when the going gets tough .........

A MAJOR DISCONNECT

2012-02-02T23:46:00.000-08:00

Many times in life
There are times of strife
We try to understand why
Things are the way they are
It is about money and also about power
About who's the boss and how much dough one can shower
Status and name and claim to fame
Some day will drive us all insane
A disconnect between our wants and our needs
We all are checkers on a board game
But ultimately we are all Human
And we are all the SAME.

Written on 3rd February 2012, Haridwar

Beta, What's your Age?

2012-02-02T17:28:00.000-08:00

To all those guys/ girls who are of..... :)
It was 1:30 am on 30th Jan morning and i was itching to write all day long the previous day. Infact, i had been day dreaming about writing a post since my trip to Chandigarh even though the trip was just an overnight stay. I did make a few friends there. :) :)
The actual inspiration for this post is Wedding Ceremonies, technically speaking "Receptions". The thought process sparked off as we attended the Maharashtrian Style reception of a close friend's brother. I have attended quite a few ceremonies from Oct 2011 - Jan 2012. The one you attend with friends is all fun and games but the ones you attend with parents is a different ballgame in itself.

Typical things that you could generally observe:
1. Close relatives come to you and ask you what you are doing career wise. Exclaim in fake disbelief when you say you are working followed with a "OH! I met you when you were a baby. Look how big you've become."
2. They quickly proceed to ask the all important question about your age and won't stop themselves from taking a gibe at you by saying -YOU are next in line to get married with the sarcastic smile plastered on their face. :p
3.Overtly concerned extended family then immediately divert their attention to one's parents and repeat your age and say: "He/ She is -- years old, time to get him/her married". The smile still in place without moving a millimeter.

I have been through this a couple of times and each time my answer has been pretty much the same thing worded differently. Mostly, i try to humour the goodnatured familee and then try to diplomatically change the topic. Many a times i fall short of words or just look around embarrassed with and SOS expression and then dad steps in. I remember he recently said.."Marriage, for her is a WIP that hasn't started yet :) :) " Oh, what would i do without my daddy dearest around to save the day?
Moms on the other hand might actually start looking for suitors... *Yikes*

I have nothing against weddings per se. They are out and out fun for everyone except the parents of the bride and groom who are worrying about every tiny detail. One thing i would never understand is the joy that extended families get in wanting to set you up with someone... I mean WHY??? Why should boys have all the fun while the poor girl who happens to catch the bouquet is deemed as the next bride to be? Wow, i'd never survive that nightmare. :)

It is not like i am against the whole marriage business. I am sure Shaadi.Com and the rest are very profitable but i am also sure, I, for one have a long long way to go. So aunties and uncles i do hope you read this before we meet at the next wedding and the above ensues. Before yet another time when you go, "Beta, What's your age?" I know why you are asking this and i am sure my answer won't change, at least for sometime.
Like the famous Robert Frost's Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening, i would say "and miles to go before i leap and miles to go before i leap".

This one is dedicated to all my friends of ...marriageable age ;) ;) I am pretty sure you have been through this before.

Special thanks to K whose conversation about a wardrobe change into Indian attire was hilarious. Of course, i didn't mean to eavesdrop and tried hard to concentrate on the book in front of me but your conversation was more entertaining than the conspiracy of Don Corleone's cronies :)

This post was penned 1:30 AM to 1:50 AM 30th Jan
Published at 6:26 AM ( when i was Sleepless in a Hotel room of a quaint little town in India, since sleep keeps itself from me i'd just wait to watch the sun rise.... )

Thanksgiving

2011-12-31T14:01:00.000-08:00

It is the 1st of January 2012. Looking back i am thankful for a lot of things. A lot of new people who have entered my life and this has mostly to do with people i know from office - both Reliance and HUL.
I feel truly blessed to have met colleagues who not only are Colleagues but also double up as friends. This i discovered on our Team Outbound to Goa. It was the most amazing experience of having people whom i understood on some weird frequency.

On a not so regular working day30th Dec, we decided to go out and have a blast. We went to one of the famous Cafes at Colaba and chilled, talking our random nonsensical crap but enjoying nevertheless. This was followed by us going to Marine Drive and sitting enjoying the breeze. The outing was fun apart from the fact that one of us had a broken chappal and me having to lend my rubber band to fix it and also having my jeans ripped near the pocket.
Sacrifices that one makes in order to have great memories.

Then i returned home only to join my school gang for dinner :) I love my group to the core. It's like i can't live with or without them. There are days when i get totally mad at them but i still love them enough :)

As i look towards the future, i thank the Lord for my parents, a lot of strangers who are now my friends, my job and i do hope that i could do whatever it is big or small to help someone else's life become a little bit better. I wish to spread more smiles around, i resolve to do things to make it happen!

Ask me to Sing and I' ll ....Croak

2011-10-22T02:38:00.000-07:00

21st October: A day to go into the History Book of my Life.

Reason: First Outing with my new Colleagues- Team Event

It started out on a sadistic note when the organizers announced that we wouldn't be going and we sure were disheartened but all that faded the moment we got into the bus that was supposed to take us to our destination.

I felt the extra energy that was hiding in me rush back in matter of moments. All the energy i was saving up for a good few months, i think i spent in matter of hours last evening.We played Paintball- something i 've always wanted to do. Amazing Race - something i have helped organize and thus lost out on participating in. So i was Happy and THEN all of a sudden - we were offered a GOLA treat.... Music to my ears.... More Smiles :) :)

Finally, we got to the place where dinner was organised and all of us Newbies were asked to SING. I was shocked! Sing? Did i hear that right? Eekz... i shrieked out loud inside my soul. Why would anyone want to hear me sing, i mean seriously. Then on i was conscious of every move i made, every letter i uttered.This is what happens to me everytime i go to parties or weddings or social gatherings. People ask you to entertain them and all of a sudden you become so aware of everyone staring at you that it just makes you very very uncomfortable for that time, till they divert their attention to another uninitiated.Has happened with me every single time but turn on the music in the car or have the music playing and you will catch me singing along every time without even paying much attention to who is around.

