Shades of Zindagi

When I went to class...

2008-08-03T23:18:00.005+05:30

Genuinely attempting attending all classes this semester is one of my latest resolutions. I had never imagined classes being anything but inhuman tortures poor students are subjected to. Those who did attend them were probably seeking atonement of their sins. As the new time-table came out, I was one of the many who groaned on seeing that we were supposed to remain in the classrooms from 8 o’ clock in the morning till 1 in the afternoon. This marathon lecture series was supposed to be devoid of any breaks (unless, of course, I chose to break my resolution).

With much effort, I and my wingies have managed to be somewhat regular in class during the first week. What surprised me the most is that classes aren’t all that dry and uninteresting. Especially when your thermodynamics professor goes on and on and on with lines like, “Only macroscopic kinetic energy can essentially cause mechanical work. Essentially what happens is that this kinetic energy essentially raises the internal energy of the system. I hope you recall that internal energy is essentially a state function unlike heat which is essentially a path function. “ According to a mate who was 'essentially' awake during the entire lecture, the word ‘essentially’ was uttered ninety eight times within that hour. To accompany that, the instructor willingly used the air quotes on thirty one instances. Whatever the histrionics be, thermo was my favourite topic and hence this lecture was also the most bearable.

Where Thermo wasn’t much of a pain, Fluid Mechanics a.k.a. FluMech was poles apart. The instructor had had this brainwave of allotting a seat number to every student. Not only did that separate me from my league of last-benchers but also got me marooned amongst completely new people. Also, having no cute girl sitting nearby added another tinge of sadness….These are times when you are glad you have a camera phone. You can always weave a story out of your snaps. Here are some of them….

Empty seats, people catching up on their beauty-sleep and hangman in 'essentially' more than half the registers ... well, L17 isn't all that uninteresting!

Tring Tring...

2008-07-02T12:57:00.003+05:30

Its 8am...an earthly hour by my standards. It is the time when I am lost in deep, blissful slumber. That is when my cellphone rings. I don't remember setting an alarm last night. Those who know me even a little bit know not to call me up at this early in the morning. The caller seems unknown. Its the first time I am seeing this number. Must be a friend who's got a new SIM to chat with his/her partner. I bless the telecom companies who've come up with wonderful schemes for the young Romeos and Juliets. I receive the call ..............

A shrill, loud, blood-curdling and to top it all...a female voice(my apologies to all the lady readers ;-)) greets me with, " Kya aap apni purani ringtone se chhutkara paana chahte hain? Dial kijiye ****** aur paiye latest Bollywood ringtones bilkul muft. Isse accha mauka aur kahaan? Jaldi kijiye, offer sirf aaj ke din valid rahegi( from that day onwards, i got such a call EVERYDAY). Call charges 'sirf' 6 rupaiye prati minute...After this Himesh Reshamiya starts howling into my earpiece...I have had enough already and I end the call.

In the midst of my silent cursing, my cell buzzes off and I realize that a ruppee has been deducted from my balance. These guys know I am 'roaming'! My resolve to cut the next call I receive from these pricks is broken the same day when the guys call me again using yet another number... :( :( :(

Wishlist

2008-06-27T00:16:00.002+05:30

Being awarded with loads of time this summer, I thought I should indulge in a bit of introspection. In fact, writing this article is a part of that act. At the end of it, I am much less lost and confused. I think I have reached a conclusion regarding what I really want out of life. But then, this is my wish-list as of today. A few years down the line, this list might need an over-haul. Anyways, just for the sake of putting on record the nineteen year old Soumil’s wishes, I write on...

· I want a happy family with a sound support system of my parents, my wife and my kids.

· I want people who have stood by me through thick and thin to be happy. I hope they won’t regret supporting me.

· I want my detractors to be sorry and miserable. I realize that is a cruel thought. But then, here I want to be as honest as possible.

· I want to be as rich as possible as long as I am within the comfort zone of my conscience as well as that of my capacity to work hard. My maternal uncle unknowingly made me realize this and I am indebted to him for this amongst other reasons.

· I want to be able to enjoy the small joys of life (like visiting my college, years after I graduate) and would love it if my profession grants me that freedom. For this very reason, I would like to be self-employed.

· I would like to make a difference to the society. Someday, I will love to start my own school which isn’t affiliated to any ‘board’ but will be a place where students really understand and experience real learning. I will teach here.

· I want to write a book and also publish it. It would be a journey down my memory lane.

· Fame is something I crave for and hope I achieve it one day for some genuinely good work…unlike today (people concerned will understand this).

· I would love to travel a lot. Visiting Ladakh is a dream I know will surely come true.

· I want to keep on editing this list as wishes either get fulfilled or seem futile. A few decades from now, I want to be satisfied with the way I have lived till then and should want to look forward to many more great years.

Till then, let me devise ways to mark as fulfilled, one wish after another and another…

Love actually...

2008-06-06T18:55:00.000+05:30

The moment I saw her for the first time, my heart skipped a beat. Nah…not one but a few beats. Her delicate persona was magnetic. I knew she was the One for me. She had an aura of purity I couldn’t attribute to any single feature of hers. I smiled and I think she smiled back too. I wanted to touch her, feel her, and know her better. Somehow I knew this was the beginning of a new long-lasting relationship. Maybe this is what people called love at first sight. We had a long journey ahead of us. Together, it wouldn’t be too daunting. I would stand by her till the very end. Her fresh look assured me that she would never tire of being my companion. I no longer felt lonely. With her around, I needed no one else. She was going to be one friend who would never ever betray me. Nervous, I found my hand reaching for her. I touched her and knew immediately what unadulterated bliss was. I wanted to say something but also found the silence magical. It must have been a few minutes before I actually spoke. Her reply however shattered all my dreams. Hell broke loose and I lay stunned. I didn’t know whom to blame. Maybe, things like this happened only to some unfortunate few like me. All she had managed to say was: “Audio drivers have not been installed. Please contact an authorized dealer to fix the problem”

My new laptop had betrayed me.

