NATIONAL HIGHWAY

Flashback 2011

2011-12-31T03:59:00.001-08:00

As the last sun of 2011 sets on me, I sit here drunk assesing the year that went by. Like any other year of my life 2011 too had its ups and downs. Even though the year was mostly spent in US, the fun quotient was reduced due to me being away from family and friends. Stayed away from my wife, couldnt see simon, xenas plans kept getting pushed, nba season started after i left; all these took the fun away from what could have been an amazing year.

Good thing about this year was that i eventually saved some money that helped me bring down the mortgage of my house. I cleared the air with my best friend and we got back together to our ass kicking ways. Couple of really good friends got married and even though i couldnt be with them on their life altering moment, im happy that they took the leap of faith. This year ended the 2 year long financial and emotional draught for xena.

Bad things happened in 2011 but i took them in my stride and moved on. Sudden demise of some relatives, some bad financial calls, some bad professional choices would compromise the lows of 2011.

Having said that i thank god for giving me all the good times and for helping me dodge the bullet(s). I hope that 2012 brings more joy and solace in everyones life.

Outkast me??!??

2011-12-03T22:39:00.001-08:00

Disclaimer: This post might seem disconnected and might not make any sense but i'd to write it to get things off my chest.

Friendship or relations might have different meaning back in my country but over here every thing is equated in $

A working couple goes out for doorbuster on thanksgiving, i mean really; between them they gross 200k and still go out to save 5$ on kids toys, 10$ on a jacket and then they have nerve to talk about being uptown and classy. You take somebody out for dinner at a place that they dont like .. Y??? Cuz u hav a 20$ coupon for that place.

Reach movie theatre 20 mins ahead of us and buy just your tickets.

If the server looks at me for the check its "together" but for you its "separate".

I dont question anybodys choices and neither am i offended by them. Everyone wants to save money and I dont judge anybody for the way they choose but the questions that i ask meself are "Should I do these things"; "why shouldn't I do the same" for I work just as hard as everyone else. I mean at times it seems that everybody is mooching off me.

Am I at a fault if i like to have a good drink and a meal? If i dont update every damn minute of my life on facebook or twitter? If I think living in the same house and commenting on each other status messages is not conversation but sign of drifting away from each other? If i dont ask your job profile or how big is the team you are leading? If i make fun of you for asking everyone in office about the jacket u shud buy?? If i think ive achieved enough and i'd had no regrets if i die today? Or if i count my blessings everday and thank god for giving me all that he has ?

People are weird and the problem is that dont even know it!

Back to Back to Back

2011-08-24T07:57:00.000-07:00

Don't you just love your ipod when, even on shuffle mode, it plays your favorite songs back to back to back.

Best 200$ every spent!!!

Ecstatic

2011-08-23T08:32:00.000-07:00

Mr. Happy-go-lucky has done it again. Well not again again but has made me super happy again. The guy never fails to amaze me.

Its gonna be funnnnn!!!!

Feelings encounter: Overwhelmed, joy, happiness, worry, sadness, proud.

Crashed

2011-08-16T07:57:00.000-07:00

Just when you think things are going as per plan, life throws a sudden curve ball at you. Why can't i just enjoy things which everyone around me seem to be enjoying. Why do i have to get things after a struggle. Why can't things just fall in place without giving me high blood pressure and sleepless nights. Why ? WHY?

If i don't like being cheap why do people have to joke about it? If i don't conform to the regular DESI standard is it my fault? If i just want to LIVE life and not merely exist, should i be asking permission from everyone around?

Hard to stay spirited if you keep getting constant hurdles to overcome especially when the next one seems a lot bigger than the one you just crossed.

Bday Bash!

2011-07-27T17:20:00.000-07:00

This has been the most lonesome birthday ever. BUT i'm not complaining.

Today made me realize that its important to do silly things like cutting a cake, going out for a drink or 2 (or more in our case), receiving a birthday card, getting calls from all your relative and friends etc etc. And since I didn't wanted to think about all the things i would have done back home, i kept my self busy in work. Didn't keep myself idle for over 10 mins. Even at lunch; which is when i come home and breathe.

