Journey in Search of a Destination

Kuch To Log Kahenge - My New Found Love.

2011-12-30T16:23:00.003+05:30

"Kuch To Log Kahege"..More then 3 Months have passed, when i first saw the promo on television(promised a very fresh look) and this title reminded me of the eternal 70's movie Amar Prem's ever so classical song titled by the same name. I thought the tune might be a revised one adapted for the show. But i was wrong,

This melted my heart.. The beautiful lyrics and very catchy composition. So the time and date were fixed - 3rd October 2011.

I guess most of people know what this show is all about, if not READ IT HERE(via @idubba)

A person like me, who totally hates watching daily soaps and is always at logger heads with mother for prime time viewing, this was a refreshing change. This show has managed something which i couldn't achieve all this time was to stop my parents watching that "Tarak Mehta Serial". The moment i enter house at about 8.30pm, screeching voice of that lady in it used to just irritate me to the core. But Thanks to KTLK, not only Tarak Mehta is forgotten, but i make a point to reach home by 8 , else i catch up with the 11pm repeat telecast.

One thing i can tell you is that the Chemistry between Dr Nidhi and Dr Ashutosh(AshNi - as called on various forums)is just amazing. I mean it gives you goose bumps, that speaking with eyes, those unspoken feeling.. ahh enuff said.All the serials start of fantastically but over the period of time get monotonous and drift away from the topic. Hope KTLK doesnt divert from this theme- the romance between 2 people with different age group and quite opposite mindset. Yes opposites do attract.. without much drama - shama , i wish to see the ultimate end whether this love story succeeds or no.

Now leaving the story in the hands of the creative team, i leave you with an awesome episode, my best till now, where AshNI express love towards each other. HAPPY VIEWING , CATCH KTLK Mon - Fri , 8pm on Sony Entertainment .

Strange kind of Fear (or whatever it is)

2011-12-21T17:21:00.007+05:30

Its been exactly 20days since i last posted. The blog-a-day challenge was over and this was enuff for me to show laziness in writing .

Have something interesting..ummm no wouldn't say that.. but something strange , scary yet funny stuff to share with you.

Every single moment of our life is an expression. It expresses love, anger, affection, fear, hatred, sympathy and many more feelings. If you look behind you will easily be able to correlate a moment with any of these expressions.

FEAR – this is the most awful feelings of all. I don’t know how many of you have felt this but of late in my daily life there have been plentiful of moments when these feelings erupt out of nowhere even though for a fraction of a second. I dont know if i can classify it as Fear. Par Kuch toh hai ..

A few instances that i have gathered (or rather felt)

I am in deep sleep and all of a sudden the telephone rings at odd time like about 4am and heartbeats increase all of a sudden thinking who would call at this time ? any bad news coming.. Finally to your relief it turns out to be a wrong number. Yes this has happened on my landline quite a few times.

While washing face , eyes are tightly closed just to ensure that the soapy water doesn’t get in and the feeling that what if I open my eyes and I will not be able to see anything? I used to get this weird feeling when I was in college. But then you open your eyes and see your near ones and you thank god for giving this vision to you.

This one might sound funny to you, but till date I have this Awww kind of feeling whenever the pressure cooker is on . When the whistle goes..pssrrrrr.. I think it’s directly gonna explode on my face. Hahaha

Another of these awful feeling comes while traveling. These BEST bus drivers are such rash breeds , they skip signals , change lanes , overtake and I feel the bus is just gonna bang with the vehicle aside.

This one is silly. We had gone to Water kingdom and we were chillaxing on those inflatable tubes floating on water, the water might have been deep only till about the knee. A friend of mine came and just turned the tube upside down. Those 10Seconds under water made me feel like I am gonna drown. When I was up, taking in the air it felt as in I had just won a war.. Khikhi

These are some moments which I encounter quite often, may be daily .. after a few seconds of wild Dhak-Dhak within, I give a hearty laugh at the end of it. Haven’t turned into nightmares or reality yet .

So have you felt these lately, what’s your share of it ??

Indian Economy - Worth A Read

2011-12-02T11:05:00.006+05:30

I got this article from one of my friend, thought of sharing it here with you all

Here's a small example:-

Before 12 months 1 US $ = IND Rs 39
After 12 months, now 1 $ = IND Rs 52

Do you think US Economy is booming? No, but Indian Economy is Going Down.

Our economy is in your hands....

Indian economy is in a crisis. Our country like many other ASIAN countries, is undergoing a severe economic crunch. Many Indian industries are closing down. The Indian economy is in a crisis and if we do not take proper steps to control those, we will be in a critical situation.

More than Rs 30,000 Crore of foreign exchange are being siphoned out of our country on products such as cosmetics, snacks, tea, beverages, etc... which are readily grown, produced and available here.(Indian Stuff)

A cold drink that costs only 70 / 80 paise to produce, is sold for Rs.9 to Rs.25 and a major chunk of profits from these are sent abroad. This is a serious drain on Indian economy.

We have nothing against Multinational companies, but to protect our own interests we request everybody to use Indian products only at-least till some extent. With the rise in petrol prices, if we do not do this, the Rupee will devalue further and we will end up paying much more for the same products in the near future.

What you can do about it?
1. Buy only products manufactured by Indian Companies.
2. Enroll as many people as possible for this cause.....

You don't need to give-up your lifestyle. You just need to choose an alternate product.

All categories of products are available from Indian Companies.

LIST OF PRODUCTS

COLD DRINKS
Drink lemon juice, fresh fruit juice, buttermil(sweet or salted), coconu water, jal-jeera, Energee or masala mil from Aarey instead of Coke, Pepse, Limca , Mirinda or Sprite

BATHING SOAP
Use brands like cinthol or other godrej brands, santoor, margo, medimix, evita,etc
instead of lux, lifebuoy, liril, dove, palmolive, camay, etc

TOOTH PASTE
use neem, babool, vicco, prudent, dabur instead of colgate, closeup, pepsodent, mentadent, forhans, etc

SHAVING CREAM
Use godrej, emami instead of palmolive, old spice or gillette

BLADE
Use supermax, topaz, etc instead of seven-o-clock, 365, gillette, etc

TALCUM POWDER
Use santoor, cinthol, wipro, boroplus instead of ponds, J & J , shower to shower to showert

MILK POWDER
Use Indiana, AMul, AMulya instead of Anikspray, Milkana, Everyday, Milkmaid.

SHAMPOO , Mobile Connections , Fast Food plenty of stuff to go for.

Every Indian product you buy makes a big difference. It saves INDIA. Let us take a firm decision today.

Buy Indian to be Indian - We are not against foreign products.

We are not anti-multinational. We are trying to save our nation. Every day is a struggle for a real freedom. We achieved our independence after losing many lives.
They died painfully to ensure that we live peacefully. The current trend is very threatening. Multinationals call it globalization of Indian economy. For Indians like you and me, it is re-colonization of India.

WHO WOULD LIKE TO LET A "GOOSE THAT LAYS GOLDEN EGGS" SLIP AWAY?

Please remember: political freedom is useless without economic independence

Russia, S.Korea, Mexico - the list is very long!! Let us learn from their experience and from our history.

Finally, it's obvious that you can't give up all of the items mentioned above. So give up at least one item for the sake of our country!

Those were the days - Advertisements

2011-10-31T16:09:00.005+05:30

Advertisements - one of the most powerful tools to sell products today. But the content is just getting worst day-by-day. Today you pick up any product you will be either having a popular star or sports person endorsing the product and thats it. Their brand names depend on how big a star yon board.

But if you look in past.. there are these adds which i call the epic advts , and yes they did not have any star element in it. The content and the punches is what made the advt and yes related to the product as well.

Here i give few of those advertisements which you no longer see on television.

Pan Pasand (Shaadi aur tumse Kabhii Nahii)

Pan Parag (The epic Advt featuring Shammiji and Ashok Kumarji)

Bole Mere Lips - I Love Uncle Chips

Chik Chik Chik.. Chicklets Chewing Gum.

Amul - Doodh Doodh , makes everyone drink a glassfull of milk

Dhara Ghee.. Jaleebiiii

Rasna .. I love You Rasna

Karraam Kurraam .. Lijjat Papad

Buland bharat ki buland tasveeeer, hamara bajaj ...Hamara Bajaj.

Crazzzy about the Zing Thing - Gold Spot

The most Epic of all .. Bajaj bulb (Jab Main Chota Ladka Tha)

I am a Complan Girl / I am a Complan Boy (But I am growing mummy)

NesCafe - Taste that gets you started , taste that gets you going out

Khushiya Nai Rang laayegi - Asian Paints

Chal Meri Luna

Ma Most Fav Cadbury Advt - Kuch Baat Hai Hum Sabi Mein, Kya Swaad Hai Zindagi Mein

WoodWords Gripe Water - Wohi to main tumhe deti thi jab tum choti thi

Tum Chalo To Hindustan Chale

Ericsson Mobiles .. Hello, what you doing tonite :)

The Most Epic of All - Remembered for Beautiful Smita Patil

And the new version of the same

Many Many More... So which are your most memorable advertisements.. Do comment and share .

Ra.One - Movie Review

2011-10-26T13:24:00.003+05:30

First attempt using Email Blog.

The much awaited movie of the year , Ra.One released today amongst the fanfare and SRK selling the Movie everywhere. So you are at shopping mall, watching tv, listening radio.. Ra.One is everywhere.. The movie released with about 5000 prints and 85% shows are reserved for Ra.One leaving Damadam and Tell Me O Khuda much behind. I won 2 Vouchers from BigCinemas which had to be used.. what better way then use it here. First Day - First show.. after a loong time for a movie from my end.

Ra.One (3D) - Running Time 2Hours 45Minutes

Starring -

Shahrukh Khan as Shekhar and G.One(The Good One)
Kareena Kapoor as Sonia
Arjun Rampal - Ra.One(Random Access - One)
Armaan - Prateek and Lucifer (Son of Shekhar and Sonia)
Daleep Tahil(Barron) , Shahana Goswami(Jenny), Some Chinese Actor(Akaashi), Satish Shah(Iyer) and Rajnikant(Chitti).

Story:

Ra.One starts with a dream sequence where prateek dreams of SRK as Lucifer and is on a task to save the Desi Girl (Priyanka Chopra) from Khalnayak (Sanjay Dutt). He wakes up in class and the school fun starts. Shekhar living in London, a Madrasi works with a leading gaming company where they are given a task to build a mind blowing game or else they shall be out of the company. Now Prateek thinks his father is not very cool and is a loser, coward kind . Over the dining table , SRK eats Noodles and Curd.. weirddd and discusses the game with Sonia and Prateek.. to which prateek says he should make a game where the villain can never be defeated and has more power then the hero. Now this advise is taken strongly by Shekhar and they develop a game .. So is born the baddie Ra.One, but to kill the evil there must be a goodiee so we have The Good One(G.One). The designers take Shekhar's face as the face of G.One.

So after all the testing , the game finally is out for release. Prateek wants to play it at the first go and he manages to reach level 2 where as till then no one was able to cross level one. just when he is about to win level 2 , Akaashi stops him from playing. That is when Ra.One decides to come out of the game and in real world and take revenge from Lucifer. Shekhar is on his way to home after the release, that's where Ra.One encounters him and Kills him. Prateek comes to know that Shekhar did not die of an accident but Ra.One killed him. So as Ra.One comes out in real world he tries to get G.One out of the game. Sonia and Prateek are to leave for India , just then Ra.One attacks Lucifer(Prateek).. and there comes the saviour - G.One to help them. G.One for the time being kills Ra.One(temporary). All 3 manage to come to India and there are some funny incidents and action at the Airport. G.One promises that he will protect Prateek.

After the Interval Ra.one takes the avataar of Arjun Rampal and travels to India in hunt of Lucifer and G.One. Together G.One and Lucifer manage to kill Ra.One and thats the end of the game. Lucifer wins. Now G.One has to go back to his world. Leaving behind his heart. Sonia and Prateek move back to London, where Prateek manages to revive his heart and bring G.One back. Thats the end.

Thumbs Up:
The special effects are really good, not seen in Indian cinema till now.
After Rohit Shetty's forte of breaking and flying cars, SRK has taken it to the next level. The car chase sequence is amazing.
The Gaalis of Kareena Kapoor.. Haaye haii.. Tere Baap ka Pochad, Tere Tau ka poda, Teri Maa ki, Teri Behen ki - hindustan main sab galiya aisi kyu hoti hai, Tere Bhai ki , Tere Baap ki aisi kyu nai, Chaliya Chacha de chuchad... ROFL . There definately is a comedy angle in plenty of scenes.
The VFX in the gaming arena are to powerful and the background score is amazing.
The train climax again Robot type is good.. and how the CST station is broken down to pieces again cool.

Acting of Kareena, SRK and the lil Kid Armaan (Thumbs Up)

Music is super hit with songs like Criminal, Chamak Challo, Dildara and Raftaarein topping the charts.

What i did not like :

The 3D effects not worth it.. i mean when you see movies like Harry Potter and Avatar.. the 3D sound unimpressive. The Story is average..

Arjun Rampal, not that good. Looks like his face has been put using special effects on a robotic body. After a certain time it starts getting repetitive.

So overall if you are VFX lover , this would be a must watch once in Cinema house. Yaar itna publicity kiya , kharcha kiya hai to ek baar jake dekh ke aao - with family.

Rating 4 / 5

Khana-E-Bahar (Diwali Feast)

2011-10-24T20:00:00.000+05:30

Diwali is just around the corner, Its Dhan Teras today.. A Day where we do pooja of Old coins and Businessman do Chopda Poojan.. ohh sorry.. i wasn't gonna talk about it . As its a Gujju new year, the most imp and religious fest for us, how can food and fun be far behind.

Now that the saaf-safai is done, House is already bustling with preparations of the oh.. ever so yummy snacks and mithais. i actually wait for the whole year to have these chatpata snacks as they are often made only on Diwali :

The List of snacks already made or in the process of being made :

-Mathia Its like a fried papad kind of snack made of Urad and Math Dal flour with white chilly and Ajwain, i simply love the way mom makes it.. nothing to beat it.
- Chorafadi Its little fried crispy finger chips shaped snack made up of Black Gram Flour and Gram flour and sprinkled with chilly powder and rock salt.
- Chakli A very common snack made up beasan and other ingredients and fried in circles.
- Chivda This is the most healthy an non oily snack made up of Rice flakes,roasted with peanuts, Almonds,cashew nuts, tempered with chilly and other masalas added.

Now that the snacks are over how can the sweets and mithai's be left behind.. Though now a days we get mithai's ready made, but the following two are made at home without fail.. as we have to do prasad for "Thakurji",, our god at home .. we cannot put outside ready made sweets.. the Chappan Bhog Shall happen on Diwali or New Year Day..

The sweets in list are:
Nankhatai (These are like cookies made of Rawa and Ghee, and now of recent mom adds vanilla flavour and Chocolate flavour in some of the portion to suit my taste)
Kaju / Badam Katri - The Most Fav mithai for me , its made up of Cashew and Almond powder , mixed with sugar and cut into diamond shape.

