Momentary lapse of inspiration

This is more of a confession to myself that anything else...

I have been suffering from this bout of incredible.... this.... incredible SLOTH!!! Thats the word, not tiredness, not laziness, not boredom, plain and basic Sloth!

And it manifests itself as this absolute lack of inspiration, mainly to write, and also in other things. Which basically means I just don't feel like writing anything. I hope this is just momentary.

Because this Sloth, is affecting me in every aspect of my existence, right from work to play. I just hope I get out of this soon, real soon now...

Ram Gopal Verma ki 'Aaaarrggghhhhh'

So in the momentum gained due to the regained net connection, I will write on...

So, what about it?

Well, against logic and rational reasoning, I hired a CD of RGV's 'Aaag'. And saw it. And, like the rest, pulled my hair, ranted, cursed and eventually smiled at it's absolute inanity.

'Aaaargghhh', as is well known, is a rip of an even better known Ramesh Sippy ke Sholay.

Well, we've seen a load of remakes, but this time around, RGV takes copying to the next level. 'Aaarggh' is a dialogue -to- dialogue paraphrase of Sholay. ("Holi kab hai, kab hai Holi, kab... kab??" becomes "Divali kab hai, hain??, kab hai Divali"..... eeeeewwwwwww)

The characters are agains paraphrased from Sholay (but expected). The armless Thakur (immortalised by the incalculable gags on his disability on MTV) is not Inspector Narsimaha, fingerless, with a bad accent.

The wily duo of Jay and Veero transform into a dumbass Raj (that name only suits SRK), who is neither subtly sauve or overtly powerful like the original, and Veero is now Hero (ineptly played by veteran actor of yesteryears - Ajay Devgan). Veeru was playfully flirtatious, but Hero is downright cheap and vulgar. His attire, looks and body language make him look like a roadside pimp... he manages to stare at the wrong places at his lady love Ghungroo (I'll come to her in due course), and also manages a semi pornographic love song with her... Ugggghhhhhhhhh.

Now come the ladies... Ghungroo. Attempted version of the bubbly and extremely talkative Basanti... This one's a rickshaw driver. She is the sole earning member of the family, drives ricketty rickshaw that emits sounds more pleasing than her dialogue delivery. She is clothed in... well she isn't clothed much... in rather ridiculous clothes. I've not seen too many faminine rick drivers, and definitely none as irritating as her.

Durga Devi, Devi for short, in the 'choti bahu' of the Narsimha household. Sushmita Sen does badly. Poor acting, no poise... pathetic.

And lo and behold, here comes the ultimate villian bollywood ever saw... Babban... oops, were we expecting Gabbar???? Daku Babban, who resides in the metropolis, extorts money from builders, terrorises the town of Kaliganj (It's supposed to be a coastal fishing village, yet it manages to have builders who build tall buildings from whom a goon can extort money!!????), yet is wearing rags akin to what that poor model was wearing in the papers the other day. Poor Babban has a gang of utterly lazy and rather educated looking goons who do nothing but stare on... and on... and laugh... and some more staring... some morose staring... well, thats it. In fact, the only person who does anything in the goon-gang is Tambe, the reincarnation of 'Sambha'... This has a flaw though... because the origninal Sambha was an absolutely lethargic moron who sat atop an inaccessible hillock, doing nothing all day other than smoking pot, training his gunsights on unsuspecting victims of his boss... and of course, keeping track of the real-time updates on the amount of money on Gabbar's head.

And i guess that's about it. Oh wait... surprise surprise!!! But hold on... Not much of a surprise really... I mean, nowadays it's the era of 'Where father, there son', now ain't it??????
Remember the creepy nomad who comes to sell Gabbar weapons, and whose moll is Helen gyrating to 'Mehbooba oye Mehbooba'... well, in this rehash, its the usual suspect for cameos and special appeareances... And the award for best actor in a cameo special appearance goes to.... "Abhiskek Bachhan"!!!! Pheeewww.....


All in all.... Its one long saga of besura songs, an absolutely rehashed (read stolen) music score, bad actors, worse acting(without exception!), even worse direction, and a screenplay that is soooooo boring.... that I did not even see the end. Just switched it off. Just makes you go 'Aaaarrggghhhhh..........'

I'M BACK!!!

Yeeeeeeeaaaaaa Haaawwww!!!!

I'm Back!!!

I've regained access to the Real World after a month long hiatus primarily due to the incompetence of the staff and managers at M/s. Sify Broadband Ltd., who happen to be my internet service providers.

For a month, the rascals kept me on hold without renewing my connections with fake promises of their 'people' who would come home to collect the bill and renew my net... Those 'people' never materialized and I was left stranded. Can you believe it, they must be the first people who almost lost a customer because they would not collect his bill!

After 8 complaint calls, lots of daily morning cursing and eventually a simple manual effort has rendered me... ONLINE!!!

Blisssssssssssssss......

"Yeh thi khabrein Aaaj tak, intezaar kijiye kal tak"

Oh how I YEARN to hear that line!!!

Ever since 'Aaj Tak' joined the 24*7 news bandwagon, it has pioneered the use of crass hype as a means of creating headlines.

And the worst part is that we are forced to watch these 'Breaking News' during lunch. It so happens that the bumbling canteen contractor has taken a fancy for India's answer to CNN. Probably we wrote too many caustic complaints in the Suggestion Book and this is his way of getting back. Whatever may be the reason, all 12 TVs in the canteen broadcast 'Aaj Tak' throughout the day!

And this was yesterday's feature story. They telecast programs with names like 'Sansani!' and 'Khauff!' during the afternoon lunch hours (and the names are quite self expanatory - on the lines of m/s Ramsay Bros & co.). The head line said "Ayyash Bauna Chor" (which translates into Fun-loving Dwarf Thief)!!!!!!!

And the best part is it was accompanied by a 15 minute story, with interviews of eye-witnesses and cinematic recreation too!!! WOW!!!

Down and out

For the past whole week, actually 8 days in all, I've been nursing a sore throat. To give that company, came a bout of cold last wednesday. Since then, I've been trying to fend off this double trouble... and simply put, it is debilitating and IRRITATING now!!!!!!!!!

A blissful day...

Ok... So here are the explanations :)

Last weekend was my best friend A's birthday... We've been buddies since engineering. And I have this terrible problem with dates, especially birthdays. I just CANNOT remember them, even close family's... (with a tinge of shame, I've gotta admit the only birthday I remember is my own).

So, I had been planning for a while to do something nice on that day. I planned to connive with his girlfriend. And the two of us set forth gathering other conspirators for D-day.

All our intricate plans were in place. She planned to meet him later in the day like she normally would have. I called him at 12AM like I normally should have, and spun a long yarn about being stuck in Pune due to office on saturday (HA!!! He fell for that one, cause it's true at times).

But alas!! Not many were free to attend the culmination of this conspiracy for the simple fact that no one was in town that day, so it was left to me, his girlfriend R and his school buddy J. To add confusion to complication, I got delayed in reaching the rendezvous. Eventually, the three of us landed up at his doorstep, cake in hand and the camera rolling...

SURPRISE!!!!!!!!!!!

A remains transfixed as he sees R, Me and J outside his door, with his sister in on this whole thing... He hates to admit this, but he was Totally suprprised!!!! :)

After the ritual cake-cutting, we gorged on auntie's Idli-Sambhar (gosh it was like manna!). Joke's, food, friends and some internet made it one memorable afternoon. Spontaneously we decided to watch a movie... Chak-De India it was. Fortunately, cause Bollywood usually behaves truant, it turned out to be a great movie...

