2008-05-06T15:15:00.000+05:30

What are the chances?

Note: The below mentioned events are NOT works of fiction, they are actual occurrences in the extra ordinary life of "yours truly". The matter is NOT copyrighted and may be reproduced as and when wanted by anyone.

What are the chances?

1. Of you being late to work, the one time the mentor decides its a good time to ask the progress reports, the first thing in the morning.

2. Of seeing the person you've wanted to ask out all along(strolling with her girlfriends), when you are out on M.G road with a person who was in fact a second thought.

3. Of a friend asking you if you want Rossogullas he's brought, just after you had your fill of lunch followed by some lame desert, moaning there's no good food around.

4. Of spitting out a seed from the melon you just ate and it hitting the spoon at a perfect angle to drop into your favorite lemon juice, which you decided to leave until last.

5. Of finding the right shade of jeans, in the right fit, in the right texture, just after you've spent two grand on a close compromise just a few stores away?

6. Of spending double the normal amount on a bus ticket from Cochin to Bangalore, (after confirming that there are few other buses plying the same route, and the bus in concern is an AC) just to be put into another lousy, stinking local bus midway because the big bald bushy driver says, it will save him tax or something(God alone knows what he said, i knew it was wrong and at the same time, wanted all my teeth in place, just in case he decides he can't argue against my irrefutable logic)

7. Of spending the last few rupees on you have in your wallet on a nice biryani, and finding out that the bank hasn't cleared your check yet, so you are effectively broke.

8. Of finally deciding to go to the temple(after mom's repeated requests), only to find that its some special day today, and the place is literally choked with people, and you can't just go back coz you've traveled 10 Kms to get here.

9. Of the restaurant you heard has the best chicken tandoori ever, and it just runs out of the same the day you decide to visit.

10. Of going out with friends for a nice evening bash, and constraining your eating and drinks to a minimum in order to have a wallet with atleast some sort or self respect, only to find out in the end that it was a party being given by the guy who got placed for interns in some awesome company, and the bill is gonna be his pain.

11 .Of getting drunk at your first company party(to compensate the birthday bash goof up), and realizing that its your manager in front of you asking if you are enjoying the evening, you nod along dumbly hoping he missed the faux pas.

ok .. some of it may be exaggerated .. though the crux is true .... the ratios or odds as they call it are stacked up against me most of the times i presume...

or probably, the loneliness is getting to me, and am probably soon gonna be admit in some remote hill station based mental asylum.

or the most probable on, some one has access to my account and is using it to ruin my painstakingly built up reputation. creepy.

2008-04-29T15:17:00.000+05:30

Reflection:

As i look back upon the past few days in my life, i can't help but compare and see the contrast ....

A day during exams: (for getting the required effect I'll start the narration from the previous day after the paper is over.)
1. Give the answer paper.
2. Go to the Pcom room, dump the bag.
3. Go to the cafeteria or stores and hang out with friends.
4. Discuss the cruelty meted out to us a few minutes back.
5. Deliberately underplay and maintain that you did your absolute worst in this one.
6. All said and done, trudge back to the room like a warrior, weighed down by the conquests of the day.
7. Come to room, bang on the door to wake up my already sleeping roomies.
8. Start the laptop and play some really upbeat songs(read loud and noisy).
9. Hear Amit(my roommate) say a million times, "KD, gaane band kar na yaar, kal EGJAAM hai !"
10. Give in when he really gets frustrated and stop the music.
11. Then Phani(my other roommate) arrives, and we have a healthy discussion of how actually the paper went.
12. Start studying.
13. Go off to sleep with my face in the book and the laptop open under my arm, tethering on the edge of the bed.
14. Wake up, do the daily chores with no, ahem, perfect precision.
15. Proceed to the gallows.

Seems plaid, but thats what happens after the censor board takes its cuts !
Its fun really, take my word on that.

Ok? Now, Cut to today:

1. Get up at 6, (Mostly due to the excellent quality coir mattresses from Maharaja coir works, Coimbatore, from which coir actually pokes out, allowing u peaceful sleep, now where else can u see that ?)
2. Go to the gym for the daily workout.
3. Come back, bang on the bathroom door to make my roomie get out.
4. Have a peaceful hot shower.
5. Leave for office.
6. Settle into a semi-conscious state for about 4 hours.
7. Climb about 20 floors for lunch in the terrace cafeteria.
8. Climb down 5 floors for getting back in office.
9. Surf the web and return to being a zombie until 6.
10. Catch the cab back home.
11. Get down at office, eat, come to the room and sleep.

Seems boring na?

Well it is ....

and I was just thinking how much i am going to miss my college days.

