Sneak Peek

New Generation Faith

2009-08-05T14:29:00.002+05:30

“Kids these days…absolutely not religious...they have lost their way in this world…being religious is not as they say “kool” “

hear some grandmothers,especially the ones who have a local evening meetup thing going everyday, and this is something that you will find many of them complaining. But I beg to differ. You can just say that youngsters these days are less religious. They are just choosing to follow a different religion altogether. They need to understand that and accept it. They need to live with the fact and understand that we have a different rituals and rites that we perform. Let me detail it out, so as to prove that my statement is not wrong. And you will find that many many many people in “hip-hop” generation of today follow these rituals ..religiously…

every weekend they get up as soon as the clock strikes 8 ..okie this is something that you guys need to cut them some slack for..these guys work their ass off the whole week to ensure that they earn enough and hold onto their jobs..capitalism is more rampant now a days than in your times. After waking up they religiously plan the next 12 hours completely. Every minute is important. They decide not to waste a single min. The extent of detail of such plans would even put the best of the strategists to shame. Ask these “kids” to share it with your sometimes. Being a stickler for good hygiene they freshenup. Like good well behaved individuals they take a head bath,and dress in their best attire. And yes like olden days they do apply a lot of pastes made out of natural fruits and other nature’s gifts on their head and begin their journey.

They donot embark on this religious quest alone. They gather all the likeminded devotees of their faith and together begin the journey to their temple. Also not they use a common mode of transport (highlighting their concern for the environment). They utilize the journey to exchange notes and discuss the plan that they had made individually. Seamlessly without much hue and cry..the many detailed and extensive plans merge into one. All stakeholders are satisfied..and the process is quick…so quick and so efficient that directors of companies sitting in their board rooms can learn, the process of integration, from them.

They soon arrive at their temple. They have strict rules about your conduct and attire at the premises, so strict that the ancient orthodox Brahmins would be put to shame.the doorman is instructed with the act of restricting the entry to guests who donot comply with the religious dictat. The devotees strictly enter the temple and start the rituals. They begin with waiting for the main saint to enter. He starts with some soft chants which ensure that the devotees get into the mood to pray. The number or devotees soon increases and then as the clock strikes 10...and darkness sets in outside …the devotees all gulp 2-3 mouthfulls of barley extracts and then embark on their religious journey. They sway in praise of their leaders..they leave behind all their inhibitions and attain a peaceful state of mind. Soon the clock 12..and religious fanatics, their biggest fanatics, arrive. Being the peaceful race, the devotees end their prayer and begin their journey backs to their humble abode. But they take the longer route back as they come to terms with the sanity that exists in the world around them, and also return to the same state of mind with which they left their homes..

This is a ritual they follow every week.. so please consider this religion.look at its ethos and tenants and yeah join in .you are always welcome !!!

Discovering god!!!

2009-05-26T10:56:00.001+05:30

Swami got up today to the sound of the truck honking. How he wished that one day people in this world would stop reading newspapers and the shop at the corner would shut down. The early morning truck would always be his alarm clock. He got up and stashed his sack,his only protection in the cold,rain & the only comfort that he had access to , and pillow made out of old clothes into the corner behind the shop. He got up. The shopowner would soon be coming down and he didn’t like “a meanace”,that’s what he called him, around.

He quickly started walking to the nearby water tank to freshen up. On his way back he crossed a temple. He neared the gate of the temple, then he thought to himself, what is the point. God really doesn’t exist. He went and met a few of his fellow street kids at a nearby ground. They were all in a very sad mood as one of their friends was hospitalized after a shopowner beat him up for stealing an apple. Swami was also very distressed on hearing about this. They all were rueing the fact that their lives was so ful of hardship. It was at this very moment that they heard of the bells ringing at the end of the early morning aarthi at the temple. One of his friends Raju suggested, “ why don’t we go to the temple today, definitely god will hear our worries and help us out”

Swami, who was already troubled and worried suddenly burst out, “ There is no god…”

All the others were stunned. They always believed that god would always be there to help them. But why did swami suddenly stop believing in god. Swami retorted,” he never helps us”

Swami went on, “where is god when I am sleeping in the night under the shade of the corner shop shivering in the cold. Where is he when the shopkeeper beats me up for sleeping near his shop in the night. The old man who comes to the temple everyday in his big white car, donates some thousands everyday in the hundi, but he never even shares a single rupee with us.what is it that god wants, some thousands of rupees or the happiness of his devotees. They hotel owner throws away so much food everyday but if we take an apple, he beats us up. The govt school where we used to study, now doesn’t have a teacher to teach. There is no god …if he were there why doesn’t he help us.”

He was fed up and started walking towards the corner tea stall, so that he could buy a a bun, his daily breakfast, from his yesterday’s savings. He seats himself at the corner of a bench. An old man was sitting next to him and having a cup of tea. Swami was lost in his thoughts. Suddenly when he turned he saw the the guy sitting next to him had left but had forgot his wallet behind. He quickly picked it up and went running out to find the guy. He saw him getting into a white car. He reached the car panting just before it was about to speed away. The owner of the car, Mr Nathan, was thankful to swami. He bought him an elaborate breakfast and started chatting with him.

Swami was hungry and started stuffing himself. Swami told him his life story and how he had ended up on the streets. How he had to give up his dream of studying and all. Mr Nathan asked him if he would want to come with him and stay and study at his place. Swami was shocked. He was not sure what to say, but on Mr Nathan’s insistence he joined him at his place. Swami lived with the Nathan’s. Mrs Nathan was a very kind lady and took care of Swami very well. All his needs were taken care of. They took care of him like their own son.

Swami was a great student and went on to college after finishing high school. Today is Swami’s graduation. He sat there waiting for his name to be called. He was reflecting back on his life. He never forgot the day he had encountered Mr Nathan. He was eternally grateful to both Mr & Mrs Nathan for all that they did for him. Swami was now sure there is god..definitely…there is god…

In the crowd waiting for Swami to come to the stage, Mrs Nathan said to Mr Nathan, “ I am so happy today…Swami has done me proud.” Mr Nathan added, “ Yes, if only I had not decided to take go that tea shop that day, I would have continued to remain the old man who donates thousands in the hundi only” both Mr & Mrs Nathan smiled.

The war we fight every week!!!

2009-05-20T06:20:00.000+05:30

The clock strikes 5 …early morning dew has spread itself across every blade of grass..the birds are starting to chirp….early morning ….people are starting their daily routine…the warrior rises from his slumber…tired and exhausted..he is physically broken but mentally he is preparing for battle..he doesn’t like wars that he fights every day….he rises from his bed reluctantly…starts to prepare mental strategy for survival…every muscle in his body aches…every movement causes pain…he manages to get ready and put on his gear…he picks up his weapon and mounts his chariot….slowly he starts moving towards the battle ground….he reaches close to the venue…but decides to fight with the cavalry that day..slowly he dismounts from his chariot…adjusts his gear and weapons….slowly but steadily he makes his way to the area of action…every step seems like eternity….every step is slow and deliberate..he is thinking of his family & friends who are back home waiting for him to return..he is thinking of his endeavours in the past few days…he is thinking about life and the strange twist of fate…he is thinking of the way to impress his king…he is thinking of how to achieve glory….as he nears the venue his pace drops….every step forward is now a humoungous challenge…it takes all the strength in his body to keep moving…he realizes how much he dislikes the act of war…he wants to drop his weapon and return…but he cannot betray his kingdom…and he fears the wrath of the king as well…his throat is dry..he craves for the magic potion for survival..he wants to take swigs of it and revive himself….he finally reaches the area…suddenly there is a slap on his back….. “ hey dude..how was your weekend…..all set for a week full of work..here have a cup of coffee…”

World movies...A treasure chest of world movies

2009-02-25T13:01:00.002+05:30

Its been ages since I have actually sat in front of the television and had a marathon movie session. But last Friday I was tired..completely exhausted and wanted to do nothing over the weekend but sit, watch movies, hog on pizzas and have a great time. So Friday night I began the marathon. Sat on the couch and started channel surfing looking for some good movies to watch. Recently moved to a different package on the set top box and hence there were a lot more channels that were on offer, showing movies in all kinds of languages.

I had not seen world movies ever before. And stopped my surfing on World movies. I had heard a lot about this channel. Since there was nothing else to do…decided that “Jules Et Jim” the French movie was the first in my series. The movie was about a touching tale of friendship and love. (Well it could be called a chick flick of the 60’s) but yeah somehow kept me glued to it till the end.

It was during this movie that I realized that the movies that were telecasted on this channel are of different genres from different parts of the world. Extremely new and some good classics

It was a refreshing change from the star movies and HBOs. This one was definitely one of its kind. Intrigued I checked up on the TV guide for the following week. Some of the awesome movies that is available for your viewing pleasure

1. The Killer

Director Cédric Anger delves into the seedy side of the world’s most romantic city in this Parisian psychological thriller. Gilbert Melki is Leo Zimmerman, an astute and wealthy businessman whose shady deals make him the mark of cool faced hit-man, Dimitri Kopas (Gregoire Colin). Leo strikes a gentleman’s agreement with Kopas, giving him a few extra days to organise a money fund for his wife Sylvia (Sophie Cattani) and eight-year-old daughter, before his life is taken. Melanie Laurant plays Stella, a prostitute hired to distract Kopas.

