When I first saw my name on SP Jain's second list, I was elated, ecstatic and speechless with shock! The feeling went onto culminate into unbounded joy and absolute delight. Getting admission there is a dream come true for me and I'm looking forward to the experience there.
However, towards the end of the day, I found myself caressing mixed feelings.
1. I've never lived away from home. And it pains me to do that now. The immense attachment with loved ones here and having to stay away from them is a miserable feeling....I'm wondering how I'm gonna be able cope up with this.
2. My current workplace has a great work environment. And I just don feel like quitting! Its been a great journey of learning, getting to know some great ppl and interacting with wonderful peers here!
3. My friends circle from college....hanging out in Malleswaram, coffee rendezvous, masala dosa, hot chilli bonda, weekend movie....infectious laughter, poorest of the poor jokes, the wooooing and the booooing....
I'm gonna miss these crazy moments....
4. Bangalore....its the place thats made me laugh, cry, sulk, sigh, yell and howl! Hmmm how am I gonna stay away???????
Actually I'm teary-eyed!
Before I sign off, I need to mention this. Yesterday, as I was confiding my mixed feelings to all friends, one Mr. Flunky (lets cal him that) said (playfully) that the depth of his feelings is overwhelming him....Its unfathomable and yet an inch deep....and an inch can be really big for an ant like him :)....
And this crazy statement is actually profound...relative word, relative joy, relative happiness, relatively beautiful life!
Memories...I'm gonna hold them close to me always....always!
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Upon Cloud # 9
I made it through to SPJIMR....Yippieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!
and the moon is out and the stars are bright,
and whatever comes s'gonna be alright,
cause tonight you will be mine....
up on cloud number nine!!!!
:):):):):):):):):):)
and the moon is out and the stars are bright,
and whatever comes s'gonna be alright,
cause tonight you will be mine....
up on cloud number nine!!!!
:):):):):):):):):):)
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Nothing for pedestrians!
Bangalore roads together form one roller coaster ride. You go up the flyover, come down an underpass, leap onto a "magic" box and get down another and this goes on and on!
These "magic boxes" that're being constructed on the road to the new airport, have almost outnumbered the countable good roads in the city. And people are very enthused by the fact that traffic congestion is gonna reduce and they can cruise away to catch their flights. But there's one ingredient of society that everybody seems to be ignoring without thought.
The Pedestrians!
What happens to them?
Consider this:
1. It takes at least 10min extra to cross the road near the erstwhile Ganganagar signal.
2. The cops who care only about the vehicles and how fast people in cars can reach, make huge crowds of pedestrians wait forever before ushering them to "the other side".
3. Elderly people find themselves completely lost amid the noisy vehicles.
4. The hired taxi's to the airport are as fast as fast can be. They honk away to glory and treat roads as their family property! No one dare take even a step forward let alone crossing the road.
5. The subways near the "magic boxes" are either poorly built or not built at all.
Aren't we sacrificing the convenience of harmless people - who dont cause air pollution or add to the ever-increasing traffic problem - for the betterment of the affluent?
Yes we are!
And yes, nobody gives a damn!
These "magic boxes" that're being constructed on the road to the new airport, have almost outnumbered the countable good roads in the city. And people are very enthused by the fact that traffic congestion is gonna reduce and they can cruise away to catch their flights. But there's one ingredient of society that everybody seems to be ignoring without thought.
The Pedestrians!
What happens to them?
Consider this:
1. It takes at least 10min extra to cross the road near the erstwhile Ganganagar signal.
2. The cops who care only about the vehicles and how fast people in cars can reach, make huge crowds of pedestrians wait forever before ushering them to "the other side".
3. Elderly people find themselves completely lost amid the noisy vehicles.
4. The hired taxi's to the airport are as fast as fast can be. They honk away to glory and treat roads as their family property! No one dare take even a step forward let alone crossing the road.
5. The subways near the "magic boxes" are either poorly built or not built at all.
Aren't we sacrificing the convenience of harmless people - who dont cause air pollution or add to the ever-increasing traffic problem - for the betterment of the affluent?
Yes we are!
And yes, nobody gives a damn!
Sunday, April 26, 2009
They also serve who only stand and wait!
