Four days in Ahmedabad - Day 1

Just when I was thinking “Here I am in Ahmedabad… doesn’t feel different from Mumbai,” Himesh Reshammiya’s Aashiq banayaa aapne rang loud and clear from a mobile phone at the airport. Mom and I stepped out of the airport only to realize what 9 degrees of temperature could do the human body! By the time we got into the prepaid taxi, my teeth were chattering trying to tell a story of their own. I controlled them and focused on the buildings whizzing past us. It was 8 am, and there was hardly any traffic on the roads.

Then, I spotted a red tractor. And where was this? Just past the cantonment area, not very far from the airport! The tractors reminded me of Karaikal, a quaint little city near Puducherry. Karaikal was home for me when I was 11 years old. And this is where I last saw tractors. A sharp rut-a-tut would announce the arrival of the tractor, and slight tremors would run through the building whenever a tractor would pass by! That was an age when I thought only a powerful earthquake could have such an effect on concrete structures. Now, when a three-wheeled, humble tractor could do that to a building with just a rut-a-tut, naturally, I was amazed, and I would run to the balcony to see this monster!

At the end of the 30-minute taxi drive, we reached my dad’s quarters in Navrangpura. After having very sweet poha for breakfast, I snuggled into the bed. I closed my eyes and heard the melodic call of a cuckoo. I smiled to myself and dozed off. I did hear the cuckoo quite a few times whenever I woke up and began to wonder if it was indeed the cuckoo or a door bell.

Waiting for the Gallows

Reviews are one of the never ending sagas of life. When in college Professors prefer to call them as Vivas; moving into professional life, they take the forms of code reviews (for IT professionals), product reviews, appraisals, and so on. This short poem was a result of waiting for one such review.

I sit in a room thinking all alone,

the deep contemplation spreads a chill through my bones.

My palm sweats with abandon, my eyes seem to burn,

every way that I look, there's misery at every turn.

A wrong definition will set the tongues yapping,

if a page doesn't open, they say, "Where's the mapping?"

Miss a functionality and they put you on the noose,

you spell the product wrong and all hell is let loose.

Flawed beings that we are, we love to scoff,

spotting mistakes made by others, we love to show off.

Little do we realize in all the finger pointing and more,

a mind free of malice can solve problems galore.

It's time to end this rambling, and get back to work,

as I sit in a room no longer alone.

Merry Chistmas!!!!

Hey Everyone,

Here's wishing you all a Merry Christmas!!! Thanks for being a special part of my life and creating wonderful memories :D

Shillong ,”Scotland of the East” and my hometown.
This beautiful hill station in north-east India is the capital of Meghalaya,”‘The abode of clouds” and is situated 4908 ft above sea level. The state got its name from Megh= clouds, alaya= abode. The famous poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore suggested this name on his first visit in the year 1919. Many of his famous works like ‘Raktakarobi (Red Oleander) and “Shillonger Chithi” (A letter from Shillong ) were penned during his stay at Shillong in the year 1923.

Tagore’s home during his stay at Shillong

Every year I visit Shillong during Durga Puja, it gives me an opportunity to reconnect with my family and friends. My family has been living there since it was a part of undivided Assam.
The distance between Mumbai and Shillong is 2846 kms approximately. It takes almost 48hrs by train or 2hrs and 30 mins by flight to reach Guwahati and then a drive of 3-4 hours to finally reach home.

Outskirts of the city

A Kong (lady) selling fresh fruits
The Guwahati – Shillong drive is about 100 kms and the experience is extremely pleasing; the fresh and cool breeze brushing over your face, the greenery, the faint sound of a stream flowing alongside the road, the “kuay” (beetel nut and beetel leaf with a small piece of ginger) to keep u warm from inside, and of course the fresh fruits from the roadside stalls.

The beautiful Umiam lake

Boatride on the Umiam lake

The first glimpse of Umiam lake ! This is a beautiful man-made lake, popularly known as Barapani (big water), 30 kms away from the city… Umkiang, Mawiong, Mawlai and finally Shillong !

The Abode of clouds...

I love Shillong!

Lesser known facts:
Swami Vivekananda spent many years of his life in Shillong.
John Shepherd-Barron, inventor of the Automated Teller Machine (ATM) was born in Shillong.
Victor Bannerjee, an actor studied in St. Edmund's School Shillong.
Arundhati Roy, noted writer and Booker Prize winner was born in the KJP Synnod Hospital in Shillong. (I was born in the same hospital)
Utpal Dutt, the prominent actor of Bengali and Hindi cinema, was born in Shillong.

Walking into the light...

"We don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. To quote from Whitman


"O me! O life!... of the questions of these recurring; of the endless trains of the faithless... of cities filled with the foolish;

what good amid these, O me, O life?"

Answer: That you are here; that life exists, and identity; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse; that the powerful play goes on and you may contribute a verse. What will your verse be?"

                                            - John Keating, 'Dead Poets Society'

The clouds looked dark and the wind howled loud,
the lonely wanderer walked through it all without a shred of doubt,
a grim smile on his face and his fears put to test,
he made his way through the raging tempest.

The trees were shaking,
beneath the stern gaze of the storm they were quaking,
the sword of lightning wrought havoc with each stroke,
amidst all this he stood tall akin to an oak.

The river was raging,
against the wind a war it was waging,
but he swam through the river,
and not once did his heart shiver.