Fortunately i have a year more to live it up!

2008-04-28T09:46:00.000+05:30

Hmmm … Ok first things first … I am getting regular at blogging now... Tall claims one may say for a person who has just written two blogs consecutively without breaking off for ages … But in KD world optimism rules…
First impressions are generally misleading, and I must say same is the case for Bangalore too. But here the case is of exceeding expectations not the other way around.

This place is seriously cool. The shops, the people, the atmosphere, everything just screams success and makes you so desperately want to be a part of it all.

Bangalore, according to what I’ve heard has one of the lowest number of poor people and one of the highest number of Richie Richs. In my limited lifetime and of the places I have seen yet, (Not so many considering the fact that I have been raised in Pune and have never stayed anywhere else, but nevertheless…) no other place has thrown up so many inspiring visions. Every day on my way to the office I see at least one car I have lusted after. First day, Nissan X-Trail and Teana, Second day, Audi A6 and Rolls and Royce Silver Phantom, Third day Mercedes ML320 and Chevy Captiva, A sleek, humungous Humvee the other day… This city bursts with reasons why you should be rich and successful in life, the utter spoils that you can enjoy in life.

All this praise may seem a tad overrated, but for a person like me, it is a trailer for the things to come. As Mr. Amitabh Bacchan and countless others of the earlier generation have mentioned, this time in history is one of the best times to be alive and kicking. Endless opportunities and endless aspirations…

So much to see… So much to be…
So many experiences to be taken in, countless awesome people to be met…
What a time to be alive and young….

2008-04-17T10:01:00.001+05:30

First impressions:Bangalore

The city is great. Though I wish I knew a bit more about it or at least knew Kannada. What I mean is inspite of spending my entire lifetime in Pune, if I were to live in Mumbai; I wouldn’t have too much trouble majorly because I know Marathi well.
But being the quixotic being like all KDs of the insane world are, I tried to learn Kannada to solve the problem. After all, how difficult can it be considering the fact that I am a Mallu who actually knows how to read and speak Mallu.
I simply can’t stand being ignorant, that means not having knowledge about something I’m involved in. It just drives me crazy.

So the first day at office and I begin my quest for learning Kannada. I started off with a normal watchman. Why a watchman one would ask. Because, Bangalore has loads of roads and cross roads and I got kinda lost when going from my PG to the office. Happens, I suppose to everyone new in the city and who has got a short term memory loss problem. Pretty normal huh? I asked him “Aditi Technologies Enge ?”, and wonder of wonders, he asked me “F1 na, F4 aa ?”. I got he required address and moved on.

Inspired by the progress I made, I decided to up the ante and moved on to the cafeteria. Do you know that there are people who point blank refuse to talk to you in Kannada ? Well I apparently didn’t and went up and spoke to the cafeteria manager. Well here let me describe the typical cafeteria manager for your benefit.
1. He has an air of great responsibility and authority.
2. He is guards the sweets section of the food with great caution to make sure that no one takes more than their share(SIC guys will surely agree on this)
3. He has a constant frown on his face, which rarely disappears, as if he is making sure that no one takes him lightly.

Anyways, this is more or less the individual that I encountered there as well. I plainly asked him how much would a lunch cost, in what I sincerely hoped sounded remotely like Kannada; “Lunch enge rupe ?”. He gave me a what’s-wrong-with-you look, but answered nevertheless “25 rupees”. Not being one to be let down, I forayed on, I asked him how would you ask the same in Kannada. He just looked at me a look which seemed to confirm his suspicions and plainly shook his head and continued his work with the frown intensified. A bit demoralized I asked for lunch in normal Queen’s English and was met with a prompt response. But I swore all the same that I would learn the language during my three month stay here and then I’ll shown him who’s the boss around.

The rest of the day was quite uneventful, but what I’m really curious about is how the whole Kannada learning mission shapes up. Adios for now. Will keep you updated on how it works out.

2008-02-07T09:54:00.000+05:30

Its been a long time since I've been selected for interns by Aditi Technologies as a program manager, but I've not yet identified my roles and responsibilities. Upma's blog gives me a fair idea of what to expect there .....

So let me get my Program Manager instincts started ......

We concentrate on products and the user experience(UX) they provide ....

The browser I'm currently using is the Mozilla Firefox, fast and loaded with good features ......

But one major concern here is the tabbed browsing .... i have set my homepage as Google and i expect it to be opened every time i start the browser or a new tab .....

It does open Google when i start the browser, but when I open a tab and it waits for me to type in the address .....

This is something Firefox should be looking into .......
If not a permanent feature, it should atleast make it available as an option ...