For A it was a surprise, and R loved it too...

For my part, I could'nt contain the joy of meeting A & R after such a long time... We 3 and other friends have been together for the last 4 years in the same class, and then I used to take everyone's presence for granted.

It's only now, when I am away, bereft of their company... After losing someone do you understand their worth... I've learnt it the hard way. So I've always been the one who forgot to come, the one who forgot to call, the one who was never there... I want to change that, I want to let my loved one's know that I do care... These were my first steps to make amends, to implement what I have learnt... the hard way.

Blisssss

The past Saturday was one of the most memorable days of my life!!! Rarely, does one get to feel utter bliss... [:)]

'Puneri Patya'

So the legend continues...

For the uninitiated, Puneites, the denizens of the historic city of Pune, are known for their curtness and acidity of speech, only when you get on their nerves (that's my escape route if a Pukka Punekar reads this). And this terrific causticness of speech and thought, manifests itself in the form of information signposts, or 'paatya', as we call them in Marathi, that Punekar's put up in their shops or homes or from wherever they ply their trade.

There are an immense number of these doing the rounds in e-mails, which makes me doubt their authenticity. But this one I saw myself, and could help but give a wry chuckle at what must have motivated the author to say somehting so absolutely mean!

It goes like this:

At Parvati, the mountain-top palace abode of the Peshwas, the earstwhile rulers of Pune, is now a heritage structure. It houses the main Palace with the central temple, and outside the sqaure ramparts are other smaller associated structures. One of them is, quite predictably, converted into the Peshwe Museum. As you walk out of the exit to this structure, there is an entrance to your left, barred by a metal door with a smaller door serving as the sole opening. It is used as office quarters for the trustees or administrators of the place.

Now, this could have been easily stated in simple words asking people to stay out, but nay... in 'assall' Puneri tradition, a signboard hung on the door says "Aat baghynasarkhe kahi hi nahi ahe, tyamule aat dokavu suddha naye" (There is nothing to be seen in here, so don't even try to peek in)!!!

Crass-h

Saw a movie after a looong time... and it was my misfortune that it happened to be 'Cash'. That, well, is a new Hindi movie...

Well, the title says it all... It's not about Cash, it's simply Crass!!!

Never have I seen such a phenomenal waste of money on inconsequential beautification of 90mm of celluloid.

It all starts of with a garish song sequence, with the 5 actors I expected to be on screen... Za-'yeda' Khan, Rit-shit Deshmukh, 'Sham'-ita Shitty and the veteran actor Ajay Have-gun. And proceeds to a plane with Za-yeda being the only passenger in the business class with the human quesstionnaire Ayesha Takia (what is she doing here???). Then starts The Story, of, very predictably, a diamond heist. Za-yeda Khan goes on to explain (again, why go through that trouble???) how The Veteran lives differant identities. During the day he is a poetic husband to Sham-ita Shitty. Btw, Miss Sham is an explosive cop in Cape Town. It seems the CT PD are allowed to wear skimpy tops and tight pants to office (It's the heat I presume, its Africa afterall!). At night, he is a high profile thief (funny he never seems to actually do anything, yet lives in a posh condo and drives a Ford Mustang, and his cop wife doesnt suspect shit, Great!!!)

Then there is the part where a mystery lady Bujha-Diya Mirza walks in, as lacklustre as an extinguished lamp. For some unexplained reason, she has been asking The Veteran to recite the same old Santa-Banta joke every time she meets him (??????). She is The Moll, to The Villian - Suniel super-Shitty(now now, he was out slimming, wasn't he?). The Villian has a terrifically enticing accent when he speaks Shakespear's tongue, so much so that his own uncle (and the Uncle is Swedish - ???) can't understand squat of what is being said. A murderous misunderstanding ensues.

After The Main Boneheads are introduced, a song is used to unveil the star att-crap-tion...Esha Deol! Over the past few years, as she developed a flatter tummy, she has started getting an allergy for clothes that cover her tummy. The director obliged and she doesnt get to wear much in the movie (lucky Esha, at last, the flat tummy and other such womanly assets can be shown). But my oh my, we can only admire at the awesome built. Her pics must be put up in all gyms alongside Arnold and the other hideously musceled men. Her biceps are as big as, say, Bret 'Hitman' Hart of old. And her shoulders are what men strive to achieve even after years of hardcore gymming.

Well, then there is something explained about who Za-yeda Khan and Rit-shit Deshmukh actually are. And then something happens which I really did not understand. All I registered is a bizarre series of French Bank robberies, police chasing Esha Deol, The Villian trying to clear the misunderstanding (again in the weird accent which does not help), some unneccessarily expensive stunts, and when the money fell short, some goofy animationin place.

And suddenly, we come to the end. To cut it short (basically I did not understand anything else), The Villian double crosses the rest and kills The Moll. So the remaining renegades hunt him using an F-1 car, a 500cc Bike and 2 road sledges (that speed on curvy roads like they had turn control????????). And The Veteran, eventually shoots The Villian.

What I took back:
1. How do bollywood directors spend big money on only action stunt scenes, in a movie with no story, no script, no scope for performance and no semblance of a plot???
2. The reason Bujha-Diya Mirza keeps wanting to hear the joke is that The Veteran is sooo bad with dialogue delivery, that till the end, NO ONE in the theatre understood what was the last line of the joke.
3. What does Esha Deol have to do to prove she is a WOMAN????????????
4. Don't ever, I always remind myself, DONT EVER watch such garish movies again.

"Everyday"...

I am not at all of a poetic bent of mind, heck, I can't even appreciate poetry of nay sort! But I am a lyrics freak, i.e., I do appreciate the lyrics of music, besides, of course, the music itself.

So, while rummaging through my over sized underutilized song collection, I cam across this Bon Jovi song. I never was particularly interested in him or his music, but this one song struck a chord. Not for the music or rhythm, but plainly for the lyrics. I just felt that if I wanted to pen down my thoughts, try and describe myself, and if only I was gifted in poetry, well, this would be IT. The song's called "Everyday".

"I used to be the kind of guy
Who'd never let you look inside
I'd smile when I was crying
I had nothing but a life to loose
Thought I had a lot to proof
In my life, there's no denying

Goodbye to all my yesterdays
Goodbye, so long, I'm on my way

I've had enough of cryin'
Bleedin', sweatin', dyin'
Hear me when I say
Gonna live my life everyday
I'm gonna touch the sky
And I spread these wings and fly
I ain't here to play
I'm gonna live my life everyday

Change, everybody's feeling strange
Never gonna be the same
Makes you wonder how the world keeps turning
Life, learning how to live my life
Learning how to pick my fights
Take my shots while I'm still burning

Goodbye to all those rainy nights
Goodbye, so long, I'm moving on

I've had enough of cryin'
Bleedin', sweatin', dyin'
Hear me when I say
Gonna live my life everyday
I'm gonna touch the sky
And I spread these wings and fly
I ain't here to play
I'm gonna live my life everyday

Hit the gas, take the wheel
I've just made myself a deal
There ain't nothing gonna get in my way
Everyday

Goodbye, so long, I'm moving on

I've had enough of cryin'
Bleedin', sweatin', dyin'
Hear me when I say
Gonna live my life everyday
I'm gonna touch the sky
And I spread these wings and fly
I ain't here to play
I'm gonna live my life everyday

I, oh I, oh I, I'm gonna live my life everyday
I (gonna touch the sky), oh I (spread these wings and fly), oh I
I'm gonna live my life everyday"

Return of the Friend

AT LAST I met my ILP friends.

