The Discovery .....

New Books to look out for...

2008-12-15T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hi Thr..
Long long time i hv been here.
Hooked up u see. To Clg and i seem to hv started enjoying the new Blog of mine.
Well but ofcourse the Literature i can't forget.

Well i seem to have a nice thought of books i have offlate held on or am planning to...
Let me tell a few ..
1. I recently read this Jeffery Archer book named "As the Crow Flies". It may not be as high the Kane and Abel trilogy but boy it sure was absorbing. Nice and inspiring. Set in early 1900's and stretches upto 1970's. Its a story of Charlie Trumper. This ever so confident and really likeable character. How from being a costermonger he sets up to make the largest Supermarket or Grocery store as he puts it in the world.

2.My sister gifted me this really illustrative and classic epic "Illiad" on my birthday. Well it sure is a classic epic mostly in semi poetry and prose form. More so because the name Homer associates himself as the creator. To be precise, this epic is considered as one greatest epics. The movie 'Troy' depicts only a superficial insight into it. Achilles, the main character along with Helen, Hector and ofcourse Paris. This .. This really amazing book is worth reading. (May ask for patience early on but my Goodness once it picks up it sure is a Roller Coaster.)

3. The third one is a nice self relating book named, "The One minuter manager". This one is written by a famous writer Dr. Spencer Johnson and Mr. Kenneth Blanchard. It is short, Inspiring, practical enough and relatable to all. It gives an insight into how important our time and thinking is, the way and approach to our tasks and the importance one shoes to someone else's time.

Look along... Just a some these are. Do pop up with ur responses and suggestions u hv for me to read.
Cheers.

The Car Festival

2008-07-23T06:41:00.000-07:00

The day of the car festival was drawing near. So the queen said to the king,"What about having a look at the chariot?" The King said,"Yes, Let us go." Out came the horses from the stables and then the elephants; Peacock-winged palanquins proceeded in a row, and then came the lined up soldiers and sentinels with spearsin their hands. Servants and maid-servants followed in groups behind them. There was only one person who stayed behind. His job was to choose broomsticks for the palace. The headman came and asked him kindly,"What about you? Wouldn't you like to come too?" Humbly he excused himself saying,"No, I don't think I can go." The news came to the ears of the king that all had accoompanied him except the one poor wretched man. The King took pity on him and said to his minister,"Give him a call as we pass by." He lived by the wayside. When the elephant arrived there, the minister called out to him."O, you unfortunate one, come and join us to see the deity in the car."

With folded hands he replied,"How could I go so far? Have I even the power to reach up to His doorsteps?"
The minister replied," Why should you be afraid, you will go with the king?"
He answered,"That's dangerous! Can such a king's path ever be mine?"
The minister asked,"What hope have you then for your future? How will you ever have the chance of seeing His chariot?"
He answered," I think I will- God comes to my door in His chariot."
The minister laughed and said,"I see no marks of His chariot anywhere near the door!"
The pitiable one replied,"His chariot leaves no marks behind."
The minister asked,"How could that be?"
The wretched one replied," He comes in His flower chariot."
Minister asked," But where is His chariot?"

The poor unfortunate one pointed out to the two flowers which were in full bloom on either side of his door.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ This story is written by Shri Rabindranath Tagore.

Books You Must READ before you DIE... !!! (Part 1)

2008-07-12T10:55:00.001-07:00

Hi...
Through my readings and observations and all those nonsensical thoughts i have come to one conclusion ....
You need to have an insight into your true-self in life.. No not to screw.. Its not that I am talking of some reincarnation of some of your earlier life or any Spirituo-pseudo-Intellectuo concept !!

It helps us to live calmly.. coordially.. consciously with reverance to the environment.

For that i would suggest you some books you must read according to me before you die. !!

Its starts something like this...
BOOK 1 -- THE LOVE STORY (1970)
This book by Erich Wolf Segal is a classic in its way. The author brings about an emotional, sensitive and yet a very straight forward story. It has been cultured on the 75mm screen several times in diff forms including in Bollywood. But i would suggest reading the book. Brings out the feel much more.
"Love means never having to say you're sorry." This is the famous dialogue from the novel.

So why am i suggesting this book?? The author hasnt paid me for publicity, neither am i doing some boasting about my reading habits.

"For Love is the Beginning of Knowledge as Fire is of light.. "

21st Century Girl. Does such a specimen exist !!!

2008-05-22T04:55:00.000-07:00

“Hey friends look, My God, she really looks so pretty…. !! "She Blushes..."”
20 Years ago..
“Hey man just look at her, she’s damn sexy!!! "She walks on ... confidently"”
Now..
That’s the difference today about gals and girls.

Let me say something about today’s young woman. She wears Tshirts, shorts, shirts and fashionable clothes alongside dresses and sarees. If there is a Sita then also a Sally, If Gayatri can weave clothes for a living, there is also a gayatri who can walk on the ramp. There is a sheetal studying for JEE classes late nights and at the same time there is Himadri going out along with two boys at the same time. Today we have role models like Kiran Bedi, Sonia Gandhi, Indira Gandhi as power women. But we also applaud the girl in school who stood up against child marriage. We support those victims of inhumanity who stand up for justice.We cheer Sania and Sharapova alongside Sachin and Federer. She is a teacher, a politician, an actress, sportswomen, a bureaucrat, an administrator, a ceo and a housewife. Women make or mar organizations or Governments as we see in US or India or anywhere.

You see them in temples as well as puffing hookahs, from hosting a cultural event to being a highlight in a reality show, from reciting hymns to slang words, from mehndi to tattoos and body piercing, the girl today has evolved. They have started thinking different from their ancestors. I asked a female friend of mine about her take on what or who is the woman to search or give an example of, she gave a nice reply, “I think the common "woman" the one who walks on the streets are the ones to look up to....”. They have modified the saying “The responsibility of a man is to lead his family and that of woman to form it.”

I remember seeing the cartoon “The Powerpuff girls”, where the fate and well being of the town was in the hands of 3 small girls with superhuman powers. It gave an stupendous example of girl power and free thinking of the society towards girls. The movie “Chak de!” shows a real time situation with the girls, the system and the belief of people towards them. But we also see the courage and determination of new generation throughout. I believe its not about the transformation that has been but the realization of potential and the way the society looks towards them that has given them confidence.