The Killer journeys into a world of paranoia, mistrust and human compassion with a grey and wintry Paris in the background. With both men watching their backs, a strange relationship develops between assassin and mark as Kopas’s professional detachment becomes clouded by a strange kind of empathy. Dark cinematography gives the film a cold and gritty feel to accompany strong performances from the entire cast, including a small but important role by Xavier Beauvois (Female Agents)

2. A Touch of Spice

Blending romance and cuisine with just a pinch of early Greek and Turkish culture, A Touch Of Spice has been billed as Greece’s answer to Like Water For Chocolate. One of the most popular Greek films of all time, this bittersweet coming-of-age story explores themes of cultural displacement with sensitivity and gentle humour. Evocative, nostalgic and full of mouth-watering delicacies, A Touch Of Spice is a delectable delight!
Structured, like a good meal, into courses, we first meet young Fanis in the ‘appetiser.’ A young Greek boy living with his family in Istanbul, every day is filled with lessons in life and culinary wisdom from his philosophical, spice merchant grandfather. But tensions between Greece and Turkey mean that Fanis’ family must leave for Greece on short notice. Fanis’ grandfather, however, stays behind. Flash forward to Athens in 1964 – the ‘main course’ – and Fanis is showing real talent as a cook. He still daydreams of his grandfather and his best friend Saime, a Turkish girl, however, and the beautiful city of Istanbul they left behind. Thirty-five years later – ‘desserts’ – Fanis, now a successful professor of astrophysics, finally returns to Istanbul where his grandfather is mortally ill.
One movie that you could watch is “echo”. This movie from Denmark showcases the relationship between a father and his son. The protagonist kidnaps his son after losing a custody battle and takes him to a quiet location where he spends his last vacation with his son, bonding and building on his relationship with him. This is a must watch for all nature photographers cause of the beautiful location that movie was shot in. Also the acting by the protagonist is amazing. I don’t know the name of the actor, but it was very good. I would strongly recommend that you watch this movie.

Other than that, I can assure you that the channel has earned a loyal audience in me and am looking forward to watching those amazing movies from the various corners of the world on this. People who have not yet seen it or have not hooked onto it, kindly do so.

Yeah and will put in my reviews of those movies everytime I find a good one 

Back bencher's world

2008-12-19T11:21:00.006+05:30

He sat there and dreamt. The teacher was far away and the loud voice sounded like a whisper in his dreamy world. He was dreaming a story, a story that would at once rejuvenate and bring out the lightness of being.He smiled as he thought of the innumerable possibilities of his story unconstrained by the demands of the real world. His story had warmth and simplicity yet was not boring.His teacher spoke of grammar and he let go off all that he had trouble understanding. He stepped easily around troubles and gently walked into an independent world without cause and effect.

When the English lecture ended, he came out of it untouched. He had managed to preserve his innocence.It was all about proofs in geometry. He had a simple mind that believed everything and never required proof. He created fantastic shapes and structures in his mind. His mind drew a straight line from his school to his fantasy.He was scolded repeatedly but the scolding magically became soft whispers. And he replied without preparation, sometimes with a smile. The teacher had given up on him and that too disappeared in his fantasy.

Geometry inspired him to dream of fantastic cities with buildings with no centers of gravity and bridges that could appear and disappear.Chemistry inspired magic in him. He turned things to gold. Fires were magically put out and cures for all ills were created. Colorful fumes emanated from substances but never caused harm.But he failed to answer simple questions. His story was continuing through the chemistry lecture. He was creating energy potions that were available only to good men and miraculously stayed away from the reaches of bad people.

During history, the loud teacher whispered about governments and empires. He merrily turned his story to create independent people with no governments. There was no army because the bad people never had a chance in his story. He happily replaced a history of conquests and hero worship with his own version of continuous happiness. Everything fitted easily.

His story continued on to the physics lecture. Here he was at his best. He created cars and trains that consumed no energy and merrily crossed each other with no accidents. Cities connected to each other instantly.

He created the final episodes of his story as he made his way to the principal’s office. He sleepwalked his way through the school corridors all the while smiling.

In his story he abolished punishment. All beings became equal. Life was easy and meant thinking exactly what one wanted without any additions or subtractions. The principal punished him again. He smiled. He always stepped around difficulties. His imaginary life merged with reality the moment he came near his best friend. And for a while real life became fantastic and as the two friends walked in circles around the school ground they grabbed at the real world with hunger.

At night he finished his homework. All the while the dreams continued. Homework became an adventure created out of his free will. His struggles became monumental. He was the hero struggling against demonic concepts.The next day he walked dreamily to school, a small figure carrying a big load. He reached out to grab leaves from low hanging branches and he brushed the bushes with his hand.

Then the miracle happened. The English teacher was touched by his far away expression and started teaching dreams, undefined and elusive dreams. He moved from the last bench to the front.

Rat race to the top of the pyramid!!!

2008-10-30T21:20:00.000+05:30

"The first step of reaching the top is getting through the crowd at the bottom"

How often we think to cross one level of competition, and be assured that rest of the going would be smooth, just to realize that competition has just increased !
As a child we often didn't know what we are headed for. Later on we make a decision, usually the one that would lead to something more comfortable later in life, or colloquially "do this, and then there is fultoo aish".

As a child I used to think that if I get good grades in school, life would be comfortable. Maybe comfortable meant "bed of roses" to me. In engineering, all the old school style of competition seemed somewhat trivial ! Bt still there is a big fight to get those coveted jobs, but again, on reaching "there", we often end up realizing that just to be ahead of the crowd, you have to compete a lot. During those job/graduation days it is a dream to get into any of the coveted b schools leading to a wonderful "bed of roses" type life. But again it is the same old competition, of the kind we had earlier, but much more fierce, with much more to win and much more a stake. All those "old" competition might now seem insignificant.

But still ... whether we like it or not, that's the truth. As we move higher and higher the intensity of competitiveness. If I land up at some dream job from here, to an outsider it may seem as an end - a comfortable life with success guaranteed. But the one actually facing the music may realize that competition has just increased manifold. And as that chap moves up the hierarchical pyramid, he may realize that the competition for the next level is now manifold.

That reminds me of the process of selection of Jack Welsh's successor as the CEO of GE. All seemed to be absolutely fantastic, the margin for the final "winner" was almost negligible. Drawing inference from this, one can guess how competitive it would be as one moves up the career. And from the top looking in retrospect, all may seem so inconsequential. Maybe the school or graduation was a cakewalk, as the person may think.

Maybe, getting ahead of the lot to succeed in competition may seem to be a tough ask as of now, but that may not be even a small part of the things to come and if it is just only about comfort without competition, it may just a form of manifestation of mediocrity.

Gymania!!!

2008-10-06T09:08:00.002+05:30

Well I must admit, for the past few months I have been lazing around a lot. More of a sedentary lifestyle, as a result of which I have added a few (ehem!!) extra pounds. So now that I got settled in this new city, I decided to do something about it and went ahead and joined a gym. Yes it is true. I have joined a gym. My friends refuse to believe me but yes I have. They say this is as big as maneka Gandhi wearing fur or something like that. This is a very very interesting world I must say, the gym I mean. Finding a gym which is close to my house was a top priority as I was sure I would give up if I had to travel a small distance, as travelling 80km to and fro from work was enough travel for a day. So after lot of effort and time I found a suitable gym.

Last week I walked into this gym, a little classy I must say. The receptionist was very helpful and did most of the paperwork and gave me a membership card and explained to me all the dos and donts of the gym. I walked away from the place feeling triumphant inspite of the fact that it left a huge hole in my pocket. I will keep this part very short cause don’t really remember most of it. It was more of a spur of a moment thing. Just had this urge to start excercising and went ahead and joined a gym before I changed my mind. And now that a financial commitment was made, it has ensured that I go to the gym regularly for the past 7 days.

The first day, I came back from office in the evening and decided to hit the gym. Walked down to the gym, armed with the essential waterbottles and towels. Now I must admit, what I saw next was a different world all together. I have in the past week come across different kind of people in this world. I would like to introduce you to them

The first kinds are obviously the serious guys. They take their workouts very seriously. They religiously visit the gym everyday. They are guys whose bodies are in great shape, and dedicated sportspersons. They are very content with their established routine. They come and quietly go ahead doing their excercises, occasionally helping out others who ask them for help with some weights. I was asked to tag along with one of them who would introduce me to the various excercises on my card. He patiently took me through them and also corrected me a few times. He didn’t speak much. Just the occasional word cautioning me on how I was using the incorrect method.

Next come the heavy weights. They are the second kind of people who come to the gym religiously as they desperately want to reduce weight. But the problem is they act as if they own the gym. Just because they have been long time members they scorn upon every new comer, it is like they check out every individual who comes in, as if we need their approval to join the place. Ran into one of them and the conversation was as follows.

“You seem to be new here”

“Yes”

After the initial pleasentaries. They got down to business.

"you have to loose weight. You are fat man”

Okie now I know that I am a little fat!! But this coming from a guy who was atleast double my size I was like …dddduuuuuddddeeee!!!!!

These are the kind of people who would be keeping a closer eye on how much you have lost or gained. So if you ever want a history of your progress, ask them!!

The third kinds, and god save you from them, are the ones who are decently built. Not really the bodybuilders but the ones who can pass off as athletic. They are the ones who give the maximum gyan. They would be keeping an eye on everyone who excercises and keep correcting the people. They would be the ones who would interrupt every time and ask you to sit straight, correct posture, increase speed... and they wont stop at that, it will be followed by what is the science behind it. How it helps more? How it is more effective? How the other way is harmful? They are more bugging than my professors in college. Atleast there I could sleep in the back benches, here it is like the 7up ad that they are airing on television now a days. One thing you need to note is that these people would always talk about weights in pounds and repetitions. You might think that they are knowledgeable but the actual reason is that the first page of google search yields only European sites which use those measures to describe exercises.

The fourth kind, man they are the google powered aunties!!! They are the ones who would be armed with all the latest knowledge about the diseases that man can get by leading the sedentary life. Also high on their list is the latest diets which have been released by various labs, and how much calories they have. they will easily tell you how much calories you intake everyday based on yoru diet and also will recommend a good diet which is easy to make. The dieticians and nutritionists should be careful as they might soon become unemployed.