The night grew cold,
but the traveler stood bold,
it was a battle of wills,
bringing forth all their skills.

The winds screamed louder,
and the lightning smote harder,
the wanderer’s heart grew darker,
and his steps seemed to falter.

Then the veil of clouds parted,
with a spear of light it was thwarted,
the spirits of the nature seemed uplifted,
and the gloom and the darkness departed.

The wanderer raised his head and looked heavenwards,
there was joy in his eyes and he was lost for words,
he fell to his knees, his mind no more misted,
and with peace in his heart, the tranquil morning his eyes feasted.

...of Contradictions and Life!!

• THE EVENT - My final semester exams of BSc IT in 2006
• THE ANTICIPATION - 50% programs 50% theory (write the programs = PASS THE EXAM!)
• THE CONTRADICTION - 20% programs 80% theory (question paper setters mocking at us!! write the programs = NOT EVEN CLOSE TO PASSING!!)
• THE RESULT - The exam caused the maximum no. of 2nd attempts that year (My University rank went from a possible 4 to 7....BLUSH BLUSH!!)

All of us have gone through such situations in our lives. We also know that atleast once we have whined to ourselves 'WHY MEEEE???' when things don't go according to plan.

A contradiction consists of a logical incompatibility between two or more propositions (I can hear more 'WHY MEEEE???' whines after reading just the 1st line here :p) It causes unexpected situations in our lives for which we are not prepared most of the times. We cannot figure out the reasons for the particular outcomes, as they occur all-so-sudden that all we can do is bear the consequences. The simplest example of such contradictions come from our 'beloved' 'elected' ministers with their 'say-different-do-different' attitude. News about crores and more crores being misused keeps getting splashed all over the media and all I keep thinking is 'How many zeroes is that?'. Going back to the definition, there is a 'logical incompatibility' between what the ministers say and what they end up doing. We cannot figure out the outcomes of their doings till the story 'leaks' out and is suddenly in our faces ('leaks' is the best choice of word here, any guesses why? W_K_LEAKS :p)

So if these contradictions occur without any 'fire drills', how can we control them or prevent them? The exam that I spoke about was for the programming language, C# a.k.a. C Sharp (more like 'Contradictions' Sharp! GRRR...). Being prepared for anything that could be asked in the exam was the way to avoid the contradiction there. In the case of the ministers, if there is logical preparedness at all levels of the hierarchy which wants to work for the greater good of the citizens of the country instead of themselves, contradictions will not arise (somehow, I don't believe the minister solution myself, but it helps make my point :p).

Okay, the solution is preparation, but again, to what end do we prepare ourselves? We can't make sure beforehand that we are going to drop every 'Goliath' with just the one hit everytime. We, however, can collect enough stones in our keep to make sure that we have enough ammunition for every 'Goliath' and can also practice enough to have a better aim everytime. Contradictions, by nature, are stark opposities of each other i.e. they work in absolutes. Compare that to another term, unpredictability, which works in absolutes AND everything in between those absolutes as well and I'd choose contradictions over unpredictability anyday.

I believe contradictions are the spice of life!! (Actually, Variety is the spice of life...I am contradicting it :-D) Yes, I get bogged down by every event that does not go in my favor. Yes, I question my abilities at times when consequences of my actions are the EXACT OPPOSITE of what I had anticipated. Optimism is our friend here - learning from events that go against us will help 'prepare' for such interactions and conflicts in the future.

Complexities of a "Relationship"

First things first I have no experience of being in a relationship so im sure whatever ideas I present here, there'll be a set of audience who wont agree with even a single word. But these are wholly and solely my ideas and not stereotpes or prejudices. So here it goes...

I never really got how and when the magic works... They say that if you like what the person looks like or the way they presents himself/herself then you are just physically attracted...and at times even called a pervert.. but how can you know the person through and through in the first few instances? Physical looks is only what is observed initially, at max the way they talk behave or the attitude they carry...and most of the people reading this will deny it upright... But the fact is, every individual is way different than what he or she presents themselves as. Also if you take the longer route, that is to get to know someone for a period of time and then eventually weeks, months or probably even years later you realize that you actually like them...sorry too late! you are already sorted in the friends category and have no chance...

The whole excitement of being in a relationship and getting to know each other better while on the journey fizzes out if you've known the person before... so what if you realize later if it was a wrong choice... atleast there will be no repent later that you dint give it a try... so either ways if you are not giving each other a chance, you are anyway a loser.

Lets assume somehow you managed to get the magic to work and we move a step ahead.... from the left wing, enters curiosity and desire....and from the right wing, enters insecurity and uncertainty. Now this is a fight match that can not be seen anywhere but in your own mind and still is one of the best matches ever...cuz both sides will not want to give up and also want to try and kick the others butt. But by default, the contenders from the right side of the wing have an advantage.... and this advantage rules most of the decisions you make while in the relationship.

"Every relationship has its problems. But what makes it perfect is if you still wanna be together.
One should not let a relationship just because of problems we have in life.
A relationship dont have just flowers...also has its thorn."