So here i share two of my Fav Diwali Snack and Sweet - Mathia and Badam Katli. (Recipe Courtesy - Mom)

Badam Katli :

Almonds 250Grams
1 Cup Sugar or Sugar Equivalent .
1-2 Tablespoon Milk
Little Ghee for Greasing
Silver Varq

Here You Go:
1. Blanch 250grams of Almonds in boiling water for 5minutes. Drain the water and peel of all the Almonds.Lets the Almonds dry completely and then roast them on a non-stick pan till they turn light brown. Let i cool and grind to make fine powder.
2. Now cook 1cup of Sugar in 3/4 cup of water in the non-stick pan , stir continuously till sugar dissolves . Now add 1 tablespoon of Milk. Let it boil, once it rises till the top, just remove the upper risen portion. Cook the syrup till it reaches a thick consistency(Chashni).
3. Once the syrup reaches the desired consistency, remove it from the gas and now add the Almond powder. Continue to mix till the mixture is smooth.
4. Transfer the mixture onto a flat surface and spread to cool a bit.
5. Put some ghee on table top to grease it and roll out the mixture into about half inch or more thickness, it should be of the same level throughout.
6. Apply silver varq on top of it and then cut into diamond shaped pieces.

Mathia :

100g. Muth Dal Flour
100g. Urad Dal Flour
2 Tablespoons of Besan (Bengal Gram Flour)
2 Teaspoons Papad Kharo(Soda) - For Crispiness.
1 Teaspoon of Ajwain
White Chilly as per taste
Salt to taste
Water
Oil for Frying

Here You Go:
1. Sieve all the flours with salt and Papad kharo in a bowl.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of oil, white chilly powder and ajwain to the flour. Add water and knead the dough. Try to pound the dough in a Stone mortar, if you have one. If you don't have stone mortar than pound it with the help of fist of your hand. Pound it for 20 minutes.(The hard you knead and pound the dough, better the Mathia comes out - Moms Nuska)
3. Stretch the dough and try to make small balls. Roll the balls in round shape in Puri size.
4. Deep Fry the Mathia's till golden brown.
5. Tadaann your crisp Mathia's are ready to eat, they stay fresh up to a weeks time, store them in an air-tight container to retain the crispness. However , in our house they don't last for more then 4 days.

Art Festival

2011-10-23T23:11:00.003+05:30

Taking inspiration from Purvesh.. Here is a glimpse of Pics captured during

The Kala Ghoda Arts Festival - Colaba , From 5th to 13th February 2011.

Kala Ghoda Arts Festival

A Morning on Waters(Sailing)

2011-10-23T13:35:00.001+05:30

Enroute Alibaug, pics taken On-Board .. Jetty / Ferry , From Gate Way Of India to Mandwa. Alibaug is about 30Min Drive from Mandwa.

Early Morning Ferry.. All Set to Sail..

Iconic Gate Way Of India with the back ground of beautiful Taj Hotel - Mumbai.

Sights of the First Vessel Seen.. the name not quite clear

The Same Vessel.. Seen in Full View as we pass by.

Few More Vessels spotted .. Was Fun ..

Time To Shoot Birds...

Return Journey in Evening... Beautiful Sunset.. So Serene and Peaceful

An Era of Indian Cricket - Sachin Tendulkar

2011-10-21T00:10:00.001+05:30

“Streets are little too empty for an average Indian city. In almost every square, a mob of people is glued to television. Somewhere in the plush office, a young techie is desperately trying to access banned websites. And at the same moment, somewhere far away in a remote village, some lad is frantically adjusting his outdated TV antenna to get a better picture while his ancient grandfather is slapping radio to hear what is going on.”

It is not any calamity or political upheaval that causes such frenzy. In India, all this happens only when certain SACHIN RAMESH TENDULKAR plays well. To be very precise, there is no bigger impact on Indian psyche and social life than that of Sachin Tendulkar.

Every single cricket analyst and writer has tried to find out what is the factor that has made Sachin Tendulkar the single most popular sportsperson. Everybody has come up with own explanation and honestly nobody is wrong.Sachin is not just a mere sportsperson for common Indians, he is the Unspoken GOD, yes i call him from that name and can proudly say have seen him play live. Yes the ICC 2011 WC Final at Wankhede Stadium and All the Mumbai Indian matches at CCI and Wankhede Stadium.

Sachin’s legacy is basically associated with the spirit of this nation. It was 1989, when at the age of 16, Sachin made his debut in International cricket. In the matter of few years, he was much more than a sportsman for this frenzied country.

SACHIN TENDULKAR'S RECORDS (I doubt anyone can even reach close by)

No barriers of religion, cast or language could hold him down. Sachin in the matter of time became a member of every Indian family. When they sat for a dinner, in their subliminal emotions, somewhere amongst them he sat there too. Almost every home had a wall with his poster hanging on it. For a little boy, Sachin was his idol and for a mom he was the son, she wished she could ever have.His boyish charm, pure innocence and dreamy demeanour mesmerised people. His willow weaved magic and the nation so thirsty for some surreal entity, found her solace.

- Outlook Magazine

Sachin Tendulkar not only erased the million sorrows, he breathed a fresh hope and pure joy in average Indian’s life. My generation that was just kiddos around his debut has not seen the dark era of Indian Cricket. All we have seen is resurgence, prosperity with a share of trade mark disparity and fairytale career of Sachin Tendulkar.We have seen how amidst the controversies he has remained pure and untarnished. We have seen how he has handled the expectations of billion Indians with ease. We have felt his pain when he has dealt with bruised body, battered soul and ungrateful critics with silence. His every stroke does a Dhak-Dhak with our heartbeats and his achievement with our glory.

What we have not seen is a thing that we dread the most. We have not seen a day without Sachin Tendulkar somewhere around us. We have not seen a day, without Sachin’s name in the newspapers. To put it very simply, For me i do not see Cricket without Sachin . Soon enough there will be a day, when one billion Indians are going to lose a little piece of their heart. He will retire someday, and the hollow this nation is going to experience is too enormous to even describe.

Just recently i was watching a Sports based program on Star News stating Virat Kohli as the new Sachin Tendulkar of Indian Cricket. Unfortunately, there is not and would never ever be another Sachin Tendulkar who would ever collect those billion pieces of India and stitch together a similar dream. This is the true essence of Sachin Tendulkar’s legacy.

I so very Happy that India won the World cup 2011 for nobody else but for this Masterclass legend as this was the only feat that was left to be accomplished. CHEERS to Sachin .

A Battle We Must Not Loose

2011-10-20T09:01:00.005+05:30

Battle Against Corruption

Corruption seems to be the flavor of the season. Everyone is talking about it inbooks, movies, shows, every one is going ga ga over it. Jan-Lokpal(Anna's Version), Lokpal(Govt Version) and 3rd Draft(Narayan Grp and Aruna Roy), are the center of debate. Well have done some serious reading and have taken views from friends on this post and understood what Lokpal will be all about and the outcomes of it.

Let us just look at the issues over which the battle between the Government and us citizens is being fought. And then let's decide where we want to stand, each one of us, on the issue of corruption.

The first battle :
Do corruption and bribery hurt you? If they do, do you want a solution?

If your answer is yes to both, do you think such a solution lies with an independent authority? Or do you think a corrupt Government can fight corruption on its own, and within its own ranks?

If your answer is no to that, then we need to create an independent institution to fight corruption. Right? Well, that's precisely what Anna is asking for. He is asking for a Lokpal that the Government cannot influence nor manipulate. This is the first battle.

The second battle is over four things.
? One: Should the Prime Minister come under the the Lokpal? Almost everyone I know thinks he should. A honest Prime Minister wouldn't care. A dishonest one must be supervised. Or else, we will have cases like Bofors that will never ever be resolved.

? Two: Should Members of Parliament come under the Lokpal? I have not met a single person till date who thinks that our MPs are so honest that they need not be supervised. My guess is if an opinion is ever taken, Anna will get a 100% yes to this question, given what people think of our politicians .

? Three: Do all public servants need to come under the Lokpal? My guess is India's answer will be yes, yes, yes. Every day, in every area of our life and work, we are constantly harassed, intimidated and extorted by corrupt Government officers. The poorer you are, the worse is the torture. So yes, every public servant, every Government officer must come under the Lokpal.

? Four: Who should give permission to file an FIR against a corrupt judge? If the Lokpal can look into corruption charges against the PM, the MPs and Government servants, isn't it only logical to expect it to do the same against judges?

The third and final battle is over an even simpler thing: The Citizen's Charter. Should every Government office have such a Charter which will clearly state which officer will do what work and in how much time? And should an officer who refuses to do his work in time or asks for a bribe to move a file be punished? The Government says a charter a fine but Government servants must not be penalised if they don't do their work! Anna believes that officers not doing their work in time amounts to corruption and must face the same treatment. Isn't it rather obvious what India thinks about this?

Do we really need a referendum on these simple, basic issues? I seriously doubt it. Every Indian will endorse the idea of a Lokpal as Anna and his team have conceptualized with the help of thousands of Indians who have contributed online to the process of drafting the bill.

Yes, there are genuine fears that we should not create yet another monster out there, who will make life more difficult for us than it already is. But even that has been addressed by Anna's team. It is a complex process, true but it also ensures that the choice is wisely made. And what if there are charges against the Lokpal? Well, there's a provision there too. You can go straight to the Supreme Court and seek justice out there.

So why are we arguing so much over this Bill? Why is the Government digging its heels in and refusing to listen to us citizens? Why must Anna go on a hunger strike all over again to press home the point that corruption must be fought back? I guess it's a question of both ego and fear. No one likes to give up the power they have, and certainly not the Government. In fact, it's always trying to interfere more and more in our lives, grab more and more authority, more and more space. And fear?

Well, I guess we all know the answer to that. This is possibly the most corrupt Government we have ever had. It has good reason to be scared.

Shake it Babyy (Oreo Shake)

2011-10-19T15:22:00.002+05:30

This is my first food blog. I am a big foodie , but when it comes to cooking .. i go tai-tai-phiss, i hate to enter kitchen, my Mom literally pulls me in the kitchen on sundays and makes me cook .

Yesterday i tried a really simple milkshake , Oreo Shake. Everyone in my house is found of Oreo cookies,i used to get if even before they weren't manufact in India, but since the time Kraft started their production in India.. its lovely to get them at Baniya's shop also.

Nevertheless, here i present Oreo Shake :

Ingredients (For 2):

Oreo Cookies - 8 (you can add more acc to your taste).
Milk - 1 and a Half Glass
Vanilla Ice cream - 2cups(a little softened)
Chocolate Ice cream 1cup(Optional for topping)
Choclate Syrup (Optional for topping)
Ice (As you req)

Here You Go : (Approx Time req 5Minutes)

Take ice, Milk and Vanilla Ice cream in a Blending Jar, blend for about 20 seconds or till its an even mixture. (high speed)

Now turn the speed low or you can used the push switch.

Start adding Oreo cookies pieces(Let some pieces remain, as it gives that crunchy effect)

Take a tall Glass, add some chocolate syrup on side(i did not do as i had choco ice cream), Pour in shake, add softened choco ice cream, few crumbled cookies and decorate with an oreo cookie kept on top.

Tadddaann.. your Oreo Shake is Ready...Sllurrrrpppppppppp.

Spiritual Me

2011-10-18T10:42:00.004+05:30

Its Tuesday.. Its the day of worshiping vighnaharta Ganpati Bappa.. Dunno when i started this or who told me.. but i always keep a fast on this day.. start my day with a small little prayer and ensure i visit temple after office.. I either visit Siddhivinayak temple(not on all Tuesdays)or the temple in our locality, that half an hour spent there truly gives me peace of mind .. that is the time where mind is not thinking about work, pressures, issues, tensions.. its the time when i just sit down on the floor and close my eyes or just look at the beautiful idol. In a sense it helps me connect with my inner-self, that's my date with God i say, laughingly to my friends.

Had gone today for the early morning kakad aarti, which usually takes place at 5am, you will not believe people flock on Tuesdays at this temple, in-fact there are so many people who walk down to Siddhivinayak from all part of Mumbai to be a part of this aarti. Superstars or common man, everyone is equal for God. Here is a video of Kakad aarti, i got on Youtube(i do not use my phone to capture any images or videos within.)

I pray to him, to bless us all to become successful in what we do and give us the strength to face this world. I am so happy to begin this new day by talking about Shri Ganesha. May he always be with us !

Phonnyy Affairs.. My BB tale

2011-10-17T14:11:00.013+05:30

I was on my way to work.. as usual i got into the bus and grabbed my window seat and was checking my BB mails and messages and regular stuff..Just then a School going kiddo came and sat next to me.... She had just settled in and all of a sudden flashed her Blackberry.. and started chatting on it.. She must have been in 7Th Std.. yes. Looking at her made me realise how i got my Blackberry.. that to about 5months back... and here she was already using it as a School Goer.

This took me to my good old days where i had got my first cell phone only when i completed my Post Graduation and made me recall what exactly my phone looked like then.. And what my phone looks now..
Here is a preview of my Phonny Affairs.. From 2005-2011. I have been a Sony Ericsson addict and have used that brand sincerely for good 4.5 years.. just loved the sound and music quality it had to offer and yes superb camera as well. A point to note is all my phone till now have been gifted to me on my Birthdays..

So my 1st phone was a silly(if you think now) basic Sony Ericsson J300 ,gifted to me by dad on completing my post graduation and starting with my Internship At Cumballa Hill Hospital in May 2005. It was just a basic phone with no player nor camera.
After using it for about 5 months i was totally bored and asked dad if i could get a new one which has music player and other good features. So came in Sony Ericsson Walkman Series W300i , a small black and orange colored flip phone , with vga cam and awesome Walkman player.This was at start of the year 2006.

Then came my Happy wala Budday in 2006 and also i had started working, my first ever job so dad gifted me a Sony Ericsson Cybershot series K550i,another superb phone with 3.2 pixel cam and other good features. Costing about 7K that time. I religiously for the next one year used the phone without any cribbing and not even in my distant dream thinking of Changing it..

Come Soon Happy Birthday 2007.. time for adding a new Sony Ericsson family member , so came in Walkman Series W595.. an awesome slider phone, super sleek and trendy.. This was the best i had used till.. costing about 8.5K .The Sound quality was just amazing.It had basic gprs which i did not use it frquently. So another year passed and came in 2008 Happy Budday to me.. now dad had understood it had become like a ritual to buy a new phone every year, mom was furious as she wanted me to use the same old phone and get some gold jewellery(you know how mom's are).. but the adamant me saying where i will wear those heavy jewellery everyday to work.. and even dad supporting me, let her buy what she likes.. came in the most costliest of phone till now.. Super Sexy, Sleek , Suave Sony Ericsson Cybershot series C902, costing about 10K.It had 5mp camera and equally good sound quality compared to my earlier walkman series.

By the time my next birthday arrived in 2009, the social media fever had gripped everyone... orkut, Facebook bug had bitten me hard and also the touchscreens were the rave amongst all, so how could i be behind.. so this time i gifted myself this phone on my 2009 year birthday.. yes bought it with my hard earned money.. this time it was the Samsung Star (touchscreen).. an awesome touchscreen phone with FB, Orkut, Youtube and other gadgets.. I use to flaunt it like anything.. door se iphone ka copy lagta tha :D . Now i had promised mom that i wouldnt buy any new phone next birthday..and i turned out to be the same.. i was quite happy using Samsung Star.. It hadnt given me any issues in one year and 2010 birthday came and went without adding a new phone in the list..making it my most used phone for about 1year and 3 months...