My sister two years younger to me has left home to study out of station because she wanted to opt for humanities as a career option. Sonali, a girl in B.Com college performs regular drama shows and also travels abroad for seasonal shows alongwith the troop as she loves this art. 'Khabar Lahariya' is a fortnightly newspaper and news channel in chitrakoot district of UP run by few domestic self empowered women. This area like many areas suffers from caste system, epidemics, low literacy, etc. They travel across the jungle, sometimes political unstable areas and many times at the dead of night. This has and will prove to be as an inspiration for all. These are but of the many examples what today’s girl stand for. In the Indian outsourcing statistics, presently the number of girls opting to pursue higher studies outside is increasing annually by more than 10%. Recently in Patan in Gujarat a very big scandal on sexual abuse on girls was splashed. The victims came out bravely against the injustice done.
Because I am a woman, I must make unusual efforts to succeed. If I fail, no
one will say, "She doesn't have what it takes." They will say, "Women don't
have what it takes.
-- Clare Boothe Luce

Today’s girl is free, from the social bondages, she not only thinks of the marriage at the roads end. She looks up to the sky to fly, to take up the challenge thrown by the nation. Today she is draped into the multiethnic role of society, she is a polymath and a polytheist. She provokes the male, dares him in almost all disciplines.
Finally I conclude by quoting,
“A girls mouth, winter rain and market forces are never to be trusted. But whether you like it or not times have come that they will control our lives.
Girls were and will be the root cause of all problems, but times have come when they have started solving them.
From experience you conclude one and the only thing about girls, you just cant ignore them ”

A Night before an Exam

2008-05-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

“The Consequences of Boiler Corrosion are:- 1…”, as I am scanning through my chem. notes in my room, on the very important eve of chemistry 2^nd internal exam, the partially closed door suddenly opens and in comes a handsome, neatly shaven, 5ft 10 inches, brown-black haired ‘Anuj’. He is the very much talked about stud of my division and excels in almost everything he does. So as he entered, he fired on, “Hey tomorrow’s chem. paper na? What’s the course?”. Well…..Almost .. I thought again.

So I welcome the dear reader to an almost wonderless and a disoriented experience of a night before the examination.

Exams in our college are one of the most exciting phases of the curriculum. Well not because they are an evaluation of our study and grade us into our cgpa (That’s Bullshit!!). But because they are symbolized by the weirdest of experiences and fun filled nights. Among the many things are night long studies, exam hysteric sms’ing, last moment copying of notes, querring for important questions to all the toppers of the class, night time teas, midnight basketball and table tennis, no baths for the entire stretch, multiple alarms and over that not waking up in time when all ring at the same time. So let me continue with the story about the night before an all imp chem. exam.

I had started my studying at 5 in the evening. After chem. I had physics the next day (assume it). I still had Corrosion, Pollution and Drugs left along with physics revision. I continued with the studies. I had dinner later in the very lively mess where the food was precarious as usual. I remember the dialogue of Himesh Reshammiya in his super flop movie when I think of the mess food. “Come lets witness the agonies and ecstasies of being in a mess.”. Suddenly, Mitesh comes there. Well for those of you who don’t have any idea who mitesh is, let me enlighten you. He is a 5ft 6’ bespectacled boy who is serial brilliant mugger (sbm) . But he irritates me like hell. Comes to my room every now and then to ask me about how much I have studied, whether to ask the course or to explain some weird topic from Albania!! Trust me, he makes Karan Thappar and Oprah winfrey look saintly. So here he was ready to fry me to death. Thankfully he came and apporoached my roomie and I was saved. Well after lot of endurance and concentration from me I could manage to finish almost all major topics by 11 pm.

It has been said that India is a fair of 12 billion people with diverse values, ambitions and culture. The case of our hostels is no different apart from the fact that there are 150 guys clubbed together under one roof. It is a proven fact that the hostel never sleeps whether it be day or night. People come from all over the nation with different eating, sleeping and staying habits. But its chaotic sometimes. My roomie puts on his music when I am not used to it while studying. One of my other roomie wakes up 4 in the morning and studies.

Now almost midnight I realized I didn’t know one topic in the subject. One should never bunk the classes I thought, but suddenly from some part of my brain there was an instantaneous answer as if to say its better to sleep in the room then in the class. It was that void feeling of nothingness when there is supposed to be a very big thing. The diff. is that the titanic was going to sink that time and rose had left the ship instead of coming back. Poor me!! I had some big doubts in reactions and numericals. So I went out in search of my friend who could explain me that part. By the time I learned it, midnight gong had gone off. There was some movement upstairs and within seconds there was an announcement that it was Manmohan’s and Praveen’s Birthday that day. Well their birthday matters to less than half of the people there and even half of the remaining half actually care to wish on any other day. But it was the eve of the exam. Contrasting as one may feel, people from all blocks came down within moments of the announcement to give their wishes. Hey I forgot to mention how we wish the birthday boy. We give him GPL. So it was actually the exam frustapa that pushed all to come. Imagine being kicked by 150 people and that too any number of times. Atleast we made sure that they never forget it in their lifetime. Praveen on the other side turned out to be extra smart. He had escaped from the hostel just few minutes before the announcement. After the enthusiasts were done with manmohan, someone suddenly spoke out sachin’s name. No one had actually noticed him to be there till then. Sachin who was adjusting his slippers suddenly realized that almost a 100 faces turned towards him in a flash. He was shell shocked, that feeling which harry potter has when his name comes out of the goblet, just couldn’t believe his luck! How he must have imagined his name would not have been sachin. The rest as they say is history. But I do remember him cursing all on the top of voice and threatening to personally kill them painfully but I doubt anyone would have heard it. All of us happily and merrily returned to our rooms. We had got a great piece of entertainment.