So for that moment I even tried to hide below the table but to no avail because the moment someone asks you to sing - you tend to forget that you know any songs at all. Trust me, i thought i would get it done with and not make too much of a fuss but i couldn't remember ONE song, it was as if all the songs just faded from my memory. Those that i listen to often as well. Then they started Antakshari - where i was put in an All Mens team - barring me of course. It was good fun and suddenly a letter came to our team to sing with and since i knew it - i started and midway i realised i was the only one singing... i mean Croaking. I am not good at many things. Singing is one of those.

THE END

Dil Se Dilli ho Dhadkan se Ho London

2011-10-05T13:40:00.000-07:00

Well, i love listening to the radio on my train journeys to work and back. Yes, i would love to have an amazing collection of songs on my Memory Card but i am too lazy to add new songs and so invariably my fingers find the radio mode. I listen to 107.1 FM AIR RAINBOW in the mornings and in the evenings it is any one of the 24*7 Hindi Music Radio Stations.

So on a late evening like today, i was sitting there trying to avoid overhearing a group of girls discussing their itinerary for their GOA trip. It brought back memories of my trip with my girl friends too. I was browsing through stations but couldn't really pay attention to the music because of the Loud Conversation of those three girls. Of course, their conversation did make me smile and i eavesdropped not intentionally but by virtue of just being two seats away.

The point of this post though is something totally different. It is how music has evolved over time, especially that of Indian Cinema.There was a time when the male lead would sing songs like: Chaudhavin ka Chaand Ho ya Aftab Ho? Jo bhi ho, Khuda Ki Kasam, Lajawab ho... to woo the female lead in the movie.

We are essentially in the day and age when women are more or less equally involved in wooing a guy actively and so a "Wanna be my Chammak Challo" is replied with an equally bold " Munni" who is getting a bad name or a "Sheila" who talks of her jawani. Gone are the days of subtlety, no one has the time or patience for it. We want everything"Right Here, Right Now" now and we don't talk in riddles. Sex is sex and they don't show two flowers coming together anymore.

This post actually started out with quite something else in mind -a song for finding a Dulhan for somone in the family was the agenda. Only finding a song from the era gone by is difficult and i couldn't find one. The idea came from the title track of the movie Mere Brother Ki Dulhan. Sure the lyrics of most songs now a days hardly make any sense but this song has everything from Fashion to Geography, from Attitude to Technology all summed up. I actually shouldn't be surprised because songs like "Dum Maaro Dum" (the new one)
Oonche se Ooncha Banda, Potty pe baithe nanga type lyrics have actually done quite well or seem to be due to the sheer number of times it is aired on the radio.
Without futher ado - i will post the lines that caught my attention while listeningMohabbat ki ho woh Google
Jo dede har question ka hal
Nazar ke ek hi click se (soniye)
Walk pe sunti ho gaane
Brother ko khush karna jaane
Jo sabke dil mein dua si basse
Model ho world best par mitti ho Indian
Dhoondu mein dhoondu, mere brother ki dulhan
Dil se Dilli ho woh dhadkan se ho London
Dhoondu mein dhoondu, mere brother ki dulhan
Matrimonial si aankhein, sabko ab taake jhaakein
Matrimonial si aankhein, dhoondhe re chehre baanke

Kaam mein jo na ho lazy
Ho jis mein 3G ki tezzi
Aur ho chhok si adaa (soniye)
Relation samjhe jo ladki, rahe na ego mein badki
Jo laaye good luck hi good luck sadaa
Hai toh responsibility, phir bhi iss mein fun

It sure is a fun song which can make anyone smile just by listening to the lyrics closely. The qualities asked for in this song do put a lot of pressure on the girl who is expected to look like a Super Model but be the Laadli, Responsible, Loved, Respected and Caring Bahu as well. Not a mean feat you think huh?I can't think of any song where a girl is asking for so many qualities in a man. I am sure there might be a song or two of this kind but at 1:41 AM i don't expect my brain to work with 3G ki Tezzi.

Just hoping you guys do listen to the song, enjoy it and well, just wonder what happened to Gulzar's lyrics or his reaction to these songs.The song has been written by Irshad Kamil who has also penned some of my personal other favourite songs but i have never come across one that said... Dil se Dilli ho, Dhadkan se ho London..Dhundu main dhundu mere brother ki dulhan.
Mere brother Ki Dulhan Video

Ladies Compartment IInd Class

2011-09-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

The second class ladies compartment is the most entertaining way to travel. Not everyone will be as amused but trust me if you do observe it in a detached manner you will find more than just a few instances that will make you laugh.
DISCLAIMER: I AM NOT TRYING TO TRIVIALIZE ISSUES. Just wanting to make people see the funnier side of life and if not that then just the gory reality of it.

1. THE GANGWAY is the way! The alpha and the omega, the beginning and the end- and hence, a lot of people (women) decide to just stand there even if the have to alight after another FIVE stations.

2. Push and Shove, elbow and bellow is the best way to get in or get out. Or so they think. Imagine if everyone went about their commute in an orderly fashion. Things would be easier, lesser people would be injured and the travel would be more pleasant.

3. It is a great place for women to knit, clean veggies and do some shopping on the go. You get everything here from Umbrella shaped mechanical pencils, mini hot water bags, accessories of all sorts, colouring books, stickers, combs, kitchen wares and eatables.

4. If you have noticed an argument in the compartment- refer #2 it starts with a push or a shove. The belligerent victim starts a verbal abuse of sorts and then starts explaining the situation to co passengers and including them into the fight. After that it becomes a jugalbandi when both the sides try to one up each other.

5. A baby in the compartment is a play toy for those around but the same baby if crying becomes a nuisance. When the baby smiles everyone wants to hold it but no one wants to comfort a crying baby.

6. People love to eat on the train... and then throw peels/ plastic bags/ any residue or remains out of the window. Now, i don't blame the uneducated but what about those who have a swanky mobile phone, seem to be from educated families and wear top class clothes and behave like.... This happens most often when the train crosses over some creek, out comes everyone's used garlands and other stuff the holy books say must be discarded only in water. Not trying to hurt religious sentiments but there are other ways to dispose.

7. The fourth seat is God send. Hell yeah! It sure is. Doesn't matter if less than half your butt fits on the edge of the seat and despite you almost slipping from on there you still hang on it for dear life cause your feet are killing you.