But as The Alchemist says "when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it".. i got promoted to AM's level and was entitled to get a new phone under company's policy.. though the choice wasn't mine, came in the dual simcard wala Micromax Q5fb.. an average looking phone with qwerty keypad and direct push buttons for FB and Messaging..so the year 2010 and start of 2011 was spend with Samsung star and Micromax Q5FB.. Changed job, promoted to RM's level.. now was the age of Phones with applications and the 3G bug.. though the cost of basic living necessities was increasing day-by-day , the cost of cellphones and gadgets were coming down.. so a phone that i had seen mostly in the hands of my Directors and COO, was gonna be in my hand soon.It was time for an aam addmi to have hands on it.. so come in Happy Birthday 2011.. Dad and me unanimously decided on BLACKBERRY Curve 9300(3G).. No need to tell what BB is today.. as probably school going kids use it as well.. But for me this comes after a wait of about 5 years .. so this was my little journey from a Dabba Phone to truly a Smart Phone..

This was the first pitcha of My BB.. clicked on my Birthday 23rd May 2011 and the exact time that i was born 10.58am.. and now i say I am a Blackberry Gurl.. Oh yeahh

So what is your BB or Iphone Story ??? think about it...

Bol - Movie Review

2011-10-16T23:29:00.005+05:30

Movies , Movies and more Movies.. this weekend was an exciting weekend.. as finally caught up with few movies.. yesh managed to watch 3 movies.. My Friend Pinto , The 3 Musketeers and Bol. 3D experience of the 3 musketeers was good but not awesome , my friend pinto was an ok - ok one time watch movie, a little bit of comic timing . Prateik was the reason for me to watch the movie as somehow i kind of like his ubercool looks and ever since i watched Dhobi Ghaat and Arakshan , i kind of like him..

But But But.. i am not gonna talk about these 2 movies.. i am gonna talk about BOL. I kind of hunted for the shows but there werent any shows running so ultimately i borrowed a dvd from friend .. yes as i had heard quite good reviews from people who had already seen it.

Bol is a pakistani movie which released in India the same day as Bodyguard released.. probably the reason why it went unnoticed..

Starring - Atif Aslam, Humima Mallick (Main cast)

I was totally moved by the characters and brilliant acting definitely by the protagonist Humaima. The story is extremely powerful and each and every performance by screen characters - Zainub(Humaima), Hakim Khan(Mazhar), Ayesha(Mahira) and Mustafa(Atif Aslam) has to be praised.

Story :
The story revolves around "Unwanted Girl Child" yes quite common thing between the 2 neighbor countries and how females live and manage in the male dominating world.
The movie starts with a sequence in jail where Zainub is facing sentence to death. She requests to have an interaction with press and that's how the past is brought into the picture. She recounts the story where her father wished for a son and how eventually after 7 daughter(5 are shown onscreen) has a Son(Saifi) who unfortunately is Bi-Sexual or Hermaphrodite(having male and female characteristics) in scientific language. She in mean while gets married , divorces and returns back to her house. Zainub has to stand up for her sisters and "Saifi", to his fathers ignorant beliefs. Hakim goes through financial problems. Being uneducated, they have no choice but to remain more or less imprisoned in their house. An exception was Ayeshah who falls for their neighbor Mustafa (Atif Aslam). She sneaks out with him, and sees the world, that none of her sisters know of! As the story progresses, the family goes through some heart-wrenching tragedies (brought on by Hakim's nature). As Zainub's story goes on, there's a realization among the press that she is actually innocent, and there's a race against time to stall the hanging.

Dialogues, Editing, Screenplay is brilliant . Music is also ok with songs like Hona tha Pyar and Aaj bol do sung by Atif Aslam.

All in all, Bol is highly recommended! The story was heart-wrenching, the acting was brilliant, the direction was really great!

Rating : 4.5 / 5

PS : Female infanticide is one of the most obscene elements of Indian society. Almost in every village, small town and city you’ll find scores of such cases of chauvinist men doing worse to their wives and daughters.

Shift

2011-10-16T22:37:00.001+05:30

I was really cracking my brain hard what to post.. something different.. but as few of you have felt this and this time it was me who had gone "Blank" . That is when i remembered our Training session yesterday.. yes working in a challenging domain where changes are constant, we kind of have these regular training sessions on various aspects like - Thinking out of box, planning, effective query solving , etc etc.Just then i picked up the phone and called Mr.Kotian (Corporate Trainer) to pass me the slides of his presentation he made to the team and asked him if i could blog it. To which he said "Yes , Why not the more people read and understand it, the better the outputs can be" Here is a small study or example shared by him. It says about how we get into our own shell and refuse to accept new stuff and challenges , stating this is how we have been doing . Here is the Visual story -

A group of scientists placed 5 monkeys in a huge cage and in the middle , a ladder with bananas on top .
Every-time a monkey went up the ladder to collect the banana, the scientists soaked rest of the monkeys with cold water.After a while, every time a monkey went up the ladder , the others beat up the one on the ladder. After some time no monkey dared to go up the ladder regardless of the temptation.Scientists then substitute 1 of the monkeys. The 1st thing the new monkey did was to go up the ladder .Immediately the other monkeys beat him up. After several beatings the new member learned not to climb the ladder, even though he never knew why.The 2nd monkey was substituted and the same happened . The 1st new monkey participated in the beating of the 2nd new monkey. The 3rd monkey was changed & the same was repeated(beating). The 4th was substituted and the beating was repeated and finally the 5th monkey was replaced.What was now left was a group of 5 monkeys that even though never received the cold shower, continued to beat up any monkey who attempted to climb the ladder.If it was possible to ask the monkeys why they would beat up all those who attempted to go up the ladder , i bet you the answer would be "I don't know, - that's how things are done around here". Now does it sound a familiar line or heard if this somewhere ??

The possibility for the old or new monkeys could have been

So the point is why we continue to do what we are doing if there is a different productive way out., Think it for yourself, which of the following monkey you want to be ...

We are always away from Truth

2011-10-14T11:18:00.004+05:30

3 Months over .. the Hunt Still on.. No one still knows who was behind it..

13th July 2011... a black day that will always haunt me for years and years to come. This was the day i witnessed death .. in front of my eyes. As usual i was to get down at the Opera House bus stop, and walk home. I must have walked 4 steps when i heard a huge explosion at a distance of less then 40M. The sound of which still echoes around..

Being a diamond market my first reaction was maybe some boiler had burst as it had happened earlier as well.. but in moments i was proved wrong.. It was a terrorist act and what i just heard was a bomb explosion. The next 5 minutes i walked i saw people being rushed to nearby Saifee and HN hospital.. No i did not had guts to walk from that lane and reach home.. so i took the long walk and my mind and heart constantly pondering what if i was walking from there just like i would have on normal days.. the entire area was cordoned off in no time and it was like a curfew.. My parents heaved a sign of relief the moment i entered house. As usual the Tamsha had started on TV and my friends had actually send me videos and pics of it.. which i did not even had courage to look at.. i might have puked had i seen them then and there. That night was one of the quietest night ..

A Friend wrote me chill , hota rehta hai yeh sab(On FB). To which i said you wouldn't have said this had you been there . "At the end what mattered to others was to go home have food and sleep on it"

The Next Day :

Too much to talk about the following day... it was all about the various aspects like the spirit of Mumbai, Candle March, Peace walk, meaningless hypocrisies and mindless accusations with the Mumbai police... (literally tired of hearing these). We all cheer the rising Spirit of Mumbai... we are back to work ...blah blah ... but do we have an option ....People have a selfish motive of saving their job, pushing our promotion, saving our leave (thinking there would be no work anyways)

What we people are gonna do is just voice our opinions (just like me and do nothing about it!!)... like its has to be something to be talked upon for the day!!! And then its just going to be like our recent 3years sleepover of the 26/11 attacks!!! Isn't that super????

I'm no one to judge, but all I can say is there are always 2 sides to a coin and we're never gonna be the listeners to the true story... Media is a strong medium of awareness to the people... But could it be really relied upon???

Because in the NEWS every sentence its either gonna be,
"Aap dekh sakte hai ki hamare ____ TV / News, blah-blah ke samvaadata....." which wud be the horrid repetitive 15-20mins scene of the Terrorist act..."

"Is ghatna ke pehli Tasveere" or "Our channel is the first to bring you this"

Never was an accurate figure put out... as per the people present atleast 100 people must have died at Opera House site(I know how packed that lane is at evening when the market leaves) but what figure we were reported is 20-25.. that to a combined from all 3 sites. This was may be to lower the intensity of it.

So it again says you are either on the News or off the News. I fail to understand that are we just among the fight, within the fight or just mere spectators who could be easily wiped off the gift of life as a result of the actions from either sides(Govt, Media, Underworld). Well what i write may be a Question or an Opinion, but the more I think or write about , it is all gonna be a point of no return, because we are always away from where we should be, i.e. the Truth!!

Time To Bleed Blue

2011-10-13T22:38:00.007+05:30

India - England ODI series kicks starts tomorrow.. Here's wishing Men In Blue all the very best.. Never Missed any Matches at Wankhede .. yes the tickets in for the 4th ODI on Sunday.. so after witnessing the Epic Final here and the IPL matches its time to vasoolofy Lagaan .

Here's an attempt - a short kind of poetry

Time to bring out the covers and
Play those 50 overs,

To fight the battle,
At the very place where champions were given this title,

Its gonna be tough to play,
But your fans are here to stay,

Yes this is matter of home pride,
Go take your best stride,

Dhoni, Gauti, Virat and Raina
Go show who's the boss
to Peterson, Bell, Swann and Strauss,

Its time to go and book my ticket
People get ready for some kick ass Cricket .

Its time to BLEED BLUE - I BLEED BLUE, do You !

First World Pains

2011-10-13T11:49:00.004+05:30

... ... Now this one is for Laughs ... ...

It’s time now that we show sympathy to those suffering from these “First World sorrows.” Sorrows of the species from this "First World".. sorrows of most of us, pains that we face in everyday life..but with a twist...Too much of serious-serious stuff around.. lets LOL for some time, irrespective of how silly.. the stuff you may read below

Here’s a list of some genuine complaints, written by the modern - social media- techie age people.. i could also relate to a few of them :p

I accidentally clicked on a link instead of opening a new tab and now I have to press the back arrow

No iPhone 5, just this stupid iPhone 4s

I wish I could complain about IOS 5 being slow and not working, I only have a blackberry.

About to call my phone, because I can't find it...damn, left it on silent

The potato chips I'm eating are too wide for my mouth.

My legacy is all on the Internet. I hope the servers hold up.

My couch makes my butt sweaty.

Commercials are so much louder than the actual TV shows...I constantly have to keep changing the volume

My face hurts from smiling too much today

I hate when people use a hash-tag on Facebook

There's a spider on my ceiling, but I don't have a ladder or broom long enough to reach it and kill it

The pizza delivery guy is taking so long I think I'm going to faint

I'm too busy playing video games to get my regular 10 hours of sleep

I have nothing to drink but water

Everything on TV at mid-day is either a soap opera or a rerun.

I have a laptop, an iPod, an Xbox 360, Netflix, Hulu Plus and a smart phone but there is nothing to do.

My phone has better speakers than my laptop.

My bank doesn't have a drive-thru ATM

I misplaced my cell phone at home and had to call it from my land line.

My ice cream started to melt, so I had to eat it really fast.

Friend just asked if I wanted something from where he was getting lunch. Now I have to ask him the next time I go out.

I want to take a bath, but my only option is a stand up shower.

I need to stop staying up so late at night.

I need to stop eating so much cake.

I don't feel personally fulfilled by my college education.

I didn't know that my activation code was case sensitive so I had to re-enter it.

My laptop takes too long to wake up.

My pizza's too hot to eat, so I have to wait a couple minutes.

My phone beeps incessantly to tell me it is low on battery.

I download music faster than I can listen to it.

My state is spending tons of money to improve our roads so I have to drive through miles of construction every morning.

My electric toothbrush is dying and there aren't any new batteries around.

I have to use an iPhone 3g because my replacement iPhone 4 will take 2 days to get here.

I refuse to torrent a film unless its the directors cut in 1080p.

I have to adjust my shower head every day because my family members are shorter than me.

I've been laying down so long that my back is starting to hurt.

I've been spending over 30 minutes looking for something to watch on Netflix because there are so many choices.

Forgot about my muffins and they are about to expire. Had to eat 8 muffins in an hour.

I had to eat my fries without ketchup.

My mom didn't cut the crust off of my Veg Cheese sandwich.

The McDonald's take away counter handed me my change, and before I could put it in my wallet, wanted to hand me my drink.

I CAN'T FIND MY KEYS! It would be awesome if they had some sort of tracking device on them.

My phone doesn't get service in the elevator.

WHERE'S THE REMOTE?!?

My mom just bought groceries and there still isn't anything good to eat.

The vending machine gave me an extra bag of Chocolates but they weren't my favorite kind.

My new headphones are great, but now my music doesn't sound as I remember it.

It takes too long to load 1080p on YouTube.

A foot-long subway sub is too big for me, but a six inch leaves me hungry.

The auto correct on my smart phone puts me into uncomfortable situations.

P.S - There is still more to it .. about 1000 more complaints ...and i cant write them all here. These “complaints” have been borrowed from a Twitter profile called @firstworldpains . You can follow it to read more such awesome complaints! :))

Those Were The Best Days Of My Life

2011-10-12T10:40:00.004+05:30

College Years are the best in anyone's life. The time when one is out from a protected environment of school and into a different world. Those days were the best carefree days of my life. Have made friends for lifetime who i call my best buddies and My Gang.

Here i am sharing with you some of the best moments of my life and yes every time i hear the song that is played in the background.. i have these tears which automatically start rolling out of my eyes.. as the song says
"Those Were The Best Days Of My Life"

Soundtrack by Gaurav Dagaonkar (IIM)

Today life is full of commitments,And too many worries,
But those cherished moments,will live forever in our memories.
Remembering my classmates, after few years,
My eyes were filled with tears,
Everything is fresh in our mind,
Wish life could just rewind,
Lets laugh, play , rejoice Forever
Once again become college goer..

Remembering Jagjit Singh

2011-10-11T12:24:00.013+05:30

Jagjit Singh the King of Ghazals left us yesterday for heavenly abode .. His powerful , silken, soothing and heartfelt voice would be with us forever and ever.. as the song says "Naam Ghum Jaayega, Chehra Yeh Badal Jaayega, Meri Aawaz hi Pehchan Hai."

I don't remember at what age did i start listening to or understand Ghazals.. but i clearly remember that his album "Marasim" was the first ghazal cassette i ever purchased and still remains a prized possession. I remember each and every soulful composition of that album.. My favorite tracks of it are

Shaam se Aankh Mein Nami si Hai...
Haath Chute Bhi to Rishte Nahi choda Karte...
Woh Khat Ke Purze Uda Raha Tha...
Din Kuch Aise Guzarta Hai Koi...

Ghazals were considered very complex compositions to understand with use of urdu lyrics , but Jagjit saab introduced this genre to mainstream albums and eventually movies. I mean who will forget the beautiful composition from movie Sarfarosh "Hoshwalo Ko Khabar Kya" or For that matter his amazing renditions from Joggers Park or Tum Bin.

I List my top 15 Ghazals of Jagjit Saab which i love to listen to : Film / Albums
(Maraism Excluded)

1. Tumko Dekha To Yeh Khayal Aaya
2. Woh Kagaz Ki Kashti, Woh Baarish Ka Paani
3. Hothon Se Chu Lo Tum , Mera Geet Amar Kar Do
4. Jab Saamne Tum Aa Jaate Ho
5. Hoswalon Ko Khabar Kya
6. Koi Fariyaad Tere Dil Main
7. Kahin Door Jab Din Dhal Jaaye
8. Tum Itna Jo Muskura Rahe Ho
9. Badi Naazuk Hai Yeh Manzil,Mohobbat ka Safar Hai
10. Tere Aane Ki Jab Khabar Meheke, Teri Khushboo se Saara
11. Yaad Kiya Dil Ne Kaha Ho Tum
12. Ek Pyar Ka Nagma Hai
13. Jhooki Jhooki Si Nazar
14. Tum Hamare Nahi To Kya Gham Hai
15. Hazaron Khwaishe Aisi

At the end of the day i might be no one to comment on this stalwart , i would not even have heard each and every ghazal of his.. but as a fan of his voice , this was the post dedicated to him and his music.