There is one other kind as well. Who believe that the gym is a hunting ground. They are called the gym Romeos (they are actually reffered to by that term by the girls who come to the gym). They are the guys who would come occasionally and they would make all the hue and cry before starting to exercise. It is like they prepare themselves and announce to the whole world that they are starting to exercise. They would then scout for a place next to a good looking gal and then try and get the machine closest to her or in worst case scenario try and stay in their line of sight. There would be a remarkable similarity in their exercise routine with that of the girl they like. And yeah some of the uncles also belong to the group. They would happily oogle away to glory :) and generally these romeos tend to hunt in packs.

There are other kinds as well but haven’t really been to gym long enough to get dope on them as well: P

Let’s just hope I keep going long enough to get to know the other species as well!!

Fear!!!

2008-09-11T15:40:00.003+05:30

Fear has a stilling sound, like when dad and mum left her alone at home on a windless night, when nothing stirred. She felt it now, trapped on the 6th floor in a flat with lovely windows that had been thrown open, regardless of the mosquitoes, but still felt claustrophobic with the crush of imaginary possibilities.

Fear smelt of singed feathers, like when the pigeon had been caught in the air-conditioning. She smelt it now even though her flat had no air conditioning. She smelt it and felt her hair to see if she had somehow set it on fire, while sitting here in the dark, next to the candle, waiting for the power to come back on.

The touch of fear was familiar yet unsolicited. Like the obese stranger with lecherous eyes sighing with longing against her neck in a crowded bus. She could feel that unwelcome touch gently but surely raising the hair on her arms now.

Fear tasted like blood, sudden and taboo. You never expected to encounter the taste, but it made itself known on your tongue and you wondered if in acknowledging the taste, you had branded yourself anomalous. She tasted that forbidden flavor as her eyes adjusted to the dark and she watched, unblinking, the seconds hand on her bedside clock jerking silently on invisible strings.

Fear felt like the heavy, sodden shame of self-soiled clothes. It was the result of an instinctual reaction to threatening stimuli — inevitable, but no less disgusting and never to be spoken about, except in casual slang that lacked the benefit of true experience. She felt its weight choking her like her scarf wrapped around her neck and tugged simultaneously in opposite directions by the surging masses in the train.

Fear looked like the image that rippled across her eyelids just before sleep came. If she had more time, she’d probably recognize it and name it, but always, always, the healing oblivion of sleep chased away that dark image. But now, her eyes were wide open, the eyelids with their images drawn away like the curtains on the rod behind her, and yet she saw.

No books, no TV, no music, no sleep, no company, no distractions, just a weak candle. While with a silent drum roll, all her formless thoughts shrugged off the debris of their quick unceremonious burial, gathered their sensory arsenal, and marched forward, towards her…

New Age Cupids!!!

2008-08-14T09:44:00.002+05:30

Arranged marriages have been around in India as long as probably the institution of marriage itself. Aunts, who are called "aunties" in India, have always played an intrinsic and pivotal role in it, from its conception to implementation. As times have progressed, they have proved that they can adapt to the changing times by updating themselves with the latest jargons, terminologies and sometimes even, technologies, necessary to perform this 'task'. The underlying task here is, of course, "arranging" a marriage. Darwin would very keenly have noted that, the species of aunts in India are the very epitome of human adaptation to an ever-changing social environment. Indeed, if nature ever prided itself for its "natural selection", it would definitely be its selection of genes that has helped propagate the aunts' species from stone age into space age and beyond.
Of course, the aunts themselves do not think much of their accomplishment. For them the task of arranging comes as naturally as breathing (does not include cases where one has respiratory problems). Expert socio-psychologists had earlier speculated that may be this task is more of a hobby. How wrong they were! More recent studies have shown that it's not a hobby. A hobby, by definition, is a pastime activity. It ceases to be one, when all they ever think of, and do is search for a suitable partner, follow it by match-making, before arranging the wedding. Having taken care of the victim, they then proceed nonchalantly to the next victim. The task is much akin to a rugged, well-oiled mechanical machine that processes, packages and labels, before dispatching off the final product, while the next one is already ready in line for processing...
Now, if you actually want to know what goes into accomplishing this task, all that can be said is that you must be an aunt yourself. It's impossible for outsiders a.k.a "non aunts" to comprehend, let alone speculate this complex, alchemical process that the aunts concoct to accomplish this task. No outsider has ever been able to penetrate the secret inner walls of their elite community. A few imposters who tried to fake and get into their circle have been dispatched off with severe warnings.
Now these aunties are always on the prowl. The number of single females they know is much higher than what a college going roadside Romeo would. But we must hand it to them, that they do their research very thoroughly.
Now the fascination of the west has also got to these ladies. They hunt for potential matches in US or states as they wish to call them. If the guy lives in India or is working here, the immediate assumption they make is something is wrong with him. How could he not make it to any university (well maybe they are not aware of the amazing opportunities that exist in our own country) similarly a gal who is from “states” is also subjected to a more thorough interrogation
Now where is the place where they assemble to have an interaction? Well they do meet at the most auspicious occasion, where their months of harwork and co-ordiantion has finally been realized. That’s right, at marriages.
Well so if you are a single guy/gal at any of such occasions then BEWARE!! You might just be subjected to a lot of questions. You would be interviewed by a lot of people, and my friend!! You would have signed up as a potential suitor without you even knowing it
Aunty: hello!!
Boy: Hello aunty!!
Aunty: how are you doing? Done with studies beta!!
Boy: Yes aunty. Finished two months back
Aunty: ohh so now you are working ehh? Which company?
Boy: ABC
Aunty: ohh that is a big MNC isn’t it? Good so you are settled? (Now this is a subtle way to check the financial status of the boy)
Boy: yes aunty!!
Aunty: that is nice beta!! Enjoy yourself... have you parents come?
Boy: yes aunty! They are sitting upstairs.
A very very innocent conversation, it may seem to you. But nope my friend, you have just been checked into the lot of potential suitors. Gals might have to face a little more of these questions about their finesse in cooking and other fields which they expect the “sundar sushil ladki” to have.
Now once the wedding is on and the hunt for the new talent pool has ended. Then begins the meeting.
Two aunties would then settle themselves in some corner and the chat will begin.
“Oh so how are you enjoying yourself”
“Preety good so far. Have you met rajesh?”
“Rajesh!! Who Mr Rao’s son?”
“Yes. He has finished his Masters and is now working with a software company in the states”
“Oh!! I didn’t know that he was that old already!”
“Yes!! He is”
“You have his details?? I have been looking for a match for Cousin’s husband’s niece”
Then begins the very tedious process of exchanging details. If the aunty is convinced about his background then begins the arranging of the meeting.
Sometimes when they realize that the potential suitor is not mentally ready to take the plunge, they decide to prepare him
Now mind you, the guy is a happy go lucky guy who is just come to marriage since it is a family event. He is happily working and has no plans to get married anytime in the near future.
After the initial pleasentaries
Aunty: so how long have you been working?
Boy: its been three years aunty.
Anuty: so any promotions?
Boy: yes aunyt I recently got promoted
Aunty: so your salary would have increased. Good now you are ready to setlle down.
This is where the alarm bells start ringing for the poor guy. He starts thinking, “ settle down?? What does she mean?”
Aunty (to another aunty): Soon he will get a bride and happily start his family
Boy (thinking to himself): shit man!! Marriage…noooooooo...Not anytime soon
Aunty: have you met smita, beta
Boy: no aunty.
Aunty: she too has joined a software company. You should meet her, and give her some tips. She is a very nice gal. She was a gold medalist in her college.
Boy (thinking to himself): shit so she is the one. Man topper and all...a geek...Nooooo
How do you escape from such a situation? Well this is what many people are trying to figure out.
So people, I hope you are now better prepared to face the impending danger!!
But as the aunties say, “YOU CAN RUN BUT YOU CANT HIDE”

Games people play

2008-08-06T13:07:00.000+05:30

Recently I revised the book games people play..applying that to the workplace scenario here are some observations:

Well I am no veteran of the Corporate world …this is just my first job. But one thing I believe as a true HR manager is people are the most complex resource to manage in this whole world. The reason being their actions are guided by many ulterior motives. Now a days you willl most of the organizations emphasizing on the team work approach. Organization are flatter and leaner. Generally bosses are very friendly and are very helpful. But this is a recent phenomenon. Not all organization have actually managed to make this transition and the ones which have done so have also not done it completely. The veterans might or might not have adopted this change.
So what changes has this teamwork and lean organization structures brought about? It is just the front end of the conversation that has changed. Now employees are generally very friendly. The message that is sent across is the same as the old times but the method of communication is different

Well let me help you with some illustrations:

In meetings you will now a days find that the use singular pronouns like “you” “I” etc has reduced. It is all about we. But please donot be fooled by this word “we”. If you sit thinking that it is we who will work then it will be a problem. It means YOU . start working my friend cause WE in this case clearly means YOU.

Also during meetings you will find another phrase that is used generally, “we are working on it…”. Well the meaning is “ sorry boss!! Nothing has started will do something and let you know later”

Another response is, “I will have to get back to you on that one ...” which also has the same theme as above.

During meetings you might be thrilled when phrases like, “you have done a good job…” This is very good, since this does indicate that you have lived up to the expectations of the project but also has an underlying message saying “you will be given more work .so enjoy”

Another phrase, “I think there is a slight miscommunication” well this actually means “I lied to you”

“We are progressing well but need a slight extension of a deadline” is a very polite way of saying “ the project is screwed and I think we need to extend the deadlines or else it is not happening”

Teams will often come and say, “we had our differences of opinion” this actually means that they have had a fight about it.

“ I think we have to find out the real reason for the problem.” This is like saying ..you screwed up and let me tell you where

Generally when things are going wrong you will see people saying “ we are a team” ..haha..but it generally means that I am not the one who is to be blamed

“This is actually a very good question”.this mostly means...I have no clue about it so give me a few minutes to help come up with something sensible to say. Generally answers which begin with this statement are global in the beginning and slowly approach the point in hand

All the best generally means trouble is brewing so god help you :)

I believe this has helped you actually understand the various nuances of human interactions and hence I belive that you will subscribe to my view that managing human resources is a very difficult task. Cause understanding them is the toughest jod in the organization.
so armed with this info storm your offices and take on your work head on… hope everyone does well and has a good time working :)

2008-08-05T14:49:00.000+05:30

Chennai!!!!!