I thought of writing this piece as I watched the trailer of some flick called ‘Love Story 2050’. Going by the pace the world today is moving, I don’t find such a tragedy impossible. Lol…

Whose fault is it anyway ?

2008-06-01T19:34:00.001+05:30

As the news of my senior committing suicide reaches me, I feel its high time people outside and also some people inside(read professors)the IITs realize how dark life can get for a student of these 'prestigious' institutes. The rate at which such tragedies have struck only lays bare the fact that something is terribly wrong with the system. Myself, being a student of IITK am not at all exaggerating when I say that most of us are under unimaginable pressure which only increases when our academic performances aren't up to the expectations of not only our parents and teachers but also our peers. I can hardly dare to guess the 'score' the next year onwards when we have somewhere around fifty percent of the intake who has got admitted on merit...

Another point I found worth mentioning is the perception people outside have of students studying @ the IITs. I have had some very interesting and disturbing reactions when it comes to students ending their lives.Some feel that IITians can't handle stress as well as others can. They are isolated from the 'real' world and hence aren't exposed to hardships everyone has to deal with. Well, I beg to differ.Now, you may say that I am bound to defend IITians since I myself belong to that group. Yes, this is true but the reasons behind me speaking out go beyond mere loyalty to the institute.I have experienced life here for an entire year now, and have seen and experienced from close quarters, the problems students have to deal with. When the troubles keep on adding up and never seem to stop, life does seem worth-getting-rid-of. I am in no way trying to justify people ending their lives. I only hope that people deal these occurrences a bit more sensitively and not go overboard with labeling the victims 'too weak'. Yes, they had been weak when they did what they did...but its not entirely their fault. Maybe, they didn't have a sound support system around them. They got pushed to the very limits of human tolerance and that is when they broke.

I guess, it would serve our purpose better if we try to go to the root of the problem and not be satisfied with blaming the easy targets.

Help me save the turtles

2008-04-08T14:24:00.002+05:30

Hi ,

I've just written to Ratan Tata asking him to not to go ahead with building a port in Dhamra, Orissa, dangerously close to one of the world's largest sea turtle nesting grounds for the Olive Ridley Sea Turtle. I think its a good idea for Mr. Tata to move the port to another location rather than endanger the turtles.

By living up to the Tatas' environmental legacy, Ratan won't just save the highly-endangered Olive Ridley Turtles, he will also end up making Tata a better company.

The only problem is that I can't bring about that change alone. I need help from lots of people, especially you.

Please do what I've done. Write directly to Ratan by clicking here

Thanks a million

No need to fear Lord Voldy ;)

2008-03-21T15:48:00.002+05:30

I was just surfing for some anagrams and used an anagram generator to solve TOM MARVOLO RIDDLE. We all know that Rowling meant this to be rearranged into I AM LORD VOLDEMORT.What was funny was one of the results that popped up.If you see carefully,one can also write it as MILD DOORMAT LOVER !!!!!!!!!!!

Walking a lonely road together...

2008-03-18T02:28:00.002+05:30

This post of mine is dedicated to Rahul Singh,Abhishek Puranik,Abhimanyu Singh(mota),Shishir Anand(Chichir) - some of my best pals at college.
I realize that lately, my posts have been linked to my college life in some way or the other.However, I would make no conscious effort to avoid writing about them since that is what life these days is all about.I haven't fallen in love to write about 'that' wonderful feeling...haven't had a heart-break to shed cyber-tears ( my apologies to all jilted lovers for being so insensitive).....the only thing worth-mentioning is a horrible mid-sem exam I just took.That again is linked to college and something I wouldn't want to write about !!!!
What I am going to write is about something which showed me a ray of hope in some of the bleakest times I have had to endure on campus.Examinations at IIT are meant to snatch the peace of mind of poor, innocent, unsuspecting blokes of my kind and the midsems this time were no exception.The pressure would be enough to squeeze vodka out of rocks ! Poor joke,I know,but probably nothing else could have explained it better.
Some day in the life of a hostelite - After a particularly depressing session of mugging in the Lib,me along with Rahul,Puranik,Mota and Chichir are our way back to the hostel.Mota is plugged on to his iPod.All of a sudden,he goes like,"ta da...tadaaa..tadaa tadaa,I walk this empty street down the boulevard of broken dreams.......".Mota singing in his bulldozerwala awaaz has this effect of inspiring all of us to forget all our worries,at least temporarily ! So,the five of us are walking in the academic area intoxicated by the song's lyrics,singing in our worst possible voices.........at midnight......," I walk a lonely road,the only one that I have ever known.....".
That is when I realized that these pals will always accompany me on any path that gets too lonely to traverse.All of us would be facing the same calamity but with each others' support, a lonely road would hardly remain that ! Life seemed so much simpler then.I wish that song had never ended.I wish we would never have to move out of the secure life we live now.But then,there are challenges to be faced,goals to be achieved,people to be made proud....our paths would then be different but our destination would remain the same ......

You know you are at IITK when.....

2008-03-02T12:06:00.002+05:30

There is a similar list going around in campus.I thought I should make one of my own.So,you know you are a student of the II of T,Kanpur when.......