May his Soul RIP !

Festive Season

2011-10-11T11:11:00.008+05:30

Navratri is a festival celebrated in varied traditions across India. Goddess Durga - Deity of Power id worshipped for these nine days called Navratras. In Bengal, Durga Pooja which is also called as Akalbodhan (untimely awakening of Durga), Durgotsab (festival of Durga), Maayer Pujo (worship of the Mother). Durga Puja festival is also called Navratri Puja in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Delhi.. According to Hindu calendar, Dussehra is marked on the 10th day of the bright half (Shukla Paksha) of the month of Ashvin (Ashwayuja).

For a Paki Gujju like me - This festival is of total fun as it breaks my daily routine and i so very much look forward to go for Raas-Garba & Dandiya nights with friends. Though this year managed to play only for 3 nights but was fun. This is the time when i just love to listen to those beautiful garbas and dance to the tunes of it. This year it was only 2 nights at Falguni Pathaks at Goregaon and 1 night at a friends society. The best part is dancing to the "Sanedo tune" .

Dushera, Dasara, Dashmi, VijayDashmi - are the different names given to the day when the Good defeated the Evil. This day - is a typical day and we follow the rituals like pooja in morning , going to Ram temple and Ambe mata temple. Return home and a treat of Fafda, Papdi , Kachori and Hot Jalebis. Yes this is the breakfast. This year i practically had to stand in line for 30mins to get the stuff packed.

As kids my granny used to tell us the story of Ramayan - that how Lord Ram wins the lovely Sita and marries her, only to have her carried off by Ravan, the demon king of Lanka. Ravan kidnapped Sita to avenge his sister’s injuries. Ram and Laxman later fought a battle and killed Ravan to rescue Sita. The monkey god Hanuman and a huge army of monkeys helped them. We also used to go for shows at Chowpatty which still happen and the Demon Ravan is eventually burned at the end of it.

Just Around the Corner - Festival of Lights , Diwali. This is the best part of the year where i get a chance to meet or at least speak to all relatives. The lights, the decoration, the special cookings , those new clothes.. ohh the cleaning and dusting of house has already started and the shopping starts soon. .. Me awaits to welcome the gujju nw year and say 'Saal Mubarak'.

Book Review - Revolution 2020

2011-10-09T09:56:00.022+05:30

Yes, one more Chetan Bhagat book to talk about. The book released amidst all the hype and the war of words between CB and Narayan Murthy . In Mumbai Sonam Kapoor Lauched the book at a Mall in Mulund. I got my pre-ordered copy from Flipkart delivered at doorstep a day prior to the launch. Well excited i started reading the same night and glad that have completed it in less then 2 days.

Story :
It is based on the story of 3 friends from school days Gopal - Aarti - Raghav who grow up in the beautiful holy city of Varanasi. CB has beautifully written about the journey of these three from school days - college- cracking AIEE and JEE - eventually engineering - work life and work ethos. It talks about confusions over career choice, confusion over love, friendship taken for granted, betrayal, love , lust, realizations and the latest flavor of the season Corruption also plays an important factor which changes the life of the 3 people involved. The story moves at a considerably fast pace and things unfold with dramatic sequences. The end is what i did not approve of and i did not like it that way .. for me it was a little filmy (Pyaar ka Balidan types) and some sequences made me remember the movie Rajneeti..

"sometimes the only way to get rid of an unpleasant feeling is to replace it with another unpleasant feeling."

"Human relationships are about selective sharing & hiding of things to the point of crazy confusion."

"Money or Revolution everyone should follow their heart, sometimes your heart can lead you to a dead end"

There are plentiful of quotes intelligently used at certain situations.

Watch out for :
Witty chat lines predicting a girls behavior. Beautiful portray of the city Varanasi "Where people come to purify themselves from their sins". The Ghats and the boating - wonderfully depicted. The reality of corruption which runs deep within our system. A failure need not be a loser for life, one can surely rise despite of the bad circumstances faced . The revolt to challenge the corrupt system - Revolution 2020 Because Enough is Enough.The simple writing as i mentioned earlier makes you read more until you have finally managed to complete it .

Something Missing :
Revolution 2020 comes out to be yet another typical signature style CB book.
Unlike the other books i read , the fun element is surely missing here. Yes it is a typical love triangle. The Rags to Riches kind of story. Maybe CB should now try to come out of those regular IIT and IIM stories and try a different genre.

Chetan Bhagat:
Visit - www.chetanbhagat.com to know more about him. His all the previous books have been best sellers. CB writes columns for leading English and Hindi newspapers, focusing on youth and national development issues. He is also a motivational speaker. You can email him at info@chetanbhagat.com or fill in the Guestbook with your feedback. You can also follow him on twitter (@chetan_bhagat) or like his Facebook fanpage.

I have been a fan of his writing since the time i read his first book. His simple writing is what makes his books to be best sellers and attract film makers to make movies on them. Revolution 2020 did not please me that much as i had conceived about it in my mind. It wasn't having the shocking value and guess by the time you reach the end it was somewhat predictable. Still Five point someone and 2 states remain my best from his collection of books till now.

A Night at the call center
Five Point Someone
The 3 mistakes of my life
2 States
Revolution 2020

Rating :
3.5 / 5 or max 4/5

Confessions over Addiction

2011-10-08T12:47:00.010+05:30

Everyone in life is addicted to somethings or other.. it could be Cigarettes, chocolates, spending spree, junk food, gadgets, brands, perfumes..blah blah blah.. yes i also have addiction of the few listed above.. and as the wise people say "Anything in Excess can be dangerous", but this addiction i am gonna talk about is a little different. Here is a small little confession over my addiction to...

It all started around 2009 when i received a request from a friend saying "Howdy friend! How'd you like to be neighbors? Come join me in FarmVille, where you can grow delicious fruits and vegetables on your very own farm! from FarmVille"

Yes this is about my Addiction ... Playing Farmville.

I accepted the request and allowed the Publishing rights...and after that i was taken to a small green stuff where there were exactly 8 plots and i didn't knew what to do.. then then the farmer tour took me to things ... and that's what i needed...to get it started.. not realizing that its just the beginning.

Started at a slow pace.. then friends joined in... thank god it was not working at my office or else i would have been out there and then. Made some really cool friends from over the world.. Suzzane, Dee, Sandra, Mario, Ellie and ofcourse my regular pals.. Swaroop, Vandy Mam and Sandy Mam(Now Ex-colleagues) Asawari, Saloni.. these were my true farming mates.. we would strategize stuff.. help each other on their farms, do farm jobs as team, plan what time to plough.. what gifts to exchange.. in fact the best was the birthday cake i received on my farm from these who actually spent some farm cash.. that was so sweet of them...loads of stuff started to come.. felt shortage of space and just then zynga would upgrade making it all more fun. I would keep alarms on my phone so as to when my crops would grow.. be late up at night and play.. my mom and friends would laugh at the mention of it.. Infact once i actually gave my password to a friend so that she could finish harvesting my field at the last moment(my team was furious as i was the last one left) and we as at team could get a lovely Pagoda in return.. that was the seriousness and dedication with which we played..

Farmville had become an important part of life and yes addiction.. (i know you people might be laughing by now).. more and more new stuff started to pour in making it exciting.. Zynga also started new games on same theme like Cafe World, Cityville, FrontierVille.. and i received invitations for these as well.. initially started to play but did not excite me so just left and blocked them.. but FV goes on .

So from level 1 to 10 to 40 to 70 and today i proudly play at level 102...and yes i have not 1 but 3 farms ... here check out my farms - My Home farm, My Countryside farm and latest my Cove farm.

Today i might have plenty of Neighbors and you can now even add neighbors who are not your friends(new feature) but Zynga has made hell lot of changes and we no longer enjoy playing the stuff..its become like a school.. do this.. do that .. complete it in this time.. and because of this lots of my team mates have stopped playing or play rarely.. We also wrote to them not to keep on adding new features every other day.. which becomes impossible to handle. I to blocked the game once but then couldn't resist and now play with all new friends and neighbors.. without accepting the zynga challenges and playing on my terms.

Now tell me is this addiction injurious to health.. well i might have to think on it.

Mumbai Meri Jaan

2011-10-07T11:23:00.009+05:30

My Favorite place in the World - Moment you utter this Line.. Your mind starts battling amongst the places you have been, places you want to visit, places you are gonna visit in near future..but but but

My favorite place in the world would be the place where I was born.. Where I lived my childhood.. Where I grew up... Where I knew what life is.. Which taught me innumerable lessons.. that place would be India >> Mumbai >> My Home Sweet Home

For me , who’s born and brought up in this upbeat environment , realizes the importance of this city when I hear desperateness in a persons voice saying “I so very much want to be in Mumbai and make it large”.

South Mumbai for me would be the place in this world where I would wanna be for ever.. yes I might sound a bit partial here.. just love the townside feel.. the historic architecture.. the bylanes of Opera house where I grew up.. the confusing Goan Kothachi wadi..yes I still get lost in these lanes and eventually have to ask for help to get out.. those lovely walks and cycle rides to Nariman point..
just sitting by the beach and enjoying the gush of breeze and the sound of flowing water… roaming in those Colaba streets and window shopping.. the madness of Crawford market and bhuleshwar where one literally gets mad shopping.. those various khau gallis where you just cant resist the junk stuff on offer ..

This city literally keeps you on your toes.. Everyone would agree that lifestyle and pace in Mumbai is way forward and fast paced.. any person coming in new might find it to difficult but eventually would get accustomed to it.. that’s what is the best about this city.. welcomes everyone..change from Bombay to Mumbai.. this city has seen it all.These tales might go on and on for a Mumbaiite.. Mumbai - If you have got the guts, you can make it large.

************************************************************************************

Another place where I would have spent innumerable weekends would be Alibaug, Matheran and Lonavala. Out of which Matheran is my personal favorite.

Matheran a beautiful hill station located not very far from Mumbai.. The best part about this is the pollution free atmosphere.. yes this is the only place amongst the maddening traffic of the city where you wouldn’t find any vehicles .. here walking , horse riding or cycling are the only means of transport. Infact Matheran is listed as an eco sensitive region by Union Environment Ministry.

I have wonderful memories of the time spent here..

There are some beautiful locations where you can see nature at its best.. those huge mountains, sunset, lakes.. Charlotte lake, sunset pont, Louisa point(where my friends told us that this girl Louisa had committed suicide here and that’s why the name and scared the shit outta the gurl gang with those silly pranks) , Echo point(yes the echo actually comes as shown in those films) and cecil points are what I remember..

Travel – Local from CST to Karjat route.. get down at Neral station. From Neral Station a taxi will take you to the entrance of Matheran. You can also take the Toy – Train ride.
There are plentiful of lodges and guesthouse where one can stay.

Shopping is also fun here – shoes, leather purses,chikkis,chivda ,chocolate fudge…
All in all if you are looking to sneak in for a good relaxing weekend, not very far.. Matheran is the place to be.. Will surely give you some peaceful time, a beautiful break from the mad city of Mumbai..Go feel it yourself..

So these were 2 of my fav places..Mumbai a city of Dreams and a small hill station within this mad city ..

Laugh out Loud

2011-10-05T12:18:00.008+05:30

Everyone using BBM must be receiving plentiful of silly forwards.. The same is at my end. My phone is constantly beeping with those forwards from groups and friends…

But actually reading them on my way back home is what De-stresses me at the end of a hard working day.. In fact when I read the hilarious stuff and give a smile or a giggle every minute.. Person sitting next to me gives me look which says “Are you normal??” Or “This girl is truly gone mad or insane”. Laughter is what at the end of the day makes you forget your tensions and you feel light.. That’s important in everybody’s life..

Here is one of the innumerable joke I receive.. Adjusted and changed a bit to give a political and Sardar Humour..(It was actually a Santa-Banta joke)

Sonia Gandhi and Manmohan Singh had a foreign visitor and were discussing stuff , just then the foreigner asks Sonia..“How do you have such an efficient Government?”. To which Sonia replies “Just have intelligent people around you”

She Calls in Sheila Dixit and asks her “Answer me this Sheila, your mother and father have a child and he/she is not your brother nor your sister. Who is that”
In a brink of a second, Sheila says that’s easy SoniaJi – “That would be me.” That’s great said Sonia.

Now Sardar Manmohan tries to test his ministers .. He calls in Pranab Mukherjee and asks .. Pranabji “Answer me this-your mother and father have a child and he/she is not your brother nor your sister. Who is that?”

I am not sure sir, let me get back to you on this. He went to his advisors and asked every one, but none could give him an answer. Frustated he goes to Cafeteria , sees P. Chidambaram & asks him the same stuff. To which P. Chidambaram yells back .. That’s easy.. "It would be me". Pranab says thanks and leaves.

Then, he goes back to speak with Manmohan. “Sir, I did some research & the answer to that is "P. Chidambaram"
Sardar Manmohan got up, stomped over Pranab & angrily yelled into his face, “No! You idiot! It’s Sheila Dixit.

Still Wondering whats wrong with our government ??

Is Desh mein Do Bharat Baste Hai.

2011-10-04T12:05:00.002+05:30

Yesterday Dad was watching his daily dose of news on his fav news channel NDTV.. Even i have kind of stared liking it and specially Barkha Dutt.. she truly is fadu and a solid reporter.. as usual there was this debate going on the current corruption issues and the Pranab - PC joint statement..and blah blah blah.. Everyone was blaming Congress Left , Right and Center . Renuka Chaudhary was on the receiving end from Shekhar Gupta, a certain lawyer who represents Tata in the 2G case, and a leading Journalist..

Just when it had started to interest me... the show was cut short as it was time for Mom's fav soap - Bade Ache Lagte Hai.. so with a click of the remote - "National debate was in a second changed to Family Drama."

Thinking of that debate, it made me wonder "Were we always like this"
So here i write on the Two facets of India

Is Desh mein Do Bharat Baste Hain

This tag line was used in the recent movie Aarakshan. Everyone today is talking about corruption, hike in petrol prices, travel problems..etc . But mind you India was not like this earlier..

One India that i am very proud of is...

I'm proud of the intrinsic culture that underpins India. A culture that is represented by 'veers' like Shivaji, Rani Laxmibai, Maharana Pratap, Bhagat Singh, Chanakya, Ram, Krishna, Vivekananda, Dayanand, Buddha, Mahavir, our all Freedom Fighters.. and many others who moulded our thought and also defended our nation. I'm proud of our wisdom books - Vedas. I'm proud of the India where zero and trigonometry were invented; where unmanned aircraft was first created; where gravitational force was first discovered; where ancient science of yoga and ayurveda were expounded. I'm proud oft India that has never persecuted anyone for holding opposing views. Holding healthy debates and discussions was a way to reach conclusions and convert anyone. I'm proud of the culture where non-violence still is the highest good(Anna). I am proud of the working class of India who is the reason of India Shining, I am proud of our common man today who does his/her duties as responsibility not just a mere have to thing..

One India that i am not very proud of is...