Comments are most welcome .......

2008-02-01T09:12:00.001+05:30

Long long time since the last post ...... been lazy .... been busy ....
anyways ..... lets see ..... done a lot of things in this academic year .... i can safely say that this time period has been one of the most enriching in my life ....

Saw so many things, handled so many problems, seen so many different moods of people ... been downright upset, been over-the-top happy ...... every emotion ..... every mood .... almost every aspect of my persona explored .....

Know happiness like never before, known friendship like never before, known responsibility like never before ......

Found out my strengths, my weaknesses, stability ........

I guess this would just be a post to identify the value addition that being an MBA student at SCIT in SIC campus has done to me ....

I would leave for internships pretty soon ..... would leave the campus only to come back after learning more .......

One thing i have identified in life and i think will stick as my motto in life .....

Learn ..... Evolve ......

2007-07-26T19:18:00.001+05:30

Techie kaun Business quiz
SCIT presents "Techie Kaun " ....... one of the biggest technical fests ......
It consists of a variety of events ranging from business quiz to gaming to programming ...... The business quiz would be conducted by Mr Avinash Mudliar ... a very popular face in the quizzing arena ...
Invitations have been sent out to over 1500 colleges all over India ..... Please visit http://scit.edu/techiekaun.aspx for more details ......

2007-06-29T15:14:00.000+05:30

hmmmm ...... long time since the last blog ...... atleast it seems so ... hardly been here for a month .... but feels like been here forever ..... i don't go to the gym now either ...... have to make peace with sam calling me 'lazy boy' everyday ..... can't help it ... be out till 1 in the night practising for aarambh ... wake at 7 ? impossible ...... par karna to padega hi ....
finished the levelling exams and swear to god .. thats the last time i'm gonna study Operating Systems ...... or C for that matter .... the course has jsut started and we have such a lot on our heads ..... blogcamp was rocking ... more so coz everyone got free t-shirts and we had them being worn throughout the art of living course .....

the course was quite good ..... learnt new things ...... but undeniably the best part was when we were asked to lie down on ou backs and meditate ... invariably sleep takes over and dreamless blissfull sleep at that ...... kinda felt bad for the japanese chap though .... must have got bored with the hindi pravachans ..... the pic will give u a gud idea ......

nevertheless as forementioned new things learnt ..... rather lessons learnt ......

1. Never be impulsive(might not make sense ... but one of the most important lessons i've learnt here)

2. When you aome to do an MBA, remember that the people around you are there for the same. Everyone wants to command. The trick is to take everybody along ..... if that doesn't work .... stay out .....

3. Having Phani as a roommate is never dull .... especially after he has a small peg or two at a birthday party and decides that 2 in the morning is the right time to tell his roomies how much he values them and how his life is going on .... LOL

4. When in college there will be people who love you and some who DON'T love you ...... learn to live with both ... and more importantly .. learn to complete assignments and presentations with them ......

5. Sam ko manana hai ? get him food ...... the only reason the guy wakes up before anyone in the morning is to have a bath and EAT ....... or if some one is gonna take a pic of him for him to upload it on orkut ...

6. Finding a friend who's thinks i'm adorable is bliss ......

7. Art of living is good ...... i had the best sleep ever on all the 6 days that it was conducted and we were supposed to be meditating .....

8. Sam is on a diet ... but the diet restrictions do not hold to medu wadas, gulab jamuns, halwa, jalebi or anything edible ..... the dieting thing is only in the mind ..... bliss ........

9. Singing songs with karan, Vd and Aryan at the guitar at 12 in the night is ridiculously good ....at 12.30 it gets even better... with the security guards smiling when the sutta song arrives ......

10. Trusting Deric to come up with a band name is a good idea ... and a funny one too ...... the way he presents it is even better ..... it goes like .... "Kd Kd ... hows this ? Virtual Vibes (with proper hand gestures...) ... can u feel the vibes ? i tell u man this one will rock ... " u almost give in to the enthusiasm.

11. The aloo parathas at the cafeteria are too good ... especially with a nice drizzle going on outside ......

12. The climate in pune is at its best in the monsoons ........ going for a long drive on the expressway is heaven .... even if its just for some mundane work .... in this case ... the means justify the end ......

lots more to see .... lots more to do ...... and in the words of Mr.Frost

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep
And miles to go before i sleep .........."