You think of compiling such a stupid list ;-)
You do this when you have a quiz around and are 'super-frust' .... (frust = frustrated)
You find the IIT lingo real cool.
Every night, you resolve to attend every class the next day.Every day of yours is spent in pondering about why you missed all classes that day.
You always wanted to be here till you actually did.Once in,you always want to leave this place till you actually do.
In your first year,you curse your luck for landing in an institute with only a trace of the fairer sex.By the time you graduate,you are still doing the same.
You feel you have scored a great goal when all you have done is mustered the courage to ask a visiting female participant if she needs any help(their visits are reminders of what a beautiful world it is outside the campus walls).She says,"Will you please mind your own business ?" :D
You get hitched through orkut only to realize that the 'girl' is your roommate !! Nah,you don't dare to harm him.....hell would break lose if he spreads word about how 'romantic' you are !
The only clothes you apparently have are those glorifying your hall/department,the innumerable fests...but never the insti as a whole !
You can't decide which food is worse - the mess food or the canteen food ?? You simply avoid both and survive on fruit chats,fruit juices and yeah....dozens of eggs.
Lord Voldemort looks like an Amnesty International activist relative to da profs here.

Food is the only incentive that can stop you from keeping on typing endlessly. ;-)

So,here I bow before Hunger,the Almighty and dash off to his service..........

Is that wingie 'REAL' ??

2007-10-04T09:44:00.000+05:30

Poor Ungli ! Having to brave a barrage of curses hurled at you for waking someone up(after being asked to do so) is a feeling Ungli aka Pankaj knows best ! The jerk who did this is ...erm...well...me.But its not me who is at fault ! The story goes like this - I slept at around 2:30 AM.Just before hitting bed,I asked Pratik and Ungli to wake me up at 7:30 so that I may attend the first lecture(commences at 8).They promise to do so.In deep slumber,I dream of Rahul banging my room's door ,trying to disturb me....routine stuff.I wake up in the middle of night to realize that this is just a dream and that Rahul is peacefully dozing off either in his own room(which is rare) or with my roomie on a single bed(don't know how they both manage to be comfortable that way....I guess, when you are drunk, it really doesn't matter whether you share your bed with one person or the entire wing.. ;) )...anyways,I slip into blissful sleep once again.
Time-7:30 AM
Pratik dutifully comes and knocks politely(that is what he told me later).No answer...neither me nor Harshit wake up.More knocking .... still no answer.Pratik now starts taking out his frustration(cause :- me or maths) on the door and goes bang-bang-bang...I just wake up ..not fully...and think that this is just that stupid dream...
Pratik is getting late for his breakfast...he then ropes in Ungli to complete MI-4.Ungli summons all his hidden energies and rams the door with a series of clean kicks(the carpenter who made the door must be really skilful to make it this robust ! ).This pisses me off and I yell at him..perfectly understandable,isn't it ?
Time-7:46
A scandalized Ungli yells back at me bringing both me and Harshit to our senses...Harshit looks at his watch and exclaims,"@!@#,7:45 ho gaye hain !!! #$@&^#$%& ".Jumping up like a spring I stare at the clock in a state of denial.But the clock is stubborn....I hurriedly open the door and stare at Ungli's face...nah,he didn't punch me...he was too shocked to do that !
The rest is history....yes,I did attend the 8 o'clock lecture !! Speaks volumes about my dedication !

Dealing with bloody 'Muggus' !

2007-09-15T22:27:00.000+05:30

Today,I write after such a long hiatus only to vent my anger against some #$@%%%^@@$$ wingmates of mine ! If they ever get time(from mugging and orkutting) to read this,I am prepared to cut short my abuses towards them to half ! As I slog along with some like-thinking 'fools' to put up a decent fight,our beloved wingies slog it out with either books/sleep/orkut....like mature grown-ups ! This is just a tribute to them.I may 'over-react','shout needlessly'...accepted...but gentlemen,lemme tell you that it hurts when you burn your mind,body,soul for your block and people react the way you did.....its not difference of opinion that hurts...its indifference !

Call free using a phone !

2007-07-14T09:45:00.001+05:30

I came across this wonderful service while watching some programme on CNN IBN ! You can receive calls from users without them or yourself incurring any costs ! Of course,there is a credit limit for every month.However,one can easily increase credits by inviting others to join too ! Whats more...jaxtr users can dial each other for a limitless number of times ! One can select the voice mail option if he/she isn't comfortable with receiving calls on his/her cell phone or landline !

Do I already see a lovers lining up !!!???? he he he hhe

See alongside for the link !

Timeout !!

2007-07-13T02:10:00.000+05:30

I am very sorry for not having posted anything for long ! I am tied up with quite a few things since some days.Dunno why such things crop up when one is itching to write something ! Will get back soon !

Fed gets revenge !

2007-07-09T01:47:00.001+05:30

Ha...Federer reigns again ! The Roland Garros defeat has been compensated !

What a match ! Pity that just one can win ! As the ever-modest Roger Federer himself acknowledged,both him and Rafa deserved the win ! It was just his good fortune that saw him through !

It was nice to see dear Fed's tears of joy,gratitude towards his own efforts ..... great man Roger !

Looking forward to many many more such exciting encounters !

Lessons I learnt!

2007-07-02T23:05:00.000+05:30

One lesson I learnt recently is not taking anything or anyone for
granted ! You just cannot be too sure of anything or anyone !As I
say,"The probability of the occurence of any event may atmost tend to
be one....it can never reach one !"

If one maintains such a frame of mind,he/she is less vulnerable to shocks !Also do not take the good things of life for granted ! They may be snatched away from you anytime ! On a brighter side,the same is true with the bad things ! You may get rid of them before you even realise !

Also,if things aren't going your way,its because there is some greater good in store ! Just be patient and let time show you the way ! The Greater One may have other plans !! Just give yourself a chance !GOD IS KIND !