Why is everything left to be assumed? Why cant things be just simple and straight forward? When you give an exam in school or college, you make sure you have atleast gone through the portion or attended lectures to know what you have to write. The why not apply the sanity in relationships? If you like somthing then tell each other and if you dont then mention that too....it want make you a smaller person in front of the other... according to me relationships are where we try to understand each other and deal with things together....not what you think or what i think....it should always be what we think... why do we always turn so selfish? If we ever come out of our self made cocoon, we will see things, meet people, make mistakes, learn more and only then realise our life's worth. Sitting in a room full of world's knowledge wont make you smarter. Moving out of the circle of already discovered and trying things on your own, making your own mistakes make you the person you are. Thats what we always tell each other to do.... Think out of the box...but in actuality....no one wants to leave their box....as it makes them feel protected and secure...

"Relationship distorts when either one starts keeping record of wrongs."

To wrap up things, all I would like to say is, give life chances. You have only this life to do whatever you feel like. Take up challenges, adventures,relationships, anything and everything. Because you never know what life has in store for you until you actually take the first step.

"Always do tell someone what YOU feel,
say what YOU expect, with or without reason.

Because time gets lost in a blink of an eye,
but regrets can last a life long."


PS: As stated before, these mine and only my ideas and thoughts. You are free to agree or disagree with it. They are not intended to influence or change you perceptions of the same. These are just a mind's confused thoughts, nothing else. :)

Life at a stop

For anyone living in the city, traffic jams are as much part of our lives as getting up, having food, going back to sleep, and other such mundane things. Curse them, bless them, or just sulk and ruin your mood, the one thing that you cannot do is ignore them. This poem was penned down while I was caught in one such traffic jam.

I sit in the bus staring out the window

Wondering at the chaos and the melee under the streetlight's glow

The cacophony of noises makes my head go woozy

The smoke and dust make everything seem hazy.

The sun is setting and the tempers rising

The bikes find their way while the cars keep on honking.

A stream of expletives here and the waving of fists there

Frustration, despair, and anger cloud the very air.

Like a matador in the ring, the signal waves red

Standing tall and stoic, it makes you wither under its gaze

It has a will of its own and cares not for the throng

You can do naught but wait 'til it waves you along.

Put one foot wrong and the guardians come calling

They make you beg and whimper, till you are a sight too appalling

Portly and bumbling, they form a strange tribe,

law-breakers they call us though they don't say no to a bribe.

A moment's hesitation and you miss an opportunity

to snake up your way through the rabble of the city.

A scratch on the fender, a dent in the door,

each scar on a ride speaks tales galore.

Mundane things in life can pose great ironies

Raising questions strange which forever remain mysteries.

For the answers lie in the very essence of human nature,

which after thousands of years is still a conjecture.

Life's too fast, there's no time to smell the roses,

is the reason often offered for the lack of reposes.

And yet caught in the slow lane raises angry voices,

and makes one wonder about the sanity of the masses.

For isn't this a time to sit back and relax,

listen to a song till reality pulls you back.

My mind whirls in confusion, these thoughts clattering inside,

as the signal gives a nod and we carry on with our ride.

...of MoViEs and LIFE!!

I remember the timeless Jack Nicholson bellowing at Tom Cruise 'You can't handle the truth!' in 'A Few Good Men'. The first time I saw the movie, I was so moved by Jack Nicholson's performance that understanding the complex plot of the movie did not matter at that time (truthfully speaking, I still cannot explain the story :-)...focus Chetan, focus!!).

I remember (vividly) the most narcissistic and the most lovable Heath Ledger as Joker asking 'Why so serious!?' and 'Do you know how I got these scars?' ever-so-vehemently in 'The Dark Knight'. I am so emotional about the character and the actor that I have stopped watching movies of the Hollywood artist who actually made a statement, 'He's dead, why give him an Oscar?'. Unbelievable!!

I remember the Governor of California having Austrian origins (any guesses?) announcing 'I'll be back' while playing a 'cybernetic organism' in 'Terminator 2 : Judgement Day'. He actually did that during political campaigns as well but that's not the point. As a child, I used to gawk at Arnold playing a robot that has come from the future. As a young adult, nothing has changed!! I still can't help myself from saying that famous dialogue in Arnold's voice.

Movies are a very important part of our lives. There is no denial that we open the newspaper everyday just to read the news. The servers of the online ticket booking websites go into a frenzy from wednesday every week making sure that we get our desired seats at that desired cinema in the that desired location to watch that desired movie. For those who are technologically constrained, 'Advance Booking' is our best friend and 'House Full' is our worst enemy.

Discussing movies is among the most pleasurable conversations that we can have with friends (or with strangers, for that matter!). The most joyous moments I have shared with my friends have been when all of us are watching/revisiting that favorite movie of ours while having amazing food. Not that the food does not matter, the experience of watching and discussing our movies is memorable for avid movie goers.

At a certain level, all of us are emotional about our movies. We either love them or hate them, and nothing otherwise will suffice. We cry, laugh, and are moved by the social messages (of every Aamir Khan movie). Movies help us improve our counting abilities as we flaunt about telling others that we have seen DDLJ 27 times. Knowing movie trivia is oh-so important that we all remember that 'Titanic' and the 3rd part of 'Lord of the Rings' won 11 Oscar Awards each (the Titanic numbers are well known...I was flaunting my Lord Of The Rings trivia here :-P). Release dates of popular movies and known weeks or months in advance (Harry Potter 7 Part 2 is 15-07-2011...more flaunting :-P).

Bottomline is, once a movie goer, always a movie goer - there is no end to us enjoying movies, and as McDonalds puts it - I'm lovin it!!