Whats so special? Well, the fact that they all stay 300 km away (one of them stays in a differant country!), and that I rarely get to meet them. For the first time, I had planned, intricately planned their 1.5 day stay in Pune. Saturday night we would take to the city, dance the night off. Come back to my place, and chat away till the wee hours. Naturally, we have loads to catch up on... Sunday we could have the traditional 'sight-seeing' session. All this intersparsed with lunches and dinners and gobbleableas at Pune's choiciest eateries. (Sounds rather like a gen-x uptopia eh?)

Well, atleast this is all that was ringing in my head for the last 2 days. But as luck would have it (And it usually has it this way), the plan didn't work out. No one to blame for it. It just didn't work out.

So, I met S & Y for just about 5 hours today. And that is not much. We all went out for lunch, about 8 of us. Then on to Pravati, the famous peshwa palace in Pune. I had last been there about a decade back, so it was as good as new to me. Yet, we had a great time. The place is beautiful, and the weather luckily was on our side today. All in all, had a good time.

But now that they have left, I have this indescribably hollow feeling inside of me. I am suddenly missing them soooo much! Probably, in this whole rat-race (it's not a mouse race, mice are smart), I have left behind things that mean a lot to me, people that are worth more than a 5 figure salary, memories that mean much more than the humdrum of daily life. I guess these inadequacies of life are brought to the forefront by such incidences, and this realisation brings with it utter dissapointment that makes me want to tear this void apart, vent all that anger out in one massive blast. It also brings along a hope, a positive energy, that pushes me to pick up the peices, try and rebuild, kindle a new light. It makes me TRY... I'm trying... always will...

Pune's nightlife...

Whoa!!! Pune is supposed to have the most 'vibrant', 'happening', 'hip' (blah, blah, baaahhh...) nightlife, now isn't it??? I don't see it, for 3 obvious reasons...

1. More often than not, I live the part of a software professional, and work till late in office, which doesn;t leave me with much of a nightlife.
2. The poilce and the moral brigade have reportedly started a crackdown on the discs and pubs in Pune, enforcing a deadline of 12.30, at 10.00PM itself. (??? what???)
3. Lastly, cause there is NO authoritative guidebook, either in print, or on the net, giving some info for the uninitiated like me!!! Google turned up blank!!! (Well actually, I found a website, in which, under Nightclubs and Pubs, I find a place called 'Aahar Restaurant and Bar'!!! SHEESH????)

Tell me... is this Love? - cont.

I was off blogger for about 2 weeks, otherwise this updte would have come before.

Heard this from a friend, let's call her Z.

Z comes from a rather liberal family, and by liberal, I mean liberal by Indian standards. And well, she is in a relationship with this guy from her college, who is now studying abroad. As such, their love hangs by their daily phone calls and some rather short and infrequent meets. But the distance isn't their biggest problem. The guys family is damn conservative, and as far as my knowledge goes, so is he.

And this is something she said when she told me that he is rather conservative for her... Z says, "His familt is very conservative, and so is he, but thats ok, cause I love him so much".

Hmmmm... is this love?

The beauty and horrors of Lanavala

Had been to Lonavala for a 1 day trip on Saturday. For the uninitiated, Lonavala is a rather overcrowded hill station between Mumbai and Pune.

The road is quite pretty in the monsoons. The greens are all out, covering the mountain slopes. The waterfalls open their gates and you get to see some magnificent sights if you have the eye for them.

But overcrowded is the word!!! The place is swarming with the whole of Mumbai and Pune, especially in this season. All the usual scattering of 'points' are filled with parked cars and buses and their inmates. Among the more famous is the Bushy Dam (a misnomer), a small barrage across a smaller lake, that squirts out water over it's edge, with just enough force for people of all ages to safely wet their asses sitting on the concrete steps that form the downstream portion of the Dam wall. Enjoyable??? - Shmuck!!! That place is a veritable 'Kumbha Mela' of the west. It looks like a pilgrimage, with all the colourful people and the mess they leave behind sans any devotion or care. And it's disgusting to even think of getting into this melee. Fear of get jostled and falling is one, skin disease is the other! I'm sure it's a hotbed for germs, what with all those people bathing in it upstream. Yuck!!!!

So it's better to look for greener(or should I say, cleaner) pastures at Lonavala. Walk up a bit more and you will come across some less crowded and rather enticing waterfalls. Make some space, change, and get inside! And MY, it's a feeling hard to describe... sheer xtacy!!!!

And yeah, mind your footing there. It is mighty slippery. At one point we also saw a pair of small snakes. Now reptiles freak me out, and snakes? well, of course they do!! So I turned back, and slipped, lost my footing, and slammed my face into some cold hard rock. For a moment I thought, well, this is it. Either I'm gonna start 'floating' out to the abode above, or I'm gonna be horribly disfigured like Two-face or something. Fortunately, it was an inch long cut. I wrapped my shirt around it to stem the bleeding, and somehow made it back to the car. After some initial first-aid, we realised that Lonavala does not have a single approachable hospital, so off we drove to Pune. Basically, I ended up with some staples on my forehead and loads of bruising on my face. In fact, I thought I looked like some bhai who just same out of a fisticuffs with another goon. Not a very enticing description, but typical of my unearthly humor at such times. In fact, I have not put up my picture here for fear of inviting too much sympathy!!! [:)]

So, moral of the story - Go to Lonavala, get wet, but I won't be at your side...

I'M BACK!!!

Thats exactly what I want to convey... I'm back to the Blogger-sphere... (he he, not like I was a vital part of it), nevertheless, was a part of it.

The past 3 weeks off my blog have been, in a word, tumultous!!!

It includes everything from Rains, heavy rains, weekend Mumbai trips (which, btw, means no internet), a phone snatching incident, 1 night at the office (again!!!), insanely hectic work, and eventually, a gratifying recognition for all that hard work. Phewwwww...

So back to today, I need to catch up on lost time... I've already read up on A & N, now to get back to my other blogger brodah-hood...

Firstly, A, I'm gonna continue ur tag...
5 unusual things that have happened to me...

1. Had 2 B%*@$^DS try to snatch my beloved phone at 11 in the night, and I luckily managed to avoid it.
2. Had an absolutely INSANE dream last night, actually woke up totally shaken from it, and that does not usually happen to me.
3. Had 4 bomb-scares in my school where I studied for 13 years. We were evacuated to a nearby ground and taken home. The last time, these huge sniffer dogs made rounds of all our classrooms). It eventually turned out that they were crank calls by a student to delay the exams (Myyyy, were they ingeniuos back then!!!)
4. Been on the phone till 4 in the morning.
5. Cried... cried all alone when I saw 'Dil Chahta Hai' at 1am in the night... made me remember some friends...

What does that mean???

Rather vague title... mainly cause I don't know what should I title this... Cause it's a lot about an unexplained phenomenon that's been ragging me for the years past...

I'm sure everyone has, unfortunately, heard of Mika 'Girls are meant to be kissed' Singh. And his only other claim to shame, the song called 'Saavan ma lag gayi aag...'

OK, and any one who heard music in the early 2000's has surely heard the song. It goes something like this...
'Saavan ma lag gayi aag...., dil mera aawwaoooouwwonnnnuuuwwnnnnnn'!!!

WHAT WAS THAT??? The damn line ends with this absolutely un-syllablic wail from the kiss-machine, that cannot be described in even the most phonetic of scripts... And me being a lyrics person, needs to know what the F%&$ that was!!!