Life, a supplement of the Sunday edition of The Times of India, carried a heart wrenching tale as its cover story yesterday.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/I-prayed-God-punish-me-not-my-girls/articleshow/4450083.cms
This story really brings tears to one's eyes. For me, its been a source of great learning:
1. Life's not meant to be fair. But when you outdo yourself even God cannot hold back his grace.
2. Count our blessings! What are problems really! Its made me reconsider all my woes.
3. There's a hero in each one of us. Adversity brings out the best in us.
4. Stop Cribbing!
The key probably is to keep doing your job as best as you can...you may never satisfy all your wants, but wot the heck.....they also serve who only stand ond wait! We're all equals!
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/I-prayed-God-punish-me-not-my-girls/articleshow/4450083.cms
This story really brings tears to one's eyes. For me, its been a source of great learning:
1. Life's not meant to be fair. But when you outdo yourself even God cannot hold back his grace.
2. Count our blessings! What are problems really! Its made me reconsider all my woes.
3. There's a hero in each one of us. Adversity brings out the best in us.
4. Stop Cribbing!
The key probably is to keep doing your job as best as you can...you may never satisfy all your wants, but wot the heck.....they also serve who only stand ond wait! We're all equals!
Of Mondays!
I think the word Monday is somehow related to/derived from the word mundane.....
Here's my 10th post on a mundane Monday morning.....
Yawwwwwwwwwwwwwwn! :)
Here's my 10th post on a mundane Monday morning.....
Yawwwwwwwwwwwwwwn! :)
Friday, April 24, 2009
Rain Rain come again!
Its raining in the evenings in Bangalore. And even though it proves to be quite messy with water clogging on the roads, motorists splashing water all over pedestrians (like me!) and busses with their overcrowded insides, I'm definitely in favour of rains in this extraordinarily hot summer.
Some reasons why I love summer rains:
1. The feeling of cold wind massaging your face is amazing. Ironically, it feels like a whiff of warmth nature is showering you with. We city people dont always have opportunities to experience the wonders of nature. Rain brings with it (both literally and metaphorically) a breath of fresh air!
2. Hot, yummy chaat and fried food taste best with the rain. Cold on the outside and hot, slightly spicy food in the inside - what a super combination!
3. The best songs in the history of cinema flash across your mind and encompass your heart. The song that I often remember is - Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si :)
4. The smell of wet sand!
5. The romance!
So enjoy the showers and hum away to glory! Tra la la la la la!
Some reasons why I love summer rains:
1. The feeling of cold wind massaging your face is amazing. Ironically, it feels like a whiff of warmth nature is showering you with. We city people dont always have opportunities to experience the wonders of nature. Rain brings with it (both literally and metaphorically) a breath of fresh air!
2. Hot, yummy chaat and fried food taste best with the rain. Cold on the outside and hot, slightly spicy food in the inside - what a super combination!
3. The best songs in the history of cinema flash across your mind and encompass your heart. The song that I often remember is - Ek ladki bheegi bhaagi si :)
4. The smell of wet sand!
5. The romance!
So enjoy the showers and hum away to glory! Tra la la la la la!
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Whatay Voting Challenge!
So the Lok Sabha elections are on. And yesterday was the D-day for all Bangaloreans.
Now Bangalore North was my constituency and we had over 25 candidates to choose from. Since the JD(S) is reportedly supporting the INC (secretly/silently), the major contenders for the Bangalore - North constituency were/are the BJP and the INC.
The Ambience : The ambience seemed peaceful. No long queues. No querulous arguments heard. The policemen seemed to be doing a good job.
The People : A good blend of categories. The young and the middle-aged (I didnt spot old people, though they might've cast their votes earlier or later), people from different strata of society. I was surprised to spot lotsa young (19-25) people turning up to cast their votes.
The Incidents : Two significant incidents were noted:
1. The Maid Servant Story - When I asked her if she finished voting, she said "No, nobody's paid us this time around. So I will not vote. My husband's still standing in the queue near X party's office. The moment they pay, I'll go vote".
So this is, this REALLY is, the state of affairs in the "largest democracy" of the world! Makes me wonder why we're being called a democracy! Makes me open my eyes to how skewed all "development" in this country really is!