Back in the room I scanned the notes again and revised the portion. It was me and adi studying together, listening to songs, chatting our time alongwith the study. Eventually I completed the revision at 3 am in the morning which I should have done it 1 am ideally. Well I felt quite hungry then, considering the fact that I had studied 6-7 hours sitting in a room and straining my neuro cells to the brink (and also the fact that I gave a few kicks to sachin ! ). So I thought about going to ‘chamunda ’. It is a night or rather early morning time roadside Indian café near the station where generally our college students go after 2.30 if they are hungry. The amazing thing which non collegians would find striking is probably our sense of timing!! So eventually me and adi mustered a scooty from a hostelite and found ourselves eating there after 15 min. I precisely remember feeling drowsy only after drinking 4 teas and adi pointed out to at 4.30 a.m. in the morning that it was now time we go to bed otherwise the ‘arse’ which was to be burnt the next day would not be in time to get up at all. One more interesting thing is that I told almost everyone I meet in block to wake me up. In the morning I woke up at 7.45 when the exam would start at 8.30. And the best part is that as soon I woke up, I started cursing all present there. Later I came to know that I had woken up at 6.30 in the morning, washed my face and started reading. In a few minutes I was back to flirting with a girl in my dreams. Well that night had assured me one thing and that was I would never underestimate the night before my exam……

Theorems of Uncertainty ...

2008-02-02T10:38:00.000-08:00

George Bush has said, “One word sums up probably the responsibility of any Governor, and that one word is ‘to be prepared’ ”.

Well so much for him and his speeches.

Tell me what’s the relation between English, making a robot and mess food??

Well I hope I didn’t get you into any serious thinking but certainly you would be thinking about robots flying about after eating dinner with you. Well if not then continue reading.
Sherlock Holmes used to say (not to me but in the books), “Elementary, my dear Watson, Elementary!!”. I really loved his books. The way he solves that case of five orange pips is extraordinary… but I think we would better talk about it later.

I suppose most of us would have seen the movie TZP. One of characters that intrigued me was the English teacher. How beautifully and artistically he sang the poem explaining the grammar!!! I still have those words ringing in my ears. I immediately remembered my English madam in school. Wait a sec. Don’t think she was young or slim, hair locks open or moving about with a makeup or that she used to come with violins being played in the background. She was a Mrs. D’souza type and not a Miss Lily. She used to narrate the stories by herself and the words she used to use still remain Greek and Latin to most of us. She used to enter the class as a king does in his court, with strong winds blowing from all sides. We who would be tigers till then would suddenly turn into goats, each trying to hide him behind the other. Games would be played and lunch taken in her period. Well that would explain why my English has gone to the dogs. I also remember the lovely prof. in the serial ‘That’s so Raven’ where he used to spit while ‘ssspeeeaking’. The students used to wear masks to avoid his really fruitful lectures. But that’s a diff. affair. Eventually the result was my Teacher went out to get an award for her contribution by the CBSE and I got 76 marks in English in boards.

Jawaharlal Nehru once said-“The Measure of development of the country is how well its Technologically advanced.”.
Well I don’t need to tell what and where is ‘Drishti’ in our college. Over the years it has transformed itself into a leading association or I may say a place to commune on weirdest of ideas. One fine afternoon in the month of September I decided to pay my first visit there. I compared my feelings to the feelings of ‘Jack’ when he boards the Titanic. Actually i meant to take part in an event named Nexus. I, along with my friends worked there tirelessly for 10 days or so and eventually came about to make the bot. It was a very nice morning on the day of the competition, clear skies and perfect stage to have a ball as Richie benaud used to describe. Early in the morning we decided to test the bot and working of the lifting arm as well as give a makeup to the piece of art. Now the competition was to start at 8.30 am and we at 7.00 am realized that the arm wasn’t working properly. It struggled to lift itself and was vibrating half way. It was like choking and pleading us not to kill it. Eventually we had to mercy on it, not for the sake of its pleading but our position. The rest as they say is ‘Forgotten History’. That day would go down as one of the most important ones till now, not because we failed but we eventually laughed at the end at our inexperience. As someone had termed the Appolo13 mission as “A Successful failure” I felt even proud of it. But the titanic had sunk.
That day I saw which direction my country is heading with people like me.

There is a very nice PJ which goes on like this:

There is a YELLOW elephant. How would you kill it???

Simple…… You will kill it with a yellow elephant killing gun.

This would drain out any colour on your friends face. But if It doesn’t continue…..

How do kill a Blue Elephant?????

Choke it, strangle it ….. Its colour will change to yellow and now kill it with a yellow elephant gun.

But I think if you give the elephant our mess food and tell it to eat it will itself turn yellow. Yes, you most often don’t have that feeling which ‘Pooh’ used to have when he saw Honey. Most of the days you can’t differentiate the carrots from the tomatoes in the sabji but you will then feel cheated when you will come to know that neither of the two is in it. Its like telling Rakhi Sawant to keep quite!!! But I must confess I can’t forget the feasts I have had here. ‘The feeling Scooby Doo gets when he sees a Scooby snack!’ But those days come once week, that too if the chef is in good mood. So we have but no option other than accept the food.
But that still brings us back to the question. What’s the relation between the three? Well I wont give a direct answer but only say this much…

“College main Gaali aur Shaadi ke baad saali

Delhi main baarish aur jhaat pe kharish

Indian Sports aur state High courts

Apni Rajniti aur Mumbai as a city

Meri English ki taal, Robot ka haal aur

Mess ki dal ” ka koi bharosa nahin.

I Dream to Fly ....

2007-12-31T19:43:00.000-08:00

Most gulls don't bother to learn more than the simplest facts of flight—how to get from shore to food and back again. For most gulls, it is not flying that matters, but eating. For this gull, though, it was not eating that mattered, but flight. More than anything else, Jonathan Livingston Seagull loved to fly.—

Richard Bach, 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull'

I see a young 18 year old lad, rimless specs, blackish skin, height of 5 ft 8” ,his weight would never have crossed 55 kg in his really happening lifetime ( As if it really was happening !!!! ), I presume his whole body could have been compressed to fit into my junk trunk. He would walk as if there is this ‘Shaggy’ from Scooby Doo walking, although his ht wasn’t as the latter’s. But one very notable thing about this Indian bloke was that he always showed a sign of self esteem and high confidence his body stimuli.

Do I hear someone say this person is Vishwa??