Any help??? anyone??? anyone???

Shootout... what a load of juvenile crap!

Obviously, this is gonna be scathing.

I confess, I don't know what made me do this, but I saw "Shootout at Lokhandwala" on a saturday night. I agree I could've made better use of this rare free saturday evening in Pune.

2 words, the movie 'is shit'.

And now more words to follow.

Purportedly, its based on 'True Rumors', whatever that's supposed to mean???!!! So it starts of as a tale of 5 goons (and trust me, they are nothing more than that, they are NOT Indian robin hoods), and 3 cops out to gun 'em. Simple.

The entire portrayal is atrociuos. ATS head Khan begins by descibing how he recruited the squad. Why? I don't know. Abhishek Bacchan gets killed trying to nab a sikh seperatist terrorist. So the ATS gets created. wow! And then he goes about recruiting down-and-out non-believer cops and other 'rugged' fellas for his baby, the ATS. Am I impressed! Then they go on to tell us about how ruthless and trigger happy the Dolas gang is, and why they should be damn well killed.

Eventually, Amitabh Bacchan (he has to be there in every film nowadays), gets tired (like the audience) of all the inane explanations provided by the cops, and FINALLY asks them to cut the chase and get to the end.

It turns out that the 5 most wanted killers are zeroed in on by the cops. Khan says it was an informer, but other references claim it was the dubai don himself who screwed his lieutenant here by giving the cops his hideout. Like that matter much? So the dumb cops suround the building, and... open fire (based on true rumors, isn't it?). ???????? hello??????

Then an absolute war ensues, and the goons are mercilessly gunned down. Encounter!

What irked me the most was:
1. The fact that Maya Dolas finds it surprising that his boss in dubai screwed him, especially after the fact that he himself went after the Boss' man in mumbai. How dumb can he be?

2. In typical Bollywood style, all the goons call up their near and dear ones from a phone in the house, and confess to their mistakes. In one scene, this goon says, 'Yeh sala mamu lok (cops) humlog ka encounter karne ke liya aayela hai'. Dude, what were you expecting???
That they come there and arrest you? Handcuff you, take you to court, feed you on the taxpayer's money, and then one-day let you out on bail? Atleast, he cant expect that!!! And it's exactly such bullshit movies that glorify and gangster's life and make the police appear like immoral murderers. They show the lamentations of the dead dolas's mother, but not of the family of the builder these rascals killed.

Basically, its an uncooked story, that tastes as bad at the beginning, as in the end. Watchin "... Metro" after this made 'Metro' look like an Oscar winner...

Growing up, and getting ready...

I am writing this, partly as a reply to the question posed by the 'Enigmatic Illusion' recently... Girl, it's NOT just you!!!

Its always all about growing up, now, isn't it? I mean right from our childhood, we are coached for this one thing, 'apne pairon pe khada hona'. For girls (more often than not) this turns out to mean to be able to cook the proverbial 'aloo gobi' and gear up for married life. For guys, mostly it means to be able to earn and support a family.

I have grown up, in my twenties now. But is that enough? I'm not sure if I am READY yet, for all that adult life has to throw at me. And there are many who are all set and ready, and that really baffles me to say the least. Just makes me feel that somewhere down the evolutionary race, I got left behind. There's an incident to illustrate this.

Two weekends back, I met P and B, two of my junior college friends. We were all very close and great friends then. But somewhere down the line, we had lost touch. So naturally, it was GREAT to meet up again. P was to leave for a job abroad (he's got a great posting in HK). And I learnt from him that B was gonna get married!!! To top it all, another friend R, was already married!!! I was silent for exactly 15 secs when he told me this on the phone. I was like, gosh, they are my age, how can they be marrying!!!

And so the three of us met. And when B actually told me about it, all I could manage to say was a perfunctory 'Congratulations'! I mean I was in shock. I did not even ask her her would-be's name and what he does (I'm sure she must be thinking what was wrong with me)!

Its just that I was so overwhelmed by it all. I mean, I guess this is the age when girls get married. But.... I mean, everyone around me is moving on, getting married, working, getting jobs and leaving their homes... And they do it with such confidence and elan, it just makes me feel I don't belong here. Ok, I too have moved out, work, earn a living, make my own decisions, but marriage??? and settling down???. It just seems like... like... I'm not 'ready' yet...

Tell me... is this love?

Usually, I have a lot to say about everything under the sun. But 'LOVE' is one subject I really can't talk much about. For the simple fact that I have realised I don't know, or rather don;t understand it yet...

The most cliched 'definition' is probably 'friendship'. You know, the filmy, mushy, 'kuch kuch hota hai' type, "Pyaar, dosti hai!". I think thats B$%#S&*T.

I heard an alternate explanation for this... Love is... "Friendship, on fire!". That explains all the lust and passion people feel when in love. But that still doesn't explain it all to me. What happens when all that lust/passion/frenzy is over, and all people have is just each other, plain and simple? Say, like when you are 65 or so... Frankly, I don't know the answer...

I heard another explanation... albeit picked from a film, it's not exactly filmy... trust me...
This is an excerpt from the Bollywood flick "Bluffmaster". (Caution: the first part of this dialogue is blatantly ripped from Ocean's 11). Nevertheless, it goes like this. Abhiskek Bacchan's character Roy, is meeting Priyanka Chopra's character Simmy at a store. Simmy has dumped Roy because he is a conman. Now Simmy is with another guy, and Roy, witty as usual, is trying to convince her to get back with him because he has changed.

Simmy: "Ab main (the guy's name) ke saath hoon"
(I'm with (the guy's name) now)
Roy: "Kya woh tumhe hasata hai?"
(Does he make you laugh?)
Simmy: "Woh mujhe rulata nahi hai"
(At least he doesn't make me cry)
This part was picked right from Ocean's 11. That put me off... But the next line, was a killer...

Roy: "Woh tumhe hasa nahi sakta, AUR tumhe rula nahi sakta, matlab tumhe usse pyaar nahi hua"!!!
(He can't make you laugh, AND, he can't make you cry, that means you don't love him yet)
HMMM..........

It happens only in India - part 3

With reference to the below post...

And we educated (some being electrical & electronics engineers) individuals, actually allow that to happen in out own homes, without blinking an eyelid!!!

It happens only in India - part 2

Ever called a carpenter over for getting a hole drilled in the wall??? Or, when your home is being renovated, ever noticed the carpenter use the electric drill to drill a hole in the wall or some woodwork???

There is something really peculiar about that. Right from school, to college (engineering even, since I did it in electronics), I was told time and again that any electric applicant MUST have a plug at its end. Never leave the 2 wires open. But carpenters here never, and as a rule NEVER, have even a 2-pin plug at the end of their electric drills!!! They always end up jacking the 2 wires into the mains socket, and hold that in place typically with a 'maachis ki teeli' (a matchstick).

Smile... an everlasting smile...

Melodious eh???

Well, this has something to do with the events of today evening. The was cloudy since morning, and I LOVE that. Impending rain was stamped on every shadow that the clouds cast on Pune. And it did rain, in the afternoon, and I wasn't there to see it (Not like I'm supposed to, nevertheless).

As I stepped out of office at about 6PM, the weather was PERFECT. It was mildly drizzling, a balmy breeze was blowing, and the exterior of the office made for a perfect setting for all this. So as such, I was in a rare good mood :)

The bus ride back home was uneventful, me stuck to i-pod, and the bus stuck in the jam. As I was to get off the bus, I carried my airbag, clutched my cap, and jumped off the bus. At that very point, as the breeze hit my face, as the pleasantness of the place struck me numb, I had just one reaction.