8. I have been travelling by trains for quite a while now but somehow i don't get used to the fact that people ask you "Where are you going to get off?" even before you sat on the seat that just got vacant. I know i have mentioned it in an earlier post but couldn't help it.

9. We turn a blind eye to the disparity among us. Yes, we do it and we say there is nothing we can do about it. I have seen more than a few times - women with children who aren't exactly normal trying to fight the unforgiving crowd and standing their way through while most others just choose to ignore. Giving your seat up (at least then) seems like a noble thing to do. Then there are the Seat Gangsters that reserve seats for their friends and pick fights if someone tries to reason it out.

10. Finally, the one thing i cannot afford to miss out. The advertisements stuck all over the train compartments - all compartments alike... There was this one that said "Love, Sex, Friendship, Call some number and some smarty pants had put an arrow below it and wrote DON'T CALL! :)

We Mumbaikars spend most of our waking hours on the train and thus they form an important part of our journey. Journey to work in the Journey of Life.

THE DEATH OF SIMPLICITY

2011-08-08T04:26:00.001-07:00

Sometimes the answer is not in the complex,
Neither it is in the difficult.
We think and talk and try,
We fail and then we cry,
Baffled, we wonder why?

But- we fail to realize that
The answer is in the question
It is in something so obvious and evident
The answer is right before us
We just choose to not see it and turn a blind eye
Because Simplicity is Unfathomable.

Thus occurs the death of Simplicity.

Still Waiting

2011-06-18T11:52:00.000-07:00

Have you ever found yourself just waiting...
Endlessly for
1. An auto rickshaw
2. A friend's phone call
3. For it to be time to get off work
4. For a bus/train (Happens a lot in Mumbai)
5. For your flight to finally take off
6. For it to start raining
7. For it to stop raining
8. For your results to Come Out Already.
9. For the person you are waiting for to finally SHOW UP...
10.For ...well there can be a million things.
The 10th one is whatever you please.
FYI - Sometimes waiting can just be fun!

IT IS OKAY TO NOT..

2010-10-25T11:56:00.000-07:00

How we yearn for life to be different. How we complain that it is drab! It is boring, pakao, same old and it will be so. Not because there aren't a million things to do but because we choose not to do it. We set a later date to do whatever. We don't even bother to observe the beauty of nature - the scenery right outside our window unless it is IN YOUR FACE.
Our times are different from the times of our parents. We prefer to meet online than in person (yes, a boon for friends overseas but not someone who is next door!)
So on a drab day like today, i was forced to wake up early by my father and accompany him at work. I happened to sleep really late last night and the night before last. Monday is definitely the most awful day of the week. I could have slept on but i promised dad and so, very very reluctantly i got up and got ready for WORK.
I spent most of the time in office getting BORED and Yawning with a few moments of stamping papers with a rubber stamp in between!
Then we set out for some work at a bank.We reached near the gate and i couldn't help but notice a serpentine queue for GOD alone knows what and i shuddered to think i might have to join them. As it is, i was sleepy and beginning to feel hungry (not a good place to be)
My dad walked straight into the bank and (phew!) i followed suit only to be directed out of the building into a line which was tiny than the one i got intimidated by in the first place.
The line was small but it was a bad place to stand. Right above our heads was a Air Conditioner duct from which water was dripping. The droplets were splashing all over wetting our faces and shirts and we stood there cringing. The window next to ours was empty but we couldn't switch lines as it was meant for something else. Just then a man with his seemingly 4 year old kid in tow came along. The kid had worn a bright yellow t shirt and black jeans just like me. He stood next to his dad. Then all of a sudden he noticed the drops of water falling. He rushed to the spot and started catching drops in his tiny hands with a smile. His joy knew no bounds and it was evident. I couldn't help but grin looking at him. Suddenly, his dad realised that his son wasn't in the place he was asked to stand and turned around to see. He immediately scolded the kid and asked him to stop playing with the dripping water. The kid seemed to obey but only for a few seconds and then he was back again, unmindful of what people around him might think.
Makes me realize how growing up affects us in good ways as well as bad. More bad than good if you ask me. Rules are meant to be followed. Tiny things don't give us pleasure always just because we choose to think it is too tiny to give us any joy.
Money matters more than anything.
Seeing the kid just made me realize - it is okay to do what i want even if i get yelled at. It is okay to stand below an AC duct and catch falling drops and be joyful and IT IS OKAY TO NOT CARE about silly things and do your own thing.

The Quest to be Different

2010-07-17T04:03:00.000-07:00

If you have been one of those who has read my first blog post, you'd know that i always considered myself to be a little different and quirky than girls my age. I have always desired to be different. I am an agreeable and amicable person and tolerant as well but i want different things in life. My goals might not be in line with most people my age. I am also a perpetually confused soul but not so confused as to know what i don't want. What i don't want i am sure i DON'T want it at all but when it comes to being aware of what i want i am baffled.

God/Providence/Luck- (call it what you may) played a part and set me on a path which after taking i never looked back. Engineering in Printing and Packaging has been the single most and wisest decision of my life and i cherish it. I started with rosy dreams of being a Comps/ EXTC Engg just like any other engineering aspirant. Not so long ago, i wasnt aspiring to take up engineering at all. I hated the word "Engineering" it sounded so drab. It didn't make sense and i would have gladly taken up Medicine/ B.A./BSc and in fact i had taken up Bsc BUT as luck would have it, i got PPT and grabbed the opportunity well aware of the risk of venturing on an untrodden path.

Engineering is done, so to speak. I stand at cross roads in my life once again. Awaiting examination results and chilling when most friends have settled for a job and remaining are flying to foreign shores to pursue masters, i am just EXISTING.

Everyone does ultimately want a steady income and the only way to get that is a) work hard or b) work smart... At this point, i don't know if i want to study abroad next year or work for a while and then continue with post graduation. Even if i did settle for higher education, i am not sure about the course i'd like to take. There are a million things i want to learn. I just want to do so much (SO much on my mind and i wonder if i ll even be able to do 1/4th of the things) I WANT TO ENJOY EVERY MOMENT OF MY LIFE.