Well as most of you lovely readers don’t know who he is and I admit he has hardly in his lifetime done a single important job, I will throw some light on him. Vishwa Talati is 18 years old, comes from Ahmedabad. He is presently in Miami. But I think the hitch in his biodata is that how come a person like Vishwa (a dumb king!! ) be in a place like Miami?

I believe there is a plane for everyone. It depends on us whether we fly it or are we mere passengers in someone else’s flight. This is what I believe when I now see Vishwa. Flying a Boeing 737 simulator for the very first time at the age of 18 and that too first hand experience of flying at 60 kts (nautical miles per hr ) with only a trainer sitting besides you in the pitch black place eating out your head and ready to chop you and your head off for a single mistake when you are trying to land the big momma without any engine from around 2500 ft up in the sky !!!!

“ v got d prmission n now v r on d runway...in my mind praying 2 God dat v take off immediately.....i was lukin outside d window still rowlin n rowlin n den aftr attainin d speed pul d yoke n den at higher speed it goes up....pppphheewwww atlast v take off....climbin at 1000ft per min.....in 30 secs v were at 500 ft so now its tym 2 take a rite turn as it is d traffic pattern....n now climbin 2 1000ft as soon as v reach a certain distance bout half a mile agen take a lft turn so now v r alignd parallel 2 runway n as soon as v reach half d runway v start descendin n den wen v r bout a certain distance take a right turn agen n den half a mile behind d runway n on proper glide slope n den wen at 100 gt above ground v start flaring....n yes dis was my 1st takeoff n landing.... ”

I have quoted here his first full flight training experience. He was on top of the world after this experience as he talked to me that day. He is in Panam International flying school doing his CPL training (Commercial Pilot License). He is due to be there for 6-8 months to complete his course and have an experience of 250 flying hours. But that’s easily said than done. Staying alone in a place where you get frozen food to eat, no friends or family, and a place that is situated in wilderness. But at the same time you know that if you crack this from head to tail it surely is going to be the best bet in your life, earning 2-3 lakhs min. per month and at the same time going around the world with you at the top.

One cannot look at the sea without wishing for the wings of a swallow

When Vishwa was yet to leave for his Dream role, we friends would never leave an opportunity to tease him and taunt his ideas for he was thinking of a mammoth thing, boasting about his ideas. But it takes huge amount of investment and heart to firstly to think about this. You are risking your lives and career online and finally you are in a situation where you have nothing in your hands and no option other than going down the Hole and wait for Wonderland to appear.
Vishwa is now 2 months old there, learning all he can and wants to about his love of aircrafts. He eats food made by himself, or mostly frozen Pizza’s. In his pastime he sits on his Lappy and interacts with one and all, whether it be me, our other friends, his parents, his G.F, a Pilot from any other airways or even the sexy and beautiful air hostesses there.

"flying is d 2nd mst thrillin thng known 2 mankind...landing is d 1st" as Vish says.

Actually i really used to wonder how the pilots who use to fly would be ? I mean their body languages and attitude. But since following Vishwa's experiances i have really been looking them with awe and frankly speaking the Air hostesses are my favourite.( No offence to vishwa....).

But really its been a long journey for me and vishwa or rather i should now say vishwa and me. I know this blood sucking person from 13 years and God knows how many days, but seeing him evolve through the passage of time and experiance has been a treasure to me. I remember the fragile and expressive boy and now i know the everconfident,dare devil AVIATOR !!!!

“Only as high as I reach can I grow,

Only as far as I seek can I go,

Only as deep as I look can I see,

Only as much as I dream can I be.”

This my friend is for you !!!

PS : Friends this is my point of view about this person and flying. You may follow the link below to contact him.

http://www.orkut.com/Profile.aspx?uid=63231925718735457

BLUE ROSES ....

2007-12-22T22:36:00.000-08:00

Roses red and roses white
Plucked I for my love's delight.
She would none of all my posies--
Bade me gather her blue roses.

Half the world I wandered through,
Seeking where such flowers grew.
Half the world unto my quest
Answered me with laugh and jest.

Home I came at wintertide,
But my silly love had died
Seeking with her latest breath
Roses from the arms of Death.

It may be beyond the grave
She shall find what she would have.
Mine was but an idle quest--
Roses white and red are best!

IIM-A’s aesthetics- An out(inner)side view

2007-12-20T11:01:00.000-08:00

The number 1 B school in India , in Asia, providing one of the toughest MBA programs in the world and every year shortlisting around 200 peoples from 2 lacs recipients. This is Indian Institute of Management –Ahmedabad.
The stark and majestic buildings in brick have simple forms and bold openings, creating monumental spaces with minimal decor. Powerful beams of light and strong shadows create a dramatic and serene ambience that has inspired generations of students to achieve excellence while retaining humility. It hosts one of the largest management libraries in the world extending over 5 floors.
This is but a short summary of what engorges and sculpts our nation by providing a few but foremost and front running Entrepreneurs.
Well let me tell you something more about it and its milieu. It’s a 108 acre lush green stretched and very well designed area. Opposite to it is PRL (Physical Research Laboratory) ,leading science facility for ISRO. ATIRA, which in earlier times was considered as the revolutionizing step in Ahmedabad Cloth industry lies facing it. Then there is one Blind Man’s Association Institute opp. to it. In short it itself defines a landmark in the city and it would not be wrong in captioning it the lifeline of the whole area.