My face just broke into this broad smile, and a smile of absolutely pure joy, one that I hardly break into these days. There was this girl behind a guy on a scooter on my side of the road. I think she must've seen this, and I saw her spout a wonderful smile too :) I mean, the reaction was so spontaneous!!! I would give anything to have seen my face as I got off, and maybe, it was mirrored in her smile. Its really amazing, how some natural circumstances (the weather in this instance) can spruce you out of the all-pervasive gloom in your life, and how one persons joy, can bring a smile to another, absolute stranger...

And trust me, these small incidents can lift your own spirits... :) It reminded me of these lines...

" Yeah, she caught my eye,
As we walked on by.
She could see from my face that I was,
Fucking high,
And I don't think that I'll see her again,
But we shared a moment that will last till the end."

RAIN!!!

The heavens have answered our prayers!!!

And they burst open today for the first time... oh how I love the rains!!! :)

Rise and Fall

Been a hectic week at office, which clearly shows from the reduced frequency in posting.

The thing is I am working on 2 projects simultaneously. And both are critical, time-consuming and require a lot of time and effort. The perfect recipe for a disaster, ain't it??? Anyway, I am somehow managing till now :)

And doing a good job at it. Did well to complete my set of tasks on the new project, and some more. Also had to interview some new joinees, a first for me!!! I am now a 'senior' here, you see :) And also had to solve some issues regarding my old project. And as such, feeling rather good about myself at work. The thing is, the new acquisition project coming up, is tough... Damn tough!!! With 3 of our most experienced people out of it, and two more fresh joinees to be trained, the entire onus is now on me, Nimish and Brijesh. And to top it all, I plan to leave the company. Thus, I am quite valuable to the project, and I have to do some critical tasks and transfer my knowledge and expertise to the others, before I leave.

Hey, that makes me feel good :) Good about myself. So much so, that when Brijesh was wondering whether we could successfully execute this one, I confidently said that we would, and do a good job of it! I was amazed at my own confidence! This is new, coming from me. But you see, I was feeling good about myself :)

Later today evening, I was with Brijesh and Pranav Vyas (he's my Project Lead) going over some issue that was recently unearthed. It turned out that there was a problem in the client system, which might have far reaching consequences. By the time I could read the mail, and even attempt to figure out what the hell had happened, Pranav and Brijesh were already off looking for solutions. And before I could say, "Hey, wait a minute...", they had already found it. Pranav, though not a technical person anymore, has the entire system in his head. He knows it like a clock knows time. So also Brijesh. And that's when it hit me like a thunderbolt...

Unknowingly, and yes it was unknowingly, I was getting a tad carried away. The good work done by me and the appreciation received was getting to me!!! This realisation came as a shock, cause I am really not too egoistic a person. And this really got me thinking. I hardly believed that experience is of great importance, and that a genuinely good person can do well even without it. But I just saw how wrong I was. It does count for a LOT!

This entire incident was such a great leveller; it brought me right down to Terra firma. Only when you look at people like Pranav, that one realises that there are miles to go before I can sit back and say what I told Brijesh, this time with genuine confidence... "Yeah, we'll do it. And do it well"

I have something for the sunset... maybe... I do!

Folks say I have something for the sunset... at least Nimish and Priya think so. And that's because of the innumerable sunset snaps I have on my various digital media (the two of them think I'm a bit unhinged when it comes to capturing the sunset on my camera).

But what neither knows is how correct they are. I do enjoy the sunset, maybe more than the sunrise, especially if I am on a beach or on a mountain/hill. Like the one below...
Well, this was taken today evening while on my way to tekdi. It was interesting to have the two electric power cables superimpose over the setting sun, a contrast of two vital sources of energy. One keeps Pune ticking, and the other keeps this very earth ticking!

Btw, I found that a friend was actually painting a sunset herself!!! I guess she likes sunsets too (I have to ask her that)... So, I'm not the only crazy one... :)

Liberating, is'nt it?

I've never felt all too liberated in my life... There is always something tying you down, something holding me back. Too many strings attached, you see.

So, today I was out on MG Road. And today being a Sunday, the road is converted into what they like to call a 'Walking Plaza', by blocking all vehicular traffic. So thats a road where you can only walk, and walk all you want.

Its tiring, I agree. But you see, I arribed there after a back wrenching drive on the Scooty over Pune's infamous roads, and had walked almost 2km on naroow and traffic infested bylanes before reaching here. So, naturaly, this was like heaven.

And, in the middle of my walk in the middle of the road, I had this brainwave, just like that! It feels awesomely liberating, to walk in the middle, BANG in the middle, right on the dividing white line, of a usually crowded main street, with not a care in the world, about traffic or anything else.

See, the gaity and colourfulness of the place is infectious, it has this continental charm to it. You jus get mobbed by it. Its a great feeling, even if it is for a moment only...

Restaurant Review 2

Place: Marz-o-rin
Cuisine: Mostly baked products, puffs, burgers, pastries etc.
Ambience: 6/10 (cause the seating is sparse, and not the most comfrtable)

If your a Punekar, u'v probably heard of it, even beem there (so there is no real point of this review). Nevertheless, looks small, but is deceptively bigger, serves some excellent pastries, burgers and sandwich fare and has the most desirable location.

Situated right on M.G. Road, it is bang in the middle of the 'it' place of Pune. Sporting the biggest and trendiest malls and stores in Pune, the MG Rd- Camp area is for the swish set. Maarz-o-rin is this bawa-esque joint, spanning the ground and 1st floor of a 1 storey building. The bakery is at the back.

Recommend you go there a bit late on Sundays, so you can revel in the 'Walking Plaza' below and window shop around a lil' bit. And then when you're tired, reach in here and hog on some pastries. The milkshakes are also popular, besides the usual burgers, pizza, sandwiches and cakes. Make it a point to sit in the balcony section. It is extremely cozy, seating for 2 an 4 people. It gives you a view onto MG Road underneath. And if its a sunday, then it's only pedestrians below. Makes a great view to look at the world in all its colour and gaeity pass underneat, while you sit back and watch with someone special, (and a delicious pastry) :)

Wooo Hooo... My cousin Pranav is in the country!!!

And, thats a synonym for 'Wer gonna have a BLAST!!!'

More about that fun later, keep watching this space...

It Happens only in India... part 1

I am starting this section titled - "It happens only in India". I intend to chronicle day-to-day, mundane events, that (though mundane) are rather remarkable. And oh so remarkable, becuse they cudn't happen in good 'ol Queen's England, or in Yankee land. They happen, only because, "eee toh hamaar bharat des hai".

At the outset, I'll make some things clear. This is no, ABSOLUTELY NO, reflection on India's greatness or its heritage. I am NOT anti-national. On the contrary my friends would attest that I am a die-hard patriot. So please, see this in the correct light. Remember, it is not just fun, it is fun from which we can hopefully derive some lessons, for our betterment of course.

So, here goes...

It Happens only in India... part 1

1. Major traffic snarls on a rather lesser known road, at 11.30 PM!!!
Beat this, today I was stuck for atleast 15-20 mins behind 4 large red buses, and numerous cars and bikes at the Golibar Maidan junction. And this traffic snarl occurred at 11.30 in the night!!! Now that's a time one would expect to record one's top speed. But not here.