2. Mr. ABC's story - Ok Mr. ABC has no faith in Indian politics. He's a young man who thinks he's wasting the morning sleep for a bunch of idiots who arent gonna go beyond their "earnings" once they come to power. But he's scared that if he doesnt vote, his vote might be rigged in sum party's favour. So what does he do? He goes to the polling booth, takes about 5minutes in front of the electronic voting machine and casts his vote after enough deliberation! How you ask? Well! He checks out each party's symbol. The symbol (barring ones of the 3 "major" parties, of course) which is the most attractive gets his vote!
This actually made me realise the significance of the party symbol! I'm sure lotsa youngsters would do this out of frustration (very understandable)!
The Moral : In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed-man is the King!
So much for the Jaago Re campaign! My question - kisliye jaage? Not one candidate has enough mettle to really DO something for anybody other than himself!
The Catch 22 again : You vote to elect the right party, but the fact that you vote means you cannot elect the right party coz there is no "right" party!
Now, that the voting is over, yeah, its time to sleep again! (sigh!)
Now Bangalore North was my constituency and we had over 25 candidates to choose from. Since the JD(S) is reportedly supporting the INC (secretly/silently), the major contenders for the Bangalore - North constituency were/are the BJP and the INC.
The Ambience : The ambience seemed peaceful. No long queues. No querulous arguments heard. The policemen seemed to be doing a good job.
The People : A good blend of categories. The young and the middle-aged (I didnt spot old people, though they might've cast their votes earlier or later), people from different strata of society. I was surprised to spot lotsa young (19-25) people turning up to cast their votes.
The Incidents : Two significant incidents were noted:
1. The Maid Servant Story - When I asked her if she finished voting, she said "No, nobody's paid us this time around. So I will not vote. My husband's still standing in the queue near X party's office. The moment they pay, I'll go vote".
So this is, this REALLY is, the state of affairs in the "largest democracy" of the world! Makes me wonder why we're being called a democracy! Makes me open my eyes to how skewed all "development" in this country really is!
2. Mr. ABC's story - Ok Mr. ABC has no faith in Indian politics. He's a young man who thinks he's wasting the morning sleep for a bunch of idiots who arent gonna go beyond their "earnings" once they come to power. But he's scared that if he doesnt vote, his vote might be rigged in sum party's favour. So what does he do? He goes to the polling booth, takes about 5minutes in front of the electronic voting machine and casts his vote after enough deliberation! How you ask? Well! He checks out each party's symbol. The symbol (barring ones of the 3 "major" parties, of course) which is the most attractive gets his vote!
This actually made me realise the significance of the party symbol! I'm sure lotsa youngsters would do this out of frustration (very understandable)!
The Moral : In the kingdom of the blind, the one-eyed-man is the King!
So much for the Jaago Re campaign! My question - kisliye jaage? Not one candidate has enough mettle to really DO something for anybody other than himself!
The Catch 22 again : You vote to elect the right party, but the fact that you vote means you cannot elect the right party coz there is no "right" party!
Now, that the voting is over, yeah, its time to sleep again! (sigh!)
Of English and its roots!
The word "xanthodontous" means "Having yellow teeth".
It is derived from the Greek roots "Xanthos" meaning yellow and "Odon" meaning toothed.
I learnt about the word early this morning and as I was assimilating its facts, a certain similarity struck me.
The word "danta" in Sanskrit means tooth as well. Consider "Ekadanta" (ek+danta=single toothed/tusked), a word used for Lord Ganesha.
Similarly, we have the following roots in some other languages (Source: wikipedia):
Latin dens, Lithuanian dantis, Old Irish det, Welsh dent.
Most words in English, we're often told, are derived from Latin and Greek. And if you look up the word "dental" or "dentist" on Google, its more likely that the results point to a Latin root.
But now I'm wondering!
Since Sanskrit is older than Latin ("Sanskrit is older than Latin in the sense that its written records can be traced back further in time" - Philip Baldi, Foreign Language Study, 1999), could words dental, dentist and the like, be sourced from Sanskrit itself?
Something to think about.
Maybe we Indians didnt get a patent for it.....just like we didnt for basmati rice!
What do you think?
It is derived from the Greek roots "Xanthos" meaning yellow and "Odon" meaning toothed.
I learnt about the word early this morning and as I was assimilating its facts, a certain similarity struck me.