....of ChAoS and LIFE!!

A barrage of punches coming at you in a boxing ring...
Your neighbors fighting (among themselves or with other neighbors)...
A hoard of vehicles honking away like there is no tomorrow...
Himesh Reshammiya composing music, singing and acting AT THE SAME TIME...

We are surrounded by situations of chaos at all times. Yes, Himesh, speaking with no disrespect to his talent, doing everything that he does IS ALSO CHAOS (apparently, he does'nt feel that way, but thats not the point). We hate it when we undergo chaos, and we enjoy the idea of others going through the same someday (we can't help being Sadists at times). The best example of chaos is the one we all face every morning. There are days when something as simple as getting ready and coming to work can get depressing and chaotic where everything just falls out of place. We even call it the worst day ever, that is till the next time a similar day comes along. (The title of the worst day ever only stays for so long, does'nt it?) But, could there exist a normality within all of this chaos?


In simple English, Chaos theory suggests that all chaos originates from small differencs in an initial condition. A bee buzzing freely all over the place is the result of the first flap of its wings. As the bee keeps flapping its wings incessantly, it can fly, and fly it does! If the left wing flaps more then the right wing, the bee will turn right, and viceversa. Not to say that a flying bee is chaotic (exception when it is stinging us), it supports the definition of chaos theory. Let's go back to Himesh (I don't know why, but I could'nt think of a better example). Most would agree that Himesh's music has always been popular and pleasing. This was the initial condition. The small difference could have come in when he sang the songs he created music for. Even that was loosely acceptable. His belief and confidence levels grew and what followed was chaos.

Our everyday experiences teach us at infinite different points of our lives. What makes us different from others is the fact that what can we do with these experiences. Everytime we come across a situation where nothing seems right and everything is wrong, there could be a small difference in the intial condition that may have caused all the wrong in the end. The idea of eliminating all chaos is definitely out of our control as random external events are in play which are beyond our control. What we can do is curb the chaos in our lives. We can understand the changes that could occur in time due to the subtle changes that are occuring now. For example, going to bed 15 minutes earlier could help in waking up the next day happy and on time. 15 more minutes of sleep creates a world of a difference at times.

Next time you come across a completely chaotic situation where you feel that everything is out of place and the whole world hates you, calm down, think back and figure out that small difference that may have germinated into something so out of your control. Hold back the chaos in your life and life is going to treat you well...

LeAp oF fAiTh...

Ever wondered why you are doing THIS when you should be doing THAT? Ever considered your peer's life to be so much better than yours? Ever thought that you WISH.........? We all have had such thoughts atleast once in our lifetime if not more. Something/Someone (even ourselves) has stopped us from pursuing the THAT. It could be finances, lack of information or downright laziness that has kept us from pursuing the THAT.

All of us have dreams that we want fulfilled in our lifetime. Some of these dreams are whimsical, others treacherous, and yet there are some others that are so optimistic that they can define a direction in our lives. The important point here is that we don't have one dream in our lives. I can confidently say that if we wrote down all the things that we want in life, the list would be tremendous :-) We wanted these things at different stages in our lives and we forgot about them eventually as there was no way of getting there...

Now can we think of all of this with a positive frame of mind? Can we say to ourselves that 'I have the capacity to change this TODAY/FROM TODAY'? We are all intelligent people. We have the capacity to make decisions that will help us pursue our dreams. Having more information increases the probability (:-P) of making a right decision. But who defines right from wrong? Us? Society? Is this really the reason that we are unable to decide? For how long can we stuck at 'I am still thinking about this'?

LEAP OF FAITH...The best example to understand these words is a bungee jump. You are harnessed at your legs with a rope of high elasticity. This rope is almost as thick as your leg itself. You are told that all the safety precautions have been taken and you are tightly harnessed. You walk to the edge of the plank. You look back and you get a thumbs up from the expert. You now look forward and down. Do you jump? Do you know you will be safe? Do you trust THAT ROPE? Do you trust THAT EXPERT? On the other hand, do you know how exhilarating the experience is going to be? You may have an answer to this last question as you have seen bungee jumping on television and the way the people scream and are full of joy gives you an idea of how exciting this is going to be. This SHOULD be reason enough for us to jump.

Using the analogy of the bungee jump to life, there are so many reasons we give ourselves as to why we should not do something. But, is there one good reason why you should do that very same thing? Is that reason happiness? 99% of the time, it is happiness!! Something that will make you smile, something that will make you forget your fears and sorrows, something that will cause you to use words like JOY and BLISS, rather than TROUBLE and I WISH, something that will cause you to change your 2nd decision, then 3rd, then 4th....then comes a time when, irrespective of the situation, all you can do is SMILE as you are in control of THAT situation, however small your level of control is.

So make those seemingly difficult decisions and face the outcomes because it is YOU who has made those decisions with a giant LEAP OF FAITH!!!

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Short story: Part2

Kalu had never felt such an excitement before as he was feeling now. A gentle breeze had suddenly started blowing. The dainty bird was craning her neck to feel the breeze all over her feathered body. But before Kalu could enjoy this scene any longer, the voice of crackers filled the air. A corporator had won the local seat and his followers were celebrating it. Poor her, she got terrified and flew away.

The crackers had no effect on Kalu. Living on the palm tree made him used to all this noise. After waiting for some time, he made a quick dash to the palm tree. He sat motionless on the branch, as if he was under some spell.