After 64 years of independence, we are anything but free (note that 'independence' and 'freedom' are two distinct terms). Government can ban anything (anytime) without our collective consent. A recent example is ban of Aarakshan movie, the age of Drinking..etc. It can also take away our property whenever it wishes to, albeit in the name of "public service projects." God knows when the public will actually be served! It can also ban Entertainment, nightpubs thus acting as a judge and deciding for us what is moral and what is immoral - as if we are little children, incapable of deciding for ourselves!

Anyway, my point is this... I am not very proud of the state we currently are in. If we are honest with ourselves, we will acknowledge there is rampant poverty that leads to the death of millions of starving children and women every year. We have shoddy infrastructure, rickety governance, and a thoroughly corrupt system. We don't think twice before offering a Rs. 20 bribe to the road-side traffic cop. We don't think twice about that frail woman laborer on the street carrying bricks on her head and sweating profusely. Then there is this new order that anyone spending more than Rs 965 per month in urban India and Rs 781 in rural India will be deemed not to be poor. I find it ridiculously unrealistic.I ask the planning commission to conduct a national poll and see it for themselves how pathetic of a decision it is.

In the face of current reality, the least we can do is "be the change we wish to see," to borrow from Gandhi. You will surely find people around you saying "Itna hi Desh mein sudhar lana hai to neta kyu nai ban jaate". Join politics... yes this might be the best way to transform things, but it's easier said than done. Even if we don't contest elections, we can stop paying bribes - to start small. Most people remain uninformed about the challenges faced by India - from Terrorism, Naxalism to China being our strategic rival. We can educate ourselves of these challenges by reading books, articles, attending political workshops, etc. - this is the least we can do as responsible citizens. And most importantly, we must all vote.

Even if we try to "be the change," as opposed to trying to impose it on others first, a lot can be transformed.

Happy Birthday BAA

2011-10-03T11:01:00.003+05:30

Weekend is over and very frankly speaking at the end of it i was totally blank so as to what shall i post today. Also Returned home a little late and was dead tired to even think of writing at that time..
I thought on writing about our batch reunion on Sunday 2nd Oct and the Falguni Pathak Garba night..thoughts were juggling in my mind. Just then my Mom said tomorrow is Baa's Birthday(My Grandmother) .. so better get up early and take her blessings before you leave for your work.. thats where this idea came from.

This morning , I was about to leave for work without wishing her as she was still sleeping.. Just as i was packing my tiffin she was up and having her tea.. i went to her and touched her feet... she asked whats it for.. and i said "Tamari Varshgant che"..in gujju saying its your Bithday.. and she was like "Aaje satam che" .ie. 7th Day of Navratri.. and i was like YES.. she just put a hand on my head .. i said i will bring Icecream in evening.. but she did not listen.. hearing problem at this age.. you literally have to shout to make her hear things..all said and done .. is was her day today.

As a child it was she who would take care of me and my brother.. My parents were both working professionals.. so she used to practically be after my life to get things done and make me ready for my school. I still remember She used to give me Rs 10 on every Thursday to have canteen food in School and i used to literally wait for that day.. In those school days Rs 10 mein i used to get 2 wada pav, 1 small pack of peppy and those ice candies.. Wow those were the days and she used to ask me after i return what did i do with the money and i like an enthu kid used to tell how we friends partied with Rs 10 :)

With time progressing Life got busier as i went to college, Post Graduation and eventually work..today i might spend very little time with her. But she is as dotting as she was.. the love and caring is still pure and unaffected with changing times. she still says proudly when someone comes to visit her that "master kariyu che aane ane , moti company ma kaam b kare che".. (she is a post graduate today and is working with a good firm )those little joy for her...

Every Grand child and Grand Parents kind of have Love-Hate relationship with each other over the years when you grow up from a kid to a teenage to a mature professional.
Sometimes it really annoys me when she cribs on why i am late, where am i going at this time, when will i come, get up early its already 9 in the morning(on sundays)..
Sometimes when she is not well , your heart starts pouncing and you are at her side worrying for her leaving all the things behind..

I would say to everyone having Grand-Parents , guys pls just don't ignore them.. they just ask for little love and caring .. in returns the blessing and love you receive is priceless. Dont forget "Aap jitne bhi bade aur busy ho jao, unke liye aap abhi bhi bacche hi hai"

So be a kid when you are with them..you will get love and pampering that will make you forget your tensions and stress.

Once again Happy Birthday Baa , whether you say yes or no.. i am gonna get your fav icecream..kind of a small little bday gift .

Bapu

2011-10-01T22:37:00.000+05:30

2nd October of every year… yes this is the only day probably when the entire nation remembers Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi. You will see the current politicians visiting Raj-Ghat, you will see every second news channel airing some show related to him.. you will find people making statements… the next day everything forgotten… until the next 2nd October.. this goes on and on.

For many of us it’s a public holiday.. For some it’s a dry day and For rest its just a normal routine day..

I am not going to talk about life of Gandhiji . We all in our schools have studied those boring History chapters and used to wonder what the hell are we gonna get outta it. We studied them out of compulsion and ratofied it without truly understanding the essence of it…

But today as grownups when you understand things, is when the importance,significance and contribution of this humble soul sinks in..

“Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to Mahatma Gandhi”.... thinking on it makes me wonders his life was not less dramatic:

For those who might be interested in a documentary movie on Mahatma Gandhi

People just adored him for his simplicity. Even the Goras ruling India at that time feared him, coz he had that faith to challenge them and push back their empire by using methods of non violence. This was without any army, money, arms-ammunitions, warfare and tamasha. That was the power of this humble soul.. This is the only reason why Mahatma Gandhi is known across the globe, for these very principles and ideologies. Talking about his philosophy, his ideals were very simple and realistic at that time

Now that he is gone, what we ask about his teachings and the legacy he has left behind ??

I doubt the current breeds of so called democrats and Indian politicians can follow his path and his philosophy. Everyone is buried till neck in corruption, fraud or some other issues.Infact I would be eager to know who can follow his shown path. The need of the hour is that leaders and people of the country today be inspired by the ideas and teachings of Mahatma Gandhi..

May be the times have changed, India has moved ahead, far ahead after 1947- 1948..

But if you see the recent happenings around us you will come to know still in this era his path is followed by few of leaders.

Take the latest example of Anna Hazare. This mighty man once again made the common man realize that Non-violence and peaceful protest are truly reforming. It was an awakening movement.. yes the common man was frustrated with the govt and that is what led to this outburst. But look at the changes that he has brought transforming villages, the RTI movement, Anti corruption draft and the Lokpal bill. This man has once again instituted faith that no matter if it is India of 1900 or India 2011 era. These principles still work if worked in an apt manner and together with the masses…

To some of us, who haven't faced those situations, these principles might sound irrelevant or may be illogical. He was a selfless man who thought abt others, but we are selfish today. Truth is that in today’s time we do not have patience to hold things back. I mean you will not think for a second and blast out at little inconvenience caused to you. We will never accept our mistakes and always try to prove the other person wrong, irrespective of he/she being right. Every one has become self centered , why should i bother about it - if its not related to me - yes this is what even me and guess plenty of others would follow.

But teachings of this great man are here to stay. He gave us the priceless gift of dignity as a nation – Independent India, where we freely breathe today. I owe my independence to our freedom fighters.

Start applying few of his principles to our daily lives..
Ever wondered ..well even I vouch to follow them.. lets see how we succeed .. lets test our levels

GANDHIGIRI contd
•I shall fear only God.
•I shall not bear ill will toward anyone.
•I shall not submit to injustice from anyone.
•I shall conquer untruth by truth. And in resisting untruth, I shall put up with all suffering.

- Mahatma Gandhi

Here is the modern day song from Lagey Raho Munnabhai- Bande me tha dum , Vande Mataram sung by Sonu Nigam and Shreya Ghoshal .(Eros Entertainment)

Line of Fire

2011-10-01T14:45:00.000+05:30

This is my first very attempt to write a short story. Before i begin, lemme me tell you where my inspiration to write these stories come from. Twitter - yes ,and reading some wonderful stories written @coffegrams, Hansika and Aashi , it kind of pepped me up to try my hand at it.

Also this is in continuation of the previous two blog posts , to a certain extent...

A few facts of this are taken from a popular Indian Army show on NDTV - Jai Jawan.

Here it Goes ... ...

Rudra Das(RD) is a Project Manager working with a leading MNC . At the moment RD is not a happy man. He is traveling from Delhi to Mumbai for an assignment. Even the comfort of the AC compartment of the Rajdhani express could not cool his nerves. He was the Project Manager and still not entitled to air travel. He had tried to reason with the admin person, as it would save on time and resources. But the Admin guy was tied to his HR policies

He opened his case and took out the laptop, determined to put the time to some good use.

"Are you from the software/computer industry sir," asked the man sitting beside him staring appreciatively at the laptop.

RD glanced briefly and mumbled in affirmation, handling the laptop now with exaggerated care.

"You people have brought so much advancement to the country, sir. Today everything is getting computerized and is so time saving "

"Thanks," smiled RD, turning around to give the man a look.

The man sitting beside was young and healthy with muscular built like a sportsman. He looked simple and strangely out of place in that little lap of luxury like a small town boy in a High Class school. He probably was a railway sportsman making the most of his free traveling pass.(Thinks RD)

"You people always amaze me," the man continued, "You sit in an office and write something on a computer and it does so many big things outside."

RD gave a half smile. Situation demanded reasoning not anger. "It is not as simple as that my friend. It is not just a question of writing a few lines. There is a lot of process that goes behind it." For a moment, he was tempted to explain the entire development and coding cycle but restrained himself to a single statement. "It is complex, very complex."

"It has to be. No wonder you people are so highly paid," came the reply.

This was not turning out as RD had thought. A hint of anger crept into his tone. Everyone just sees the money. No one sees the amount of hard work we have to put in. We have such a narrow concept of hard work. Just because we sit in an air-conditioned office, does not mean our brows do not sweat. You exercise the muscle; we exercise the mind and believe me that is no less taxing."

He could see, he had the man where he wanted, and it was time to drive home the point. Let me give you an example. Take this train. The entire railway reservation system is computerized. You can book a train ticket between any two stations from any of the hundreds of computerized booking centers across the country.

Thousands of transactions accessing a single database, data locking, data security. Do you understand the complexity in designing such a system?"

The man was awestruck. This was something big and beyond his imagination. "You design such things."

I used to, but now I am the Project Manager - said RD.

Oh! said the man, So your life is easy now.

RD retorted, Oh come on, does life ever get easy as you go up the ladder. Responsibility only brings more work.

Designing was the easier part. Now I do not do it, but I am responsible for it and believe me, that is far more stressful. My job is to get the work done in time and with the highest quality. To tell you about the pressures, there is the customer at one end, always changing his requirements, the user at the other, wanting something else, and your boss, always expecting you to have finished it yesterday."

RD thought, What he had said, was not merely the outburst, it was the truth.

"My friend," he concluded "you don't know what it is to be in the "Line of Fire"

The man sat back in his chair, his eyes closed as if he is thinking and visualizing his past sitting there. When he spoke after sometime, it surprised RD.

"I know sir.... I know what it is to be in the Line of Fire......."
He was staring blankly, as if no passenger, no train existed, just a vast expanse of time.

There were 30 of us when we were ordered to capture Point 4875 in the cover of the night.
The enemy was firing from the top. No one was knowing where the next bullet was going to come from and for whom.
In the morning when we finally hoisted the tricolor at the top of point 4875, only 4 of us were alive."

You are a...?

I am Subedar Sushant Rajput from the 13 J&K Rifles on duty at Peak 4875 in Kargil. They tell me I have completed my term and can opt for a soft assignment.But, tell me sir, can one give up duty just because it makes life easier.
On the dawn of that capture, one of my colleague lay injured in the snow, open to enemy fire while we were hiding behind a bunker.It was my job to go and fetch him to safety.

But my captain sahib refused me permission and went ahead himself.

He said that the first pledge he had taken as a Cadet was to put the safety and welfare of the nation foremost followed by the safety and welfare of the men he commanded... ....his own personal safety came last, always and every time.

"He was killed as he shielded and brought that injured soldier into the bunker. Every morning thereafter, as we stood guard, I could see him taking all those bullets, which were actually meant for me. I know sir....I know, what it is to be in the "Line of Fire."

RD looked at him in disbelief not sure of how to respond. Abruptly, he switched off the laptop. RD was shocked , he tried to speak , but the words just wouldn't come out of his mouth

The train slowed down as it pulled into the station, and Subedar Sushant Rajput picked up his bags to get down at his destination.

It was nice meeting you sir, said subedar Sushant- forwarding his hand , RD fumbled with the handshake.

This hand... had climbed mountains, pressed the trigger, and hoisted the tricolor.

Suddenly, as if by impulse, he stood up at attention and his right hand went up in an impromptu salute.

It was the least he felt he could do for the country, his eyes were moist and rest of his journey was spent thinking more and more about Subedar Sushant Rajput

PS:- The incident narrated during the capture of Peak 4875 is a true-life incident during the Kargil war. Capt. Batra sacrificed his life while trying to save one of the men he commanded, as victory was within sight. For this and various other acts of bravery, he was awarded the Param Vir Chakra, the nation's highest military award.

I Respect & Salute our Army Men

2011-09-28T10:39:00.000+05:30

OK, i kind of had a huge debate with my friends on my earlier blog-post on Life of Army-men vs Civilians life.(Is Life Really Greener on the Other Side)

I was not saying that life of our army-men is easy, what i was trying to convey was in today's age , life of civilians is also as hectic and frustrating at times.

In no means at all do i take life of army-men for granted. With utmost respect and gratitude for those who protect us so that we can live peaceful life , i salute them. The discussion was on the life of a commoner and my friends thought i am not respecting our army-men(that is not the case at all).

This is in dedication to all three wings of Indian defence - Army, Navy and Air force.

I am a very proud citizen and salute our Indian Defence System...

Ok i do not want to stretch this issue to long... Watchout for my next blog-post in respect to our Army men or Men in uniforms as we proudly call them.

JAI HIND

Is Life Really Greener on the Other Side !

2011-09-23T11:08:00.000+05:30

We were having one of those lunch time conversations & discussion... when a friend quipped in ... "Life in the armed forces is so much tougher than civilian life".. Probably he has someone in family who is a part of armed forces. With Due respect to the Men in uniform & Curious to know ... I asked HOW?

This led to a revealing conversation :
Here i refer to my colleague as Mr.P and i am a Corporate Majdoor

Mr.P: life is not easy for a fauji

Me: Tell me one hardworking self-reliant person for whom life is not a challenge. Right from a corporate worker, student, kids , house wife's, etc.. all face challenges in some or the other way.

If you've got the guts you push it harder and when you do, it ain't easy anymore. This led to some aggressive debate and we all forgot that we were actually having our Lunch.

As we shared our thoughts through the conversation, I was somehow amazed to see "ignorance" towards a common office goer from an office goer himself.

I told Mr. P - dude the theories you are discussing - are more then probably a decade old stuff.
Civilian jobs now are no longer those old types..
Aaramse karneka..
ho raha hai..
chal raha hai..
ho jaayega.. types sarkari jobs... These have evolved a full circle.

Then there came the usual , Lets cut it short now types discussion :

Mr.P: Fauji(Jawans) are ready to die for the nation.
Me: Civils live for Nation everyday, these professionals are the reason for the exuberance of INDIA SHINING.

Mr.P: They have to stay long periods away from family.

(Now this got me irritated and i just blasted)

Me: How many tenures have you really stayed at a non-peace posting without being in touch with your family? There are these corporate tours for work (people think its cool and kind of fun outings and vacation), i myself travel across for work, staying away from my family and mind you it isnt as easy as you think.