After 20 years, i want to look back and cherish memories of having achieved all i wanted and hopefully something worthwhile, not having kids and then cribbing saying "If i .....then i would/could/might have/....."

I guess there is no real answer to how i am going to chart my life. The only way to find out is to live each day till i get there.
It probably isn't all about doing really weird or different things as much as maybe doing things differently. Only in that shall my quest to be a little bit "hatke" be accomplished.
Like Mr. Shiv Khera says
"Winners don't do different things,
...they do things differently!"
and the meaning of WINNING for each one varies. At the end of it all it still means a sense of fulfillment.

The Really Pointless Post - In the Loo

2010-06-30T11:03:00.000-07:00

Read only if you have nothing better to do.

In my house I have rooms that I like more than others. For ex: my living room. Why??? As it has the most important gadgets like the TV and my PC. My room is another place I favour but only for sleep and study purposes. Now that I am on vacation the study bit is eliminated. So, I hardly spend time in my room except at night.

That leaves the kitchen, bathroom and toilet. I don’t really venture into the kitchen, I leave that to mom. Bathroom, yea, well, whatever. The most important according to me is my “LOO”. I love my loo. Yes, you read that right.

It is definitely my most imp place in my home and not only because it is a need. If you are one of those people who spends more than just a few seconds in the toilet you will (maybe, I presume) know/ understand what I mean. Just to make it clear, I am not one of those who stacks Playboy/ Archies/ the daily newspaper in there, so I don’t spend hours in there either.

Of course, a pre requisite to spending a little more than usual amount of time in there is that it should be really clean and shouldn’t give off offensive odours. :P
My loo is well maintained and mom is the one responsible for keeping it so spick and span though dad and I help maintain it that way. None of us in my family are a fan of wet loos.

It doesn’t stink.
In fact it doesn’t smell anything at all unless you just pooped, then you’ll know that the room freshener is at hand too. It is not like I spend an insane amount of time there but whatever little I do, I learn a lot. No, I don’t stare at my $h**.
I oft times think. I actually think in there. It is such a quiet place after all and no one disturbs you unless they are in an emergency situation and need to get in before you get out leisurely.
1. No smell 2. No sound
Not exactly complete silence. If you are having gastronomic issues you sure might rumble – A LOT.
Perfect place to meditate… LOL

It is pretty much like Archimedes, you know, the whole public bath and screaming “EUREKA” while running naked on the streets. He probably would know exactly how I feel. I share his sentiment.
It is like as though I get enlightened or as if I get some sort of weird revelation or a brainwave.

It is quite a place to de-clutter (Not just the stomach but your mind also.) is a double whammy.
Think of it as a chair with a hole and it won’t be so bad. You don’t need to go up a mountain to find solitude. Just like it is for me, it might work for you too in the Loo.
They say if you have a problem sleep over it or sit on it, I‘d say Shit over it.

FINAL JUDGEMENT

2010-05-28T02:43:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to explain it to the world,
I'm pretty sure they won't understand,
All of this wasn't part of my plan
But, Shit happens.

Shit happens when you least expect it
and before you manage to resurrect yourself
the world has dissected you.

They bisect your life and think
they've figured you all out
but don't they know - it's not for 'em to do so!

So, everyone everywhere come on all out
throw your crap at me.
Dump all you want at me,
There's a limit i can take and I Will;
just so you feel satisfied;
but when you cross that limit-
Don't expect to be let off easy,
I'm not doing this to please me.

You didn't - in my shoes walk,
and so you have no right to talk,
I tried my best but it didn't work,
My responsibility I didn't shirk.
I'm the captain of this ship,
If it sinks - I go down with it.

At the end of it all
I'd like to say
Hey, what YOU think doesn't matter
cause yours is not FINAL JUDGEMENT!!!

THE LAST SEM

2010-04-12T02:47:00.000-07:00

The last semester before graduation is one wherein students are either nostalgic or very very happy to leave their abode - College.

Engineering does change you in more ways than one can imagine. I once had a discussion with one senior (who is a friend) regarding exactly this!

He wisely said to me,"There are 3 things one starts doing exclusively after joining an Engineering College:

1.You begin to drink lots of coffee/tea.
2.You start swearing unnecessarily. Every sentence is sprinkled with at least a few cuss words. The F word being the favourite.
3.You either start smoking or drinking.

The combination of all three or any two of the three or even anyone maybe true, as might be your case."

I listened intently to what he said and i realized this might actually be true in a girl's case but definitely true in case you are a guy.

4 years in one college may garner the following reactions
You might TOTALLY HATE IT or UNCONDITIONALLY LOVE IT.

The past 4 years made me realise THE FOLLOWING:

1. Don't take anything at FACE VALUE.
a) The people you think are weird might actually end up being your best friends by the time college ends. So, don't write anyone off.
b)People who look friendly might actually be the ones causing you more harm than good.

2. Respect your Seniors - if they are worth it.
You might actually get some pretty good advice from them regarding matters of college and also about life in general. Plus, you might become a pal to them and they might like to hang out with you OR better still call you when they JUST HANG OUT.

3. Be friendly to your juniors.
Now this one is a double edge sword because:
a) You never know what you actually mean to them. Some might consider you the older sibling they never had and some just look up to you because you are a SENIOR.
b)If your juniors disrespect you for no reason, don't think twice before SCREWING their ASS. It is you they will most definitely turn to if they are in trouble in legal issues of college. Thence, let them know their boundaries and make sure they don't cross it. That doesn't mean you abuse them but just make sure they realize it.

4. Be good to your teachers even if they are not.
They are the ones who teach you, someday it might dawn on them that they have no reason to hate you and might warm up to you.
That apart, if the teacher is like a few years elder to you then you might not really be in a Student Teacher relation (even though you are) but more like buddies.
Also, don't forget your TERM WORK LIES IN THEIR HANDS and if you are good to them they actually might help you out.

5. Do silly things-Don't take everything too seriously because in retrospect you might actually have something to remember.

6.Be close to your friends, don't ditch them EVEN IF YOU HAVE A GIRL FRIEND/BOY FRIEND cause when you BREAK UP they will be the people you run to.

7.Enjoy every moment including Frustrating Submissions and Vivas that make you a nervous wreck.