O wait..I'm starting to think about the things all over again...Guess i should just go to gym and tire myself out.

Display

2011-07-07T15:01:00.000-07:00

I would never understand the logic behind people uploading their kids picture as their own display pic!!!!

There are better ways to express your love for 'em people!!!

Space Bound!!!

2011-07-06T18:17:00.000-07:00

And I would've done anything for you
To show you how much I adored you
But it's over now
It's too late to save our love
Just promise me you'll think of me every time you look up in the sky and see a star 'cause imma....

Things you do for Love!

2011-07-04T09:07:00.000-07:00

On my way to Houston for the long weekend, i had to switch planes in Atlanta (Crazy Big Airport). Just when i was getting comfortable in my seat, a guy comes up to me and says "My wife has got this seat next to you and I was wondering if you like to switch seats with me. I have a first class seat". Nobody denies a free First class upgrade. I mean I would have taken any seat, I already had a middle seat..how much worse can it get..rite?

So I happily gave him my seat and flew first class from ATL to HOU.

PS: That should have been my first cue of how unforgettable this trip would turn out to be.

Jump Start

2011-06-24T03:59:00.000-07:00

What a start to the morning!!! Got up at 6 only to see a Voice Mail by my best friend Simon saying that he wants to get his head straight and would like some time alone. I mean its not like i call him everyday and pester him. This was the first time i was calling him 2011.
I know he had big plans with life and wanted to be somebody but who doesn't? Isolation won't help!!
Slowly and steadily all my BEST friends have drifted away. Some are busy with their lives, some don't want me in theirs. Read an article on net which said that there is a phase where we want to go the extra mile and want to be the next Big thing but in the process we ignore lot of things, hurts some sentiment. And once the phase is over we find that there is nobody to share the success with.

Looks like its gonna be a Shitty Friday.

AGING

2011-06-23T15:11:00.000-07:00

When do u know you are old?
When you see ur little cousin, who literally pooped in ur lap, on social networking sites expressing their love for a guy in public.

Time really Flies!!! Isn't it?

Balling @ Golds

2011-06-21T18:18:00.000-07:00

There are people who hog and still look good and then there is me, who even if doesn't eat anything will keep swelling. Yea!! That's the exact word. SWELL!!!

I mean I have been pretty careful about my diet and my alcohol intake but still I keep growing. So the only logical reason I could derive from this was that my body misses the outdoor activity (read Basketball). So I enrolled myself in GOLDS GYM. That's right, the legendary GOLDS GYM. I, initially, thought that I would get stuck with the boring treadmills and machines but yesterday during the guided tour I was told that there is an indoor basketball court. How awesome is that!!!

But today when I went there, I didn't gear up for a basketball game. cuz u knw, its the first day in the gym, don't know the gyming ethics here...yaddie yaada yaada... To cut the long story short, I didn't expect to play today but couldn't resist going to the court.

"Just to check out the level of the game here" is what i told myself. And i ended up playing. Too bad we had to stop in between. A guy twisted his ankle pretty bad and we called it a day.

But I'm happy that I found one thing that would make me happy, help me relieve the stress and kill my loneliness here.

House Party

2011-06-19T16:52:00.000-07:00

Second week was pretty rough @ work.

The above one-liner can't actually sum up my situation @ work. Since my travel got postponed by a week, I'm made to do the catching up act. Time lines have remained the same and deliverables have piled up. But lets not get you guys into my shit-o-sphere. The point is that its been a crazy week and all i could think of was Friday night. I wanted to just go @ it as if there is no tommorow and that's exactly how it happened.

Couple of guys here got promoted and wanted to celebrate the achievement with everyone. So late Friday an impromptu meeting was called by the new 'PM'. Menu/Venue was decide, roles were assigned and wheels were set in motion. As expected I was asked to pick the liquor...so what did i pick?