Next day, being a Sunday, I got up little late. From my balcony I could see the machhi-walas shouting as they passed by our society. No sooner they announced their arrival, I could hear the whole society summoning them. Mrs. Sampat’s, who lived in the opposite society, had such a shrill voice, that it could even drive out the nails from the wall.

As the ladies started bargaining a deal out from the machhi-walas, I saw Kalu sitting on the branches oblivious to everything around. Normally, the sight of machhi-walas would get him going from one tree to another, as if negotiating an angle of attack. As soon as the machhi-walas came out back on road, Kalu would dive straight on the tub, and pick up his catch while still airborne; all this in a blink of an eye.

Surprisingly, right then he wasn’t bothered. Later during the day, I saw him sitting on the window sill of the opposite building. He was at the same place in the evening too.

The next week was going to be very hectic. I was working till late on most of the days. Weekends it seemed came pretty late, but brought a much needed break. It was early Saturday morning and I decided to go out for a walk. As I came out, my eyes inadvertently went over to the opposite building. I saw Kalu sitting there at the same place where I had seen him last Sunday. Did he not move from that place since then? No, it can’t be, I told myself and moved on. As I came back after an hour, I found him at the same place. What could be the reason I asked my self.

Curiosity was getting the better of me, and since I had nothing much to do, I decided to keep a watch on my dear friend. My high-powered binoculars were going to be a perfect tool for carrying out the task. As I directed my binoculars at him, I saw him sitting lonely and dejected. I don’t why I kept looking at him. There was something which was strangely holding my attention and I wanted to find out what.

As I tried to read him more, I was shocked by a deafening voice. It was Mrs. Sampat shouting at me, “Doosron ke ghar me dekhta hai, sharam nahi aati tumko”. The binoculars nearly fell from my hands. Kalu made a quick way out.

Tickle your taste buds

First things first, this is not a food review article hence please don’t take my word for any restaurant or food item as final unless you’ve tasted it yourself and have the same sentiments. As you all know that I’m a Big-Time Foodie, I’ve discovered food services available in Hiranandani round the clock in the free time that I have living here without friends. (I’m sure this is gonna help you in some way or the other.)

So let’s start with the first ray of the morning, or should I say even before the first ray at around 5am, Hotel Mohini opens its miniscule doors for call centre employee, night shift workers and owls (better defined as aashique, beemar aur chowkidar category people). You are offered hot idli’s, medu wada’s and freshly made wada pav’s with a choice of tea or coffee beverage. This goes on till around 6am. Around 7am, they along with several small joints start their morning business for joggers and walkers serving them tea/coffee and light snacks.

From 9am, the food factories in this area start breathing hot flames and masalas, serving fast food, snacks, and many other delicacies to suit the taste buds of the people rushing to reach places and stopping to grab a bite.

You have Janta Bakery where you get the most tastiest samosa’s and sandwiches in the area. They also offer you packets of idli, rolls, puffs, etc.

MOD, Gloria Jeans, CCD, Mochas, Subway, Dominoes, Pizza Hut, Smokin Joes, Papa John’s, KFC and Aromas (loved the service) have their regular menu items available to everyone all day. Pick one as per your tummy demands ;)

You also have several fast food corners in the small lanes of Galleria that will offer you everything from Chai to Chinnese, Wada Pav to Pav Bhaji, etc.

Come lunch time and you have options like Gary’s Menu, Sankalp, The Great Kabab Factory (exorbitantly priced), Chillies, Mainland China, Yellow Chilli, Pop Tates, Laxmi (opp IIT)(Sasta, Sundar and tasty), Bistro Grills (avoid if you are a Jain, Half Jain, or a fan of steamy hot food), Spaghetti, Yoko’s, etc. also not to forget the extensive food court on the first floor of Galleria which will serve you everything from Thali to Tandoori Chicken. To name a few, it has small restaurants like JAS for Chinnese, Nutan for Parathas and even more.

Evenings are the most happening around this area. The old and youth hang out at spots like the Go Karting arena, Hakone gaming zone, Haiko shopping area, etc. Again, to make your evenings better, there are places like the KIN KON lounge or the RUDE lounge to get into some good music and chill out. You can also visit Jugheads and Pop Tates for the same. Catching on a conversation with coffee is also a good idea. Visit any of the above listed Coffee shops for the same.

What is an evening without some chaat :-D . So you can catch some chaat at either Galleria, the alley between KFC and Rodas or even at Dudh Sarita and Eden (opp Janta).

For dinner again you can visit the restaurants listed in the lunch section and try their exquisite cuisines accompanied with a chilled beverage with a significant someone ;-) or with you family.

Dessert forms an integral part of every Indian meal hence you can hog all you want at places like the Eden ice cream, Naturals, Hokey Pokey, Gloria Jeans, MOD, Gelato, Amore, Mocha, CCD, Monginis, Ribbons and Balloons, etc. Also don’t forget to seal it off with the all famous Masala Paan available opp Mainland China.

By mid-night you are almost deprived of all these places, but for people like me who just can’t get enough, there’s one place you’ll surely find something to bite throughout the day as well as at nights before Mohini opens for business the next day morning (even after that). That is our very own, small little rickshaw shop found in the premises of L10NBRIDGE. He offers samosa’s, dabeli’s, idli’s, poha’s etc round the clock. Not to forget the non-stop supply of chai and death stick (cigarettes) for the needy. We also have a cycle chai wala at the corner of JVLR and hiranandani (I personally love the boost milk there).