LOL

2007-06-07T10:09:00.000+05:30

Finally... the college starts..... SCIT ...... lots of speculations.... lots of expectations..... New people.... new things to do..... Basketball in the morning, repeat in the evening.... first day in the hostel..... Late night "interactive session" by the seniors.... singing the "sutta song" with Aryan the guitarist playing along.....Late night sessions at the canteen in the hostel ... laughin out till our ribs almost crack..... And then some more.....first day ka josh for working out... doosre din ....as Sam put it..."tu jaa yaar ... i'll come later ...."... Which never happens.... the induction ceremony at the audi with me sleeping in the back with the lectures going on.... staying in the campus till they throw us out to ogle at the gals ....... whew ! A lot for the first two days at the college...... I must say I am thoroughly enjoying myself ...... a lot more to come a lot more to see.... lots of friends to make..... A long way to go.... and as they say mile to go before i sleep.... miles to go bere i sleep........

2007-05-25T18:09:00.000+05:30

The world is such a messed up place.... I was watching the news today and I should say I was surprised and intrigued. The channel in concern is the one and only the over hyped, the gruesome ... "AAJ TAK”.... true they show the news items as they are, true that they show even the most brutal and merciless and in somecases the most useless items without any sense of fear, according to them , but without any sense of ethics, according to me. I mean, what do I care if a father killed a daughter in some remote village in north India and the people there decided to retaliate and mobbed the police there? Why should I care about what’s happening to a jadugar baba or a tantri, again in some remote village somewhere, when there are so many other burning issues going on here? Why on purpose underplay the crucial things going on in this country and instead over hype the stupid 'masaledaar' news items? Just to sell their news channel? how do you justify a half an hour discussion on the pooja path being conducted for an out of form batsman in our team, when there are bomb blasts going on in the south and there are threats of communal violence breaking out ? Instead of trying to restore calm in such places by spreading some nice social message all they are bothered about is making they channel more saleable.
But in spite of the above shortcomings I must admit, I indeed was smiling to myself after the news clips today. First there was a report of some hotel owner being killed and the village people stoned the police vans that came there. What followed was absolutely unjustified display of arrogance and indiscipline. The police then in retaliation took to the streets and lathi charged the village people, old men, women, youngsters all of them were mercilessly pulled out of their houses and beaten up, and all of this was shown on TV to a nation of more than a billion people. But you can bet that after a week or some they will find some other such shocking incident and this will be forgotten. I just had one thought in mind then that such helpless people are being mercilessly beaten up, who gives these so called civic servants the right to do this? Before you begin to echo the same sentiments let me tell you about the second piece of news that was being broadcast. In Meerut, there was a strike going on in a college, and students were down on the college breaking the property and beating up the police who tried to interfere, the reason? Here comes, a second year student from the college while appearing for his exams had carried a revolver into the exam hall. The exam and the copying began and when the teacher tried to stop this particular pupil from cheating he was promptly threatened with the revolver. The teacher then complained about this issue to the principal and who in turn, it seems took action against the student. What happened ahead was no only shocking but was also a blatant example of the fact that the world is going to the dogs, forgive my use of words but how else do you explain the fact that after the student was reprimanded, he called up some of his other friends and most of the college students and not long after that the whole college was up in a strike. Window panes and doors and benches were smashed, police was brought to the scene. All this for what? For supposedly retaliating against a teacher who wanted the students to pass the exam on their own merit rather than cheat. The exam was forgotten. God knows whether it would be held again if at all?
After this I agreed, there are no good guys or bad guys, its all about power and arrogance. It’s not important whose is right or wrong, all that matters is who is more powerful? I couldn't help but smile at the diversity that you can find in this world, even in the forms of injustice being meted out.........

2007-05-12T20:30:00.000+05:30

hmmm .. am writing this post from ma office at around 8 in the night , the time when i should rather be at a movie or something especially on a saturday; But no such luck ........ no issues , just a few more days to go before the dream life at scit begins.

so the question arises, what do you do sitting in the office, with just 2 or 3 poor souls around you for comfort, doing nothing but watching movies on the pc, sipping coffee, waiting for the shift to get over and hit the bed ? nothing actually except the above mentioned things .....

funny that i've named my blog the good life when life seeems pretty dull at the moment ...

2007-05-05T05:34:00.000+05:30

Finally the hard work pays off .... got through for MBA ....
took a long time to really sit down and write down this blog ... but here it is ....

college starts in june ..... may right now .. a month more to go .... then head to SCIT .... can hardly wait ..... life's good as of now, can't wait what to find out what the next two years hold in store.

hostel life .... 24/7 studies ..... hot girls all around ..... hmmm the spoils .... i gotta go now ... am nearing the end of my office shift ...... office shit actually .... i figure i'll do better when i get a real job after my mba ... that would probably becoz i'd love my job then ... right now its just for the money ......

lets see ... the real , anticipated life begins in just under a month ......