Couple of bottles here were 1.75L and along with these we had atleast 500 + beer cans..atleast...ranging from Bud to Stella to heineken to Miller to Coors to Corona.... So 9pm is when everyone was expected to gather around but since we (read Indians) think its COOL to arrive late the party kick starter by 10 and the house party was ON.

I donned my bartender hat and took my spot at the counter. Mixed drinks, music(one of the guy had some real nice songs) and helped people stay clear off sensitive topics :).

Since ours was the last group to leave at 5 in the morning( we ran outta beer too), I think i have the rights to sum it up as CRAZY PARTY. The level of craziness was such, that Mr.PM calls me next day and ask me "What happened yday dude" :)

Larger than Life!

2011-06-17T09:09:00.001-07:00

Wow!!! Came across some really cool articles over the internet. I mean if you thought you have done/seen it all, wait till you read this.

AIR travel no more for Acrophobic people: AIRBUS just revealed prototype images of their latest 'fully transparent Airbus'. I mean seriously. The takeoffs and landings will surely be a bone chilling experience for some. Not only this WONT have any 'class' difference but it would also have a BAR and Gaming zone. Hello Sao Paulo!!!! Here I come, in 2050 though!

Checkout the images!

Theme park:
Ferrari is going to open the gates of the worlds largest indoor theme park. Coming from Italian Car giants I can't even imagine what its gonna be. Rides are generally pretty fast but imagine this coming from Ferrari. The article said that one of the ride would touch the speed of 240 KMPH in less than 5 seconds;of course with hairpin bends and twisted tracks.WOW!!!

The magnitude of the size can be figured out from the fact that the Ferrari logo is so gigantic that its large enough to house 7 basketball courts. Abu dhabi surely will be the next tourist hot spot.

All the superlatives suddenly feel superfluous huh!

Squeak!

2011-06-16T15:10:00.000-07:00

A newly wed Indian couple moved into the apartment above and all i hear is the squeak noises. Nothing new ..rite??!?!?! Wrong!!! Its a pattern and the timings are weird...6am in the morning, lunch time, 6pm, 9pm, 11pm...fixed time slots.

I could have lived with the moans but squeaks?!?!?!?!?That would classify as 'Noise'...

*Googling for best 'noise' cancellation headphones*

Ride

2011-06-15T18:29:00.000-07:00

Damn its hard to find a car in here especially when u don't know shit about model/miles/kbb shit.
Anyone volunteering to help?

This Town!

2011-06-12T12:08:00.000-07:00

Like Frank Sinatra said
"This Town, is a lonely town,
not the only town, like this town"

Man what a quiet town this is...anyone who comes to America has a certain perception about the country; from what we see in T.V or read in papers. But this is totally different, totally unheard of. Haunting silence, open spaces everywhere..good change coming from a concrete jungle. Still somehow am not bothered with the scary quietness of the town. Maybe its due to the fact that I'm kind of person who likes to mind his own business, stay inside and listen to music. Not really a company seeking person but definitely don't mind being in company of someone. Or maybe its been just 1 week for me. Maybe in due course of time I will long for a good company and will get bored of this place but as of now i'm busy in setting up everything. It's fun shopping for practically everything. Long live walmart :)

So Long Seattle

2011-04-21T23:41:00.000-07:00

As the days turn into hours i'm starting to get a mixed emotion about the trip. Met some old buddies and couldn't see some. Such is life. Even though I would have loved to see warrior princess, Simon and a NBA game i'm happy that its getting over cuz ends generally mean fresh beginnings plus i think i will be back this year and will accomplish these things when i get back

Highlights of the trip would be :

Coke studio: Proves my point that music has no language, no boundary and in this case quite literally too
Having a roomie or should i say being a roomie: After a decade I was a roomie to someone other than my wife. Thanks for putting up with my shit guys. Being here and not driving: Didn't drive since I didn't had my license which sometimes was frustrating too as I had to depend on people.
Getting my identity: From next time onwards I won't have to carry my PP everywhere.