Two weeks back was a 'long' weekend. That means anything more than 2 days at home. And after meeting truckloads of people for the first 3 days, I found myself quite lonely on the 4th. Didn't come as a surprize though, cause Anvay was busy the whole day and I knew Mihir had his vivas the next day.

So I set out all alone, for a walk on bandstand. Dad finds it 'out of the ordinary' and mom gets 'annoyed' when I say I'm going for a walk alone. True, i've rarely done that before. But this is one thing that I have come to do, and even enjoy, off late. It's not a circus tight-rope act OK. I just put on something, jack the i-pod into my ears, and off I go, preferably to Bandstand or the Sea-link area. In fact, any place would do, sole criteria being that I am left to myself.

So there I was, evening, 5.30 PM, walking on bandstand. Bandstand, as folklore goes, is a 'happening' place. Especially in the evenings. There is the Taj Land's End, Cafe Sea Side, the Bandra Fort, the sea facing promenade, bungalows and highrises (the fact that Mumbais rich and famous live in them, only adds to the aura). Moreover, it traditionaly was the only place for Bandra's couple's to enjoy an evening outdoors.

And most of all, is the sea. The Arabian Sea. Stretches 'as far as the eye can see'. The sun setting behind the ocean casts a multitude of hues across the sky. This is a treat for an amateur photographer like me :) But I must confess, that those hues also make me think, think deep, real deep, philosophical even. And I was sitting in the amphitheatre, with 20 odd people of various ages and sizes around me, yet all alone. Thats when I though all this, and put it down in an SMS to Akshay... this is the SMS.

"Hey man, m at bandstand right now. Was walking here alone listening to music. It really is quite pretty in the evening. Took a few nice pics. Looking around, was remembering the old days... In front of me is the sea and the setting sun, And behind me are the tall posh high-rises. One is like the past, all memories and happy and sad moments setting like the sun. And the other is the future one wishes for... And here I am, sitting between these two sides, unable to decide where i belong..."

Restaurant Review 1

Since I'm quite a sloth, a terrible cook and living alone in Pune, I get to eat out more often than most. So, I'm starting this section on my culinary experiences and hope that others might learn somthing from it. Cheers!!!

Place: Flags
Type: Multi-cuisine restaurant
Location: Near INOX multiplex
Ambience: 7/10
Food: If you are diet consious, STOP reading this and go back to your salads and diet coke.
The menu is HUGE. Preferable start your dinner with a drink. I tried mostly Mexican fare, and it was excellent. Special recommendation: The Fusilli Vanquese, pasta with chicken and cheese. Perfect for cheese-heads like me!!! Desert was some Dutch Trouffle, which was outta this world.
Good-to-go? Oh yeah!!!

Curing the Itch, the Natural way!

Sat through another training session at office the other day... this one on Naturopathy. It's in my quarterly goal sheet OK, I can't help but attend banal training sessions(who cares if it's training in Tai Chi or Oracle apps, as long as hours accumulate in my appraisal).

SO, the training on Naturopathy. OK, I was duped! It was supposed to be a session on stress management, but turned out to be something else. I nice lady discoursed in 'shuddh' and rather rambling hindi about the virtues and techniques of naturopathy. They are said to relieve every disease and ailment known to man except 'stupidity'.

Well, so the lady went on, and on... and on some more. It was kinda good, at least some of the techniques might benefit us software labourers. Towards the end, the nice lady tells us their 'sanstha' (organization, trust etc.) will treat us and 9 other family members for free using naturopathy. But to avail of this, one must complete the fomality of filling out a token form detailing history of diseases in the said members. And to fill this form, one must pay a small, token amount of... of... A Thousand Four Hundered bucks!!! Thats 1470 to be precise!!!

So what started of as an instructive session turned out into a marketting gimick for a little known healing trust. Gosh!!! and that too inside company premises, at the behest of the company itself!!! The icing on the cake, or should I say the cake on the face, was that someone tried to verify the veracity of this 'sanstha', and Google informed him that it was fraudulent scheme that promised lifelong treatment and thugged folks of their hard earned cash.

You know why such schemes work? Cause even naturopathy has no cure for basic stupidity.

Learnt something new... and I must add, rather intriguing today.

During this workshop on "Effective Technical Writing", we were gassed with the usual adage of avoiding jargon, using the active voice etc. There was this section which spoke about avoiding gender bias, which was rather new to me.

What it said was, avoid using Gender specific terms for common people. Like "ask HIM", instead, say "ask the USER". Well, this I knew, but the lady teaching us threw up some amusing and quite unexpected exaamples.
Use "Manufactured" ot "Synthetic", instead of the common "Man-made"
Use "Chairperson" instead of "Chairman".

But hey, I have a doubt. And don't shoot off labeling me an MCP. What does one in the industry use for "Manpower"??? What??? Hey, genuine question...

Sample this for indecency

Today I was attending a seminar at the head office, and I happened to ride the elevator from the 6th floor to the ground. As soon as the elevator arrived at the ground level and the doors opened, a barrage of men just barged into the carriage, as if this was the quickest way to heaven and salvation.

I mean, c'mon people, these wern't abborigines or middle age savages (they actually were educated employees of reputed a software giant) to not know or understand the simple rules of decency. It's not like I took multiple credit courses in decency and courtesy, but it is very basic manners to let people alight from a carriage and then get in.

And in stark contrast to this, was another incident I saw later in the day. The 6PM bus ferrying the employees home was about to leave. And trust me, you miss that bus, and you are stuck in office for the better part of 3 more hours! I was in the elevator, and we stopped on the 1st floor where my work area is. As soon as the doors opened, there was a collegue standing, waiting to ride the elevator to the ground floor to catch the 6PM bus. Yet, and I say again YET, she stood back in surprise at her own hurry, offered her apologies and allowed all to alight. Really admire that girl! It is such things in life, simple day to day occurences that set some apart from the others.

And this just isn't idle praise for her, but a lesson to be learnt by all. Cramming up books and earning 5/5 in the half-yearly appraisal isn't everything, learn to be human first.

Painful Irony

Growing up is largely inevitable. Physical growth is more or less given, but may not be the same mentally.

In my family and some friends, I am considered as the 'kid' in the family. The immature kid, who needs advice, protection, blessings, knowledge and scolding too. There people don't really TAKE my advice, rather I get loads of it. I am not really consulted, rather am told.

On the other hand, some people find me amazingly level headed. They actually ask my advice or discuss extremely sensitive matters with me. And at times I do offer some conclusion and advice too! Someone has actually said this, on more or less the exact words, that I have a clearer thought process than most.

So, this painful irony makes me wonder, which is the real me? Is it the bungling 'guy next door' who always forgets to call relatives on time, leaves his keys behind, wakes up late at times. Or is it the other 'guy next door', who is emotionally sensitive, yet strong as a rock, one who cares for his dear ones with utmost ferocity, one who would kill someone who even atempts to wrong his friends, one who never had a goal, yet worked hard and even achieved all his short term goals?

Its hard to decide, I wouldn't have called it a 'painful' irony otherwise.

New Office... At LAST!!!

Wooooohoooooo.... Today was my first day in my new office!!!

The new premises are great. At last, I feel like I am working in a reputed software company! Probably this is at par with any other s/w office, but it's new to me, cause my earlier workplace had the amenities of an auto-garage.

I spent a whole lot of time exploring today. I guess I have the essential vantage points covered. That includes the inner coffee machine, the cafeteria, toilets, the resting rooms and the gymnasium. The place is rather big, and quite confusing, given the vast number of loops and passages around. It will take me a few days to be confident of my way about the place.