8. Take time to socialize.

9.Participate in college activities wholeheartedly and take part in events. Not necessarily you are the best but at least try. You might discover a hidden talent and it is here you learn more than what you do in lecture.

10.Break rules once in a while. Mass bunk classes. Even if it means you ll just go home after that. Supporting your class in such things is fun and if you do get caught- you won't die alone for sure.Besides, if you break stuff you will actually know where the miscellaneous fees will be put to use.

It is all these put together that make your life in an engineering college memorable.
I am in the final semester in my course in an Engineering college and i am sure going to miss each and everything about this SAD college of mine.
Will miss the people - nice ones, the mean ones, the bitchy ones, the shitty ones because it has taken one of every kind to make this BORING life of mine SLIGHTLY MORE INTERESTING.

DEDICATED TO MY PALS

2010-03-30T13:39:00.000-07:00

I came up with this piece last night, 30th MARCH 2010 at 02:00am -02:07am...

I can't promise you the sun, moon and stars,
but i promise to sit & listen to you for hours.
When there is trouble,
and life has burst your bubble,
Look around and you will find,
Someone there to ease your mind.

There are times when we agree on naught,
and there are times when we have fought,
But that doesn't mean i' ll go away,
It just means i am here to stay;
Because every relationship Big and small
Has disagreements strong and tall,
It is only when you over come these,
That you feel you are at peace.

Life isn't always flowers and bees
And neither is it wine and cheese.
It may be topsy, it may be turvy
The road ahead may seem downright curvy.
That's when you have to just look-
At the most familiar but forgotten nook.

That place lies in your heart,
Know, my dear, we will never be apart.
Just give me a shout, when you're down and out
and we shall have it solved- Without DOUBT!

REUNION PART 2: BATCH'04

2010-03-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

Sacred Heart ke baache, akal ke kacche, dil ke sacche decide to have a reunion. Shaunak, my great friend the warrior decides to take it upon himself to get things done. Then starts the umpteen number of facebook messages to decide the date. This happens after innumerable number of cancellations and postponing.

Finally the date was set for 27th of MARCH, right before some log ka egg-jam and right in between some others ka exam! Then starts round 2 of the planning; the most important factor: THE VENUE.

This part was the most hilarious, time consuming and irritating job to do. By now dear Shaunak was exhausted and decided to take a breather. So the rest of the people jumped in and by this i specially mean NEERAJ, who has been INVISIBLE for long. Hell, he didnt even meet us on any of our birthdays and didn't on his on birthday too(which was btw a month ago)People meet a week before to collect money and stuff, the worst being people enquiring a great deal and not turning up.(fume)

Two nights before the actual REUNION the venue is decide RAINFOREST after(DAYS INN, MOTIMAHAL DELUX, INDULGE, SHAUNAK'S khali flat, SCHOOL itself and probably more places i am not aware of.)

Come REUNION DAY,
ENTER RAINFOREST LOUNGE: Cute little theme lounge bar-restaurant place with jhaadis ugofying everywhere. The lights made us look NEON.All those people who wore white just lit up and that includes someone's banyan too. Hehehe.

Loads of dancing, hardly any catching up because of the AWESOMELY loud music. DJ was ok played some really really amazing tracks and repeated many (to my dismay) but he gave free shots on the house so that was fun :p

I learnt dancing from my dear friend Abhishek and i made Sid dance(achievement). AShmita and Ali are fun as usual.

Met many many old classmates, people who go way back

Met loads of people MIRALI, SAILI,VIDHI, NATASHA,VARUN,UMESH, AKSHAY,VISHAL1 AND 2,AMRIK,JAVED,SULAIMAN,SUDHIRA,SNEHA,KAUSHIK,ZOHEB, and many more, it isn't possible for me to post each and every name for the fear of forgetting someone.

DANCED THE NIGHT AWAY, LITERALLY ALMOST.

HAD DINNER and waited for dear Neeraj to get Sid's car back. We got late in the bargain but that was one way of getting to have fun past our deadline.

I had a blast! I drank two shots and my really close group called me talli :p and i m still in my senses, See m writing also.

Sid, ass and me left together. The stupid gate of my building, one of which was stuck and the other locked left me really tugging on the one that could have been opened had it not been stuck so bad. So i decided to climb the wall.

I CLIMBED, i jumped and i entered. Reached home and to my luck mom and dad didn't yell at me for reaching at 00:45 am. :) :)

So that was an adventures reunion party. I haven't described it in great detail because i am a little exhausted with the dancing and it is 2:21am right now.

Goodnight people. Will miss my CLASS '04 always!

FOR OLD TIME'S SAKE

2010-03-27T02:43:00.000-07:00

My cycle had been lying untouched for long now. The duration of long is actually defined by some 3 years at least. The reason i even paid attention and got it repaired is because my dad wanted to take it to his work place and give it to the workers to use.
After it was repaired, i decided it was high time for me to start getting up early. The cycle was a motivating factor for me to get up.So, i kept the alarm at night and went to sleep. Next day morning when the alarm rang, i got up and set out for my morning cycle ride after ages.

I turned the key of the lock and instantly felt the rush of blood in my fingers. I sat on the seat and set foot on the pedal, it was heavenly. I instantly remembered the days when my neighbours and i used to go for bike rides early in the morning during our annual summer vacation.

Mid way through the whole morning biking exercise i made some interesting observations:
1.People actually find it weird to see a grown up 20 year old girl (though i don't look it)riding a bicycle in this day and age.

2.For the guys: You should get up early too for your own vested interest.All those of you who want girlfriends at least should. Or the guys who say they appreciate beauty :p. I saw many good looking girls (read:BABES :p :p) leaving for work in the morning.The early birds only will be able to catch the worm. No, kidding guys.

3.All sorts of Mandali people really have no work.

4. There is no timing for bad drivers on the road. They are there 24*7*365 and all you can do is BE CAREFUL!

5.A bicycle without a BELL is like a black and white TV, it loses its
charm. ( I miss doing the TRING TRING routine :( )

All in all the ride was fun.I felt energetic when i returned home and
convinced my dad not to give my bike away JUST YET.