Limitless horizons inviting me !!

2007-06-30T00:38:00.000+05:30

I am finally going to an institution where I once dreamt I would be in! Though i would have liked to remain closer to home,I believe I am destined to do something bigger away from home !!! I guess He/She has some other plans ! I am now looking forward to some of the very best years of my life !

Being ' indisciplined ' !

2007-06-28T01:26:00.000+05:30

Sometime the demands of everyone around me to become a bit more disciplined and systematic gets on my nerves ! I don't want to become a machine which does whatever it is programed to do whenever its makers want it to do the same.I find keeping and also finding things at their right places quite boring ! As long as i am able to find things whats the harm in keeping or rather dumping them whereever i want ?? I know i am sounding brattish...but this is really what i feel.Being disciplined to an extent is okay.But being mechanical is a bit too monotonous ! Why give up the joy of finding something whose location I didn't know ? This applies not just in keeping stuff and my room neat and tidy..This applies to life too.Sometimes we refrain from being a bit adventurous while trying to be too secured.I agree that with an ordered way of going about things,you will be assured a comfortable life,peace of mind,blah blah blah....But if I can reach newer heights by taking a path few dare to tread upon,would it not be criminal not to try ?? LUCK FAVOURS THE BRAVE !!For a change,lets be just that - brave !!

'Indian'ising Sunita Williams !

2007-06-26T22:54:00.000+05:30

When will we Indians grow up and stop being so very jingoistic ???? Why do we want to grab a share of the credit of Sunita Williams' success ???? Just because she is of Indian origin(that too only her father is a man of Indian origin) why go a step further in calling her " Bharat ki Kanya " ??!!!! Trust Aaj Tak to create such catchy lines !

Goddamit...Sunita Williams was born and brought up in the USA and in the AMERICAN way(Note the American Flag in the pic alongside)!! Only her first name is Indian.

Do we lack real heroes back home that we are begging for foreigners' acknowledgement ? Mind you,there are aeronautical engineers languishing at ISRO,DRDO and their likes when they can readily leave their own nation's progress in Space to rot forever.These amazing people are much more morally advanced - prepared to sacrifice some attractive dollars and a zillion similar perks trying to lure them to the US of A just because they want India to feature somewhere amongst the higher ranks in the fields of Space Research and Development.We do not enjoy celebrating them as our heroes because what they do is hardly glamourous whereas running the Chicago marathon in space is !!

THE GREAT INDIAN MENTALITY

2007-06-25T10:45:00.000+05:30

THE GREAT INDIAN MENTALITY

Lemme start this bearing in mind that it would rouse lot of anger, rejection in your minds, but pragmatic pondering could lead very positive results too. Now I question people of India “What do u mean by mentality of a person “? It means nothing but our mind-frame, Our way to look at things. But do we know how crucial can it be being the citizen of a developing country like India to have the right mind-frame and attitude towards various things. “The distance between earth and heaven is not the matter of altitude but the matter of attitude “.

It has really left me flabbergasted to discover that in a country like India which houses billions it is really awful to have the same point of view and opinions on most of the things.

NO PEOPLE, till past you could have called it UNITY or LIKE MINDEDNESS but in the present era I would term it as a obsolete, defunct way of thinking. Our minds have a become like a computer which has gone in the “HANG MODE” and refuses to come out of it.

The “GEN-X “ Youth of India defines modern thinking as ability to freely talk on bold issues, freedom to wear and speak anything, anywhere, without any coyness, so called audacious attitude, using hi tech gadgets, etc,etc. Does this really mean modern or pragmatic thinking????????

NO! NOT AT ALL! To me modern thinking means ability to expand your thoughts, ideas and interest in other dimensions, to be pragmatic in your approach and not become an individual who possesses a “stagnant brain “.

“MINDS ARE LIKE PARACHUTES, THEY FUCTION ONLY WHEN THEY ARE OPEN “. I will give u few of a flurry of examples which I can produce to provide cushion to my motto:-

1: Our interests are mainly confined to only 3-4 things comprising of MOVIES, CRICKET etc,etc. How can we so audaciously neglect the rest of things so blindly. Due to our stagnant thinking and interests, no other sport in India is able to even pop-up above the ground while cricket has become like a “PETRONAS TWIN TOWER” .

Do any one of my so called pragmatic thinkers present here know who is Pankaj Advani ? ? Hardly a handful. Actually he is the world snooker champion from our very own India. Being a world snooker champion doesn’t even buy him sponsors for his travels abroad where as on the contrary our Indian cricket team receives heavy pay-checks for just showcasing their below mediocre brand endorsing skills.
IS THIS FAIR!!!!!

Take the soccer, hockey (so called national game),etc etc scene into account. Who has given us the right to
blame these players, who the hell are u to “TAG THEM UNTALENTED” , being a sports maniac myself I know what encouragement, applauds and cheering means to a sports player, it increases his level of performance by manifolds. How can u expect the soccer, hockey players to deliver in front of empty stands, with a feeling of insecurity popping at the back of their minds (was taking a career in a sport other than cricket –the biggest mistake of my life). Take a determined stand and persuade even a crore to watch a local soccer, hockey match on those dd channels. Man take my word, from the next day itself these sports would be flooded with sponsors and if everything properly channeled, would yield very positive results.

2: Not only in the field of sports but look at our industrial infrastructure , it is so limited in terms of type of employment opportunities. If we do not change our thinking we will continue to remain in shackles of under developed ness. Our industrial setup and our uni-directional interests our designed to create unemployment.
It is too confined and limited to few sectors and industries which obviously cannot create enough jobs for a country of billions of people who also very surprisingly happen to be all running for the “ SAME GOOD JOB “.