So I hope by now you know where to head for a bite when you need one :). Contact me for any other details and I would be over-joyed to accompany you on any of your food excursions ;-).

Happy Hogging :)

P.S: Don’t forget to visit a number of beautiful and luscious green gardens in the area to walk around and burn the fat gained by all the eating. Hoping to see you there ;-)

Life has changed ! ? !!

It was last week when I was leaving for office. I knew I was going to be late and so had informed my TL about the same. While I was on the way to catch the auto, I just happened to look at the zerox shop on my left. I saw many students waiting to get their zerox copies. It felt like their exams were nearing..may be in their college or may be in their classes. This scene took me through a quick flash back to the days I spent in college.

Life was so blessed !! No worries no tensions, just pure fun and time pass. Bunking the lectures and sitting in the canteen, coming in late for practicals and then messing up with the circuits, giving proxy signature for friends in the attendance sheet and then getting caught by the professor. There were no worries except for the semester exams. I never bothered or planned anything to do for the next day or the next week. Monday to Friday from 9 AM to 6 PM were never so boring or sad, in fact sometimes they seemed to be insufficient. Especially, when the college functions and sports week are going on; the only time when there is 100% attendance. Well, not in the classroom, in the college ground :)

Completing journals and assignments ON-TIME was one big challenge, as there was always a prior booking to be made to the champ (may be the first bencher..in my language pet of the professor :P) of the class. He completes the assignment and the same assignment rotates in the entire class. No one even bothered to check what was the assignment for, which chapter or rather which subject. The main question was–assignment submit karneka ka last day kaunsa hai ??? I don’t remember writing any assignment on my own in those 4 years. Everything was COPY-PASTE. And not only me, everyone followed this rule.

Fortunately or unfortunately, we cannot apply the same rule in our office projects :) :(. Life has changed. And so now I reach office every day morning at 9:30, log into my PC, open the project files quickly, and ………………………………………………….COPY-PASTE ;) (well my current project demands that, can’t help it :P) and finish my work for the day ON-TIME.

The funny side of everyday...!

2 gangs of 3 members each enter the 8.16am train from Kalyan everyday just to have a brawl in the crowd till the train reaches Thane. After 15-20 minutes, one of them screams 'Thana aala!' and they all just stop, turn around and get off the train. Yesterday was the 3rd time this happened!

While they are all fighting, another group of bystanders have left their seats....JUST TO STAND ON THEIR SEATS TO ENJOY THE EVENTS!

Bystander 1: "I have a Balcony ticket and I cannot see anything! Somebody refund my ticket!"

Bystander 2: "This is my new movie and enjoy the premiere in this train. The movie is titled 'Shootout at Localwala'."

Bystander 1: "Don't you dare pull the chain and stop the train! We are already late for work!"

At this time, the people fighting have now started hurling abuses at each other.

Bystander 2: "Listen carefully, this is a song in my movie" And, he does a different dance step at every verbose gaali.

Thane is quickly approaching and everyone is now hustling towards the exit now.

Bystander 1: "Kuch khaana bacha? Nahi bacha! Robert, aaj khana kuch zyada hi tasty tha!!"

If you don't find the last line funny, I 'prescibe' you to watch Andaz Apna Apna 2-3 times a week :)

Short Story: Part1

It was raining heavily, when I first saw Kalu perched on the top of the pelmet. He was completely drenched in rain and had sought refuge inside my room. Thereafter, I would often seem him making sorties here and there, in the open air. Time and again, we would find ourselves giving curious glances to each other, I standing in my balcony, and he perched on the palm tree. He was somewhat different from the other crows. May he found me different too from other human beings.

I never saw him in the company of his own flock. But yes, he was fond of Rinki, the small baby who would drop more than she would eat. Whenever Kalu saw Rinki on the bench, he would instinctively know that it was party time. But party time was cut short when Kalu accidentally went too near to Rinki, and Rinki caught hold of him by his neck. Kalu cried with all his might but the baby was not ready to relent till her parents came screaming out wrongly thinking that the baby was in trouble.

After this incident, Kalu decided to play safe and so did the parents. So, whenever they took their baby out, they would make sure that Kalu was not in sight. And if they found him sitting on the palm tree, which happened to stand next to the benches, they would shoo him away. This left a bad taste in Kalu’s mouth. He developed a general aversion for human beings, which meant that I also got typecast, and we started seeing less of each other as the days passed. But yes surely, he never moved out from his palm tree house.

Though I won’t often see him, but whenever I got a chance, I would find him sitting listless on the branches. Sometimes he got restless too. He would be pecking his beak hard on the palm tree branches, as if angry. He was now a grown up.

One Sunday afternoon, from the window of my balcony, I saw another crow sitting on the palm tree. It was looking noticeably diminished in size and so I assumed it must have been the female species of Kalus’s clan. It looked as if she had decided to take some rest before continuing her journey. Curiously, I started to look for Kalu. He was nowhere to be seen. He would have been delighted to find someone like her, on the palm tree branches. As I decided to withdraw from the scene, I saw Kalu sitting on the window sill of the opposite building. He was looking intentively at this new visitor. He looked visibly excited too by the way he was hopping all over the window sill.