Look at the stats - a fauji gets almost 2 months off every year.. a Corporate professional today -- probably 18 offs that too staggered"

The work timings are so errant.. you probably live like a Paying Guest in your own house. I mean its like you just get to eat your Dinner, speak for a while and sleep.(Thats the actual time you are at home, rest all time is spend at work)

Then there goes the line which i had read and use most
-- falling in line of fire --

I am like dost ... dont take it on the face of it...

but Engineers, Doctors, Cricketers, Athletes, Business people .. all CIVILS face it everyday - how do you think India is growing at a GDP(Growth Development Potential) enviable to rest of the world - and it ain't growing on its own -

We compete with the toughest and smartest people on the planet to take keep this figure 8% and above (for knowledge: 8% approx is the GDP growth rate of India).

Everyone else is not sitting idle, they are working harder and smarter, these CIVILS are the Daredevils.. they work 10 hrs to 14 hrs a day, discuss, debate, find solutions everyday. Believe me these guys(includes most of us) do bear the brunt, but aren't relenting.

CIVILS(We) might not get National Medals, but we are getting International Accolades....

Well the discussion ended..on a nice note and I am glad that i managed to make Mr P realize that the life of common man and office goer is also as challenging as Men in Uniforms.

But on my way back to my cabin, I was thinking - how many daring, strong-willed entrepreneurs, scientist, mathematicians, doctors silently do their job taking huge personal and professional risks, without much HOOPLA...but stereotypes aint changing.

Well I --->> I SALUTE ALL INDIANS, no matter whether they "Stand Guard Wearing A Uniform" or "Corporate Suits" or "Just Normal Clothes"

FYI - Mr. P is a newbie to this bizz world, probably not seen the mad workoholic world we work in.

Ganesh Utsav - Girgaum

2011-09-01T18:53:00.000+05:30

Indian Women - Most Stressed Out

2011-08-05T17:18:00.000+05:30

Alright, this is not cool at all. A recent survey by Nielsen has revealed that Indian women are the most stressed out in the world: 87% of our women feel stressed out most of the time. This statistic alone has caused me to stress out. Even in workaholic America, only 53% women feel stressed.

What are we doing to our women? I'm biased, but Indian women are the most beautiful in the world. As mothers, sisters, daughters, colleagues, wives and girlfriends - we love them. Can you imagine life without the ladies?

For now, i want to give Indian women five suggestions to reduce their stress levels.

One, don't ever think you are without power. Give it back to that mother-in-law. Be who you are, not someone she wished you would be. She doesn't like you? That's her problem.

Two, if you are doing a good job at work and your boss doesn't value you - tell him that, or quit. Talented, hard-working people are much in demand.

Three, educate yourself, learn skills, network - figure out ways to be economically independent. So next time your husband tells you that you are not a good enough wife, mother or daughter-in-law, you can tell him to take a hike.

Four, do not ever feel stressed about having a dual responsibility of family and work. It is difficult, but not impossible. The trick is not to expect an A+ in every aspect of your life. You are not taking an exam, and you frankly can't score cent per cent (unless you are in SRCC, of course). It is okay if you don't make four dishes for lunch, one can fill their stomach with one. It is okay if you don't work until midnight and don't get a promotion. Nobody remembers their job designation on their dying day.

Five, most important, don't get competitive with other women. Someone will make a better scrapbook for her school project than you. Another will lose more weight with a better diet. Your neighbor may make a six-dabba tiffin for her husband, you don't - big deal. Do your best, but don't keep looking out for the report card, and definitely don't expect to top the class. There is no ideal woman in this world, and if you strive to become one, there will be only one thing you will achieve for certain - stress.

So breathe, chill, relax. Tell yourself you are beautiful, do your best and deserve a peaceful life. Anybody trying to take that away from you is making a mistake, not you. Your purpose of coming to this earth is not to please everyone. Your purpose is to offer what you have to the world, and have a good life in return. The next time this survey comes, i don't want to see Indian women on top of the list. I want them to be the happiest women in the world. Now smile, before your mother-in-law shouts at you for wasting your time reading the newspaper.

CHERISH WOMANHOOD

Attitude Matters a Lot

2011-08-05T17:15:00.000+05:30

Some of the quotes you would have read, but here is a new perspective out of those.

1) Heavy rains remind us of challenges in life. Never ask for a lighter
rain. Just pray for a better umbrella. That is attitude.

2) When flood comes, fish eat ants & when flood recedes, ants eat fish.
Only time matters. Just hold on, God gives opportunity to everyone!

3) Some people always throw stones in your path. It depends on you what you
make with them, Wall or Bridge? Remember you are the architect of your life.

4) Every problem has (“n”+1) solutions, where “n” is the number of
solutions that you have tried and “1” is that you have not tried. That's
life.

5) It's not important to hold all the good cards in life. But it's
important how well you play the cards which you hold.

6) Often when we lose all hope & think this is the end, God smiles from
above and says, relax dear it's just a bend. Not the end. Have Faith and
have a successful life.

7) One of the basic differences between God and human is,
God gives, gives and forgives.
Human gets, gets, gets and forgets.

Be thankful in life!

Shreya Ghoshal - Songs

2011-07-27T11:14:00.000+05:30

Shreya Ghoshals songs from Khap & I am Kalam
(Right click and save as to download using IE)

Khaap - Deewangi

Khaap - Yeh Wahi To Hai
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
I Am Kalam - Chini Bhini

Listen to the songs of Bodyguard - Teri Meri

Teri Meri Prem Kahani Hai Mushkil

Drinking & Driving - don't mix

2011-07-22T12:11:00.000+05:30

I went to a party Mom,I remembered what you said.

You told me not to drink, Mom, So I drank soda instead.

I really felt proud inside, Mom, The way you said I would.

I didn't drink and drive, Mom,Even though the others said I should.

I know I did the right thing, Mom,I know you are always right.

Now the party is finally ending, Mom, As everyone is driving out of sight.

As I got into my car, Mom, I knew I'd get home in one piece.
Because of the way you raised me, So responsible and sweet.

I started to drive away, Mom, But as I pulled out into the road,
The other car didn't see me, Mom, And hit me like a load.

As I lay there on the pavement, Mom,
I hear the policeman say,"The other guy is drunk,"Mom, And now I'm the one who will pay.

I'm lying here dying, Mom.... I wish you'd get here soon.
How could this happen to me, Mom? My life just burst like a balloon.

There is blood all around me, Mom, And most of it is mine.
I hear the medic say, Mom,I'll die in a short time.

I just wanted to tell you, Mom, I swear I didn't drink.
It was the others, Mom. The others didn't think.

He was probably at the same party as I.The only difference is,he drank And I will die

Why do people drink, Mom? It can ruin your whole life.
I'm feeling sharp pains now. Pains just like a knife.

The guy who hit me is walking, Mom, And I don't think it's fair.
I'm lying here dying And all he can do is stare.

Tell my brother not to cry, Mom. Tell Daddy to be brave.
And when I go to heaven, Mom, Put "GOOD BOY " on my grave.

Someone should have told him, Mom, Not to drink and drive.
If only they had told him, Mom, I would still be alive.

My breath is getting shorter, Mom. I'm becoming very scared.
Please don't cry for me, Mom. When I needed you, you were always there.

I have one last question, Mom. Before I say good bye.
I didn't drink and drive,So why am I the one to die?

PLEASE DO NOT DRINK & DRIVE

Growing Up with Harry Potter

2011-07-09T10:17:00.000+05:30

Growing up with Harry Potter">

As the Wizard world of Harry Potter nears its end, here is remembering JK Rowling's master class

JK Rowling - Hogwarts will always be there to welcome you home.

THANK YOU

Facebook Addiction Department (FAD)

2011-07-01T12:09:00.000+05:30

The story goes like this !

A 76-year-old woman walked down the hallway of Clearview Addictions Clinic, searching for the right department.

She passed signs for the "Heroin Addiction Department (HAD)," the "Smoking Addiction Department (SAD)" and the "Bingo Addiction Department (BAD)."

Then she spotted the department she was looking for: "Facebook Addiction Department(FAD)."

It was the busiest department in the clinic, with about three dozen people filling the waiting room, most of them staring blankly into their Blackberries and iPhones.

A middle-aged man with unkempt hair was pacing the room, muttering,"I need to milk my cows. I need to milk my cows."

A twenty-something man was prone on the floor, his face buried in his hands, while a curly-haired woman comforted him. "Don't worry. It'll be all right."

"I just don't understand it. I thought my update was LOL-worthy, but none of my friends even clicked the 'like' button."

"How long has it been?" "Almost five minutes. That's like five months in the real world.

"The 76-year-old woman waited until her name was called, then followed the receptionist into the office of Alfred Zulu, Facebook Addiction Counselor.
"Please have a seat, Edna," he said with a warm smile. "And tell me how it all started."
"Well, it's all my grandson's fault. He sent me an invitation to join Facebook. I had never heard of Facebook before, but I thought it was something for me, because I usually have my face in a book."

"How soon were you hooked?" "Faster than you can say 'create a profile.' I found myself on Facebook at least eight times each day -- and more times at night. Sometimes I'd wake up in the middle of the night to check it, just in case there was an update from one of my new friends in India .

My husband didn't like that. He said that friendship is a precious thing and should never be outsourced."

"What do you like most about Facebook?"

"It makes me feel like I have a life. In the real world, I have only five or six friends, but on Facebook, I have 674. I'm even friends with Juan Carlos Montoya."

"Who's he?"
"I don't know, but he's got 4,000 friends, so he must be famous."

"Facebook has helped you make some connections, I see."

"Oh yes. I've even connected with some of the gals from high school -- I still call them 'gals.' I hadn't heard from some of them in ages, so it was exciting to look at their profiles and figure out who's retired, who's still working, and who's had some work done. I love browsing their photos and reading their updates. I know where they've been on vacation, which movies they've watched, and whether they hang their toilet paper over or under.

I've also been playing a game with some of them."

"Let me guess. Farmville?"

"No, Mafia Wars. I'm a Hitman. No one messes with Edna."

"Wouldn't you rather meet some of your friends in person?"

"No, not really. It's so much easier on Facebook. We don't need to gussy ourselves up. We don't need to take baths or wear perfume or use mouthwash. That's the best thing about Facebook -- you can't smell anyone. Everyone is attractive, because everyone has picked a good profile pic. One of the gals is using a profile pic that was taken, I'm pretty certain, during the Eisenhower Administration.

"What pic are you using?"
"Well, I spent five hours searching for a profile pic, but couldn't find one I really liked. So I decided to visit the local beauty salon." "To make yourself look prettier?" "No, to take a pic of one of the young ladies there. That's what I'm using."

"Didn't your friends notice that you look different?" "Some of them did, but I just told them I've been doing lots of yoga."

"When did you realize that your Face-booking might be a problem?" "I realized it last Sunday night, when I was on Facebook and saw a message on my wall from my husband: 'I moved out of the house five days ago. Just thought you should know.'"

"What did you do?"
"What else? I unfriended him of course!"

30 Things that will make you feel Old

2011-06-29T12:27:00.000+05:30

1. Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge was released 16 years ago.

2. Windows XP was released TEN years ago, in 2001.

3. The “new” Millennium is more than a decade old.

4. Chetan Bhagat’s antics have been around for the past 7 years!

5. Pierce Brosnan last acted as James Bond 9 years ago.

6. The Delhi Metro has been running for 9 Years now.

7. It’s been 10 years since 9/11

8. The Matrix came out 12 years ago, Keanu Reeves is 46 today

9. Mother Theresa and Lady Diana have been dead for 14 years.

10. Miss World - Aishwarya Rai / Miss Universe - Sushmita Sen. This happened a whopping 17 years ago.

11. Remember Jungle Book on Doordarshan? That was more than 15 years ago.

12. Macaulay Culkin is 30 today. “Home Alone” came out over 20 years ago.

13. Terminator 2 is 20 years old. Edward Furlong who portrayed kid John Connor is 33 now.

14. Sean Connery is 80 years old and retired.

15. The youngest Spice Girl is 35, the oldest Backstreet Boy 39, Gwen Stefani is 41, Madonna 52

16. The first Harry Potter book came out when I was in High School. 14 years ago!

17. The first season of F.R.I.E.N.D.S was aired 17 years ago! Age of the cast:

18. Remember these Guys?

19. Akshay Kumar is older than the moon landing – He was born in 1967

20. Arnold Schwarzenegger is older than India. He was born in June 1947

21. ‘Kids’ born in 1993 can legally drive, drink and vote this year.

22. Jurassic Park is older than Justin Bieber.

23. Justin Bieber. Rebecca Black. Miley Cyrus.

24. Rajiv Gandhi has been dead for 20 years.

25. Bryan Adams’ cult song “Summer of 69″ was released 26 years ago.

26. Kids whom you remember in their diapers posting their pics on Facebook

27. Facebook has been around for 7 years. Orkut for 9.

28. Remember the little girl from Kuch Kuch Hota Hai? She is 23 now.

29. The Maruti Zen was first introduced 18 years ago.

30. And of course, the Rasna Girl. She is all grown up as well!

Dont be Serious, be Sincere

2011-06-29T12:18:00.000+05:30

Best Medical Leave Certificate

2011-06-29T12:15:00.000+05:30

Doctor Certified,

Certified that Mr. /Miss _________________, working in your organization, is suffering from 'time-bound' illness. Due to this, he/she will NOT be able to work more than 8 hours a day and 5 days a week. Any attempt to stretch beyond this timing will lead to severe health problems. The losses to the company due to medical reimbursements will be far more compared to the gains made by stretching beyond 8 hours.

It is also warned to keep my patient away from any kind of shocking news such as " Come over weekend..", " Let's work on holiday..", " Leave cannot be granted. ." etc. which can directly lead to heart strokes.

In view of the above, it is strongly recommended to adjust your deadlines in accordance with the convenience of my patient.

Sd/-

Dr. Impatient

Cyber Clinic

Horse & Pig Story

2011-06-29T12:12:00.000+05:30

There was a farmer who collected horses; he only needed one more breed to complete his collection. One day, he found out that his neighbor had the particular horse breed he needed. So, he constantly bothered his neighbor until he sold it to him. A month later, the horse became ill and he called the veterinarian, who said: Well, your horse has a virus. He must take this medicine for three days. I'll come back on the 3rd day and if he's not better, we're going to have to put him down.

Nearby, the pig listened closely to their conversation.

The next day, they gave him the medicine and left.
The pig approached the horse and said: Be strong, my friend. Get up or else they're going to put you to sleep!

On the second day, they gave him the medicine and left.
The pig came back and said: Come on buddy, get up or else you're going to die! Come on, I'll help you get up. Let's go! One, two, three...

On the third day, they came to give him the medicine and the vet said: Unfortunately, we're going to have to put him down tomorrow. Otherwise, the virus might spread and infect the other horses.

After they left, the pig approached the horse and said: Listen pal, it's now or never! Get up, come on! Have courage! Come on! Get up! Get up! That's it, slowly! Great! Come on, one, two, three... Good, good. Now faster, come on.... Fantastic! Run, run more! Yes! Yay! Yes! You did it, you're a champion!!!

All of a sudden, the owner came back, saw the horse running in the field and began shouting: It's a miracle! My horse is cured. This deserves a party. Let's kill the pig!

Point for reflection: This often happens in the workplace. Nobody truly knows which employee actually deserves the merit of success, or who's actually contributing the necessary support to make things happen.