This trip has been good in terms of learning too. Not sure about the professional learnings but on personal front it was good to meet people with different personalities.

PP: Ever focused guy. Envy your focus and determination dude. Its not easy to distance yourself from worldly pleasure but the way you do it is remarkably exceptional. Thanks for making me your roomie and for all those awesome dishes.

AD: The consultant :). Never saying No to nobody. Always in ALL the plans but does what he wants. Thanks for introducing coke studio

KD: The jolly good guy. Hope all those last bites of food would get you what WE wanted :)

Sriku: The bassist. Thanks for letting me stay in your apartment. I hope I wasn't a pain. Just do what YOU want to do. Recipe of disaster is when you to try to please everyone.

IBM: It was fun having you around. If you don't laugh at yourself world suddenly seems to be a hard place to live in.

For others who aren't seeing their names in this list; all of you weren't significant enough to feature here

Creeps

2011-04-14T15:00:00.000-07:00

I detest people who would do anything to save a $. Even if that means staying away from their children for years in a row. Get a life people...there are important things in life that money...

Be a billionaire and lose all your loved ones!!! Evidently your choice is clear.

Looking for my Charger!

2011-04-05T11:07:00.000-07:00

Damn this image of the Big guy!!! More often than not you are judged on your demeanor and having a cold soul demeanor makes people forget about the fact that Giants too have a gentle side to them. It's not acceptable to look out of sorts when you have people looking upto you for strength, courage, support.

Searched my phone directory for 40 minutes and couldn't find a single name who'd slap me out of this situation...not even my wife, my friends, my brother...none..0..ZERO!

Time dont heal nothing

2011-02-26T10:28:00.000-08:00

I don't know why people say time is a great healer. Time does nothing. Its been a year since my granny passed away and it still pains that much..i cried my eyes out that day and have been crying since morning...

Sitting here miles away from home, I want to call but I don't think i should cuz 1) Everybody will be in the same mood like me and i dont want them to worry about me 2) This is one of the dis-advantage of being a BIG Guy...you cant show ur emotions...so ill just write a note, put it in a bottle and throw it in the ocean of web.

Miss you granny..just keep looking over me like you always had..

R.I.P

Count your blessings!

2011-01-19T02:13:00.000-08:00

"Thank you Didi" said the little kids while they queued up and collected their sweets. And that was all I could take. An overwhelming feeling took over me and I had to come out of the orphanage. I actually liked the thought of going to an orphanage and helping the needy but I never imagined that it could end up like this. That I would end up like this.

I had gone inside with boxes full of sweets, candies and a camera thinking that whenever we would be done, ill click a picture..a group photo. And maybe post it on FB to help encourage my friends do some charity or post in LENZ-@-work but looking at those kids I was sure that they didn't wanted to be a subject(of sympathy or pity). Cuz that’s all they get from us..that is our initial natural reaction. And I didn’t want any of it for them.

From the way they organized themselves to the way they behaved, it was all very moving. They all wanted the stuff we had brought for them but no one was in a hurry, no one wanted to step on others toes to get it first. There was a sense of 'togetherness' amongst them. A real sense of "WE". Living without the support of a real family, they surely valued things more than us. They understood the real the meaning of a friend more than us. And they all grabbed it with both hands.

I would have crossed their home at least a million times till now but never did I realized that there was an orphanage in there. The place was something else, haunting for some, quiet for others. Life changing for me.

Dream Sequence

2011-01-01T04:05:00.000-08:00

Wow...Day 1 and I already have a weird dream... Don't know what it symbolizes but it sure wasn't pretty ..so here goes my dream!!!