Well finally my stay at the apparently hip- hop city of Bangalore has come to and end. I have moved to my new posting in the south. I have reached CHENNAI!!!!!

Okie, now people might think that it is not a big deal but lemme tell you there are a lot of things that make it special here.

Firstly since the time we joined MBA, the lure of the corporate management job is the only thing on the guy/gal’s mind. Generally one gets postings in the metros like Mumbai ( where you would find more than half of your classmates), Bangalore and gurgaon ( the IT hubs and India’s answer to silicon valley). The least preffered destinations in Chennai (not for the natives of tamil nadu of course, who jump with joy at the thought of saving the house rent by staying at home)

You generally are looked at sympathetically if you say that you are placed in Chennai. The conversation would go somewhat like,

“Where are you placed dude?”

“XYZ company”

“Wow!!! Dude that is a great place..amazing work environment and great salaries as well. Which city would you be posted in?”

“Chennai”

“Ohh Chennai ehh…its okie dude…don’t worry I am sure you will have so much work that you will hardly have time for anything else. And I am sure it is for a short duration only, and the company will be open for you to move to other locations soon. Also heard that it is am amazing learning opportunity”.

(this is their way of saying ..dude!! you are gone…screwed man..good company but bad location…god help you..i might not be in as good a company but atleast I am in a nice place. Not the exact words but something to this effect is something what they mean)

So now the question, why this discrimination against the metropolitan city of Chennai?? The answer to this is

Firstly, the people there donot exactly welcome outsiders

Secondly it is not really a metro

No great hangouts

No nightlife

No good discos and pubs…..and many other reasons

The weather there is very hot and humid.not at all pleasant

You might ask yourself, “are these the only things that one has to look at to call a place a metro ..pubs,discs, how cool the ppl are , or which hangouts exist in the city?”

But yeah this is what generally exists in the mind of the starry eyed MBAs (I can already hear the vocal protests of my classmates when they read this, excuse me fellow MBAs, but yes it is true!!).

But since I too belong to south India, I always used to defend that it is not that bad a place.I had never been to Chennai before but somehow found the complaints of the other northies who had visited the place to be a little too much. And another factor that got me to defend the city of Chennai was almost every south Indian is classified as a Madrasi. And that is not considered to be kool (try calling a guy/gal from Bangalore a madrasi and then you will see how vehemently they defend themselves.they are like.we are bangloreans not madrasis.,and please we are nothing like them…harsh but again true!!)

So finally last weekend I took a flight to Chennai and got to experience the city first hand.

I landed in Chennai at 2145hrs. The temp outside was 32 degrees (the air hostess had announced that when we landed). It was okie.Not that hot.Then began the trouble. I got out of the airport; I was told that my hotel was not more than 6 km from the airport. I looked for an auto. The auto guys started talking in tamil, and I couldn’t make head or tail out of it.

Then with great difficulty I somehow managed to explain to them the palce that I wanted to go to. And in broken English I asked, “How much?” “300 rupees” came the reply. 300 rupees for 6 km. Wow..This definitely was unlike any other place in India.. Inflation seems to have hit this place really hard. They say the charges were airport charges.

Now either the Airport Authority of India is run by a bunch of idiots or the auto guys are crooks, as I finally managed to book a prepaid taxi to the place at 160 rupees. This too seemed high but then who can argue with the traffic police guy who was sitting at the counter of the prepaid taxi.

The driver on reaching the place started asking for half return fare as it was night time. After about arguing for 15 min he finally left with me not having to pay a single extra rupee (luckily). Another thing that is noticed was , when I was at the airport haggling with the auto guys, they would not respond to anything that I would say in hindi or English. Also the taxi guy during the course of arguing with me never spoke a single word in any other language. But later I found out that guy spoke decent English as he was talking on the phone and getting directions to the next pick up point.

Not a great start to the stay at Chennai. I for a second thought that I had made a mistake, when I defended Chennai. But imagine I was having such a bad time, when I can understand a little bit of tamil. I really pity the north indian people who live in the city who cannot understand a single word of the language. And it seems that a same route in the city can be traversed for 20-100 rupees. Depends on how much the auto guy wants to fleece you during the trip.

Overall the interaction with the locals was not very pleasant. But one thing I did like is the levels of literacy. I contacted people in the city looking for a house to stay for the next 6 months. People actually were very rational and spoke good English. The general education levels I felt were much higher, or maybe my sample is sckewed.

But then came my first day at office and I was suddenly realizing how good this place can be on someone’s pocket. I was hunting for houses, posting querries on the intranet in office. I found 2bedroom apartments at 7000 rupees a month. Which is dirt cheap and in any other city you would be lucky to get a single room at that rate. Also the commute to office is a very nice AC bus. Traffic jams are missing. Books are available at much cheaper prices. (picked up 5 novels the first day itself). The city has a lower cost of living than any other metro. It is relatively less crowded. Also many new places are opening up and the city is developing into a Retail hub for all big chains. The most interesting thing is I get morning breakfast+ lunch+ evening snacks at a mere 180 rupees per month. That is cheap compared to any city in the country.

Other than that have visited the beach here. Ok.. fine. Let us not discuss that. But now slowly getting to know people here and the friends circle is expanding. So let us see how much I can add to the pros and cons list of this city. Am waiting and getting ready for my stay and other experiences. Just thinking , if I would continue defending the place in the same way as I used to before coming here

Lets just wait and watch .

Dream on!!!

2008-07-20T01:31:00.000+05:30

In my dream, it's a beautiful summer's day. The sun warms us in the palm of its hand. Snatches of birdsong dance among the tree-tops, fractured by branches, here and there a single pure note suspended in the morning air, clear as a sunbeam.

The six of us are wandering down a forest path, not certain where it leads. We have never been this way before - it is an adventure. The whole scene could have been painted by Pisarro. Everywhere we look the greenery assaults us, reaches out her arms to us like a speechless young girl. Every extended branch is both an invitation and a cry for help. Under our feet the heather smells new, but the path we are walking on is already well-trodden. It is a public holiday today, and many others are already ahead of us.

After many hours of walking, we come to a massive clearing, a great oval space, ringed with ancient trees. This is where all the other picnicers have gathered, whole families scattered along the periphery of the clearing, in the cool shade of the forest's edge. Somewhere a radio is playing Once upon a summertime. Off on the far side we see a great tree like a barely controlled explosion, its leaves like tiny flames. And underneath it, a single park bench, its back turned to the clearing, looking away into the invisible distance.

Walking towards this tree, we finally see the river. It's right there, just beyond the trees, skirting the edge of this clearing and then turning in a great curve to flow on south. We climb up a low rise and stare at it. The water is brilliant here, clear and unpolluted so you can see right down to the shallow bottom, tinted green like a bottle of lemonade. An old stone bridge, half in ruins, leaps desperately across the river. A row of battered rocks, trail their way down to the water in descending order, looking for all the world like a portrait of the evolution of stone. The sun is very hot now, and beside it, the river seems like a promise of infinite, lazy coolness.

I stand on the rise staring at it, wondering what lies beyond that next bend, trying to ignore the excited cries of children drifting up from where they are playing, just on the edge of my sight. An unmanned boat drifts by, trailing a lenth of broken rope behind it. No one seems to pay it any attention. I turn to my companions, wanting to point it out to them, but they are down in the clearing now, playing board games.

All the beauty in the world is passing helplessly by me. And I am alone.

Reflection!!

2008-07-13T17:15:00.003+05:30

One has to start out with the assumption that nothing matters. Then one can get down to the task of living.

It’s almost romantic, here on the shore, watching my thoughts swirl and dissolve into the sound of the waves. A whole year has gone by.

I hadn’t tempted fate by climbing up the ladder at a vulgar pace. I was only doing well enough to keep away the questions that can taunt you. I went through all the clichéd reactions of disbelief, denial, and despair. Then I could put if off no more. I had to start on the agonising journey towards the centre of the soul. I had never equated self-discovery with survival. Then again, the thoughts of the past year have been unlike any that I’ve had before.

All my ‘whys’ have been swallowed up without the faintest of acknowledgements. The waves merely rise and fall, over and over again till, at last, it will be time to cease. I still ask though. The mind is amusingly stubborn.

But there’s peace now. For nothing matters. It’s a truth hard to find in the chatter of living. Friends and family had looked on indulgently as I wallowed in the pool of self-pity and then moved on. Bereft of attention, there was no use for it. I stopped. Till it was all quiet. And listened. Hundreds of questions raced through my brain, making me reel. I took them up one at a time.

What now? Too mundanely obvious, isn’t it? But that’s what life is about. One thing after the next, one minute after the next. Or more appropriately, one moment after the next. Minutes and seconds and hours, days and nights, and years and lifetimes are man’s constructs. The universe swims in moments and through movement, a seamless continuum, folding back into itself, constantly reinventing, going on and on. Forever. There lies the discord. We don’t go on forever. We stop. But we try, all the same, to continue.

But these weren’t the thoughts that came when I asked that question. The answer I got was nothing. Just that. What now? Nothing. I was taken aback. Surely, there are alternatives. You don’t spend the best years of your life and your parents’ money for school and college to be so ill prepared. So I thought hard and came up alternatives. And the excuses to go with it. Why, I asked myself. Why must there always be excuses. Because, I said, to start all over again means admitting that you have failed. Which I didn’t want to.