AN ESSAY ON RISHI TALREJA :P

2010-03-01T13:12:00.000-08:00

NAME:RISHI TALREJA
MEANING OF FIRST NAME: SEER/ SAGE

DOB: 10TH AUG 1989

Species: Shockingly he is also Homo Sapien.

Looks: Australopithecus

INTERESTS: DISSECTING EVERYTHING on the face of this earth, Ignoring people,
Whining, Making strange faces.

AIM IN LIFE: To do things that makes him happy.

How to make him happy: Ego massage and mollycoddle. FLATTERY WORKS WELL.

PLACES TO TAKE HIM ALONG: The beach, any beach.

HABITAT: Most of the time lives in the Virtual world.
Is most comfortable with Internet. So much so that he can marry his PC.

Interaction with Humans: Minimal unless assisted by the internet and set in virtual space.

CREATURE TYPE: Nocturnal

MY OPINION: Do not go near unless you mean no harm and are ready to face myriad questions on random bakwass.

RATING: 4/5 because no one is perfect.

Writing about someone you know is easy but writing about someone you don’t really know at all is a challenge. It is more like writing an assignment when you don’t know the basics of a subject. So what do you do?? You obviously Google the topic up, copy from books and if you don’t want to go through the trouble you’d just wait for someone else to write.

In this case my only cheats are his profiles,his blog and he himself. The man hasn’t been of any substantial help so to say. Chatting online just once doesn’t really help a lot you know.

So here goes, My understanding of RISHI.

It was extremely rude of him to have ignored me when I was right there in the canteen once but that’s ok I have come to terms with it. That apart he is an unconventional guy, a guy unlike most I have known in a good way. (Ok, I know his ego chart is expanding exponentially)Of what I have gathered in one and a half day, even though we come from diametrically opposite sun signs there are still things which make us look at situations in life from the same perspective.

From what he describes himself to be, I see a lot of determination. He detests following routines just for the sake of it. A fun person to talk to if you can look beyond your own views. For me it seems natural because we do tend to think in a similar fashion. Extremely good “conversationist”.

I agree he has done his diploma and then joined SIES GST. I do have friends and acquaintances in your class Rishi but I fail to understand how I completely missed out knowing you. I m sure it would have been fun knowing you much before the final semester of engineering.

He loves being mysterious and maybe that’s why he had been hiding all along. (haha) As advocates of Google Talk and haters of Facebook chat, I do really hope we keep in touch long after college ends and new chapters in our life begin.

I also hope you do well with your plans in life (wink wink) and don’t forget to call me to pitch in.

All in all a very interesting Sindhi Papad who deserves a tight Jhapad for Nothing :p(uggh that was bad but the poet in me wanted to show up) A really nice person to know if you like talking random things, analyzing stuff and generally ranting.

One of the very very few intriguing creatures in a ZOO called SIES GST.
I rest my case.
(Pheww, that was tough.)

Michael and Me

2009-09-11T02:20:00.000-07:00

Everyone has something or the other to say about him. Good and bad comments keep flowing in. I was a little kid when this man came to India to perform. I was too little to understand the hoopla behind it all.

I personally enjoyed all his songs and was delighted every time they played the video of”THRILLER" on TV (which was rare with all the new artists bombarding us with their "Talent”). I was introduced to his music by my dad who still has a video cassette of The Jackson 5 safely kept in the drawer.

It was just another day in June and I was getting ready for another day at my internship when I read on a Hindi news channel something about the King of Pop. I didn't pay any heed to it and was too worried about missing my bus to notice.

An hour at the workplace and I am greeted with a message from a friend saying” HAPPY CHILDREN'S DAY, KING OF POP RIP". I am shell shocked and frantically text my friend back asking for an explanation, only to get a rude awakening in the form of a confirmation of MJ's death.

Unable to believe my eyes, I log onto my most trusted website Google and see exactly what I was so afraid of. My mind tells me” Yes, HE IS DEAD." My work is a blur, my mind is cluttered and my ears can hear a medley of "Heal the world, Thriller, Bad, Smooth Criminal..." I wanted to cry but tears never came, not then at least.

The days after saw me reading articles after articles on him. TV channels had unending tribute messages and celebrities talking endlessly about Michael "The Phenomenon, The Man, The Legend". Then came his memorial service, it did to me what the news channels couldn’t. It made me realize that even though I didn’t know this man personally there was something about him that made him CONNECT. Connect not only to me but also to so many millions the world over. It also made me feel for his family and most of all, it made me cry. I wept bitterly; there was a sense of void which couldn’t be filled.

I then became obsessed with everything related to him. I had to read every article having his name, every music video that was aired, every MJ special I watched with the enthusiasm and obedience of a 7 yr old, even to the point that I tried my very best on contests by an RJ friend and won one contest. I jumped up and down when I came to know I won, I shook my mom from her sleep. I went berserk.

One evening there was a Top 40 MJ Videos Special on VH1 on account of Micheal's birth anniversary and David Gest was the presenter. I saw all those videos that I knew by heart all over again only to remind myself how ahead of his times Michael Jackson was. I mean look at "EARTH SONG" the video is a reminder to Save Our PLANET and NOW is the time.

I am not going to delve into his personal life because too much has been said already. My heart refuses to believe that a man who had so much love for everyone (parents, friends and his children) would do horrid things to someone else’s kid.
He was a benevolent personality is what I believe. I guess I will never fully know how much he meant to people, most of all his family and kids. I m not even sure if I will ever truly understand how he has impacted me. His songs have been an emotional rollercoaster; they do to me what Indian family dramas fail to. They make me feel. Make me feel every emotion that there is.

MICHAEL JACKSON always makes me want to be a better human being.

Guess Michael that's THE WAY YOU MAKE ME and many others FEEL.

happy 2nd birthday

2009-06-02T11:16:00.000-07:00

Just a post on my blog sayin that it is two years old. I promise to write back as soon as exams are over or maybe sooner. ;)

HARBOUR LINE

2009-03-14T01:18:00.000-07:00

After a very tiring industrial visit in Lower Parel, Nadi took us (Chappu, Barack and me) to his home. We were at his place at 4 and after a few minutes of watching t.v, we decided against it as there wasn't anything interesting to watch. At chappu's insistence we started playing carrom and i must admit:"I CAN'T PLAY at ALL".After an hour of playing i realised it was time to go home but was worried about the crowd in the train. The boys decided to stay over till dinner and leave at around 10pm.Being a girl i didn't get the privilege to stay back and had to leave immediately because even though the women's 2nd class compartment is not as bad as general during the RUSH HOURS,it isn't any better either.