I swipe out from work and to get to my car I goto our 10 story mlpl (multi level parking lot) in office. 4 guys step into the elevator and since my car is parked on 5th floor, I press 5 and wait. Next thing I knw is that a guy is literally stepping on my shoes. He was facing the doors of the lift but kept coming back .. So as soon as he enters my private space I try to push him away, I hold his arms from his elbow and tell him "there is enough space for 4 of us buddy". I lift and place him ahead ( like someone would move a chess piece) but he keep coming back and with a petrified look says "Can't u see there is blood all over the place ahead". That freaked me out and all I was thinking was 'this doesn't seem right, let's get out of here and go home' ..so to see which floor I'm at and how long it was gonna take (remember I was just going to 5th floor) I look at the screen and realized I've gone to the 9th floor ... "Aaaaarrrggg.. Now I have to get down at 10th and walk all the way down".. All 4 of us were hating the fact that we would have to walk cuz obviously there was some problem in the lift .

So the lift stops at 10th floor but the gates won't open. It stayed on 10th floor for like 20 seconds before going into a free fall. As soon as I realized it was going in a free fall, I sat down and squeezed myself, like in one of those emergency landing positions, and started waiting for the impact. To my surprise nothing happened for over a minute and I started wondering what was going on cuz 10 floor on a freefall would have gone in less than 10 seconds. So I press one of the buttons and the roof goes flying off . It was broad day light and we were on a rail track. Among all the other things that had left me baffled, this was the strangest one.

The strangers in the lift has turned into my childhood friend Munish and college mate Vishal Tanwar while the lift shrinked into size and all 3 of us were in a cart now, one of those which are used by miners(like they show in the movies). So we were on a rail track, in broad day light and all this had moved from my office to delhi .. The speed of the cart we were in was around 60mph and it tilted every time a curve came, like would literally go on 2 wheels. We were preparing ourselves for the impact but when it happened it was like getting up from a dream.. Like cut to reality. No sound, no injuries, no crash landing. Everything was weird.

So cut to ground 0 and three of us were wondering how we got together and how we have things to do and places to be .. I suddenly realized that it was my nephews b'day and I had to be home for his party. I had a train at 4:30pm and it was 4:20 already . So I asked a cab driver about the route and he told me its gonna take him 20 min to get me there. I almost gt into an argument with someone, pulled myself outta it since I didn't had time for all that, got into cab and luckily woke up in my bed

Did I made it in time? Guess we will never find out

So I don't knw wat are the signs and what they symbolize ... Blood, free fall in a lift, flipping of cart, rushing to catch a train ...doesn't sound pretty but i'm glad it was a dream..

2010- A look back

2010-12-31T03:14:00.000-08:00

For last year's words belong to last year's language and next year's words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning
- T. S. Eliot

With less than 12 hours left in 2010 to end, I think it's a perfect time to look back at the year that it was in terms of the promises I made to myself. Lets see how i faired

• Weight a minute - Ive accepted the fact that I will never get to double digits J . I’m trying to stay healthy as of now. You will read below as to what all steps have been taken on that front

• Baller - Been playing pretty well off late, Defended the Intra-Co title, learnt some new things, got some new shoes, some new jerseys J . Following NBA pretty closely, recently started writing about it too. So been a pretty gr8 year of Basketball for me.

• No more a spirited fellow – By the the time I finish this write up, I would have completed 50 days. 50 days without alcohol is a gr8 achievement. Atleast to me it is. I am just worried about the raising the BAR. I know im gonna go home and drink so im not sure if I would get back to this streak and beat my own record. 2011 looks like a dry year to me.

• Travelers’ Guide - Explored new places locally and Internationally. Have great experiences from both the place. Have some unfinished site seeing to do so might go back to Malaysia again. Leh/Ladakh is still pending on the list.

• $ - Need to pay off some mortgages, so I guess I will have to plan a long time work trip abroad. *Note to self*

• No Double doubles – Got into the MBA mode and wanted to get myself a double masters but then kinda fell off the track. I guess someone or something has to stoke the fire.

• Lighter Me – Paid some of the money for mortgage and feel good about it. Hope to get close in coming year.

• Shifting Circles – Life has been pretty good on social front. While I did made some new friends, I also moved myself away from the ‘Inner Circle’ for some. I guess that’s life.