Then I started hammering at the core. Why is having to start all over again a failure? Who says so? The people around me. Some who matter; most who don’t. And me. But failure is just another human construct. We weave a net of constructs and throw it over the chaos of existence. To give it order. Meaning. Importance. To keep us sane. Then we convince ourselves of its insoluble sanctity. But what if we didn’t? What if we said, “I don’t believe. I have no more use for them.” Then rebuild new ones that will serve our purpose.

What is my purpose? This one threw me completely off balance. It was territory I wasn’t sure I wanted to venture into. Because to answer that question I had to answer another: Who am I?

But I had to get down to it eventually. I started with the basics. I am man, I said. Then, dismantled that image. That left me with stereotypes, conditioning, genes and primal desires. Not much that I could claim as unique, mine and nothing else’s. A part of the human species. A product of evolution. Here by chance. Walking triumphant over the lands, and seas, and skies. Claiming ownership of the earth. And insight into the divine order. But the earth itself is a tiny speck. Clothed in milky starlight, it falls through the endless void that is the universe, where all things begin. Does it really care? It has spun us out and has then moved on.
So where do all these questions come from? And why?

Then it struck me. The questions are ours. So the answers must also be ours. Not a part of destiny or a grand order. But simply ours. For us to use. To survive. To live. To love. To hate. To take. To give. To create. To destroy. To laugh. To cry. And to believe in soul.

That’s who I am. I am my questions. I am my answers. And my purpose is to choose whatever I will. To be whatever. To move. To keep still. And watch the waves knowing that nothing matters. Everything matters. And to be human and still ask why. Life will rise and fall. As long as it does, we are free to reinvent ourselves. As many times as we want.

The sea is beautiful. Funny, I didn’t realise it when I had money in my pockets.

childhood heroics!!!

2008-06-03T23:28:00.003+05:30

Firstly, it is good to be back after a small break!! have been travelling a lot in the past few weeks...and will continue to do in the next one month...so the posts are going to be a little rregular!! hehehe look at this !! i am writing as if i am a famous writer ( hehe ..but is sure feels good :) )

here goes....

Moving to a new neighbourhood was always a mixed joy. On one hand, there was the sheer pleasure of being rude at school to assorted teachers, in the joyous knowledge of no long term revenges being possible. On the other, the trials and tribulations of moving to a new neighbourhood were all too well known.

I remember that day; I had been unceremoniously booted out of home at 5 pm, with an injunction to “play and make friends”. Fuming over the beatific, but ignorant optimism of parents, I made my way to the park cautiously. This park did not offer any sylvan refuge where one could unobtrusively hole up with a book. And steal home unnoticed after a decent interval. No, the damn place had nothing but a few overgrown shrubs for cover. So one opened up the comic book, sat down on a stone bench, and waited.

After a couple of stray glances, a couple of representatives of the local lot walked over.

“Where from ?”

“_____ Street”. ( A smart alecky answer, considering it was unlikely that anyone except people on that street would come to that nondescript bit of Eden). They chewed on that one, and decided that newcomers were to be allowed some latitude.

“What’s your name ?”

“___”. This caused some hurried consultations in the local militia, and then they dispersed without further attempts at “making friendship”. I went back to the comic book, thinking that the natives, if not friendly, definitely seemed to be less wearisome than several others which an itinerant parent had exposed me to.

Not for long though. Even as his shadow fell across me, I knew that this was big trouble. I looked up. He had the overwhelming incomprehension of the dullard written all over him, along with the brute strength that often accompanies stupidity.

“They say your name is ____” , he said nodding towards the local reps. He wore his truculence as shield against a faster, better, shrewder world.

“Yes”, I said.

“Why ?”

This stumped me. Several answers surged with tidal speed towards the tip of my tongue, only to be beaten back by a wall of caution. I decided to cautiously probe.

“Errr, why not ?”

“Cos it’s my name”, he said. Uh-oh. I now grasped the unrest in the local population. They were asking themselves what they had done to deserve another of us. The simple difference, of course, being that he was around two times my size. In physical terms, I was like the free dispenser sold with the extra large toilet cleanser bottle.

“Errr, that’s good”. I tried an ingratiating smile.

“I am enough!”

No, you are way too much already, I wanted to say. Fatally, the caution that was my sole protection forsook me. Probably the Commando comic I was reading had something to do with it. Something I had read during the day sprang to the mind. I had wanted to show this trick off, and like a puppy wanting to show it can chase a ball across a busy road, I decided this was the opportune moment.

“ What is 75 x 75 ?”

“Huh?”

“5625”.

Now I was on a roll.

“75 75 za 5625, 85 85 za 7225, 95 95 za 9025, 105 105 za 11025, 115 115 za 13225, 125 125 za 15625”.

I paused, both out of breath and because my tables beyond that were a tad shaky.

He looked at me with shock, admiration and some respect. However, like coriander in the sambhar, these only floated in a thick broth of dislike.

“See ? They wanted somebody smarter”, I said.

Knowing that my logic was wrong, I had still advanced the argument in the hope that he would be too dumb to point out a flaw in it.

I was right, and I was wrong. He was too dumb to point out the flaws in reasoning that led to assumed superiority. However, he was also strong enough to pummel me into abject submission, which he proceeded to do. I picked out the confetti of the comic book, which he had shredded over me as a sort of a finale, and went home to report that the park was unwholesome and could I please accompany elder sisters to their athletic practice. A smart move, since they protested in shrill tones and hence I achieved my aim of sitting at home without being forced to indulge in any physical activity.

I have fond memories of that neighbourhood; I saw very less of it.

Preperations blues!!!

2008-05-21T13:15:00.000+05:30

Student life is fun. Yeah, I'd say it is. College brings free time and independence with it, along with an added sense of responsibility. Well, the bad things get majorly cancelled out by the good stuff. If you have to attend boring lectures, at least there's a possibility to sit in the back row and write notes to your friend, discussing the future plan of action and strategizing on how to get maximum fun out of the short time we have! If you have to keep track of all your classes and assignments yourself, at least there are other people around you, who also have the same things to keep a track of, so its not so bad. BUT...there's this one slight factor...which is a painful yet essential part of college life...its these dreaded Exams!!

I have heard about exam preparations from many of my friends in the various hostels of various colleges across the country, and there is a stark similarity in all of them. The thing with the exams is that they just don’t seem to end!! The day the final exam ends you feel relieved, and you even count the days before the next exams. Generally there is about 3-4 weeks before the next series but even before you know it , time flies and the next test is actually right on your head.

People say that the earth rotates at a constant pace, but i beg to differ... take for example, the time between the exams ..you bat an eye lid and three weeks pass ...just before the exams when you have 10 chapters to study ...you read one and find out that already half the time is gone...the week of the exams..well that seems like eternity....and have you ever noticed how in the exams where you are well prepared...the duration of the test seems to have passed in a jiffy forcing you to scribble quickly on your paper , and pray to god that the prof understands your handwriting.

Well at the end of every exam, i am sure everyone makes a resolution. Next time , i am going to study everyday and be up to date , so that i don’t have to rush in the last moment and will score good marks. But then by the time you come around to implementing this plan...the next exam is around the corner.. ( i told you see..time flies ). Then just about a week before the exams, there is a sudden urge to start studying!! Then begins the prep..you scramble around in the hostel to find out the topics to be covered and the notes and reading material.

Having procured all the literature that is required, you proceed to study. You lock your self in the room, to avoid being distracted by the sounds outside. Then you sit on the chair with your book and notes..a few sheets of paper to make your own shorthand notes for last minute revision ( which generally happens when you leave your room to go to the exam hall ). Make sure there is adequate light, a cup of coffee is ready next to you, as you want to put in an all nighter. Ensure that the phone is within reaching distance to ensure that you don’t have to get up from studying at all. The computer is on the other table playing soft soothing music, preferably instrumentals ( scientific research has proven that this helps you study better..the instrumental music , i mean )

You start reading..the first paragraph make total sense ( generally cause it is the introduction and tells us in short what is going to be covered in the chapter) , the second paragraph is good..the third okie...

The fourth doesn’t make much sense and by this time you have lost what you read in the second paragraph...frustrated you start studying again from the beginning and also start taking diligent notes.(generally writing down everything that you think is important..which at this point of time is almost everything that you read). Then suddenly you feel that you rather listen to some other songs, so you get up to change the music.

on your computer you see a window flashing. Hmm, lemme just see who it is, just for a sec, you think. So you go over, thinking ( and hoping ) that it might be something important...Mostly, it isnt. Its usually a friend, who's bored and trying to study but...cant study cuz he/she's bored! So, like a good person, you exchange a few words, tell him/her that you're studying and then..just as you're about to say bye, POP, a new window opens! What is it this time, you wonder. Well, curiousity killed a cat is right, cuz of Course, you check this out too. Its usually just another bored friend, looking for company. So thats how it goes on, till you casually glance at the clock...and woops..and HOUR passed!! Ok I just have to go study now, you think to yourself. Fair enough, you shut off the messenger, and dont shut down the computer since your music's playing on it of course...

then you curse yourself for wasting an hour and go back to studying...

here i would like to add something ...have you ever seen how it shows that a person is idle on the messengers..well idle doesn’t actually mean he is idle..it actually means that he has got something worthwhile to do other than sitting in front of his computer and chat..just a thought that i wanted to share..

and at the end of the 5 day drama which leads you to the penultimate day, the level of attention goes on increasing..and hence as a result you don’t actually study a lot and end up cramming a whole lot of stuff!!

So for all the distracted souls who relate to this flow of events..dont worry we have company!!!

Politics- an art!!!!

2008-05-16T23:32:00.001+05:30

Politics!! Well most of us to allege that the country is run by incompetent people. Recently I saw a debate where in people were very sure that the only way the country could develop itself into a super power is to have well educated, learned and young dynamic leaders. They said that they should have proper management training before managing the country!!!