Like wise is our Law and Order and political setup. Till how long we will bear the mediocrity and ignonimous performance of our judicial and political setup.

Even a very minute but valid change in our constitution has to sit gaping with eyes wide open at the millions of signatures required to approve it and a good long year to finally occur. Till how long will we let all this happen. WAKE UP INDIANS! LIKE A PHOENIX FROM THE ASHES” and break free all the shackles of conventional monotonous thinking and stage our country on the world map with “GREAT E`LAN”.

If we do not change our thinking the future of our country will remain
“FICKLE AS A WEATHER COCK”.

Shocking passiveness !

2007-06-24T21:18:00.000+05:30

The incident of the stabbing of a girl by her jilted lover on a busy street in Thane is simply gory ! Scores of people just watching the 'tamasha' while she was stabbed twenty times is shameful,to say the least ! On top of that,the accused escapes ! And today's newspapers have photos of the two....with the accused present !! Couldn't the cameraman just act as a responsible citizen and tried to nab the culprit...and more importantly stop this from happening ??!!! Are the newspapers' sales for the day more important than a life ???!!!

Fun at Pizza Hut !

2007-06-23T15:51:00.000+05:30

Ha...yesterday I had been to the famous pizza outlet with a few friends ! The waiters who had simply memorised their lines were hilarious ! None of us could make out what they were trying to say !! The speed with which words left their mouths was greater than even the proposed MagLev train in Mumbai !!

Once the waiter said ," May I take your pans ?" This sounded more like " May I take your PANTS ??" !!!!! he hhe hheheheheheheheh

Cherishing the best days of my life !!

2007-06-21T01:27:00.000+05:30

Today as I played football in the 'kichad',this thought struck
me....how many more years ? Will I ever be able to live this carefree
life again ? Will I ever be able to enjoy losing against an army of
players - most of them more than 10 years younger to me !! ??Honestly,I envy these kids.Its not that I didn't enjoy my
childhood.Fortunately,all was well all throughout my days at
school...junior college..and even now.Maybe that is the reason why I
am sad today.An unpleasant realisation struck me ..... no matter what I say now..or
what I want to do later,I am going to get absorbed into the
professional chapter of my life in such a way that getting out of it
would be next to impossible.Yes,you may console me saying I can always
find time for myself..but..am I not trying to do the same ? No matter
what someone says,the future stares at me with menacing eyes.Deep in
our hearts,all of us know that some of the best days of our lives are
over without us realising it until it was too late.Is
clubbing,partying,playing on weekends with business partners...only
sometimes my own kids,going to give me the pure joy I experience today
every time the soiled ball makes contact with my
meant-to-be-kept-clean T-shirt !! I am going to miss my mum warning me
against sitting on the sofa after a game of ball.I am going to miss
asking her for Rs.10 to quench my thirst with some cool drink ! I guess I must make the most of these wonder years - whatever is
left.There is a right time for everything.One must enjoy doing what he
must instead of longing for something he cannot lay his hands on.For
me it is going to be my childhood ! The only thing I can do is keep
this treasure of memories with me forever !! And isn't this the case
with almost everyone of us ?????

God of small things..

2007-06-18T00:58:00.000+05:30

Most of us today relate 'freaking out' with checking out malls,watching crappy movies,hanging out with pals at coffee parlours,clubbing,chatting,blogging.....and what not.. I am no exception.But do these really give us the joy we want ? Do we really have fun ? To be more specific,is this the limit of fun ? Does this really give us the high we all long for ? Or is this something we have to settle for ?

You may say that time,resources,and hundreds of other restrictions prevent us from living life to the fullest.To an extent,yes...maybe you are right.But the problem lies not in being unable to freak out in the real sense of the term..the problem is that most of us hardly know what we really want.How many of us can say : "I want to do this.This is going to give me the peace I long for." ? Hardly any.Because we have somehow tried to train ourselves to derive 'pleasure' out of material excesses.And we have failed miserably.The good mood doesn't last.Because Mastercard claims to buy anything material...but not the lasting smile....ITS PRICELESS.

Only the seemingly childish,trivial,small things around us can collectively make us HAPPY.When was the last time you freely frolicked in the rains without worrying about your branded designer jeans getting soiled ? When did you last look at the canvas called 'the sky' ? Remember what soft music was like ? Ever experienced the joy of seeing your younger neighbour mocking at you ? (do I even have a younger neighbour ? never seen him !).

Lets learn to derive the purest form of joy instead of the superficial one.Lets play some board game instead of a video game for a change.Lets gift books instead of dvds.Lets not let text chats supercede verbal conversations.Lets soak in the gifts given by the God of small things ! LETS FREAK OUT !!

Idealistic or practical ?

2007-06-17T14:08:00.000+05:30

This is one conflict which rages in everyone's mind,I guess,at some point.And everytime we have two choices... as Albus Dumbledore aptly says : You have to choose one of the two paths - one which is right and the other which is easy to follow !

What I wish to change is the way some elders promote low morals in younger kids....the one who is idealistic is labelled as dumb,outdated,foolish....with no place in what people call " today's harsh world " ! The one who is least bothered about what is right and what is wrong is celebrated ! He is supposedly street-smart ! I question this .... is being right wrong ? Or is being wrong right ? People say that standing rigid against a storm isn't going to help.You gotto bend according to what the storm demands....ok fine ! But to what extent ? To an extent where my kids will be ashamed of me ? Or to an extent I will be ashamed of myself ? Forget being idealistic...people who try to be altruistic are ridiculedUnless you are a BIG philanthropist,you aren't respected...nah..i don't want respect..don't give a damn..but being laughed upon is just not done !