The gymnasium looks state-of-the-art, the coffee is decent and the work area is great. The AC does not freeze you, my cubicle is in the aisle near the windows, and the view is great. What more can I ask for??? :)

The best part is the cafeteria. It is simply fabulous. Its just what we have all been asking for, and a bit more too! Good food served throughout the day, besides other dry eatables and drinks available. It's the single most critical factor for outstation singletons like me, who work their asses off in a software job. I was soo happy, I had this goofy smile splashed across my face all day!!!

Guys, the verdict is out. The new place ROCKS!!!

A panorama with a perspective...

Panorama, as given by my digi-cams guidebook, is an exceptionally wide angled picture which requires unearthly skill posessed only by my camera. Atleast, thats what the guide book claims :)

Well, the panorama I refer to is quite commonplace. There is this place near my home in Mumbai, a large 6 lane highway near the seaface. (It is immortalized innumerable shootings and sightings in Bollywood movies of the likes of Dhoom et al). Since I was on an extended vacation to Mumbai, and a terrible throat infection prevented (and still prevents) me from long conversations, I drifted off to the sealink for a refreshing walk.

That place is actually excellent for an evening walk. It is thronged by joggers and walkers of all ages and sizes. The other most populous denizens of this area are the millions of couples, yes, human couples, that arrive by the dozen, reserve places on the stone embankment and proceed to ummm... well.... just make out in public. It is so dense that once I was jogging down the track, and there was no place for about 200mts for me to stop and rest without violating someones privacy. Can't really blame them, no real private spots left in Mumbai. What pisses me off the groups of lecherous yougsters that roam the palce to ogle at the couples... I mean... sheesh man, thats really stupid.

Nevertheless, I ended up yesterday evening, all alone with my MP3 player, on the sealink. After a long time, I had solitude and time, both at the same time. You need both these simultaneously to actually THINK. So I plugged in the earphones, sat on a luckily empty spot on the embankment, and just gazed out at the evening skyline of the city of dreams.

I dont know what it was, maybe it really was the solitude and time, I had this absolutely surreal feeling sitting there gazing out into the creek. The whole world whizzed past me, joggers on their rounds, boats in the creek, planes in the evening sky, people around me, and I just sat there. Thats when I noticed, that Mumbai has an excellent skyline. A rather commonplace observation, people would say. NAY I say, not for a hardcore Mumbaikar.

And not for me definately. I had the whole vista right in front of me, like I had just painted it. Right from Bandra creek, across Mahim and Dadar Chowpatty to Worli and the Land's end. And every building, every feature adn colour in the sky ahead of me, had some emotion, some memory, some reference attached to it. That just gave a whole new perspective to a seemingly smelly and sodden creekside view... It made it a panorama, a panorama with a perspective.

The most prominant structure, the Hinduja Hospital. Hospital's rarely evoke pleasant memories, atleast not for me. I lost 2 very dear friends to a freak accident, another friend was admitted there with multiple fractures. I can see myself standing there on those steps, waiting anxiously for some news, trying to be cheerful. Thats is an image that evokes just pain, no mixed emotions here.

The sodden creekside railway crossing before Bandra station. That used to be a 'landmark' once upon a time. Whenever I return from junior college by train, the sodden smell of the creek reminds us all that Bandra is here, gotta get off!!! The Mahin and Dadar chowpatty are places for the immersion of large idols during Ganpati. I remember going to my friends balcony to view the immersion. His grandfather was a detective (???, atleast thats what he told me, and at age 12, that was rather believable), so he had this high power binoculars which we used. That really was an enjoyable time :)

At one side is the Taj Land's End hotel, and the actual sealing bridge construction, all this adjoining my engineering college. He he he, I cant really go into the memories connected to that, that would take a LOT of space. Maybe I'll put a synopsis here some of these days.

And at the farthest end, is the end of Worli. The tall TV tower with its red blinking lights, and the hideously tall skyscrapers and the enormous construction crane. If the rest represented some memory of my past, this was one part where i'd want to associate my future. As I sat there listening to my mp3s, I logged this silent dream. That is, if I ever make it big, thats where I'd want to live. In one of those shimmering skyscrapers, amidst all the hustle and bustle of the high life. But hey, thats just a dream. Lets just hope for its fulfillment... CHEERS!!!

Word wrap???!!!!

Had gone to restaurant near office in Pune. This is the actual line I read advertising a local English speech training institute. I cant recollect what they called themselves, but this is how their tagline goes:
"We teach you to speak English fluently and confidentally!!!"

What the heck!??

Troniiiix... Tronix... ta ta ta!!!

Sounds weird??? Not to me. Thats the chant we used in college to spur us on. No, I aint a roman gladiator or a cricketer who needs all that cheering, but this was one rallying point for anyone or anything to do with Electronics Engineering in my college. Its typical, you know, the standard department chant, that is used indescriminately from sports days to annual dance competitions to fisticuff fights.

'Tronix...', is a snazzy and rather cool shorthand for 'Electronics Engineering Department is the best'. Besides its commonplace utilities, it was used most potently during Euphoria, the annual cultural fest in college. I mean c'mon, (70x4=) 300 odd boys and girls belting this chant out in perfect sync repeatedly, is QUITE a thing. And the statutory use was before and after Elecs dept dance or skit. Before, to basically shut the others up, and after, to show em whos the boss!!! We cudnt give a damn about the condition of our throats, once the mood got to us. We would cheer for the freshers, juniors, seniors, boo the other departments, get into fights, even physical ones, all with the chant in our minds... TRONIIIIIX...TRONIX!!!

Its amazing what such a seemingly insignificant sound can achieve. Its by far the best form of bonding I have discovered. It makes people from diverse backgrounds and experience stick together like super-glue! And fellas, you've gotta be cheered for once to know what it is like. During our final year performance, I was to perform a solo on 'Rang de Basanti' in the finale sequence. Despite the hours of practice, the wardrobe decided to malfuncation. Hey, don't gasp, nothing like what the term implies. It's just that it was a typical Punjabi Costume with all the headgear, and the flourish on top was loose, and hung right into my left eye. It absolutely impossible to concentrate on anything when you have needles being pricked into your eyes I'm sure, and thats exactly what it felt like. But the moment the song reached the fast beat, the crowd roared! Believe me, at that moment I didnt care two hoots about the sagging headgear or a loose dhoti, I danced my heart out. I could here the gang chanting... I still get goosebumps when I think of it.

And Euphoria just happened again in college. I missed it. Many of my batchmates attended as ex-students. Missing Euphoria SUCKS! Some people would surely find this rather childish and immature for a guy who is working now. Big deal, its just a college fest. That too one you have sat through 4 times, and of a college you are no more a part of, and of a culture you are no more SUPPOSED to be a part of. Grow UP they say.

But hey, maybe I dont want to. OK, ive really grown and matured in the last few months, ever since I went of to training and started living alone in new city, among new and unfamiliar people. Yeah, I've made that transition, boyz to men. But a part of me still is hanging back there, in the coridoors of college, in the coffee shop with friends, on the cricket field on weekends, all drenched up during holi, yelling at 12.30 in middle of the night on getting my Matlab program correct, still teasing friends and getting teased in return, fighting with each other over petty things and forgetting as quickly. Is it all that bad???