Whoa!!!! Well do u mean to say that the politicians are not- competent? Well yes, I agree that you might not have Harvard educated guys neither do they hold degrees from Bschools…but they are anything but incompetent. The Politicians in our country are better. I might add much much better than any B school grad. Management is an art that they have mastered..well I know it might be a little tough for the B school grads to digest….i know ppl with the degrees that you have and the loads of books and theory that you study it is a little tough..but it is still the truth!!

Let me explain!! Will try and relate this to what B schooolers study.

Every party is as good as a multinational company. They have a high command which is analogous to the board of directors of the company. And like any board of directors they just discuss and take into account the various issues. No action. They are more like the policy builders. Both of them are defunct.

Like any organization the party has a

Mission: to stay in power for the maximum time. to ensure that if they are not in power then to somehow have an overbearing influence on the people in power

Vission: Have you ever read the party manifesto?? Man that is the best piece of literature you will ever come across. Vision of a company is generally long term. So if the manifesto. Take the manifesto of the party in the last elections, you will find a tremendous similarity, which shows how committed to their vision they are

Strategy: well if you thought planning and maximizing the utility of the resources that a company had at its disposal was difficult., then reconsider… think the amount of planning that one has to put into ensure that strikes are declared at the right moment!! They have limited manpower but they have to conduct so many dharnas, walk outs , demand resignation of so many govt ministers, and all this is in addition to the task of running a government in a certain region.

Finance: raising the millions to fund their ever clean and thrifty campaign that they run, they have to ensure that they donot take more than the maximum donation from a single person. They have to safely stash the millions that they have in black money. They have to manage the numerous numbered accounts that they have in the various parts of the world. They have to keep tab of where the white and black money is deposited, how the cash flow is happening. And then even declare their legitimate assets. Phew!!! You think this is easy???

Operations: internal operations are highly efficient. They efficiently manage the 24hrs to include chamchagiri, dharnas, giving speeches, staging walkouts in parliament. Have you ever seen the efficiency with which the MPs storm the well of the house. The clock work like precision with which they halt the proceedings of the house, the way they uproot the mikes and chairs and hurl them at each other. Their aim is to halt the proceedings, and tell me if they are not good…..man if someone did an operations research on this event, I am sure you will find them to be functioning at more than 99% efficiency.

Marketing: well this is another aspect at which they are aspects. They have a very deep and thorough understanding on the local market ( the electorate). They very efficiently target them by dividing them on the basis of religion (caste) & affluence.

They have a customized approach to target each segment of the market segment

They have the local goons to help undertake the market research and to implement their program. They have an efficient supply chain of lobbyists and goons to ensure that their marketing has the maximum impact and the widest reach possible. Advertising via print,electronic media is done. The performance is reflected in the results of the elections.

Human resources: they are the best HR managers in the country. They run a team of thousands sitting in one place. They ensure that their rallies attract the most people and their dharnas have the largest gathering. They also have efficient decentralization. They local goons are empowered to take independent decision to ensure the success of their programmes and they control their own small team of delegates. They generally have self managed groups. Their compensation is completely performance driven. If they win in the region then the team is paid extra. The internal distribution of the award is left to the team, with the leader also being awarded regular promotions to move from the lowest level of a goon to higher in the chain of power. They also have to ensure that their MPs are well looked after so that they donot defect and also give them attractive perks to lure the MPs from other parties. Phew!!! Name the function they do it.

I could go on and on drawing parallels about this.. so next time you say that you want competent managers running the country…of some guys with fancy degrees,think again..these guys are better ..way better J

Chance Encounter!!

2008-05-11T14:41:00.000+05:30

It was late in the night when Ravi finally came back home. The Board meeting today was the culmination of hundreds of hours of hard work. Finally all he wanted to do was to sleep. Having had a nice dinner at the hotel, he immediately hit the sack.

At around 2 am, the phone rang. Irritated, with the intrusion into his sleep, he got up and picked the call. His voice was barely audible

“Hello!!!”

“Ravi, aren’t you ready as yet!! Its time to go to the airport!” a sweet voice spoke.

“Who is this?”

“Dipika. Aren’t u ready as yet!!”

“Listen lady!! It is 2 in the night!! Do I know you??”

“Oooops!! Sorry I think I got the wrong number!!”

Ravi was irritated with the disturbance but soon managed to return to his deep slumber.

Next day morning, he woke and thought about the weird dream he had last night. He checked his phone to see if he had indeed received a phone call. And yes it was true; the number was dutifully stored in the log. He smiled, it was a sweet voice!!!

Next day, he put his alarm for 2 am and got up. Dialled the number and waited...

“Hello!!”

“Hi Dipika. This is Ravi”

“Aren’t u ready yet?”

“Ready for what?? Ravi you are a day late, we were supposed to go yesterday!!”

He ran out of any logical thought to extend the conversation!!

“Ohh okie! Good night then!!”

Ravi went back to sleep, smiling!!

Next day, again at 2 am!! His Phone rang!! Even before he picked up, I he knew it was her

“Hello!!”

“Hi!”

“What are you doing!!?”

“Just waiting for you call”

“Anyways just wanted to say Good night!!”

“Good night!!”

Ravi went back to sleep. Next day instead of 2 am. Ravi gave her a call at 9 pm.

“Well isn’t it a tad bit early today”

“Yes am!! Didn’t want to be disturbed in the night!! So decided to call in early!!”

“Smart!!”

“Good night!!”

Next day Ravi called her in the morning.

“Hello!! What are you up to?”

“Good. Aren’t u a little early, u didn’t want to be disturbed after dinner today ehh?” she added giggling.

“ hahah...anyways what are you doing today evening at 7”

“Will be heading back home I guess”

“Would you like to meet for a cup of coffee?”

“Well I can get into trouble, if I am late”

“How do u travel back home?”

“I take the bus”

“Good. Then I will be your knight in the shining armour and drop you in my car”

“Where do u want to meet?”

“Coffee day at Cross roads”

She asked how she would recognise him. He replied that he would be wearing a light blue shirt. She laughed and hung up.

At 7, sitting in the coffee shop, Ravi eagerly awaited her arrival. At exactly 7:15, in walked a beautiful gal in a nice green dress. She looked around and walked up to him...

“Ravi??...” she asked

“Hi!! Dipika I presume”

“So finally we meet!!”

“Yeah...How are you doing?”

“Well I am fine, till now...”

“He he...sit down”

“Well I am in a hurry!!”

“Don’t worry I will drop you back!!”

“Oh no!! I have my friend waiting outside”

“Why you didn’t believe me??”

“Well not exactly!! But thankfully I didn’t “

“Why is that?”

“You don’t exactly look like a knight in shining armour”

“Well you are not Miss World either”

“Ha-ha...fair enough!!”

“Can we order quickly!!? One cold coffee please”

“Cold coffee?”

“Why is there a problem??”

“No. just wondered why COLD coffee”

“Can make a quick exit with cold coffee and still enjoy my drink”

“Well then make it an iced tea for me...you see have to make a quicker exit”

He was smart, she thought!!

“So what do you do for a living”, she enquired

“Well I am a journalist”, he replied

“No wonder you are such a snoop!! Always asking so many questions”, she replied

“Yeah ...job hazards! And how do you earn your living??”

“I am a publicist”

“Ohh!!! So you are responsible for all the crap that is printed in the tabloids!!”

“Not really!! I work for big corporations...not celebrities”

“Ohh so we already share a relationship...you provide the dope and we print it”

“You guys add your own spin to it and then print it...that is why our job becomes even more important”

“Well I guess we need each other!!” he added

“ eww!!! Whats that supposed to mean”

“Nothing!!”

“Good!” giggling at the fact that she could make him uncomfortable.

The waiter arrived with the order. She picked up her cup...

“Okie. It was nice talking to you. Ill have to leave now!!”

“Well I will be more than happy to drop you”

“I told you, I have a friend waiting outside”

“Well, you didn’t need an escort!!”

“Well beautiful gals like me have to take care of themselves!!” she waved and turned around and left

Ravi smiled, indeed she was beautiful...

He paid the bill and looked outside to catch a glimpse of her getting into an auto!

He smiled even more!!

That night, she called back!!

“It was nice meeting you...”

“Same here...beautiful and smart...that is a nice combination!! And how many women have the local auto drivers as friends who would escort them”

“Yeah!!” she said sheepishly as she realised that she was caught.

“So would you like to meet for dinner day after??”

“Like a real date”

“Yeah like the one where you don’t have to bring an escort along”

“Yeah maybe a dinner and a walk down the beach!!!”

“Whoa!!! Slow down...”

“Ohh I guess coffee would be fine then”

“Okie.”

“Good night Ravi!”

“Good night Dipika”

Next time it would be dinner, Ravi thought!!

My chat with God!!!!

2008-05-05T14:51:00.000+05:30

My chat with God!!!

Me: hi!!
God: hello

Me: is this god!!
God: I think so

Me: you are not sure??
God: well last time I checked I still was god!!

Me: when was the last time u checked?
God: lemme check (a short pause)... about 2 years back...

Me: so are you still god or not?

God: lemme check (a long pause)...well I just asked my seceratary...i am God!!

Me: you have to ask your secretary whether you are god or not?

God: well just wanted to confirm!!

Me: so she told you and you believed her!!

God: two things ….one he told me …second...yes I believed him...

Me: he??

God: yeah!! Why is there a problem?

Me: well! No… it is not a problem, but I thought you would have a female secretary!!

God: haven’t you heard of sexual discrimination laws!!!

Me: yes I guess you were right!!

God: thank you!!

Me: so you are definitely god?

God: u still has doubts??

Me: yeah

God: why is that?

Me: hmm…isn’t it a little weird...to be chatting with god on messenger!!

God: Boy!! Which world are you living in …internet is everywhere...and thanks to the satellites you guys have launched the wireless signal here is very strong..

Me: ohm!! okie..But it is still weird!!

God: why?

Me: aren’t you supposed to speak to me directly from the sky!!

God: I don’t want to disturb the others who are doing their work!!

Me: ohh that makes sense!!