The word "danta" in Sanskrit means tooth as well. Consider "Ekadanta" (ek+danta=single toothed/tusked), a word used for Lord Ganesha.
Similarly, we have the following roots in some other languages (Source: wikipedia):
Latin dens, Lithuanian dantis, Old Irish det, Welsh dent.
Most words in English, we're often told, are derived from Latin and Greek. And if you look up the word "dental" or "dentist" on Google, its more likely that the results point to a Latin root.
But now I'm wondering!
Since Sanskrit is older than Latin ("Sanskrit is older than Latin in the sense that its written records can be traced back further in time" - Philip Baldi, Foreign Language Study, 1999), could words dental, dentist and the like, be sourced from Sanskrit itself?
Something to think about.
Maybe we Indians didnt get a patent for it.....just like we didnt for basmati rice!
What do you think?
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Inhi logo ney!
Isnt it strange that the people who scoff at you, sometimes say the nicest things you could ever hear?
And in the same breath, people who often agree with you, scorn at your ideas on certain days?
Inhi logo ney.....inhi logo ney.....inhi logo ney change kiya opinion mera!
Give it a thought!
Note : My 6th blog post; a sign of something it is! Cheers!
And in the same breath, people who often agree with you, scorn at your ideas on certain days?
Inhi logo ney.....inhi logo ney.....inhi logo ney change kiya opinion mera!
Give it a thought!
Note : My 6th blog post; a sign of something it is! Cheers!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Concalls - A sign of frustration
Ok! So if u need a sytem to work, the one thing that you should and must possess is not:
1. Money
2. Manpower
3. Controllers
4. Management Support
5. Accuracy in procedures....
All that you need is a sense of integrity that makes you fight for the right details.
And when you have it but see that people around you don't, you are left FRUSTRATED!
1. Money
2. Manpower
3. Controllers
4. Management Support
5. Accuracy in procedures....
All that you need is a sense of integrity that makes you fight for the right details.
And when you have it but see that people around you don't, you are left FRUSTRATED!
Monday, April 20, 2009
Bond with chilli bondas
Right opposite Sai Baba Temple on Sampige Road, Malleswaram, there's a small blue-coloured food cart. This is really the place to attain Nirvana as far as foodies like me are concerned!
A green chilli (the fat one; not the thin one used in daily cooking to make food more spicy) is slit into two first and is then dipped in a watery mixture of gram flour, red chilli powder and jeera (cumin) and deep-fried in oil. These hot chilli bondas may then be savoured to your heart's content.
Now this blue-foodcart has different varieties of bondas:
1. Chilli Bondas
2. Aloo Bondas (with lotsa garlic and an unforgettable taste)
3. Dal Vada
4. Onion Pakoda
Each of these transports you to an imaginary world where you feel you have attained all your goals. Wah, kya taste hai!
The least I could do for this fella is marketing his creations on my blog!
A green chilli (the fat one; not the thin one used in daily cooking to make food more spicy) is slit into two first and is then dipped in a watery mixture of gram flour, red chilli powder and jeera (cumin) and deep-fried in oil. These hot chilli bondas may then be savoured to your heart's content.
Now this blue-foodcart has different varieties of bondas:
1. Chilli Bondas
2. Aloo Bondas (with lotsa garlic and an unforgettable taste)
3. Dal Vada
4. Onion Pakoda
Each of these transports you to an imaginary world where you feel you have attained all your goals. Wah, kya taste hai!
The least I could do for this fella is marketing his creations on my blog!
Friday, April 17, 2009
HOMPing and Chomping!
NDTV Goodtimes is really a coming-of-age channel. In the muck of TV soaps and detergents, programmes on Goodtimes are like breaths of fresh air. The following programmes are worth watching:
1. Highway on my plate (HOMP)(a travel cum food show with Rocky and Mayur)
2. One life to Love (a show about life by Simran Bhargava; slighly philosophical but worth every minute of its airtime)
3. Scope for Improvement (interiors of rooms/spaces of houses are re-done for civilians who write-in to NDTV for a change in the structures)
4. Bodylicious (a health show that combines yoga, weight training and aerobics)
5. The Single Female Traveller (a travel show showcasing some exotic locales; more for feel-good viewing)
HOMP, surely deserves a special mention, coz it takes you around small towns of the country and the hosts (absolutely rocking!) review restaurants in these places. The humour in the show is its USP. Sample this: While looking at a made-to-order-cake in a bakery, Rocky and Mayur actually beg the owner to hand over the cake with "Happy Birthday X". They plead ("Could you tell X it just fell off the table"), they bribe ("We'll pay you twice the cost") and end up making you roll in laughter. Another hopelessly funny scene is when they loiter around the "Bhang" shops of Jaisalmer at 7am and contemplate "Breaking In" when they find all shops closed.