The flipside of living alone

The sound of living alone in your own home, working, and earning, all for yourself, is not just interesting, but quite mouth watering to say the least. And so here I am, in Pune, working, and living. Its fun, no doubt. The freedom from responsibility, no one to answer to, and no one to stop you. Yeah, how liberating is that!!!
But, ummm well, get down to earth, my boy.
Like all others, this coin too has its flipside too, and a big freaking flip side at that. For starters, well, where do I start???!!!! The food in office is deplorable, cooking is out of question, travelling in Pune is like navigating an asteroid shower in space, the heat can dry you into a log of firewood in no time.
FOOD. Big problem. Compounded by the fact that office food is barely edible, and hotel food aint manna either. I cant cook, and dont even want to.
TRAVELLING. Problem. The roads are a mosaic of patchy tar, and that too only where they exist. Where they dont, it gives you a sneak-peek into what Mars must be like. Two-wheelers are mad, car drivers are insane, truck drivers are lunatics, and bus drivers are bloody maniacs. Nothing less. Distances are huge, especially my office from home.
WORK. Its a fact, tried and tested, 'first-job' suck!!! I hate my cubicle, I hate my office, I hate the place where it is situated (The place is called 'Bhosari', you can't blame me for hating it, now, can you?) The work I have to do, makes 12th std look like PHd studies. And that is boring.
FRIENDS. or rather the lack of them. BIGGEST problem. Miss everyone a lot.

But, you see, cant keep cribbing for life, can we? So I have learnt to handle it. Found this good restaurant nearby, that serves decent dinner. Cannot avoid lunch in office, so be it. Learnt to eat that as well. I make coffee and breakfast in the morning. At times when we get fed up with this routine, theres always Smokin' Joes or Janaseva Bhojanalay to liven things up. Nimish has bought a bike, and travelling by that saves a truckload o time. Heck, I learnt to ride one myslef, and am actually using my bro's bike myself! Work can be dreary, but I make a consious effort to do new things there. Learn new concepts, talk to everyone around office, look for opportunities improvements in the existing system, et al...Friends, well, that was a bit tougher. Made some new friends in office, really nice people. Got together with a lot of my cousins. Its actually quite interesting, I mean all these years, we hardly met, and now we are really good friends, apart from being related. I regularly keep in touch with old friends, internet is your best pal at such times. Got a partner in Nimish. "Its not like we hold hands and take windy walks or something", we're just team members, and also flatmates. Know each other since college, so it is great company.
But nevertheless, I still miss my friends a lot. Miss ALL my college friends, my building friends, and all the others too. Miss the times we had together, miss the fun we had together, miss the fights we had together, miss the reunions we had together, miss the trips we had together, miss every moment spent together. Cant really help it at times, being 200km away isnt too much these days, but it still is quite a bit for a spftware professional who doesnt get too many holidays. All in all, however far I might be, how many new people i meet, I will always, ALWAYS remember these people of old.

1 Night @ the Office

Hey, been a long time since I last wrote. But thats because hectic office hours are complicating my mind a lot, so much so that i cant make anymore confessions. But, here goes...
One such instance was this last friday, when on short notice it was decided that we work on the same night, instead of the day when usual mortals work.
So were to turn nocturnal for 1 night. A weird thought struck me, that this is quite like a college time night out with friends, cause here were me, Nimish, Brijesh and Vivek, (who are both older yet quite cool). A tiny difference was that we were supposed to be working our asses off. But that can be overlooked for the moment.
The idea of working late is scary for some, for most, but my personal experience was quite enjoyable. The work wasn't too hard, and we have actually practiced a lot for it. So it was pretty much smooth sailing. We had to order dinner, at 10 in the night. Around 10.15 I found myself poking around the half asleep shops in the near vicinity in Bhosari MIDC(yes, that is the (rather obscene) name of the area where my office is), looking for coke and chips. True to Bhosari tradition, I didnt get any chips, and just one bottle fo overpriced Thumbs-Up. Fair-enough, I said, weve coem her to work and not party.
So, our run started, with me n Nimish gobling Pav-Bhaji and simultaneously keying in jobs with oily fingers. That really points out the virtues of Pizzas in such situations, though many refuse to realise this. Our work activities were done by around 2.30AM, rather thats when we actually did what is referred to as 'Dukaan Band'... which means logoff, shut the monitor, and officially shut shop for the day (or the night in this case). Its only after that when the fun should have started.
But unfortunately, we were dog tired, and Brijesh had to leave, Vivek was too sleepy. So i went around exploring the place. I checked out my office terrace, which is a restaurant oven during dyatime, was actually a sight at night. I never thought the vista(its called the 'view' in the usually hot daytimes) would be as beautiful as what I was beholding. The entire place was empty, which suited me just fine. It was just me and the humming air-conditioner. The entire sity around me was lit up with tiny specs of light. The air was cold, yet not chilly. Bhosari being an entirely industrial area, has lots of factories, some of which were billowing quiet white smoke, barely visible plumes in the surrounding darkness. Distant towers and antennas blinked their red beacons. The trees rustled with a cool night breeze. The entire front porch was lit up with yellow light, gicing a surreal air to the whole place. All in all, it was enchanting to be all alone on that roof-top. Its only at such times and places, can one hear the 'inner voice'. I'm not being too philosophical, but atleast I think I have an inner voice. And I say that so confidently because of the simple fact that I talk to it often.
This inner voice need'nt be some incarnation of Gandhi or anything filmi. Its just yourself you are talking to... a la.. 'Main aur meri tanhayee, aksar yeh battein karte hain'... ar atleast somewhat like that. And only when the noise and jabber of the rest of the world is shut out, can you hear what YOU have to say. One can discuss a lot of things, your dreams, aspirations; congratualte yourself on your success, berate yourself for your mistakes; hum a different tune, say sorry for things you cant easily apologise for, speak you heart out. I do that, whenever possible. I was trying the same that day, but maybe I was just too mesmerized by what I saw, or was just too sleepy, I didnt really hear or say much.
So, I just went to the resting room, stretched out and slept off.
Quite an experience I must say. More so because it was hardly what I expected to wanted. Guess that prepares me for next saturday, which will be another night @ office. I'll try to be better prepared with the chips next time...

What does my face say?

Do your facial expressions or your body language actually mirror what you are thinking or your state of mind?
I'm not so sure of this. Just the other day, a friend told me that my expressions are very reactive, they give away exactly what I am thinking. It's true, many people have told me the smae thing. Butt that is slightly disconcerting. I'm not too cool about the idea of people having a glimpse into my innermost thoughts. Heck, that obviates any need of telepathy!!!
But I thought a bit more about that, and I agree I am very expressive. But, I pointed this out to my friend, and she had to agree that I am very good at controlling my emotions. I never show what exactly is cooking in my mind, to anybody. Not my parents, not my friends (ok, at times to my brother, and my best friend), but to no one except myself.
When I told this to another friend, he believes this is'nt something to be too happy about. This is going to lead stuff to fester in my mind alone, and yeah, not all problems can be solved alone. He suggests I really need to open up, to someone. For once, I'm gonna take his advice, atleast I will try...

Curtains Raise... to no music as such

Hi. This is, quite obviously, my Blog.

It is called 'Confessions... of a complex mind', obviuosly. But it is called so for some not so obviuos reasons. As a friend pointed out to me today, I dont reveal my mind. I cannot 'speak' my mind like others can. So, here is my outlet for those confessions that I dont make to nayone in perticular. These involve my deepest thoughts, fears, satisfactions, random ramblings, hopes, ambitions, more random ramblings, OPINIONS (I love giving my opinion on anyting and everything), and some more rnadom ramblings. In short, a complex myriad of thoughts. That jsutifies the name.

So, here goes...