God: good! Don’t you have any work?

Me: well you should know!!

God: why?

Me: isn’t god supposed to know everything?

God: is it? (Lemme check)

Me: BUZZ!!!

God: yeah just found out...i know it .but just don’t remember it …

Me: how did u find that out?

God: I asked my fellow gods here and my secretary confirmed!!

Me: you asked your secretary??

God: aren’t secretaries supposed to help you out with such matters...part of her job description!

Me: well are you sure you are god?

God: you still don’t believe me? Well, if may ask, who are you?

Me: ohm god wouldn’t need to ask me that?

God: and why is that?

Me: ohh come on you are supposed to have all the knowledge in the world and you don’t know who you are chatting with?

God: well I do know but I just don’t remember!! Have a lot of things on my mind…

Me: yeah right!! You definitely are joking

God: well lemme see… (Goes on narrating my biodata)

Me: how did u find out?

God: kid are you crazy or just don’t get it? I am god...

Me: but you didn’t know all this, a few main back

God: lot of data...asked my seceratary to look it up …

Me: ohh so you have archived information about everyone ehh?

God: yeah and at a given point of time have access to only a select portion...portion that is relevant …so takes time to sort out the huge amount of data

Me: well you secretary seems to be real good at searching for the required info!!

God: yeah he is!! I have a very stringent selection procedure

Me: is it...

God: yeah we do thorough background checks …and then there is an assessment center

Me: ohh what are the skills that look for

God: he has to be a good man/ woman …he must be a diligent hard worker...

Me: yeah I guess, he has to be very good to help do so much data handling

God: ohh we have tools like Google desktop search to help in searching

Me: I can help you set up the network!!

God: network??

Me: yeah so that you and the other gods can all have conferences!!

God: ohh so you want to help us out ehh? Please wait!!

[God is offline]

Secy: what happened sir? Who was it you were chatting with...?

God: some pesky little kid who wanted to get the back door entry into heaven...he offered to set up a network here …

Secy: that was new one!!!

5---TAG

2008-05-02T01:13:00.000+05:30

Well keeping with the tradition of replying to tags in the blog world…

The people I hate are

people who snore loudly

Man they are really very annoying. I hate people who disturb my peaceful and very valuable sleep

people who say they are not hungry and yet keep digging into your plate

Don’t get me wrong, but yeah I love my food. I am one of those who believe that I live to eat. I don’t sharing my food. Well if you are hungry please say so and join in. But whats with the, “I am dieting ..ohh how can you eat that …it is so oily” and they cant keep their paws off my plate

terrorists

Well fine, we do have a population explostion problem in this world…but I think we would rely on Darwin’s theories to settle that probem…I don’t think that we need their intervention or help of any sort.

Hypocrites

I don’t think I need to say why for this one…pretty obvious.

Sneaks

Well if you got something to say , have the guts to say it to ones face not behind his back…they are by far the most dangerous breed walking this planet J

Master key to all daily Soaps!!

2008-04-30T17:21:00.000+05:30

Well since the past few days I am home, I have had the opportunity to laze around a lot. And like any other lazy bugger Television has occupied quite a bit of my time. Back in college, all my friends used to crib about their families being addicted to soaps that come on various channels. I was always happy that we didn’t receive any of the Indian soap channels at home. So luckily I was saved from this torture. (Well it really was a torture; you should hear those guys talk about their plight)

But this time around with the advent of TATA sky and Dish TV I had the opportunity to witness a few of these soaps at home. (Alright now I know, it is a bold move on my part to accept that I watched these soaps!! At the risk of being branded unkool...I continue...)

Well I saw 2-3 soaps and there was a remarkable similarity..Across soaps...across channels (who said we didn’t have unity...the commonalities were amazing)

Every soap was about one huge happy family. Every family always was spread across three generations at least. They are rich...stinking...filthy rich...so rich that you would find that most of the calls they make are using cell phones (again only the latest nokia/Samsung/sony phones)...landlines, which are any day cheaper are absolete. Generally there are 2-3 brothers, their wives and children living together. The youngest brother’s wife is generally despised by all the others. Everyone mostly wants them out of the will and all the youngest couple want are the blessings of the elders and hence spend their life fighting the hardships that these people put them through

Every family would always have the following characters:

A grandparent: he/she is supposed to the be wise old man/woman of the house. The one who has seen the world and is master of all earthly knowledge. They are generally portrayed as the person who has given up all earthly desires and who wants to see that their families stay together, and who want all their grand children to get married before the D day...

Hero/ Heroine: he/ she is the main character. He/she is the person who has the most pathetic life possible. Everyone is against him/her. Their life is constantly plagued with problems. Their problems just never end. At the end of one problem they are faced with another one. Never have they spent a single complete episode happily. Even if they do find happiness, by the end of the scene, there is a shock which brings with it another problem. (Directors/ script writers ...please take note of this fact...and for heaven’s sake, give them a break). They are generally the one who are the flag bearers for the “right” things. If you have trouble figuring out who these people are, it is very easy, as soon as they come onto your screens you will have a bhajan/devotional song, or a very pleasant instrumental being played in the background.

Villains: everyone other than the hero couple. Their sole aim is to ensure that the grandparent who is the owner of all the riches begins to dislike the hero couple and hence keep accusing them of all the wrong doings in life. It is very easy to recognise them, as soon as they come on the screen there is a huge drum beat...2-3 of them...and there is a close up in slow motion...their faces are not the first things that will come onto the screen..They are generally shown, first as stepping into the house, so the foot is the entry .then slowly they show they walking and only when they come in the same shot as the hero couple do you get to see their faces...and the face revealing scene is a slow motion which is repeated umpteen numbers of times.

Spoilt brats: the third generation, they are generally the nice guys. Their job is to help the hero couple, their loyalties definitely lie with the “right” and their aim is also to have the big happy family. (See how their objective is similar to the hero couple). Their task is to add masala to their daily lives. They generally end up falling in love with people who are good but poor, and hence disliked by the parents. They then turn to the hero couple for help.

Another interesting thing is the way the trouble unfolds for the hero couple. They are generally victimised by some villain (please refer to the above text for deciphering whom we are talking about...sorry about the generalisation, but because of the huge huge star cast , taking names would have had you in a confusion long back). They plot and form secret alliances. The villains are generally very smart. They always target the wife who stays at home. The husband is in the dark. The wife is alleged of some wrong doing...the husband refuses to believe her cause for him, elders of the family are above everything...she is distraught...and the villains are happy.

This is when enters the main, the real hero (absolutely no disrespect!!). It is generally lord Krishna. He is the saviour. The heroine goes running to him and prays to him to show her the way ahead. Then out of nowhere there are bells ringing, the lamp is lighted automatically, there is a sound of a conch in the background. The heroine realises that she has to fight the evil. She comes back with renewed energy. She is ready to kick ass now...

Then suddenly comes her first break when the spoilt brat or some one who was sympathetic towards her finds out that she is innocent, generally by over hearing the villains or by some super cool sleuth work. She reveals the secret and the wife is given a clean chit. The husband apologises, the family does. Even the main villain sees the wrong in her actions and becomes the wife’s best friend...the harmony is restored....

That brings us to the end (hahaha ...did you really think so...this is not even the first season it seems...)

PICTURE ABHI BAAKI HAI....

The amazing twist... during the whole kiss and make up...one of her friends is offended...she switches sides and back stabs the wife again...the villain becomes the hero’s friend but the friend turns foe...so the story continues again....now i realised how these buggers keep going for ages and ages together...the serial which began some years back are still continuing. The hero couple generally do not seem to age at all...

People think that the story is long and hence the large number of episodes. But in a half an hour episode...the break up is as follows...10 min commercials...10 min dialogues...10 min slow motion replays...where you will find people turning/ getting schocked etc about 100 times...so if it is 10 min per day..The soap will obviously go on for a long long time....

People have become so obsessed with these soaps that their life comes to a grinding halt when these soaps are being aired. The slow pace is jazzed up with the occasional death of the main character (who after a good vacation and a nice little break makes a come back because he is miraculously saved from the car crash he/ she had...if the masala has to be real good...he /she would have lost his memory by then). Such deaths of main character is good enough to make headlines in all the major 24 hour news channels (this is true...amazing isn’t it, the kind of crap these 24 hours news channels focus on...well this is a different matter which will be discussed in a different post)!!

Amazing but true....so next time u decide to watch a soap...then I hope this post will prove to be very useful to you and that you will be able to comprehend and appreciate the soap better!!

Long Long TAG!!!

2008-04-30T14:52:00.000+05:30

!!Well this weekend seems to be a tag weekend..got some 5-6 of them..anyways, will acknowledge and reply to all of them..yeah you guessed right am really jobless!!! Joining the job in june...till then sitting at home hogging on home food and replying to tags..

So here goes the first tag that i received...

1.Last movie you saw in a theater?
Just watched Tashan..the hindi movie..i must say inspite of the huge names, the movie was a dud.

2. What book are you reading?
I am currently reading a thousand splendid suns by khaled hosseini. It is a tale about a young gal in Afghanistan and how her life changes with time cause of the war and Taliban

3. Favorite board game?
It has to be monopoly...dont know why but i love that game

4. Favorite magazine?
Reader’s digest..the perfect magazine. It has evolved over time, the current edition is a very interesting one..be sure to pick it up

5. Favorite smells?
when you enter the house and the smell of hot south Indian cuisine hits you

6. Favorite sounds?

7. Worst feeling in the world?
Well call me lazy!! But the feeling of getting out of bed on a cold Monday morning

8. What is the first thing you think of when you wake up?
whats there for breakfast 

9. Favorite fast food place?
It is a place called “number 10”. A small place with great variety in cuisines. They have a whole lot of bakery products as well..but i would personally recommend the garlic bread with vegetables.( for all the diet conscious people..this is healthy and very very tasty !!)