Truely, this is one show to-die-for and I'd recommend this to all readers of my blog!
PS: Please keep a bowl of eatables to munch along while watching HOMP, coz it makes you feel terribly hungry. And yeah, just make sure the food by your side is at least as yummy as what they eat on TV lest you feel miserable!
1. Highway on my plate (HOMP)(a travel cum food show with Rocky and Mayur)
2. One life to Love (a show about life by Simran Bhargava; slighly philosophical but worth every minute of its airtime)
3. Scope for Improvement (interiors of rooms/spaces of houses are re-done for civilians who write-in to NDTV for a change in the structures)
4. Bodylicious (a health show that combines yoga, weight training and aerobics)
5. The Single Female Traveller (a travel show showcasing some exotic locales; more for feel-good viewing)
HOMP, surely deserves a special mention, coz it takes you around small towns of the country and the hosts (absolutely rocking!) review restaurants in these places. The humour in the show is its USP. Sample this: While looking at a made-to-order-cake in a bakery, Rocky and Mayur actually beg the owner to hand over the cake with "Happy Birthday X". They plead ("Could you tell X it just fell off the table"), they bribe ("We'll pay you twice the cost") and end up making you roll in laughter. Another hopelessly funny scene is when they loiter around the "Bhang" shops of Jaisalmer at 7am and contemplate "Breaking In" when they find all shops closed.
Truely, this is one show to-die-for and I'd recommend this to all readers of my blog!
PS: Please keep a bowl of eatables to munch along while watching HOMP, coz it makes you feel terribly hungry. And yeah, just make sure the food by your side is at least as yummy as what they eat on TV lest you feel miserable!
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Like Butterflies....
They come,
they sit,
they express,
they unwind,
and then,
they
fade
away
Like bees on the flower,
Like modulated knobs on the shower.
Like butterflies..
flies..
lies..
I's..
they sit,
they express,
they unwind,
and then,
they
fade
away
Like bees on the flower,
Like modulated knobs on the shower.
Like butterflies..
flies..
lies..
I's..
Smelly Loo Smelly Loo!
I know this isnt the best way to start off with a blog but as they say the biggest ideas thrust themselves upon you only in the loo, on me they did too!
I hate inefficiency in whatever place and whichever case! But no, thats not the reason why I so detest the loo-cleaner-ladies out here. Its just the thought of how they can abstain completely from their day-today work and laze around the pantry gossipping and exchanging sweetnothings that makes me mad.
Whoever said Hitler had his positives should come to my office and check out the concentration-camp-like-loos.
Visualise: Tissues strewn around the dustbin which is overflowing with garbage, long hair flying around the floor mosaic, an odour that encompasses ur nostrils and envelops your existance (yuck!), water spilt around the seat and yes, thats not the end, there's no toilet paper either!
No, seriously, what the heck do they do all day....n exactly how many reminders in a day do they need to go about their job!
I'm angry, frustrated and helpless!
The brighter picture - It finally got me blogging! (Yey!) (Sigh!)
I hate inefficiency in whatever place and whichever case! But no, thats not the reason why I so detest the loo-cleaner-ladies out here. Its just the thought of how they can abstain completely from their day-today work and laze around the pantry gossipping and exchanging sweetnothings that makes me mad.
Whoever said Hitler had his positives should come to my office and check out the concentration-camp-like-loos.
Visualise: Tissues strewn around the dustbin which is overflowing with garbage, long hair flying around the floor mosaic, an odour that encompasses ur nostrils and envelops your existance (yuck!), water spilt around the seat and yes, thats not the end, there's no toilet paper either!
No, seriously, what the heck do they do all day....n exactly how many reminders in a day do they need to go about their job!
I'm angry, frustrated and helpless!
The brighter picture - It finally got me blogging! (Yey!) (Sigh!)
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