My Tall dark slim and sexy………………………. Chair…

I had a really beautiful one. Tall dark slim and sexy... don’t exclaim I’m talking of my office chair. I may have started with a small backrest chair when I joined but I had been lucky to find an unattended long backrest chair. It was really comfortable and gave me head rest when I’d lay back and so I decided to adopt it. But little did I know that my relationship with her would be short lived. A colleague of mine had her eye on it since the time I told her about it. And one fine day she decided to swap chairs and she did so before I came in so I wouldn’t force a fight for it (smart move).

But I’m kind off ok with it as she had a reason to make those moves and her motives were clean. And she had also promised me to find me another one while she used mine. Apparently we did find one and the poor girl lifted it from its place and got it to my desk just for me but again I lost her to my neighbor. Since then we’ve been eyeing every long backrest chair around us and planning how to abduct it without anyone noticing it or minding our madness.

We hope we are successful so we can enjoy comfort while we work.

P.S: if you’re reading this and you own a long backrest chair, better chain it to your table. You never know when someone might just abduct it and deprive you of your comfort ;).

Whatever.....

I was just thinking how there are always two sides to everything in this world!!! Even the interpretation of a mere post that I’m writing now, will have two different critical appreciations or analysis by different people. But we seldom care to think if there really is any correct and incorrect side to anything or whether these are mere interpretations of different minds in their own ways, which eventually leaves everyone dazed about even having their own honest opinion about anything. Leave alone standing up or vouching for other people, we just forget to stand up and vouch for ourselves in the whole process!

Many things that we want to say but end up not saying, due to all sorts of strange and more so silly inhibitions, like feeling awkward, coy, intimidated, stupid, and embarrassed and so on (Yes, I like to admit that I do it at times, and I hate it when I do it). The one thing that people always shirk away from saying is “NO”. Just think about this, when I write this, the first thing that comes to one’s mind is going to be different than what comes to the other’s, depending on their own instances in life where they either said or did not say the “No”. I feel a single “No” can save you a lot of time and energy…time that is very precious, which many people forget that it is. This is because it’s not their own time that they’re wasting; it’s always someone else’s. So it obviously comes for free…NOT in terms of money always, but in terms of mere share of responsibility or morals (fortunately, everything for everyone doesn’t measure up in terms of money).

When people analyse or judge or critique other people, their only deep rooted aim or futile goal is to see things in their own light to meet their own goals. It is in a way rather massaging for the human brain to see things the way they want to see and interpret them…for good or for bad? Noone least cares about that! It is a scientifically proven fact that almost 99% of people, who say they’re not prejudiced about anything, are the ones who are so, more often that the others. Not only this, but they like to dig out on how “one is what” by depending on they’re own or a collective human judgement which is finally human & which hence bears the human error. People randomly go on stamping people with their own coined and devised methodologies which might absolutely be some kind of nonsense. They who devise these methodologies, like to believe that those are the best, just because they have come up with them.

Eloquence is one such thing which is not always appreciated or liked when it comes from someone else’s mouth. The various versions (misinterpretations) that might be given to the word eloquence are arrogance, audacity, over-smartness, over-confidence etc…

I’m tired now…otherwise would have pulled this long…I don’t know if I’m supposed to say enjoy or put up any smileys over here…they’re just my random thoughts for today. Happy analysing for the day everyone!!!

Be SMART

Hi Guys,
I couldn't find anything interesting to write about, so posting this text. Hope it u find it interesting & useful!!!!

Lots of coaches and consultants use the SMART acronym to explain goal setting. Each one uses a slightly different set of criteria. In this case, S.M.A.R.T. refers to goals that are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time Framed.

Specific: Goals need to be something specific. Often we set goals that are so loose, it's nearly impossible to judge whether we hit them or not. For example, a statement like "I will lose weight" is too vague. How will you know if and when you've reached your goal? Saying, " I will lose five pounds this month" is more specific. At the end of the month it will be a simple matter of weights and measures: take your measurements and get on the scale.

Measurable: Goals need to be measurable. For example, many of us want to increase our number of contacts. But, "making new contacts" is an ambiguous statement. A clearer objective is "I will attend four networking events each month and try to connect with one person at each." It's a simple, concrete goal. This makes it easy to see if you hit your target.

Achievable: Goals need to be reasonable and achievable. Nearly everyone has tried to drop a few pounds at one time or another. Often their success or failure depends on setting practical goals. Losing 15 pounds in 30 days is unrealistic (unless you're planning a medical procedure). Losing six to eight pounds in 30 days is reasonable. Don't set yourself up for failure by setting goals that are out of reach.

Realistic: Goals need to be realistic. When we're kids we think we can do anything. As adults we learn that while we can have a lot, we can't have it all at the same time. It's important to honestly evaluate yourself. Do you have the ability and commitment to make your dream come true? Or does it need a little adjustment? For example, you may love to play tennis, but do you have the time, talent and commitment to become a pro? Be honest.

Time Framed: Goals need to have a time frame. Having a set amount of time will give your goals structure. For example, many of us want to find a new job or start their own business. Some people spend a lot of time talking about what they want to do, someday. But, without an end date there is no sense of urgency, no reason to take any action today. Having a specific time frame gives you the impetus to get started. It also helps you monitor your progress.

...Of Questions and Life!