10. Future child's name?
hehehe....good you asked..will start thinking on that ..

11. Finish this statement. "If I had lot of money I'd....?"
hire someone to write this blog while i sat on my kind size bed and dictated the text

12. Do you drive fast?
well generally i don’t..i am a safe driver...but give me an open road at night and a good bike...well then it is a different matter all together

13. Do you sleep with a stuffed animal?
you must be kidding me!!

14. Storms - cool or scary?
absolutely, totally, 100% cccoooooolll. There is nothing like a huge storm pelting rain drops on your windows while you sit inside watching a horror movie

15. What was your first car?
well i would soon buy one...as soon as I join my first job :

16. Favorite drink?
Dry martini and god knows why but i also love kamakazee shots

17. Finish this statement, "If I had the time I would...."?
Go on a world trip!! This concept of seeing the different parts of the world in six months or so has always fascinated me. I would love to be on one such trip.

18. Do you eat the stems on broccoli?
nope !! sorry!! Call me whatever you want..and keep all the advice about broccoli being nice and good for health to yourself .. i absolutely HATE broccoli

19. If you could dye your hair any color, what would be your choice?
nah!! Dyeing my hair is not an option..i really like my original hair colour

20. Name all the different cities/towns you've lived in?
Delhi ( the capital of india)
Mumbai ( the commercial capital of india)
Nazira ( it is in assam...the north east corner of india)
Chennai. ( the southern most metro )
Banglore ( the next IT destination)
Bhopal ( capital of Madhya Pradesh, the heart of india)
Hyderabad , vishakapatnam
Muscat ( the sultanate of Oman, the middle east)

21. Favorite sports to watch?
Cricket !! catch the IPL..chennai superkings and knight riders inspite of the recent few losses are the teams to watch out for.

22. One nice thing about the person who sent this to you?
well the person is my alarm clock..the only reason i didn’t miss any of my morning classes..he ensured i was awake in time to reach the class...now someone tell me where i can write something bad abt this guy

23. What's under your bed?
well you will find my footbaal kit, a box of old readers digests, and a few pairs of shoes

24. Would you like to be born as yourself again?
DEFINITELY YES!!! I love my life

25. Morning person, or night owl?
Night owl...i was the most active in the classes that began at 10 pm in the night ..

26. Over easy, or sunny side up?
Over easy

27. Favorite place to relax?
Goa..man that place is an epitome of laziness

28. Favorite pie?
Lemon pie

29. Favorite ice cream flavor?
Buterscotch just rules the roost !!

30. Of all the people you tagged this to, who's most likely to respond first?
Ravi will most probably!!!

Keys!!!!

2008-04-28T14:38:00.000+05:30

....i have the keys to the mixed up mind

to the twisted me

to the unhappy me

to the unreasonable me

to the loud me

to the uncouth me

to the illogical me

i have the keys to the door of my self

my ugly self

my nonchalant self and yet everything affects me

to my not-so-funny self

to the self that i do not love

and therefore no one knocks

i have the key i say

open it...

they hesitate

they laugh and they walk away

and i am waiting with the key in my hand...

Gym world!!!

2008-04-22T01:06:00.000+05:30

Well over the past few months, since it was the last few months at college and since we spent most of the time in our rooms in front of our computers and going out on dinners/ lunches I have added a few extra pounds. I have to agree that I have become a tad...ehem…healthy 

All of my concerned friends started exercising. They started going to the gym and working out. They encouraged me, but it is very difficult to get lazy buggers like me to start putting their bodies through that rigour. Obviously they too gave up…

But once I reached home to kill the two month long vacation, it hit me. There was not much other than the usual holiday lazing around that I could do at home. Out of sheer boredom I decided to do the unthinkable.

It was around 5pm in the evening. I put on my track suit and began 2 km walk to the “gym” (yes!! the gym!!!!). As I entered the gym it was a revelation. I agree that since it was a gym in the club it was a little better than the gym back in college. The membership is restricted to the employees of the company so it is very well maintained... sorry digressing from the main issue

Yes I did enter the gym. (All my friends might not believe me but I did enter the gym and ended up sending around 45 min there). I did not know that behind those doors of the gym there existed such a fascinating world. There are many different kind of people that you encounter at this place.

I entered the gym and stood there near the door assessing the various machines that were kept there to help people workout. I stood there for a min or two to assess where I should begin my gymming career. Finally I decided on the rowing machine (I don’t know what it is called exactly but it is a prototype of the rowing boat). I began the workout and within two min was stopped by a burly huge muscular guy.

Now here begins my encounter with the various kinds of species that visit the gym. The burly guy was a regular and since the instructor was absent he was keeping and eye on the people to see if everyone was doing their exercises in the correct manner. (To prevent the rookies from injuring themselves).

Such kind are very hardworking and regulars to the gym. They come and follow their exercise regime diligently. They don’t bother other people much and stick to the corner with the weights and carry on with their heavy workouts. They are most likely to help you out if you walk up to them and ask them. Once you do they will ensure you learn the correct way of doing that exercise.

He has stopped me and showed me the correct way of doing the exercise. He said if I continued the way I was I might injure my back. Well he recognized that I was a first timer and showed me a few exercises for beginners and asked me to continue doing the same for the first week after which I could move to higher exercises (he made the huge assumption that I would last a week)

During that time the other species of the gym noticed him giving me instructors and immediately identified me as a novice. Now as I began my workout I was confronted by them. A fat (I don’t mean to be rude, but yeah there is no other word for him. he was huge) man came upto me and asked me if I was a new guy.

Now these kinds of people are hilarious. They are there with the sole purpose of reducing their paunch. They know they are not exactly agile but they consider themselves to be zone trainers. And their area of specialty is abdominal exercises. They are looking for unsuspecting victims to show off the latest knowledge that they gained by reading about gymming on the internet. They can only talk in Lbs, stones, etc. not their fault, Google lists only European sites, on the first page, if you search for body exercises.

This guy looked at me and said, “You have to loose some weight…for your age you need to be more flexible” (yeah right ...look who is talking). Then he gave me the logic of why one has to do the various exercises. He then talked about biochemistry, how the body needs to be trained to take the gymming. Now if you hear them talk you would feel they are some biology teachers with specialization in sports medicine, I learnt later he was a fellow mechanical engineer who had joined the gym about a week back.

And there always are the third kind, the ones who are intermediate. The one who are not completely Mr. Muscles nor are the paunchy kind. They are more than happy to be your gym buddies and act as your spotter. They basically would hang around with you and keep telling you to correct small mistakes you make (mistakes according to them). You would generally find them asking you to keep your back straight, keep those elbows up, yeah one more , and such small talk… they are also good at giving gyan like the paunchy kind but they have a little more authority on the subject.

Spent 45 min with these species and decided that this alien world is not bad. And yeah the music that you get to hear at these places is very nice... the only place where you would find old uncles and aunties also listening to the latest English/hindi songs and enjoying it (a welcome relief!! otherwise the new songs are generally classified as noise)
It was a very enjoyable experience, so I decided to stick with it. Today was my 7th straight day at the gym. Yes I did finish the first week , and yeah to celebrate this milestone , I am taking a break tomorrow 

Cheers!!

2008-04-20T23:24:00.000+05:30

Yesterday it was a friend’s birthday. We went down to his place to wish him. There was a party at his place. People went had dinner…wished him...gave him a few bumps...but it was very civilized. The bday boy was taken out to a club then and just outside the club there was a second celebration. God only knows how he survived!!! This led me to wonder …

Birthdays bring joy!! People are happy and cheerful that day. The individual generally tends to celebrate life. Friends and family join the celebration and express their happiness.

Birthdays when u are a toddler are the most fun. You get a whole lot of gifts. The one game/toy that you have been yearning for if yours. Uncles, aunts, cousins all of them storm your house. They all bring huge gifts; you get to cut a funny shaped cake. All our friends come over and you have a gala time. Maybe the only painful thing is the relatives pulling and pinching your cheeks. You are treated as a soft toy by all those “Didis”

Then u start going to school. Generally your name is written on the corner of the notice board under the bold heading “birthday”. The class sings the melodious bday song and you stand in the front of the class beaming like a politician who just won an election. You distribute chocolates. The celebration at home kind of looses its sheen. The gathering is a small one. Only close friends and family. The gifts reduce a little.

And then in the next phase of life, Engineering. Experiences are kind of similar across colleges. A few min before the midnight the bday boy disappears. As soon as the clock strikes midnight, you can hear a distant sound of a mob. I call it a mob as you would never have seen a more unruly bunch of people. They are similar to the Trojan soldiers. Within a few min they broke open your door, and without any warning you are taken out into the corridor. All your friends are there, but rest assured you won’t be happy to see them. The complete football team is there in complete gear. And then becomes the painful concept of bumps. They continue until the bday boy is hardly able to stand. The bday boy is unable to sit, stand or even move an inch for the next few days.

I am sure many people would relate to the above description of the celebration. But then last year I had a very unique celebration. We were introduced to a concept of dunking. You are taken to the common area; there first you are dunked with clean water. This celebration is somewhat similar to sacrificing a lamb. The dunking with clean water ensures that the sacrifice is clean. You are prepared for the sacrifice; this part involves having two dozen eggs being broken on your head and the bday cake, which u would have enjoyed eating, on your face. Then the slaughter which is lead again by the agile and powerful football team.

Well I do wonder what is the pleasure that we derive by beating the bday boy in a manner which makes him regret the fact that he was born. Well can’t we be human, cant we stop this devilish way. Well we can...but I guess I ll wonder about that later…sorry but it is my roommates bday today…it is celebration time. Have to go find my football shoes J

Shubh Aarambh!!!

2008-04-19T21:51:00.000+05:30

Well after a lot of deliberation!! I have finally decided to start blogging again. This is my second tryst with blogging. My previous blogging career was quite eventful. Hope to start posting here again regularly. Keep coming back to get a sneak peek into ...well a lot of different things ;)