LEARNING TO LIVE WITHOUT RECOGNITION IS A SKILL

If anyone ever tells you that your work is unprofessional, remember: amateurs built the Ark and professionals built the Titanic.

Confidence.. Makes a lot of difference

2011-06-29T12:11:00.000+05:30

A Business executive was deep in debt and could not see any way out. Creditors and Suppliers were demanding payments. He sat in the park, wondering if anything could save his company from bankruptcy.

Suddenly an old man appeared before him and asked, "I can see that something is troubling you seriously".

After listening to the executive the old man said, "I believe I can help you".

He asked the man his name, wrote out a cheque and put it into his hands saying, "Take this money, meet me here exactly one year from today and you can pay me back at that time".

Then he turned and disappeared as quickly as he had come. The business executive saw in his hands a cheque for $ 500,000 signed by Warren Buffet, one of the richest men in the world.

"I can erase my worries instantly" he realized. But instead, the executive decided to put the uncashed cheque in his safe knowing that it might give him the strength to work out to save his business.

With changed thinking he negotiated better deals, restructured his business and worked rigorously with full zeal and enthusiasm and got several big deals. Within few months, he was out of debt and started making money once again.

Exactly one year later he returned to the park with the uncashed cheque. As agreed, the old man appeared. But just as the executive was about to hand him back the cheque and share his success story, a nurse came running up and grabbed the old man.
"I’m so glad I caught him" she cried. "I hope he hasn’t been bothering you much. He always escapes from the mental hospital and tells people that he is Warren Buffet", saying this she took the old man away.

The surprised executive just stood there, stunned!!! All year long he had been dealing thinking that he had half a million dollars behind him.

Its not the money, real or imagined that turns our life around. It is our newly found self-confidence that gives us the power to achieve anything we want.

Bong Connection

2011-06-07T09:28:00.000+05:30

After all the Sardar & Rajnikant jokes... now it's the turn of the 'Bongs'!!!

What do you call a mad Bengali?
In Sen.

A dark Bengali who lives in a cave?
Kalidas Guha.

A Bengali mobster?
Rob-in Gang-uli.

A perfumed Bengali?
Chandan Dass

A Bengali goldsmith?
Shonar Bong-la.

What's bigger than the state of Bengal ?
The Bay of Bengal .

An enlightened Bengali?
Jyoti Basu.

A Bengali marriage?
Bedding.

What do you call a Bengali who takes bribe?
Mr. Ghoosh.

How does the Bong learn the alphabet?
A for Orange, B for Begetable..

How does a Bong relax in the evening?
He goes to the Howrah Breej to get some Breej.

What does a Bong with a broken heart say?
"My heart is hearting"

And , what do you call a Bengali who works?
A work of fiction!!!

Wht do u call The hottest bengali ?

Bose D.K.
=)) =)) =)) =)) =))

Stars Shining Down: And She Is A Woman

2011-05-30T14:24:00.000+05:30

How can a woman be expected to be happy with a man who insists on treating her as if she were a perfectly normal human being.' - Oscar Wilde

Being a woman is tough. It is tough because of the nearly impossible demands demanded and expectations expected. From the time she is born and till her very last breath there is not a day when she thinks of herself alone. Not a day when she puts herself first. You can't help it! It's in her nature.

When she cries, know that she is happy. When she weeps, know that she is in unbearable pain. When she fights to keep her tear from flowing, know that she is angry. When she shouts till she breaks down, know that she tired and can't put up anymore. When she smiles and says nothing, know that she is thinking about words to express. When she is quite, know that there are million things going inside her mind...Oh! Don't even try to decode what it is? You will end up banging your head against the wall! (Just an exaggeration though).

She is obstinate and yet soft like a feather. She gives the gift of life and forgets about herself. She fears but keeps the strength to tackle everything and everyone. She endures silently and sacrifices unconditionally. She breaks down alone without the world watching and yet puts up that sizzling smile to make her loved ones happy.

No one cares if she is hurt within, but she will pounce for aid at once if one has a scathed skin. Such is her care for others. She loves and she hates. She laughs and cries. She is strong and weak. She thinks and contemplates. She smiles and weeps.

She is beautiful. She is fine. She is a breath-taker and a life giver. She makes a home for her own flesh and blood in her womb, and yet would mother a stranger. She stumbles and stands. She looks beyond imperfections. She keeps promises. She is a symbol of happiness. Plain happiness.

But each one of us commit the crime of underestimating a woman. We forget about her strengths, her real ability. We forget that she never forgets the pain inflicted upon her. We forget that she is a human being with her own life, joy, demands, hopes and expectations. We forget that even she can desire, wish and ask for things. We forget that she can have her own aspirations. We become oblivion to the fact that she too has dreams of her own....

We forget what she is worth....!

She has every right to be happy. Every right to fly. Every right to choose and every right to fall in love.

Don't make the mistake of hurting her. Don't take her silence for granted. Don't bring out your ego. Don't test her. Don't try her.

Trust me, a woman's wrath is much worse than the magic in her love.

Can you do her one favor? Give her love. Appreciate her immensely. Respect her and please her. Love her with all your life and might. Show her how much you care for her. Don't wait for tomorrow. That's all she asks for. That's all she wants.

She might be a mother, a sister, a daughter, a lover, a home-maker, a professional, a wife or just a little girl. But above all she is a woman. The greatest gift from God to us.

Rang Barse Bhige Chunar Wali..

2011-03-19T22:18:00.000+05:30

TIMELESS CLASSIC.. GENERATIONS WOULD COME N GO.. THIS WOULD BE THE ULTIMATE HOLI SONG.

Holi – the Festival of Colors is marked as the opening festival in Hindu calendar, falls on the full moon day in the month of Phalgun. People enjoy themselves playing with several colours and celebrate the whole day with much pump and gaiety.

Originally Holi was regarded to be the festival to celebrate good harvests and fertility of the land. There are several legends and stories behind Holi. A popular legend says that Holi is remembered for the sacrifice of Holika who burnt herself in fire on this day.

Holi is therefore regarded one of the most ancient festivals of the Aryans who finds an honHoli 2011ored mention in our old Sanskrit texts like Dashakumar Charit and Garud Puran. Even the play "Ratnavali" written by Harshdev states a delightful description of Holi as a festival. In those days this very festival was celebrated as "Vasantotsav". Latter everybody started calling it "MADANOTSAV".

Celebration of Holi festival is characterized by performing Holi puja as per Hindu tradition. Dhuleti, which falls day after Holi Puja, is considered to be the actual festival of colors. Children and youngsters vie with each other use fast and sticky colors to celebrate Holi. It is all fun and joy for them.

Nuclear Power & India

2011-03-18T11:12:00.000+05:30

Nuclear Power & India

Very informative & though provoking PPT!

Hope “JAGO RE” CAMPAIGN ON THIS SPREADS & opens the minds of decision makers both “PATRIOTIC SCIENTISTS & PEOPLE CENTRIC “POLITICIANS” (if they exist) and make India forge ahead in the field of “RENEWABLE ENERGY”!!!

The “NUCLEAR CIVIL LIABILITIES BILL” is very alarming in its present status and... hence has to be amended to protect fellow Indians.

Jhansi Ki Rani

2011-03-13T22:42:00.001+05:30

सिंहासन हिल उठे राजवंशों ने भृकुटी तानी थी,
बूढ़े भारत में आई फिर से नयी जवानी थी,
गुमी हुई आज़ादी की कीमत सबने पहचानी थी,
दूर फिरंगी को करने की सबने मन में ठानी थी।
चमक उठी सन सत्तावन में, वह तलवार पुरानी थी,
बुंदेले हरबोलों के मुँह हमने सुनी कहानी थी,
खूब लड़ी मर्दानी वह तो झाँसी वाली रानी थी।।

--- By Subhadra Kumari Chauhan

English translation:

The thrones shook and royalties scowled
Old India was re-invigorated with new youth
People realised the value of lost freedom
Everybody was determined to throw the foreigners out
The old sword glistened again in 1857
This story we heard from the mouths of Bundel bards
Like a man she fought, she was the Queen of Jhansi

Attitude !

2011-03-01T11:29:00.000+05:30

Ramayan retold by NRI Kid !

2011-02-23T16:45:00.000+05:30

Ramayana retold by an NRI kid :

A young second generation Indian in the US was asked by his mother to

explain the significance of "Diwali" to his younger brother, this is how

he went about it...

" So, like this dude had, like, a big cool kingdom and people liked him.

But, like, his step-mom, or something, was kind of a bitch, and she

forced her husband to, like, send this cool-dude, he was Ram, to some

national forest or something.... Since he was going, for like, something

like more than 10 years or so.... he decided to get his wife and his bro

along.... you know...so that they could all chill out together. But Dude,

the forest was reeeeal scary shit... really man...they had monkeys and

devil s and shit like that. But this dude, Ram, kicked with darts and

bows and arrows... so it was fine.

But then some bad gangstar boys, some jerk called Ravan, picks up his babe

(Sita) and lures her away to his hood. And boy, was our man, and also his

bro, Laxman, pissed... all the gods were with him... So anyways, you

don't mess with gods. So, Ram, and his bro get an army of monkeys...

Dude, don't ask me how they trained the damn monkeys.... just go along

with me, ok...

So, Ram, Lax and their monkeys whip this gangsta's ass in his own

hood..... Anyways, by this time, their time's up in the forest... and

anyways... it gets kinda boring, you know... no TV or malls or shit like

that. So,they decided to hitch a ride back home... and when the people

realize that our dude, his bro and the wife are back home... they

thought, well, you know, at least they deserve something nice... and they

didn't have any bars or clubs in those days... so they couldn't take them

out for a drink, so they, like, decided to smoke and stuff ... and since

they also had some lamps, they lit the lamps also...so it was pretty

cooool... you know with all those fireworks.... Really, they even had

some local band play along with the fireworks... and you know, what,

dude, that was the very first, no kidding.., that was the very first

music-synchronized fireworks.... you know, like the 4th of July stuff, but

just, more cooler and stuff, you know. And, so dude,

that was how, like, this festival started."

The mother fainted...

LA-AGAIN Cricket World Cup 2011 !

2011-02-23T16:30:00.001+05:30

Communication Gap !

2011-02-23T16:26:00.000+05:30

Communication should be effective: Here is how the same communication is conveyed in totally different manner from top boss to workers !

Memo from CEO to Manager

Today at 11 o'clock there will be total eclipse of the sun. This is when
the sun disappears behind the moon for two minutes. As this is something
that cannot be seen every day, time will be allowed for employees to view
the eclipse in the parking lot. Staff should meet in the lot at ten to
eleven, when I will deliver a short speech introducing the eclipse, and
giving some background information. Safety goggles will be made available at
a small cost.

Memo from Manager to Department Head:

Today at ten to eleven, all staff should meet in the car park. This will be
followed by a total eclipse of the sun, which will appear for two minutes.
For a moderate cost, this will be made safe with goggles. The CEO will
deliver a short speech beforehand to give us all some information. This is
not something that can be seen every day.

Memo from Department Head to Floor Manager:

The CEO will today deliver a short speech to make the sun disappear for two
minutes in the form of an eclipse. This is something that cannot be seen
every day, so staff will meet in the car park at ten or eleven. This will be
safe, if you pay a moderate cost.

Memo from Floor Manager to Supervisor:

Ten or eleven staff are to go to the cark park, where CEO will eclipse the
sun for two minutes. This doesn't happen every day. It will be safe, and as
usual it will cost you.

Memo From supervisor to staff:

Some staff will go to the car park today to see the CEO disappear. It is a
pity & this doesn't happen every day.

Interesting GRAPHS of Life !

2011-02-23T16:22:00.000+05:30

MINDSET !!

2011-02-23T16:20:00.000+05:30

5 Days - ICC Cricket World Cup

2011-02-14T17:35:00.002+05:30

ICC CRICKET WORLD CUP ... THE EXCITEMENT NOW REACHES ITS FINAL DESTINATION

CHEER FOR INDIA INDIA INDYAAAAA INDYAAAAA

Yehi Hai Jeena To Phir Marna Hai Kya !

2011-01-07T12:41:00.000+05:30

Shaher ki is daud me daud ke karna kya ?
Jab yehi jeena hai dosto to phir marna kya ?

Paheli barish me train late hone ki fikr hai....
Bhul gaye bhigte hue tahelna kya hai?

Serials ke kirdaaro ka saara haal hai malum ....
par maa ka haal puchhne ki fursat kahan hai?

Ab ret pe nage pao tahelte kyu nahi?
108 hai channel phir dil bahelte kyu nahi?

Internet ki duniya ke to touch me hai,
lekin pados me kon raheta hai.. jaante tak nahi.

Mobile, Landline sab ki bharmaar hai,
Lekin jigri dost tak pahuche aise taar kaha hai?

Kab dubte hue suraj ko dekha tha... yaad hai?
Kab jaana tha shaam ka Guzarna kya hai?

To Dosto Shaher ki es daud me daud ke karna kya hai
Agar yahi jeena hai to phir Marna kya hai?

Zamana Badal Gaya Hai ...

2010-06-17T23:14:00.000+05:30

Came across tis hilarious pic which i thought should share with everybody...
lol... pity d poor kid... n d poor animal... oh d happy one in d arms not to do any walking.

Rebirth of the Eagle - Story of Eagle Photo Presentation

2010-06-12T23:40:00.001+05:30

Check out this SlideShare Presentation:

Rebirth of the Eagle - Story of Eagle Photo Presentation

View more presentations from Targetseo.com.

The Dog Story

2010-04-06T15:01:00.000+05:30

There was once a washer man who had a donkey and a dog. One night when the whole world was sleeping, a thief broke into the house, the washer man was fast asleep too but the donkey and the dog were awake. The dog decided not to bark since the master did not take good care of him and wanted to teach him a lesson.The donkey got worried and said to the dog that if he doesn't bark, the donkey will have to do something himself. The dog did not change his mind and the donkey started braying loudly.
Hearing the donkey bray, the thief ran away, the master woke up and started beating the donkey for braying in the middle of the night for no reason.
Moral of the story "One must not engage in duties other than his own"

Now take a new look at the same story...

The washer man was a well educated man from a premier management institute. He had the fundas of looking at the bigger picture and thinking out of the box. He was convinced that there must be some reason for the donkey to bray in the night. He walked outside a little and did some fact finding, applied a bottom up approach, figured out from the ground realities that there was a thief who broke in and the donkey only wanted to alert him about it. Looking at the donkey's extra initiative and going beyond the call of the duty, he rewarded him with lot of hay and other perks and became his favorite pet.
The dog's life didn't change much, except that now the donkey was more motivated in doing the dog's duties as well. In the annual appraisal the dog managed "ME" (Met Expectations). Soon the dog realized that the donkey is taking care of his duties and he can enjoy his life sleeping and lazing around.

The donkey was rated as "star performer". The donkey had to live up to his already high performance standards.
Soon he was over burdened with work and always under pressure and now is looking for a NEW JOB...
Moral of the story… ehmmm, please see above.