Now IIMA renders itself a host to MBA aspirants from all over the country and comprise of !% of the most elite from among the country. The other day I decided to tour the area of IIMA. As I have a love for cycles, I got onto mine and had a really good experience. Now, what I saw outside the heavily guarded gates of the campus under the orange misty street lights and really ordered garden was that it didn’t seem to me that the place was special at all. For a moment I wondered whether is it really entitled to the covetive prize of best B school. As in there was no sense of sophistication one would think or vision. There are tea stalls outside, Sandwich and Bun thela’s with a heavy roadside traffic.
Yes, it feels like any other place.
But one thing that’s different is the people that make the party there and their peculiar aura. Definitely you wouldn’t see a businessman driving a semi-automatic Camry or Mercedes E class drive up to have a cutting tea at the thela.
One thing I must tell, the food there although not certified hygienic, is very famous. You have an array of Chinese food caravans with names like- ‘China King’, ‘Habits..’, ‘Masti’, China hut, etc. All preparing delicious and quite cheap Chinese food. Then there are thela’s giving out Maska buns. One of them prepares buns with several spices and types. It in itself is a specialty. Then there is omlets and Maggi which draw enough crowd in regular days such that there are queues. Well I will describe a few striking snaps I observed. I saw 5-6 hunks in black jackets and goggles with guitars in their hands sitting outside, doing their regular practice on songs. Then a group of youngsters were casually sitting on the footpaths and discussing various topics like companies, their mergers, Films and names of their future MNC’s. But most of all, there were many pretty girls (one of the plus points I thought for boys to come) and I really mean it. I guess that’s why the annual placements would go up by leaps and bounds or that’s why many people come in the morning to walk in the vicinity.
As I sat near one stall and relished a bun and elaichi tea, I heard a conversation among two guys. One bald with rimless specs and Louis Philippe shirt and the other French beard and thick black rim specs and a denim jacket. They were talking about classes. The one with jacket asked the other to give some material he required in the next lecture. The other replied in affirmation and asked him to come early at around 3.30 A.M !! Man don’t they have to sleep at that time. Although here in my college too we learn to stay awake at nights and sleep in daytime but attending classes at 3-30 A.M? Are we out of our minds ??

Well then I left them all to their errand and devoured my favourite manchow soup and dry Manchurian at one of the Chinese stalls. At last I left the place at 10 pm having a glance at the artistic Louis Kahn plaza.
To think and analyze about my experience I realized that the actual institute I saw was not the actual institute. The softer power actually makes up the place and gets a credit. The pool of intellectuals a college comprises of determines its place among all. In short the Maharaja Tea stall or China Hut do not hamper the name or the status of the place but infact vivifies and livens the whole place. A visitor shall not reagard this above description as short comings of the place but in fact they are points which favor its Status as Pride of the City . This is what I concluded by a short visit.

Come Let's go on a Walk...

2007-12-15T23:17:00.000-08:00

Main roomie no. 124….
Subah jaldi uthh,apni balcony se dekhta hoon,
Din hafte mahine main badalte dekhta hoon…

Kabhi dekhta hoon un walkers ko,
Jo subah shayad walk karne aate hain,
Koi kehta hain who walk karne nahi, lekin kuch aur karne aate hain…..
Gorgeous ladkiyaan buddho je saath main dekhta hoon,
Woh mujhe apni Moti hindi teacher aur unke Activa ki yaad dilate hain….

Main roomie no. 124 …
Apni hostel main rehte rehte,
Ek nayi subah hote dekhta hoon …..

Well for many a reasons(including the above..) I truthfully confess the early morning time is my favourite among the 12 periods of the day.
Early morning is a symbol of strength.. of a new beginning.. to ward of all sorrows.. a sign of Hope.. End of yesterday.. a Bright road ahead.. a day more older and mature.. and many many more philosophical reasons for a person. Now if you are interested to read them then don’t worry, I am shortly writing a book- “A Thousand reasons to wake up…”

But for a student like me the reasons to get up in the morning may be listed as, A day nearer to weekends.. A day full of bunks.. A day when I will look forward to eating good food (am an absolute food maniac).. A day when I will meet my G.F .. A day when I can again set out to play.. A day again to meet my gang.. etc… Well I don’t think am writing a book on this one.

But seriously I do wake up early and like to see the blue serene sky and the radiant golden Sun and the feeling of its warmth on your back is just amazing. Well so once I decided to get up early and go for a walk, just before the end of semester exams. Boy that morning my alarm struck at 6 A.M. I got up and hastily clad myself in a T-shirt, Jeans and a Jacket. As soon as you get out of the hostel you get an impression of night still falling and a strange whisper calling you back to sleep. But I stood firm and started one of those those serious walks. After i walked, say a couple of minutes, I really woke up and could now see people walking all the way. Well the college campus is the HUB for morning walkers.

I could see a group of some old people marching ahead of me, all clad in sweaters. You could feel they are really taking the walk seriously because they didn’t notice anyone or anything else in any direction , discussing key political issues or topics on filmstars and what not. The other day I heard them discussing the lack of sugar in tea!!

I slowed myself to stay away from the discussion. Next my eyes caught a beautiful young lady clad in grey jog suit, a long pony tail and a black hair band, hoping along her way and listening to her music player. Man did she look awesome or what !! As she passed me, she gave a glance and I stupefied gave a wide recognizing smile in return. I think she smiled in return as well. I never saw her again in life !!!
Well you get those hiccups in life when you start something new I thought. But seriously when amidst young boys (except me ofcourse.. ) you talk of morning walks… they visualize the only thing I said above.

One of the many reasons I am fascinated by morning walks is that I come to see many diverse kinds of folk coming to burn out their calories for an hour in a green campus. There are many reasons ofcourse of their initiatives. A fat person comes to burn his fat, a young lady may come to stay fit, to make a new boyfriend or she already has one and she doesn’t want him to feel that she is fat. Old people come to walk to have some company, whether be it amusing or not. The other day I also saw a businessman doing a light jog in his trousers and shirt and he was narrating his views to one of the fellow walkers on FDI’s and his industrial capacity. I certainly think now that his capacitance would be in some Mega Farads!!! Well that’s not all, you also see couples walking together, sometimes hand in hand and sometimes one’s hand on his/her back.(embarrassing others …I mean please carry that at your home,would you ?). Then there are absolute Arnold type muscular guys in their shorts and Tshirts jogging (Maybe practicing for the next half marathon..) and all this guys on one side and people like me coming around once a life time, on the other side.

Well to continue with my experience that day, I almost got passed PMC, Senti-bridge and got outside the campus. Well no offence but you get a whole different angle of things there. The uncle that I saw pushing himself very hard for the jog was enjoying what was a Bread role. Now I can understand that the bread role outside my campus is world renown and people come from diff. parts of the city to have it, but this was just too much for his part. Burning a 100 calories and gaining a double of that. This was but a common site there. Having tea, vadapav, omlettes , all gushing through your stomach after a nice walk.
Well I remembered the Roothraj Tea stall back at home, where I had a nice maska bun after a short walk. It was absolutely tasty! But that was when I was small.