So Nadi decided to drop me at Sewri station.We hopped into his car while Chappu and Barack waited for him back home. Nadi gave me directions to the station and the platform and as i bought my ticket i watched the empty Belapur bound train go. Panvel being the last stop has more people getting into that train, i had made up my mind to take a train to Vashi or Belapur,definitely not Panvel. I looked at my watch and then looked at the train coming towards me and guess what, Panvel bound it had to be. I took some seconds to decide whether waiting for 10 more minutes was worth it or reaching home early in a crowded train was. I made my choice , i wanted to go home real soon NO matter what. There i was inside the train( me and my bag).

I stood in the aisle and then suddenly a woman sitting in front of me pushed a bit and gave me a place to sit. I thanked her and sat though i felt standing is a lot better than having half yr butt outside the seat. Across the aisle was a woman with her very naughty son.She asked me when Govandi would come. I told her its a station after Kurla and there is a lot of time.I don't travel by train generally. I still trusted what i just blurted not completely though.The very next thing i did was turn back and check the chart of stations stuck above the door. It was in hindi and the font wasn't very clear. A little straining of my eyes did the trick, I read in my mind Sewri, Wadala Road, GTB Nagar, Chunnabhatti, Kurla, Tilak Nagar, Chembur,Govandi.By now we had crossed Wadala Road.(One ,two, three,four,five,six) I looked at her and said "chheh stations ke baad hai Govandi."

At GTB Nagar and Chunnabhatti there were women who just entered the compartment and pointed at you. At this, you are expected to tell them where you are getting off so that these people can sit. Since i am a Mumbai Girl i understand this semi non-verbal form of communication which is very common in all public transport (viz. Buses and Trains) and promptly replied Vashi. I was a mere spectator to their disappointment as i learned they wanted to get off at Mankhurd which is the station before my destination.

KURLA,according to me is one of the most sinister stations ever known. I had a dislike for this place since forever and i hate it even more now (after we [girl pals] got caught in a stampede on the station over brige , i thought i would never survive that day.) This place has mostly fisher folk enter the train and then your nose goes bonkers with all stale fish and rotting vegetables smell mixed with a pint of sweat from their sticky bodies all culminating into a not so nice fragrance of its kind.

The people getting in here are mostly illiterate and therefore conclude that any one who even is slightly off balance and falls on them by mistake is out there to hurt them.

Take for instance this: A woman ( the fisher folk kind) with a whole lot of piercings and super stretched earring holes sitting in the train almost dozing off was slightly nudged by another woman.The nudging being purely due to the inertia of her body against the train which just started moving off the platform of Tilak Nagar.

This is the dialogue that ensued

FF(fisher woman not exactly coz she had no fish) :"Aare,disat nahi kaaa? Dhakka kyon maari?" Itka zorat mala lagla"

FORTUNATELY THE OTHER WAS MAHARASTRIAN TOO

OW(other woman) : "oordu nako, (dont shout) me tumahala dhaaka det navhoti, mala phakta hey bag varti thevache aahe."

FF: "mala lagla, aaree baba"

OW:(to other women) "maine unhe jaan pooch ke nahi maara. Unko thoda sa laga, dekho naa kitna suna rahi hai."

AW: (another woman)"Yeh log aise hi hote hai, aap shaant rahiye, aapki galati nahi hai.Inse mat bhidye"

It was funny but not for them.

After all this we realised we reached Chembur and i asked the woman across the aisle to get ready to get off.She confirmed the station again and took her kid and climbed down after paying Rs. 10 for a pack of fryams for her son.

At Mankhurd there was a really old lady who entered the train and since i got enough place to sit comfortably from Kurla i decided to give her my seat.I promptly offered her my place and went and stood in the centre soon to be pushed by the Orange Vendor woman. She walked with an air which said"My oranges are the best and the sweetest you can find" she did not bargain and said "Lene ka hai toh le lo,nahi toh jao."

I looked out of the bogey and all i could see is the water below, i sensed the end of my journey and after crossing the creek the train came to a sudden halt, i realised my destination is still few minutes away and we had to wait till the signal went green. As soon as the train picked up pace two young girls stood near the door and were discussing their daily routine with pride.

I then saw the white Infotech Park Buildings of the railway station and was all smiles.I felt at home because i was finally HOME.I quickly texted Nadi and thanked him for the fun time we had. I truly enjoyed my chuk chuk gaddi ride on harbour line.

Talking abt fashion

2008-09-28T09:33:00.000-07:00

It was just yesterday when i was at my neighbour's place to check my email . I was about to leave when she told me with a kind of disgust or maybe shock ,could have been disappointment too,"you are still wearing a band", (LIVE STRONG) type."Don't you know its soo out of fashion???" I retorted back with " I know , but i m not wearing it for fashion!Its for a cause , PINK is for breast cancer."

People indulge in all kinds of fads.The only thing is every thing is short lived.The attention of a consumer is only as long as any regular advertisement on TV.What i fail to understand is why do we have to part take in this kind of a drama.Who judges us and our choice of clothes and accessories.Who are these people to brand something COOL or UNCOOL. Its all about perception.

India is a free country and everyone is free to do what they feel ,say what they want or wear what they like.So what if its out of fashion. Celebrities donate money not always because it is good to do so.Chances are they might do it because they get publicity for it.

So no matter what u call me - girly , old fashioned or whatever else , i ll still wear my band. :D

And I m back!!