7 years ago, I had made a New Year's Resolution which I remember till date. I will definitely come off as a NERD for letting everyone know what it was but I will do it anyways :-) I had decided that, each day, I would find an answer to a question I would come across for the whole year and that I would make a mental note of it. At that time, I had just made it up 'coz I thought it would be the coolest resolution among my friends at college. Little did I know that that 'made up' resolution would change my life for the better.

Ever questioned the happenings around you? Ever had that voice in your head scream out 'WHY' or 'HOW'? Ever had 2 voices in your head discussing opposing comments about something? On a similar note, ever felt excited to have the need to know the answers when you come across such questions? It really is a beautiful prospect when you think of it. If a question is easy to answer, good. If is a question is difficult to answer, it should be even better. The question could be as down-to-earth or as crazy as possible. Consider this one, how hard should I be punched on the nose for it to break? Or this one, is it possible to make Maggi 2 minute noodles in a mug of cold water? Or even something crazy like this, is it possible to change the operation of Ctrl C + Ctrl V to Alt N + Alt M? Try it on the keyboard, our fingers get cramped for room the 1st time but we do get a hang of it. The funny part (or, really, the sorry part) of the matter is that I have found answers to these questions :-)

My point is that when we experience so many events in our lives, when we ask so many questions (even if subconsciously) and when we learn so much from the answers, we should take a moment and relish every answered question as an achievement. A mountain of hurdles can be overcome from a sequence of small achievements. Remember that time in school when a Mathematics exam was due AGAIN? That exam seemed to come back so soon!! The only way we all cleared our Math exams was by practice. A practice of solving questions. Every time we found the answer, it was like finding gold at the end of the rainbow :-) The satisfaction of that achievement was so big that it at least gave us the confidence of looking at the question paper, holding the pen and writing the exam. Similarly, life has an infinite number of unanswered questions. We should all be elated of the achievement of finding THAT answer because, call it Karma or magic, we can be sure that it will be useful at some point in our lives or in the lives of people around us. Coming back to those weird questions, I do consider '2 minute noodles in cold water' as an achievement as it was helpful to know that when we were camping in the hills of spine chilling Ladakh and we ran out of kerosene :-) The 2nd time I had a broken nose, I had a laugh about it as I had experienced similar pain before :-) Alt N + Alt M was actually one of my failed (yet entertaining) projects during my Bachelor's Degree :-)

Trust yourselves and don't discount THAT question that pops in your mind as stupid. There are answers to most questions and answering each of them is an accomplishment. Everything that we learn from these answers WILL change our lives for the better one moment at a time :-)

Cheers to a journey called LIFE !

Take chances!
Tell the truth !
Date someone totally wrong for you!
Say no!
Spend all your money!
Fall in love!
Feel the first kiss!
Get to know someone random!
Say I love you to someone in life!
Be mean!
Make fun of people!
Sing out loud!
Laugh at a stupid joke!
Cry!
Take revenge!
Apologise!
Laugh when you fall!
Get into a fight!
Tell someone how much they mean to you!
Tell the idiot how he/she hurt you!
Let someone know what they are missing!
Abuse someone who deserves it!
Sit alone, watch the rain and cry!
Laugh till your stomach hurts!
Dance even if you suck at it!
Pose stupidly for pictures!
Give someone a hug when they need it, make sure you get one when you do!
Act like a kid!
Jump up n down!
Live it, Love it ...!
Because LIFE is just ONCE ... !
Make the most of it PEOPLE... !
Life is too small to make Complaints...
Cheers :)

I wish I could do more of what I love to do most..

There are a lot of things I love; I love sports, I love music, I love movies, I love driving, I love enjoying a chilled beer. Now, I imagine this: Driving my favorite car, listening to my favorite music, I reach a virgin, unexplored beach. On this beach, I lay watching movies on my laptop sipping chilled beer. Now, how's that for a fantasy??

I've lived this fantasy a couple of times now. I've planned an unplanned vacation. :) The only planning I did was to look for a place i've not heard off on Google. Left Friday evenings and returned Sunday evenings. I miss doing this now. I sound like its been ages since I did this. Actually it does feel like ages even though as per the dates, its only been 3 weeks since I did this last. If things go my way, I would end up doing this every weekend. :)

There are a couple of other things also that I plan to do someday:

1. Take an unplanned vacation to the north with friends and our better halves. This time when I say, unplanned, I mean truly unplanned. Book tickets only till Delhi. The rest of the vacation is planned impromptu. :)
2. Leave for a vacation with a fixed amount of money in my wallet. No credit cards. Return only when I my wallet's empty. :) One place I would love to travel this way is Thailand. Love the tranquility on the hundreds of small islands on Thailand.

I'll keep this short.. I am writing only because I was thinking about this in my head and I knew I would be able to concentrate on work better if I write this out. :)

Please don't rush

How often we have seen people push the “Close” button in the lift as soon they see every one is in, even if much of the lift is empty. May be we feel that since there is no out, why to wait. But had we waited for a while, had we not push the “Close” button, someone would have appeared at the glass door, and perhaps we would have loved to press the “Open” button to let him in. The thankful disposition of our fellow being would then surely have made us feel good. And if by chance, we would have found ourselves to have performed a thankless job; we could certainly have expected that someone would make the same effort for us.

I believe that “Close” button should be pushed only when a lift is fully occupied. What do you think?