Hmm.. I stayed there a while to take some rest. Apart from the normal crowd a group a small skaters practicing on the main road. I went nearer. The instructor was on some topic shouting on one of those kids. The next 10-15 minutes had made my day. I then returned to my hostel. I took my bath and continued my normal routine that day. But all around people asked me why I was very fresh and lively that day. I told it was nothing. Actually it was.

Actually you see I have a tendency to look out for interesting instances in life and to enjoy them. When I heard the instructor speaking, I remembered my P.T teacher in school. He used to speak rather hindi with English phrases. He used to speak a loud “Buddhu…” which means stupid in a very long tone. The same was the case with the instructor. The instructor then spoke-“Only for you boy go… and one round more do !” I am not sure whether you can understand that. It was a laugh riot for me. I will enact the part personally if you ask me later.
Now coming back to the topic of morning walks. That afternoon I told my friends that it was a good experience and asked them if they would like to accompany me the next day,I got very ‘humane’ answers. KK complained about his less sleep of about 6 hours and denied. Kake denied telling he had trouble not with waking up but was feeling lazy to get up and get ready. Venu, a big elephant as he is said, “I will definitely come to walk if I can wake up” laying a big emphasis on his ‘IF’. Well I couldn’t ask Pappu as he is one of those guys who would sleep late in the night.
In short I think its like ki whether Morning walks are good or not, interesting or not people believe in this short snippet.

“Laziness is our biggest enemy.”- J. Nehru.
“We should learn to love our enemies.”-MK Gandhi.

A Series of Unfortunate events ......