Disclaimer: All characters in the story are not at all imaginary.
Any resemblance to person living or dying of work is purely "intentional" J

Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

2010-03-30T17:25:00.000+05:30

Nothing in life is as certain as death. Everything living is bound to die one day. We appear on the world scene only to disappear after a short span of time. This is the cycle of terrestrial life. Finally a time will come when even the earth would cease to exist. Indeed, nothing physical can escape the march of time and remain fixed in its place without decay, death or transformation. This is settled by Nature.
The transient and ephemeral nature of life is a universally known existential reality. Yet we are hardly bothered about it, and we continue to live as though we are here forever. We try to “make hay while the sun shines”.
We spend our lives as we please. The world is all the time with us. We tend to give free rein to desires and ambitions so much so that they sometimes extend out even beyond the confines of death encircling us. Plans and programmes are laid out years in advance when no one is sure of what is going to happen tomorrow. We construct huge buildings and palatial homes that outlive us by many, many years.
The way we hanker after life is the central weakness of our life. It is because of this that we are so afraid of death, of what is predestined and so inevitable. It keeps us always restless. It prevents us not only from acting decisively during critical moments but also from enjoying the pleasure and excitement of undertaking bold adventures in life. It is the root cause of many of our setbacks due to ego, greed, pride, hatred, dishonesty, ostentatious living as against simple living.
All these things cause problems and misunderstandings. They tie us down to the earthly plane and do not allow our imagination to soar high above to catch a glimpse of sublime truths and beauty at higher planes. They are, therefore, major obstacles in the way of great artistic creations. It is because we have staked everything on life that we are so incapable of living.
If we believe in the universal truths advocated by most religions, a belief that starts with self-realisation, death is not an end but the beginning of a new life. It is rather a point of transformation. The world we enter upon death is different with an altogether different set of requirements and standards. It is eternal and exists in both space and time. It is not discernible to us as the world we now live in was nowhere in sight when we were in our mother’s womb, protected and secure.
What are the norms and requirements by which the dead are going to be judged? This is a question we ask ourselves time and again. We must find out the answers and transform our lives in the light of their revelations, if we are not to jeopardise our chances in the life hereafter.
The wise man, as the prophets say, is the one who remembers death and keeps himself in a state of preparedness to face this eventuality. Death might then be an occasion for rejoicing rather than one of sorrow and repentance.

Dil Puche che - A beautiful gujrati poem.

2010-03-19T15:39:00.000+05:30

દિલ પૂછે છે મારૂં....
દિલ પૂછે છે મારૂં, અરે દોસ્ત તું ક્યાં જાય છે?
જરાક તો નજર નાંખ, સામે કબર દેખાય છે.

ના વ્યવહાર સચવાય છે, ના તહેવાર સચવાય છે, દિવાળી હોય કે હોળી, બધું ઓફીસમાં જ ઉજવાય છે.
આ બધું તો ઠીક હતું, પણ હદ તો ત્યાં થાય છે, લગ્નની મળે કંકોત્રી ત્યાં શ્રીમંતમાં માંડ જવાય છે.

દિલ પૂછે છે મારૂં, અરે દોસ્ત તું ક્યાં જાય છે?.....

પાંચ આંકડાનો પગાર છે, પણ પોતાના માટે પાંચ મીનીટ પણ ક્યાં વપરાય છે? પત્નીનો ફોન બે મિનીટમાં કાપીએ પણ ક્લાયન્ટનો કોલ ક્યાં કપાય છે? ફોનબુક ભરી છે મિત્રોથી પણ કોઇનાય ઘેર ક્યાં જવાય છે? હવે તો ઘરના પ્રસંગો પણ હાફ-ડે માં ઉજવાય છે.

દિલ પૂછે છે મારૂં, અરે દોસ્ત તું ક્યાં જાય છે?.....

કોઇને ખબર નથી આ રસ્તો ક્યાં જાય છે? થાકેલા છે બધા છતાં, લોકો ચાલતા જ જાય છે.
કોઇક ને સામે રૂપિયા તો કોઇક ને ડોલર દેખાય છે.તમે જ કહો મિત્રો શું આને જ જીંદગી કહેવાય છે?

દિલ પૂછે છે મારૂં, અરે દોસ્ત તું ક્યાં જાય છે?....

બદલાતા આ પ્રવાહમાં આપણા સંસ્કાર ધોવાય છે. આવનારી પેઢી પુછશે, સંસ્કૃતિ કોને કહેવાય છે?
એક વાર તો દિલને સાંભળો,બાકી મન તો કાયમ મુંઝાય છે.
ચાલો જલદી નિર્ણય લઇએ, હજુ ય સમય બાકી દેખાય છે.

દિલ પૂછે છે મારૂં, અરે દોસ્ત તું ક્યાં જાય છે?
જરાક તો નજર નાંખ, સામે કબર દેખાય છે.

Changing Market Dynamics.

2010-02-20T12:16:00.000+05:30

This one is really very interesting. The other day i was just reading some stuff about how gadgets & technology rule our daily chores & activities. I could hardly imagine my life without my cellphone, ipod & my laptop which connects me instantly to the world. Was just finishing the article when i noticed these interesting facts which i thought should share with all.

Here we go.......

- Today everybody of us would like to pose for a gud photograph in which we would be our best.We click so many photographs & instantly upload them on Facebook , orkut ,picassa where we could share these with our friends & let them know how happening our lives are. But ever wondered
WHO SELLS THE LARGEST NUMBER OF CAMERA IN INDIA??
I instantly gave an answer Canon or Nikon or Sony.(WRONG)The Winner is NOKIA.
Nokia whose main line of business in India is not cameras but cell phones.Reason being cameras bundled with cell phones are outselling stand alone cameras.Now, what prevents the cell phone from replacing the camera outright? Nothing at all.One can only hope the Sonys and Canons are taking note.

Try this. Who is the biggest in music business in India ? You think it is HMV Sa-Re-Ga-Ma ? Sorry. The answer is Airtel. By selling caller tunes (that play for 30 seconds) Airtel makes more than what music companies make by selling music albums (that run for hours).
Incidentally Airtel is not in music business. It is the mobile service provider with the largest subscriber base in India . That sort of competitor is difficult to detect, even more difficult to beat (by the time you have identified him he has already gone past you). But if you imagine that Nokia and Bharti (Airtel's parent) are breathing easy you can't be farther from truth.
Nokia confessed that they all but missed the smartphone bus. They admit that Apple's Iphone and Google's Android can make life difficult in future. But you never thought Google was a mobile > company, did you? If these illustrations mean anything, there is a bigger game unfolding. It is not so much about mobile or music or camera or emails?
The "Mahabharat" (the great Indian epic battle) is about "what is tomorrow's personal digital device"? Will it be a souped up mobile or a palmtop with a telephone? All these are little wars that add up to that big battle. Hiding behind all these wars is a gem of a question – "who is my competitor?"
"What Apple did to Sony, Sony did to Kodak, explain?" The smart ones will get the answer almost immediately. Sony defined its market as audio (music from the walkman). They never expected an IT company like Apple to encroach into their audio domain. Come to think of it, is it really surprising? Apple as a computer maker has both audio and video capabilities. So what made Sony think he won't compete on pure audio? "Elementary Watson". So also Kodak defined its business as film cameras, Sony defines its businesses as "digital." In digital camera the two markets perfectly meshed.. Kodak was torn between going digital and sacrificing money on camera film or staying with films and getting left behind in digital technology.Left undecided, it lost in both. It had to. It did not ask the question "who is my competitor for tomorrow?"

The same was true for IBM whose mainframe revenue prevented it from seeing the PC. The same was true of Bill Gates who declared "internet is a fad!" and then turned around to bundle the browser with windows to bury Netscape. The point is not who is today's competitor.

Today's competitor is obvious. Tomorrow's is not.

In 2008, who was the toughest competitor to British Airways in India ? Singapore airlines? Better still, Indian airlines? Maybe, but there are better answers. There are competitors that can hurt all these airlines and others not mentioned. The answer is video conferencing and telepresence services of HP and Cisco. Travel dropped due to recession. Senior IT executives in India and abroad were compelled by their head quarters to use videoconferencing to shrink travel budget. So much so, that the mad scramble for American visas from Indian techies was nowhere in sight in 2008. ( India has a quota of something like 65,000 visas to the U..S. They were going a-begging. Blame it on recession!). So far so good. But to think that the airlines will be back in business post recession is something I would not bet on. In short term yes. In long term a resounding no. Remember, if there is one place where Newton 's law of gravity is applicable besides physics it is in electronic hardware. Between 1977 and 1991 the prices of the now dead VCR (parent of Blue-Ray disc player) crashed to one-third of its original level in India . PC's price dropped from hundreds of thousands of rupees to tens of thousands. If this trend repeats then telepresence prices will also crash. Imagine the fate of airlines then. As it is not many are making money. Then it will surely be RIP!

India has two passions. Films and cricket. The two markets were distinctly different. So were the icons. The cricket gods were Sachin and Sehwag. The filmi gods were the Khans (Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan and the other Khans who followed suit). That was, when cricket was fundamentally test cricket or at best 50 over cricket. Then came IPL and the two markets collapsed into one. IPL brought cricket down to 20 overs. Suddenly an IPL match was reduced to the length of a 3 hour movie. Cricket became film's competitor. On the eve of IPL matches movie halls ran empty. Desperate multiplex owners requisitioned the rights for screening IPL matches at movie halls to hang on to the audience. If IPL were to become the mainstay of cricket, as it is likely to be, films have to sequence their releases so as not clash with IPL matches. As far as the audience is concerned both are what in India are called 3 hour tamasha" (entertainment) . Cricket season might push films out of the market.

Look at the products that vanished from India in the last 20 years. When did you last see a black and white movie? When did you last use a fountain pen? When did you last type on a typewriter? The answer for all the above is "I don't remember!" For some time there was a mild substitute for the typewriter called electronic typewriter that had limited memory. Then came the computer and mowed them all. Today most technologically challenged guys use the computer as an upgraded typewriter. Typewriters per se are nowhere to be seen.

One last illustration. 20 years back what were Indians using to wake them up in the morning? The answer is "alarm clock." The alarm clock was a monster made of mechanical springs. It had to be physically keyed every day to keep it running. It made so much noise by way of alarm, that it woke you up and the rest of the colony. Then came quartz clocks which were sleeker. They were much more gentle though still quaintly called "alarms." What do we use today for waking up in the morning? Cellphone! An entire industry of clocks disappeared without warning thanks to cell phones. Big watch companies like Titan were the losers. You never know in which bush your competitor is hiding!

On a lighter vein, who are the competitors for authors? Joke spewing machines? (Steve Wozniak, the co-founder of Apple, himself a Pole, tagged a Polish joke telling machine to a telephone much to the mirth of Silicon Valley ). Or will the competition be Story telling robots? Future is scary! The boss of an IT company once said something interesting about the animal called competition. He said "Have breakfast …or…. be breakfast"! That sums it up rather neatly.

GIMME SOME SUNSHINE

2010-02-17T12:29:00.000+05:30

In these testing times when every ones frustrated ... these few lines are really refreshing & give you kinda super energy to carry on.
Call them commandments ... words of wisdom... Gyan...
Here they Go...

SPEAK to people - There is nothing as nice as cheerful greeting.
SMILE - As per the Scientific Fact it takes 72 muscles to frown but only 14 to smile....
Be FRIENDLY & HELPFUL & others will respond in like manner.
BE GENEROUS, GENUINE & CONSIDERATE with the feelings of others. It will surely be appreciated.
SPEAK & ACT as if everything you do were a genuine pleasure.
Be WILLING to give service, what counts most in life is what we do for others... ...

WHOOOOOOOOOOOO............

But the main fundaa is ... ENJOY LIFE FULLEST.
These are the times in your life which will never ever come again.
Capture them as beautiful memories which would be engraved in your & every ones HEART for times to come.

CHEERS !!!

DON'T JUST EXIST...
START LIVING...

YEH HAI MUMBAI MERI JAAN !!!

2009-07-24T16:37:00.000+05:30

This can happen only in our Bombay....no where else. This reminds of the famous song....

E DIL HAI MUSHKIL JEENA YAHA...

ZARA HATKE , ZARA BACHKE , YEH HAI MUMBAI MERI JAAN....

Read on.....
Last week, a hapless victim fell prey to the over enthusiastic Bombay's local train commuters.
Our hero, a man from Pune, wanted to go to Matunga, but as luck and Trains would have it, boarded a fast train not halting at his destination. He panicked on realizing his mistake but by then the local had started moving. On seeing his plight, a sympathetic co-passenger decided to come to his rescue. It seemed that he had been commuting by that particular train (6:03 pm Kasara Fast) for the past 6 years and had noticed that the train always slowed down just before Matunga station and crawled at a snail's pace while passing through it. He told the man to jump out of the running train as it slowed down and that with a little bit of fleet-footedness, he would make it safely on terra firma. However, knowing the man's inexperience, he added some words of caution: "Keep running the moment you jump or you'll fall. Just keep running." He stressed the word "running" lest the man not know the laws of motion. The train did slow down just before Matunga station and at the prompting of His mentor, our hero jumped out of the train and started running as if all Hell had broken loose. .........

What he didn't realise, of course, was that he was running parallel to the train instead of running away from it. Meanwhile, the train slowed down further, so that the man was running faster than the train. In the process, he reached the door of the next compartment and the footboard commuters there pulled him in the compartment back thinking he was trying to board the train!

To his agony, the train picked up speed and sped past Matunga and his new co-passengers started to congratulate him on how lucky he had been, until he told them that they had actually undone what he had done with greatdifficulty.

Those standing at the door of his "ex-compartment" had witnessed the whole drama and just couldn't stop laughing at the poor man's situation, while he grinned sheepishly!! !

OSO IS A CLEAR WINNER..... A COMPLETE ENTERTAINER

2007-11-11T20:29:00.000+05:30

The hype created over the release of the 2 biggest films of da year ....... OM SHANTI OM aka OSO & SAAWARIYA.........IS FINALLY OVERRRRRR

But OSO is a clear cut winner ..... an excellent movie dat is actually on what bollywood is all about.

A true blend of retros - dat stylish 70's to gen next d 21st century....

songs picturisation is truly d usp of d movie kudos to farah khan for dat.....

SRK rocks n gud support by arjun shreyas n deepika.......

N HA HOW CAN I FORGET D 6 PACK ABS .......i guess no need to tell dat

so guys go ahead & njoi wat indian cinema is all about.......

\\& at d end\\

ALL HOT GURLZ PUT UR HANDS UP & SAY OM SHANTI OM

ALL COOL BOYZ COMMON & MAKE SOME NOISE & SAY OM SHANTI OM

DHONI IN A BRAND NEW AVATAR.....

2007-10-28T15:14:00.001+05:30

India's Cricket Captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni returned home on Wednesday after the recently conlcuded Seven Match ODI series against Australia.
Dhoni sported a new look with changed hair style which made him look neat and trim.

ohhhh

he does carry dat crop military cut in a cool way.......

hhmhhmh does dat cut looks like john abrahms ..............

ha friend s do copy each other

but whos looks better ?

INDIAN TIGERS RUIN KANGAROO DREAMZ

2007-09-23T17:49:00.001+05:30

Nobody dared move an inch from the edge of their seats at the Kingsmead Cricket Ground lest they miss any action and man, wasn't that some action in the ICC World Twenty20 semi-final! India held its nerve against a brave charge by Australia to win the spectacle by a handsome margin of 15 runs to set up a marketing man's dream – a final against Pakistan.And on Saturday, the Indian cricketers showed that they were brave hearts. First it was Yuvraj Singh and company with the bat as they powered India to 188 for five with 128 runs in the final 10 overs. Then Sreesanth and Harbhajan Singh who led the bowling attack with their calm demeanour to help India extend its stupendous showing and give itself the chance to win the top prize on Monday.

LETS BEAT THE PAKISTAN TEAM ON MONDAY AND BRING THE CUP HOME.....

CHEERS GUYZ.....

CHAK DE OHHHHHH CHAK DE INDIA..........