I feel one must strike the right balance between these two conflicting emotions,may i say...one may get stuck in life if one remains adamant...but I will never ridicule someone who has the courage to stand up and be different.In fact,only he/she has the right to ridicule others !

Overcoming all odds... !!!

2007-06-14T23:43:00.000+05:30

Today was one of my happiest days lately....

A dear friend of mine scored exceptionally well in the entrance exam which would ensure him of a seat in one of the best medical colleges of India !! As it is,this feat is incredible...and the hurdles this friend of mine had to evade make me proud of him.Any amount of appreciation cannot do justice to his efforts...still,this is not only mine but also all our friends' acknowledgement !

I am sure this is just the beginning of an inspiring success story of a doctor who didn't look back.With your steely resolve,you have shown that no matter what...if you want something really badly,the entire universe conspires to help you reach your goal.There are always going to be people who will try to bring your juggernaut to a halt.Just deal with such elements as you have done till now.....

Follow your heart and you will rule !

Why do we dream.......

2007-06-14T01:48:00.000+05:30

We dream because dream is a visual way of communication opted by the sub-conscious mind with us,wat we do,think all tht is done by conscious mind,but,subconscious mind is like the Know-it-all thing.It knows everything around you,ur past,future,it at times warns you(Eg:shows snakes in dreams:it means cunning ppl around u),advices you,makes you realize your mistakes(Eg: u c the door of ur house open in ur dream and wen u check the door is really open),some intuitions in general.But,If all is well u may have a dreamless night.Or e1 a dream where u r celebrating or speeding up in a car which shows tht u r succeeding in life,etc.U dont remember your dreams coz wen u r sleeping actually ur conscious mind takes rest,if u c sumthing big,imp in dreram u remember it but usually the dream doesnt consume much of you thus it does not disturb the conscious mind and ur buufer memory sees the dream which is cleared once the conscious mind takes over.Hence,you forget it,but,if you got too tensed up or too excited the dream are put in main memory and u remember those.....:)

Making tough decisions !

2007-06-13T16:43:00.000+05:30

I have reached a point where I am going to have to make some tough decisions ! About what, is immaterial....all I can say is that I have never been in such a difficult situation till now.Yes,I have taken decisions - right and wrong.... However no decision till today had this much at stake !

I really hope I am offered some respite !! Sometimes too many options are dreadful !

May GOD bless me !!!!!!!!!!!!!! lolzzzz

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2007-06-12T11:39:00.000+05:30

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Ford turns down India

2007-06-12T11:05:00.001+05:30

LONDON, June 11, 2007 (AFP) - Graham Ford on Monday threw India's preparations for their upcoming tour of England into chaos by snubbing an offer to become their new coach.
The South African's decision to carry on in his current role as director of cricket at English county Kent came as both a surprise and a blow to Indian cricket chiefs, who believed they had reached an agreement with Ford that would see him take over the India team on a one-year contract before the end of this month.
The 46-year-old was selected for the role on Saturday following an interview with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in Chennai and had been due to tell his new employers when he could start work by Monday.
Instead, he revealed that he had had a change of heart.
"I have had a chance to reflect on the offer made by the BCCI and their urgency to fill the vacant position. After careful consideration, I have decided to continue my work here at Kent," Ford said in a statement.
"This has been a really difficult decision. I am honoured that India have shown such interest in my capabilities, but feel that this is the right decision for me and my family."
The BCCI will decide their next move on Tuesday and Ford's decision may have opened the door for former England spinner John Emburey, who was also interviewed for the post at the weekend.
"They (the BCCI) haven't spoken to me yet but I understand they've been trying," Emburey told AFP on Monday. "I am not going to make any announcements until I've spoken to the Board."
Ford's decision delighted Kent cricket chairman Graham Johnson.
"I know that all in the business at Kent, the playing staff, the coaching staff and all our administrators will be thrilled by his decision," he said.
India are keen to find a successor to Greg Chappell ahead of the scheduled one-day internationals against Ireland and South Africa between June 23 and July 1, and the subsequent Test series in England.
The BCCI said Ford's refusal and the future course of action will be discussed at a previously scheduled meeting of its working committee in New Delhi on Tuesday.
"Mr Ford has informed us he can't take up the job," BCCI treasurer N. Srinivasan told reporters in the southern Indian city of Bangalore.
"We will now place the matter before the working committee which will decide on the next step."
Ford was chosen by a seven-member panel, headed by BCCI president Sharad Pawar, which included three former captains in Sunil Gavaskar, Srinivas Venkataraghavan and Ravi Shastri.
Before choosing Ford ahead of Emburey, the panel had rejected former Sri Lanka and Bangladesh coach Dav Whatmore and any decision to go back to Emburey is bound to result in charges of settling for a 'second choice' option.
Former Indian captain Ajit Wadekar said the BCCI should not have announced Ford's name before he had accepted their offer.
"The board jumped the gun," said Wadekar. "Now they are left with nothing.
"The good thing is Indian cricket cannot fall any lower. Hopefully, good times are ahead - if we can find a good coach."
India are looking for a successor to former Australia captain Chappell, who quit after his side crashed out in the first round of the recent World Cup in the Caribbean.
Ford, who was South Africa's coach from 1999-2001 when the Proteas won nine of their 11 Test series, had been recommended by India's captain Rahul Dravid, a former Kent player.