2007-11-09T05:53:00.000-08:00

~~~~~~~~~

Well many of you would have heard the name of the movie “A Series of Unfortunate Events ” by Lemony Snicket where he shows Jim Carry try and kill his brother’s kids for the sake of monetary will and the different artistic and dramatic ways in which he implements his plans. It’s a different affair that he fails at last but purely captivates your interest in his contraptions. Not to disappoint you but what I am writing is not even slightly related to it. So, my sincere apologies to him. I would like to share my experience about a very eventful day in my life that just passed recently.

It was the 13th September of this year, Friday and around the midnight. I had just decided to wash my clothes(beg your pardon but I have not been able to fix any times for my domestic works). So there I was beating the clothes. Most of the guys in the floor were either sleeping or droning in their books. My phone vibrated, as I received the call it was a lady screaming, sending a shiver through me. Suddenly the phone got disconnected. Normally I would call back but I had no balance then. I sorted the clothes and fell on my bed. An hour past, no further call. I couldn’t believe I was actually waiting to hear the scream again. Atlast I could sleep only at 2 am in the morning.
It was almost 10 in the morning that I woke up. “Damn!! Fish!!”, I missed going to the temple. Hey before you judge me, let me tell I am not a regular temple visitor(although not an atheist) neither am I ,SRK who goes there to impress the girls. My mother had told me collect a parcel she had sent along with some relative at the temple. This was the first thing I failed to do that day. (I request you to please keep a count of this minute things). I went to the mess for breakfast. Now the hostel mess is not owned by my father that they will keep it open for me specially for more than an hour when it closes, neither am having good relations with them (Usually bully over them, for serving or extra helpings). So had to cloy in all that I had from home.

By the way, forgot to elaborate my plans for that day. All my friends had gone home for the weekend. Usually they don’t leave me behind to baby sit ! i.e. I also leave but this time I was quite determined to work on my studies and for an upcoming technical festival in the college. So had plans to bath among the books in our whoopingly large library for the weekend. Hey please don’t remember Whoopie Goldberg and her erotic expressions.
She used to look like a baboon with large tentacular hair, specs on and flaring nostrils. Sorry to get off the track, but am like this only. Then I had planned to meet a couple relatives of mine whom I never cared to meet , for the simple reason that I was getting sick of the mess food and they would atleast give nice food. Apart from that I wanted to meet my subject professor to get some problems cleared but on Sunday. So that’s why when KK and mom asked me to come I said, “Please I need to stay behind and work.”.
Well finally getting ready at my own pace I went to the Library. As I stood opposite to the Gigantic story I felt my plans tumble down one upon the other (dum dam dum dam dum …), just as Tom always gets hurt in Tom and Jerry. The silly door was locked !! I waited for some half an hour but to no relief. It was a bright Saturday morning where I had some plans to work hard sincerely but then I see myself getting demoralized. I left hoping to check out after sometime. Back at my room my friend was waiting for me. He challenged me into a game of Table tennis. Well am not too good a player but will certainly draw some attention. We were off to some serious play as soon we got to the arena. 1-0 , 2-0 , 3-0 ,4-0 , 5-0 !! I lost all my teeth I should say. In a 5 match series I have never ever lost to anyone this badly. And as far as my friend is concerned he gave a big nasty smile as “The Grinch”.
Dejected I had my lunch. I don’t remember what I ate simply because I wasn’t much hungry eventhough I was and secondly because it was one of those days when you don’t recognize the contents of the sabji or the dal. You barely make out the taste of the salt and tomatoes. God’s grace I managed that. 2 pm now, I decided to check again and have a visit to the computing facility to work on the abstract of my model. The door was still locked and now my hopes now lay on ‘Tripsy’. It is actually CCC i.e. the central computing centre in my college. From time on it has developed by leaps and bounds. The LAN in my college campus is regarded pretty good all over the country and it manages the data in Tera bytes. This is quite ‘elvish’ to you and me now so just cheer about it even if you don’t understand. I signed into the facility and chose from a hundred slick black tft monitors to log in. After a minute I was opening my mail and a nice innocent girl was smiling at me. Well don’t think what you are thinking ! This nice girl I don’t know but still see her everytime I come here. She is the wallpaper on my pc account. I found the face very intriguing and full of innocence when I downloaded it from some art site. Now, I started checking mails. But not even 10 minutes of my entry lights went off. There is a powerful generator to give a back up which can last around 2 hours in normal conditions. But today eventhough the desktops were on still I couldn’t connect. After some inquiry I found out that some construction was going on in facility. So the pitchness did hamper them after all and so did me. I left the place again, Now going straight to SAC (Student activity centre). I know those who know would say that it is banned for the first year’s unless with permission, but you should also know from when I did follow rules and wasn’t going to specially now. I usually go there to play chess. You always get some pass time players there. Today however as I entered the centre it was empty to its soul. Now, I have seen an ATM empty, my mess empty and definitely English classes empty but this was treachery. As I came out of the empty hall I felt even the nature laughing at my misfortune. The crows were cawing.
So with nothing and absolutely nothing to do I decided to have some chat with my friend in Surat. She is in my class and very bubbly and jolly mooded. I thought I would get relaxed and perhaps she could explain whether any big spiritual leader died today or was today a very inauspicious day. I dialed the number from my cell although I was thin with the balance. “Ring… Ring…. Ring” no reply here as well. She must be sleeping. Normal people sleep at 4 pm on a hot and sunny afternoon. I finally decided to sleep myself and then in the evening I would go out somewhere to eat with a couple of friends I proposed.

I woke up again at 5.00 in the evening. Sat for sometime with my friends. We also decided to go out for early supper. This was because the hostel in time is 7.30 and those days I used to be in by that time. It’s a different thing that the time is not a hazard for us ‘Rangers’ these days and needs some discussion later. At around six we started to leave. This was but a false moment of happiness I think. As soon the watchman came to know we were going out, he decided to play dirty. He stopped my friend who was ahead. Threatened him to tell the Warden and told that that day the in time was 5.30 for the whole campus (I still don’t know why because it generally is 7.30 ) and my friend as brave as a chicken headed straight back the way he came. So no supper also I thought.
But I was not going to let it go away so easily. I went out alone saying that I had some work with respect to some project. I cycled my way to Big Bazaar (I like the sandwiches there..) which is 2-3 km away from the college campus. And what the hell do I find there !!!!

Ten minutes later I was on my cycle, driving towards my hostel with the speed of knots and out of breath. The time was 5.50 pm on my silver rectangular dial watch. I had just made up my mind to leave by the 7 pm train back to Ahmedabad!! . I drove past my main gate, past the senti-bridge, past the PMC (its really fascinating history behind the naming of these places… won’t be able to do justice to them now so later…),past the canteen. Gosh! I wasn’t even caring if some senior sees me and sees me without wishing him(well as in here when you are fachcha’s you need to give the seniors respect and that includes calling them by some salutation). I was rushing as if Godzilla is on my back gaining on me, just as in the movie ‘GODZILLA’. I crashed into the parking lot. It was 6.06 then. I rushed into my room. I mustered the clothes from all the directions, corners and nooks of my room. My good how do I manage myself! I exclaimed. My room partner who generally sleeps the whole day i.e. after class till dinner and wakes up anytime at night (maybe 1.45 am or even 5 am) suddenly woke up from the noise of my bustle. In order to avoid any questioning and exclamatory expressions, I raised my hand to stop him asking anything. In some 10 minutes I had my pack ready. I darted off from the room and out of the hostel. I chose to walk the whole stretch of 3.5 km from the hostel to the main gate. By the time I reached it was 6.27 pm. I stopped an auto and directed him to drive to the station in the fastest time he has ever done. I called my dumbstruck room partner then and explained him that I was leaving and requested him to give a leave application on my behalf to the supervisor which in normal situations I wouldn’t have given. He is actually a very nice fellow. I received a message from him 10 min. later that the job was done. By the time I reached the station after piercing all the traffic, commotion, bearing the signals and what not, it was 7.04 on the station clock. The train would leave in 7 minutes.