2008-07-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

I know its been really long since i last put up a post . I was waiting for my exams to get over but little did i know that the very day my exam gets over my loyal computer will leave my side . The computer technician took days to install the new motherboard and the cabinet , then it was a series of calls to the ISP , THE TECHNICIAN to solve my "COMPUTER-JI's" problem. After which began the wait ,(which ofcourse is the most bugging part) till those people actually came over to check .
Different guys came and did different things to my computer in a bid to get it connected to the internet, they presumed it couldn't be a LAN CARD problem because two new lan cards were installed. They meddled with everything, cut the wire but did not crimp it properly - crimping problem was solved over 3 days (as they didn’t turn up the previous 2 days), finally we got hold of one of the guys to check whether the net problem was due to the lan card and so it was. Again the technician came checked the card, installed a new one which he did after taking my CPU away from me for 2 days. All of this drama took over a month which left me feeling like an orphan for this whole time , I say this because I feel I have adopted WIKIPEDIA , there was a time I used to go up to my parents if I needed to know something but they are human after all and wiki is a know-it-all.
Dear WIKI ,orkut ,all my mailboxes and last but not the least my blog , I missed u all soo much .I cant believe i lived without the internet for over a whole month. IT JUST FEELS GREAT TO BE BACK.... WOOO HOOO!!!!!!!!!

BATS

2008-01-18T21:50:00.000-08:00

I penned this down somewhere in mid october 2007 , I was up late at night studying for my forth coming examinations and that is when i noticed something stir up the silence , outside . This is what i saw through my window ...

When the lights go out ,
In the dark of the night,
This creepy creature -
Comes into foresight.
On trees it looks so small and fragile ,
But when it flies , it is super agile .

From branch to branch and tree to tree;
It moves so swiftly though it cant see.

It cries in frequencies we cannot hear ,
the sight of it just makes us fear .

It cuts through the silence and creates a din
Ignoring it seems like such a sin.

Alas! it has flown away,
The serenity is here to stay .

That was a BAT ,
caught in its act .

GOD LOVES U

2007-06-19T12:09:00.000-07:00

Sunday mass can be awkward , weird, inspiring ,insightful ,thought provoking,mind boggling or just plain boring or may be just something you might agree or disagree with , if you are paying attention and listening .Every sermon given by the priest will generate one of the above reactions.

God has his ways of connecting to you . YES , YOU!! I have observed it and it has worked for me .Sometimes the signs are subtle , the blink and miss type and sometimes they are really LOUD and clear . Quite a few times , I have been bothered by issues which maybe dont even count now , but then they were matters which MATTERED then . SO ,yes i was worried and anxious about things I dont even remember now. As I type this i m trying to recollect but in vain . I remember clearly ,I went for mass with my mind cluttered with all that crap and suddenly the priest gives references to something pertaining to what i was worried about .( I swear i cant remember what it is ) and ohh, all of a sudden my ears stick up and I actually listen to the remaining sermon quite attentively and yea , my heart feels lighter and the mind is free.

I am amazed how this happens , it cant be mere coincidences. I read somewhere that "IF something happens once , it might not necessarily happen again , but if it happens for the second time , be sure it will happen for the third time ."I ve got my answers more than once ,during Sunday Mass. I believe there are answers to our questions everywhere .Its just a matter of looking around and taking note of all that is happening around you . You can get lost in the hustle-bustle of the city but the more observant you are ,the more startling revealations will be and they 'll get you to hilarious incidents to cherish.

So next time you feel low, go to the church/temple or just about anywhere, the local market,a garden , take a walk to the mall -go on a shopping spree(if it works for u ),binge eat , listen to music and if nothing works out GO TO SLEEP and you just might wake up with the realization that GOD LOVES YOU , and you problem might look insignificant , just be POSITIVE ...it helps ..Have a GOOD DAY

THATS THE WAY IT IS

2007-06-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

I AM DIFFERENT ,oh yes , i really am ,trust me !! Different than most other girls my age . When they are busy matching accessories to clothes and right shade of lipstick to their shoes , I , am busy on my own trip.

I have made my choices in life and some pretty tough ones . I always detest being like anyone else on the face of this earth. I am different only because i choose to be that way. I realized this when i went ahead and took admission for a course no one had even heard of .The fact of the matter is that it is a new course and not everyone is ready to risk their career for the sake of individuality . SECURITY and MONEY are the things that people look for in a potential career option.

I m not just mere flesh and blood. I m more of soul , the spirit of the person is more important to me than the brand he/she sports or the mascara she wears or the deo he sprays. Some people cant digest my attitude but i like being this way. My being this way has gotten me into trouble at times .I have been snubbed at by people .I dont say that the choices i have made were always right . Life is about making mistakes and rectifying them , SO WHY BE AFRAID ..

They say , "A person is known for the choices he /she makes " .SO be different , be bold , be crazy, be weird , just be yourself and stand by your ideas and conviction , coz if u aint convinced no one else will be .
Its your faith in yourself that will see you though difficult times , the people around you are just characters of a play who will leave the stage when they finish playing their part ,but its you who has to move forward , the show must go on and there are no two ways about it .
That's really the way it is ........

ITS NEVER TOO LATE TO BLOG (when fro inspires, lol)

2007-06-02T03:23:00.000-07:00

I always have been fascinated by the art of blogging. Always wanted to have a blog of my own but lazy as I can be, never really bothered signing up n getting started .

Finally 2ND JUNE 2007 -the day arrives . ME - doin my usual stuff online i.e. checking my orkut ,chatting with pals and ofcourse doing my research on GOOGLE. Today's interest was IEEE. Was just browsing through their site ,trying to find a connection between IEEE and my college SIESGST . So I put IEEE SIESGST as my query on google n viola i get my results , 4 ,to be precise. I randomly look thorugh all and the last one caught my eye. It was a link to my college senior's blog Nikhil J aka FRO. Always seen him in college but we never spoke. The guy is famous in college for various reasons , and was rechristened as FRO in college . Just a few days ago I happened to ask his batchmates and one my good friend Akshay on how the Fro name came up .I came to knw that the now really sober looking guy had CRAZY hair, really curly (AFRICAN TYPES) and so he came to be known as AFRO which then was abbreviated to Fro. LOL.
So,yes, there I was reading his blog , n must say it was inspiring .Not that he had super inspirational and GODLY suff in it ,it was the general day to day things he had written about and the fact that I actually knew some of the people mentioned in his blog made it more endearing .
So thats how i "got INSPIRED "in SIDDHARTH'S words , to publish my 1st post in my 1st proper BLOG and btw THANKS , Nikhil ,umm FRO.