England seal series at Old Trafford

2007-06-12T11:00:00.000+05:30

MANCHESTER, England, June 11, 2007 (AFP) - Monty Panesar took 10 wickets in a Test for the first time as England beat West Indies by 60 runs to win the third Test at Old Trafford here Monday and so take an unbeatable 2-0 lead in the four-match series.
West Indies, chasing what would have been a record fourth innings winning total of 455, were bowled out for 394.
Panesar, who finished the match by dismissing last man Corey Collymore, had an innings return of six for 137. Coupled with his first innings four for 50, that gave him a match haul of 10 for 187.
Harmison, who took two wickets in four balls after lunch, to end West Indies' hopes of victory, took four for 95 in a much improved display.
Shivnarine Chanderpaul was 116 not out as England captain Michael Vaughan became his country's most successful Test skipper of all-time with 21 wins.
"It's special because we won the series," said Vaughan after the match.
"This has been one battle. It was tough but the team came through it well. Shiv (Chanderpaul) probably played the best I've seen in Test cricket."
West Indies skipper Daren Ganga added: "Compared to the last Test match we played it's been a wonderful improvement. It was very competitive but our batting wasn't up to standard. We haven't had consistency in all aspects of our game.
"We're looking foward to the last match even if we have a lot of work to do."
Panesar, who'd dropped Chanderpaul on 18, finished the match when he had last man Corey Collymore taken at short leg by Ian Bell, although it needed the third umpire to give the decision.
The fourth Test at Durham's Riverside ground starts on Friday.
At lunch, West Indies, 1-0 down in the four-match series, were 379 for seven, needing a further 76 runs to reach their target.
Chanderpaul was 104 not out, his 15th Test hundred and first in more than two years. Jerome Taylor, missed on one, was 10 not out.
Harmison, with the second ball of the second over after lunch, had Taylor, on 11, fending a lifting delivery to Alastair Cook at short leg for the Durham quick's 200th Test wicket.
And new batsman Fidel Edwards went for a three ball nought when, a rising ball came off the face of the bat and went to Bell in the gully.
West Indies resumed Monday on 301 for five, needing 154 more runs in a minimum of 90 overs to reach their record-breaking target.
Chanderpaul was 81 not out and wicket-keeper Denesh Ramdin 26 not out.
Back in May 2003, Chanderpaul made 104 when West Indies scored a Test record fourth innings winning total of 418 for seven against Australia in Antigua.
Ramdin started confidently, cutting the first ball from Panesar for four. But the 15th ball of the morning, saw a Panesar delivery which turned and bounced take the shoulder of Ramdin's bat on its way to Paul Collingwood at slip, West Indies 311 for six.
The keeper, dropped by opposing gloveman Matthew Prior on four, was out for a battling 32 made in an-hour-and-a-half, having put on 62 with Chanderpaul.
Experienced left-hander Chanderpaul, who missed West Indies record innings and 283 run defeat in the second Test at Headingley with a knee injury, now needed someone to stay with him.
Debutant all-rounder Darren Sammy, whose seven for 66 with his medium-pacers had restricted England to a second innings total of 313 and so given his side a glimmer of hope, got off the mark with a square-cut four off Harmison.
Sammy, on 20, pulled up and received on-field treatment for what appeared to be a right hamstring injury.
He continued and late cut Panesar past Collingwood at first slip for four.
But next ball Panesar got rid of Sammy on 25 when he held a two-handed return catch off the batsman's drive, the bowler claiming his fifth haul of five wickets or more in a Test match innings which include five for 72 against Pakistan at Old Trafford last year.
Panesar, 25, almost dismissed Chanderpaul, in his 103rd Test, when a delivery turned sharply and just cleared the batsman's off-stump as he played no shot.
Chanderpaul's single off Harmison saw him to a 233 ball century after more than six hours at the crease with 12 fours.
It was the 32-year-old's third Test hundred against England and first against anyone since making 127 against South Africa in Antigua in May 2005.

Standing up for oneself...

2007-06-11T23:31:00.000+05:30

I am tempted to write on this topic after having known the inhibitions of a friend who refrains from trying out new things because she is afraid about how people will react.What is disturbing is the fact that there may be many more intelligent,talented people like this friend of mine who aren't exploiting their resources just because of some cynics around them.Of course,primarily such critics are at fault.Why not give someone a chance to try ? This is one of the main reasons why we Indians rarely innovate.Before trying something,we tend to look at a hundred other trivial things...what will happen if i fail ? What will people say ? But this is the way how people are.We can't stop others from being cynical,can we ???
So,is there nothing we can do ? Yes,we can."Indifferent" won't be the exact word but to some extent we have to be that.Why care about others' 'opinions' when we are absolutely convinced that we are right.Try to convince others too,but if they remain adamant,its their problem !!! Why on earth should one give up his/her venture ???? There is a difference between being arrogant and being self-respecting.People are bound to be 'skeptical' when you are about to attempt something for the first time.......I feel this is more out of jealousy than 'concern'.Its more like.." If we can't do something BIG,try to stop others from doing something BIG." Of course there are going to be pit-falls....a few setbacks here and there....but isn't a setback a setup for a comeback ???? At least you have tried.
All I want to say to people who care a tad too much about others' opinions is that,when you succeed these people will be the first to grab a share of your pie...but when you fail,these will be the first ones to point out 'flaws' in your attempt and to convince the world that this attempt shouldn't have been made at all !! Do you really care about these cynics ? To succeed,one must learn to stand up for oneself !! Trust me,this attitude of yours will earn you respect...and most importantly the satisfaction of having tried....

2007-06-11T22:58:00.000+05:30

THE 7TH HARRY POTTER BOOK GOING TO CUM!!! WHAT DO U THINK ITS GOING TO BE????

DO U THINK HARRYS GOING 2 DIE??? OR WILL VOLDEMORT BE KILLED??

FEDEX fails to deliver !

2007-06-11T13:40:00.000+05:30

This is all i have to say ! Nadal is just toooo goood on clay !