I rushed to the ticket counter. There I saw a massive line for the tickets. I was used to it the whole day ! So what I said.. But a person came from somewhere and asked me if I wanted to board the train that was supposed to go in 5 minutes. Before I could answer yes he asked to me come to the counter. I followed dumbstruck. Actually I was trying to think whether I any case would I be able to board that train. He was talking with person inside the counter when I suddenly realized the horror. I backed out and said to him loud and clear, “Bhai mari pase commission na paisa nathi.” He spelled a few curses and went off. Thank god I was saved from one blunder. Just acted on time. So I missed the train eventually. Boarded the next train which left 35 minutes after the the earlier, 20 minutes later than the stipulated time. And reached home at around 11.45 at night. The train journey had its own adventure, but it needs full justice so I will narrate it some other day.

But I am sure you would like to know what was the striking blow that caught my tongue and made go home and that too in 15 minutes. Well when I went to ‘Big Bazaar’ the food court was closed, out of order. And there in a small slip it was written
“We are sorry to inform you that the food court has been kept under construction and would stay closed indefinitely till the work is going on. Please bear with the inconvenience.”
Just beside that was a large cartoon face photo which proclaimed “You always have a reason to come here…. Come again and again….Won't you ??? ”. And displayed large demonized teeth. That was the last drop into the ocean.

Riddles in the dark ....

2007-11-08T01:00:00.000-08:00

"What has roots as nobody sees, Is taller than trees, Up, up it goes, And yet never grows?"

"Thirty white horses on a red hill, First they champ, Then they stamp, Then they stand still."

"Voiceless it cries,
Wingless flutters,
Toothless bites,
Mouthless mutters."

"An eye in a blue face
Saw an eye in a green face.
"That eye is like to this eye"
Said the first eye,
"But in low place,
Not in high place.""

"It cannot be seen, cannot be felt,
Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt.
It lies behind stars and under hills,
And empty holes it fills.
It comes first and follows after,
Ends life, kills laughter."

"A box without hinges, key, or lid,
Yet golden treasure inside is hid,"

"A live without breath,
As cold as death;
Never thirsty, ever drinking,
All in mail never clinking."

"No-legs lay on one-leg,

two-legs sat near on three-legs,

four-legs got some."

"This thing all things devours:
Birds, beasts, trees, flowers;
Gnaws iron, bites steel;
Grinds hard stones to meal;
Slays king, ruins town,
And beats high mountain down."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This was an excerpt from Tolkien's classic novel ''The Hobbit'' predecessing the "The Lord of The Rings..." Its a preternatural dialogue between Bilbo- The hobbit and smeagol- the ?? ....

Well these were the riddles asked by each of them in turn to the other. Bilbo was trapped in a dark place where his only hope was smeagol and smeagol on the other hand was hungry and in order to satisfy himself he needed to beat him in this game. What happened eventually ? You need to read the book or ask me. But surely enough it changed the course of history according to the author.

Try and guess the riddles .... !!

Time's Bridge ...

2007-11-08T00:43:00.000-08:00

..

This actually is one my own subtle creations. One of my earliest ones.I don't know how the reactions would be but would be happy to get your feedbacks...
Actually i don't remember the reason or the situation when i had written this. But hope you find it nice enough to read. Thanks...

How Strong is the Bridge between us and our ancestors ?
I dont mean us and our predecessors
But those people
Who for us enjoyed very little
They faced all problems.small and big
To make a nest,they gathered many a twig

In our childhood they spelled different fables
For our future tried to earn good labels
Their favour to us doesnt have any magnitude
So to them never stop expressing your gratitude

Is it because of our thinking?
That we dont have the same eye for blinking
We need to be patient
To listen to what they say, Harsh but innocent
The tale told and retold is of every house
Of every father-mother with their child and his spouse

Where one stands to give the other doesnt take
If father says sweet, the son says Cake....

A Memorable Holi-day

2007-11-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

"SHIIIIIT .... " i exclaimed as i got up from my bed. It was 8 in the morning, not that i am an early riser who goes every morning to the nearby park with his sweatshirt on to jogout his energy and return back sweating or to see the good girls hopping with their pods on, hair locks tied and running as if coming straight to me for an autograph( hehe...). It was actually the 23rd of march, no again don't misunderstand me, it wasn't my school boards that i will wake up so late for it (had studied overnight for those and yet got dissappointed but thats a different affair, someday later..) neither was it the birthday of my G.F (haven't had the priviledge of managing a single one ... and even if manage to do it someday i would barely remember her birthday).

The day was 'Dhuleti' or 'Holi'. Yes, the same day when people play with colors and water with friends and family. Actually having left all the stress of exams and work behind i had planned to celebrate this Holi with my gang... wait!! you don't know my gang yet, Thats me (RJ) , KK , Vish , Kaka , Lallan. So yeah i decided to have a blast that day and i fell off my plan on the first step itself, I woke up late. 'SHIIIIT' i said, as i jumped from my bed and flinging off my blanket. I remember Fred Flinstones doing that in 'The Flinstones'. Maybe i would have seen it when i was small, i was a cartoon freak then... specially that Scooby doo , Johnny Quest and Mowgli, Just couldn't get over that Enigma.. but wait am getting off track, Sorry i do get carried away sometimes. So what was plan by the way ?

Yes i had decided to spend the day with my friends. Now as a part of disaster management i dressed up in mini seconds and had my breakfast in microseconds. I kicked started my white colored 'Kinetic Style' (1999 model.. not working now...) and pressed up towards Vish's house. I and him live on the edge of the city, only 10 km apart. It took me 15 minutes, 3 red signals and 15 yawns to reach his tent. I knocked his door. There was no reply... What the hell were the people doing there ? Sleeping at 9 in the morning. But soon someone opened the door. I don't remember who, I rushed in without even wishing, Crashed into his room and on him on his bed. He sweared his life, his bosom, his bike and my ass to let me off him. By the time he got me off he was draped in Red, Green and purple colors. I had just made him my first victim. That was my plan, To get all the Blood sucking friends to realise who the real Gangster is and what is real fun.

So there at Vish's house we further colored his room, parents and even the plants. God knows how he cleaned it all later. 15 minutes later we were off to Kake's tent to plunder him. Well it was rather a different job with him and difficult as well. He didn't use to play Holi or with colors and had experianced it only once in his life. We arrived in a rainbowed outfit at his doorstep holding water balloons and colors and ready to attack on a go. But we were dissappointed him already bathed and studying (Those days his favourite pass time activity was to read physics and chemistry reference books....I pity him.... ). So we had no option but to threaten his books and in turn his life. He couldn't survive our onslaught with vish on front and i on the back door, It reminds me how i use to play chor police when i was small. We plundered him like anything and he has never complained. I still remember him trying to blow a balloon which wasn't actually ready to, He eventually had to stamp on it.

Having bathed twice without actually bathing, we decided to expand our horizons ! we called up KK and called him up at Bunty's place.i remember calling him up snd getting a very interesting reply,"Abe what to play with colors, Its boring and childish". I told that we had had a blast till now and were thinking to call up the girls also.Thats it he was at Bunty's place in 10 minutes on his activa and ready to even sing or dance.You just need to know the stick for the dog I thought !!

We then had to acquire some ammunition i.e. colors and balloons. Having done so we proceded to Lallan's mansion. Well let me tell you first why we call him Lallan... Long ago when he was born he turned red with anger when the doctor denied his mother to hold him, saying that he needs to rest first. Hahaha... Just joking .. But really he does get red whenever blushing or angry. I am sure he is getting the color when reading this. So we citytrotted to the other side to Lallan's place where we reached unannounced again. He was practically doing nothing when we knocked on his door. Just reading the newspaper and drinking milk. Now imagine someone calmly sitting on his sofa, holding the paper, reading the sports column(he generally reads that much only...), sipping a cup of milk and you suddenly see 4 multicolored alienated and familiar strangers who call themselves your best friends. He had the same expression !!! What next? he too was robbed of his ego and pride.. and eventually had his face colored red. Thats Lallan !

We roamed for another half an hour then and then came over to my house where people were already in the festive mood. As we landed we received a warm gush of spring water from above. My mother was standing on the 3rd floor and smiling on all of ours dumbstruck faces. I had a warm welcome back. It indeed was a memorable day for me.

I guess when you have good ideas you most often then not inherit them .....

Contemplatations ...

2007-11-03T01:43:00.000-07:00

I sit beside the fire and think

of all that I have seen,

of meadow-flowers and butterflies

in summers that have been;

Of yellow leaves and gossamer

in autumns that there were,

with morning mist and silver sun

and wind upon my hair

I sit beside the fire and think

of how the world will be

when winter comes without a spring

that I shall ever see

For still there are so many things

that I have never seen:

in every wood in every spring

there is a different green.

I sit beside the fire and think

of people long ago,

and people who will see a world

that I shall never know.

But all the while I sit and think

of times there were before,

I listen for returning feet

and voices at the door......