The best protection against viruses !

2007-06-10T14:59:00.000+05:30

I have been using Avast since more than a year.Having used Norton and QuickHeal before,I feel avast is the BEST ! Also its free !! Try it out !

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2007-06-10T14:25:00.001+05:30

http://beverlys.net/LJ/BuggingYou.swf

Alas..!! Ivanovic loses !!

2007-06-09T23:34:00.000+05:30

Poor little Ana Ivanovic lost tamely to Justine Henin !! Thats the worst news I heard today ! Ana started on a positive note breaking Henin's serve in the first game on the match itself ! But,performing on the big stage is never easy !! She got nervous and her unforced errors mounted !! sheeshhhhhh..m too choked up to continue !!!!

Some of my favourite quotes !

2007-06-09T17:33:00.000+05:30

Although I don't remember many of my favourites(which is very unfortunate and sad),I wish to share one I read recently..
This one is by Oscar Wilde:
We should treat all the trivial things of life seriously and all the serious things of life with sincere and studied triviality.
I heard this one when I was at Kota...has its origin in Maths !!!
To be differentiable(from the crowd) you must be continuous(in your efforts) !
And finally these are lines I invented....sometimes they seem nonsensical even to me...never mind !!
Life IS a bed of roses...the thorns are meant to show you the right path !
One observation which may be mathematically incorrect is:
The probability of occurence of any event can never reach ONE...at the most,it can tend to be one.An element of uncertainty always exists

The FOKKER's done !!

2007-06-08T12:37:00.000+05:30

Finally,the plane has been constructed ! Please don't point out the defects ! he he....i know that it is not perfectly symmetric...there were some parts missing ! Also this isn't a perfect FOKKER...made a few changes due to shortage of parts ! My apologies to the makers of this beauty !

Titanic 2 - Jack Dawson is alive...and wanted !!

2007-06-07T23:58:00.000+05:30

This is supposedly a fake !

The top six reasons computers must be female:

2007-06-07T23:08:00.000+05:30

6. As soon as you have one, a better one is just around the corner.

5. No one but the creator understands the internal logic.

4. Even your smallest mistakes are immediately committed to memory for future reference.

3. The native language used to communicate with other computers is incomprehensible to everyone else.

2. The message "Bad Command or File Name" is about as informative as "If you don't know why I'm mad at you,

then I'm certainly not going to tell you".
AND THE NUMBER ONE REASON COMPUTERS ARE FEMALE:

1. As soon as you make a commitment on one, you find yourself spending half of your paycheck on accessories for it.

The match I want to see...

2007-06-07T19:10:00.000+05:30

A final between Roger Federer(King of Tennis) and Rafael Nadal(King of clay court Tennis)would be a fitting end to the French Open ! Nadal who has been thwarted just once on clay by Federer will be the man to watch ! Just about anyone can win if the two get together ! I am putting my paisa on cool-head Federer !
Go Federer Go !!!

Lets root for Ivanovic

2007-06-07T19:04:00.000+05:30

Hey,this Serbian just beat Maria Sharapova(minus the oomph factor !)in straight sets(6-2,6-1) at the ladies semi-finals at Roland Garros ! This is the same gal who ended our own dear Sania's campaign in the second round ! I like the her pluck ! A very powerful game coupled with a cool head could see her through !

Making a FOKKER D-Vll

2007-06-06T13:38:00.000+05:30

Today I have embarked upon making a scaled down model of a FOKKER.I have got a wooden kit with instructions to make it.The glitch is that i have lost the English instructions ! Another glimpse of how stupid i can get ! I just have some images and instructions in German !! I think i can make some progress using the photos with me.Else I will have to translate the instructions !!! This is gonna b real fun !!

Save Earth !

2007-06-06T00:59:00.000+05:30

I am posting a few things we all can do diligently and save quite a few of our precious resources:

Take a bath using a bucket of water instead of the shower which generally takes up more than 3.5 times as much water.

Brush teeth keeping the tap closed.

Use water used to wash vegetables...etc etc to water the plants."Reuse and Recycle" is the key to save all our resources.

Waiting until you have a full load to wash clothes can save almost a thousand gallons of water every month.

When a cell is not charging shut-off the power supply from the plug-point.It saves a hell lot of electricity when done over a period of time !

Do not use the air-conditioner unless absolutely necessary.That would reduce your electricity bill along with minimising the emission of harmful CFCs which are responsible for the depleting ozone layer.

As far as possible use public transport systems.Using a car when comfortable options are available is criminal...especially when the car is carrying passengers far below its capacity.

I think I don't need to give you more methods to do your bit for YOURSELF.Someone has to take the initiative.Be the change you want in the world.Your actions may inspire your peers,parents,your neighbour ...... their actions may in turn inspire others.Even if they don't,you DON'T lose anything ! Its time to wake up and stop being so very indifferent.With enough self-motivation and awareness,YOU can bring about a change in your own home,your locality,your town..............your country and ultimately together we can change the WORLD !

How my cell was stolen..

2007-06-05T15:24:00.000+05:30

Today,I lost my cell to some smart thief in a local train while travellning from Ghatkopar to Thane ! I haven't felt worse about myself ever !! Was it my carelessness or was it the thief's skill ? Whatever it was,I LOST MY CELL !!! Maybe I was too preoccupied with the camera I was carrying with me ! This is just a glimpse of how stupid i can get !!!

What " badbad " means....

2007-06-05T13:57:00.000+05:30

"badbad" means non-stop chatter in Marathi ! That is what I am known for.......
Since there aren't many people who will entertain the crap which is waiting to come out of me,I have decided to start BLOGGING !