End of 2010 in NBA

2010-12-24T08:55:00.000-08:00

We can't really say its the end of first half of the season in NBA but this season has produced quite a lot of headlines already. And if we preview the first 27 odd games, the remainder of the season promises to be full of excitement and big hustle plays. Here are some major incidents that have occurred this season

Formation of the 'new' BIG 3 - Lebron a.k.a King James not only changed his jersey number but also 'took his talents' to south beach. 'The decision', as expected, didn't go down well with Cavaliers fans across the globe. While it looked obvious from the way he played final quarter of GAME 5 against the Celtics, Cavs fans, I guess were blinded by the powder he threw in the air for 7 years. Miami along-with LBJ signed Chris Bosh, making him the second most hated player in Toronto(after T-mac). They didn't had the kind of start they were looking for but have been playing like a TEAM off late. Lets see how they fair in the playoffs.

My take on the BIG3 and Heat??? Not this year!!!

Silent Killers - While the teams in the EAST were shouting from the roof tops, their WEST rivals treated free agency as another day at work. 2 time defending champions LA LAKERS not only retained their core(Fisher,Odom and Brown) but also added defensive strength in Steve Blake and Matt Barnes. The most important thing that Lakers did was persuading Coach Phil Jackson for one more year(and you can already see his effect on shannon browns jumper from behind the arc).

My take?? Another 3-peat!!!!!

The Big SHAMROCK - Shaq a.k.a Diesel a.k.a The BIG Cactus a.k.a. The BIG witness got rechristened to 'The BIG SHAMROCK'. Chasing Kobe err i mean chasing his 5th championship ring Shaquille O' Neal signed with Boston Celtics. A championship caliber team who in absence of injured Kendrick Perkins needed a Big guy and who better than the BIG SHAMROCK. Does that make Celtics a contender???

My take??? Another Lakers-Celtics Final???? Guess time will tell!!!!!!

Return of the Knicks - The New York Knicks of 90's were one of the strong contenders but through the years they kind of just fell off the track. All these years they were out of the championship hunt but what a comeback. Knicks hadn't seen an BIG guy ever since the departure of Patrick Ewing and needed a Center real bad(Sorry Lee you were a wrong fit). Signing Amare has boosted their chances BIGGG time. With Felton handling the ball and rookie Landry Fields coming in good Knicks have finally arrived in playoffs.

My take??? Take the steam out of the 'HEAT'.

Raised Expectations - Kevin Durant carried the young Thunder on his back to the playoffs and almost made it to the second round. And while everyone wrote the TEAM USA off in the world championships in Turkey, he did the unthinkable and not only earned himself a GOLD medal but also announced himself of the world stage. He will have to keep it going and so far he is getting good support from Russell Westbrook.

My take??? Lets goto second round this year guys!

Return of the Hi-Fliers - Have you seen Blake Griffin play? with his surgically repaired knee??? R u kiddin me?? Dude plays above the rim..dont believe me, ask Timofey mozgov!!! Lets not forget J.R(call-me-EARL)Smith??? Tough call for Dunk of the year!

My take??? Lets get 'em in All star weekend and see them compete in Dunk competition.

With this I will wrap this post of mine, eagerly looking forward to the coming games. Let the games continue, let the amazing keep happening. Stay healthy and keep rocking the rim guys..Seasons greetings

Highs and lows of 2010

2010-12-19T04:36:00.000-08:00

Another year gone, another year full of surprises, another year that taught me lots of things...so like every year i'm at that point where i'm taking stock of the bygones days/events to see how did this year turn out to be for me

LOWS:

Death of my granny - Even though she was in her 90's and bed ridden for past 20 years, she still was my biggest support system. Even though she was fighting paralysis for 20 years and was in lot of pain, her final moments were peaceful and pain free. Miss you granny...may your soul rest in peace.
Fallout with friends - Some friends, relations have become a thing of the past. Am i sad? It sure hurts to lose a friend but I understand, everyone behaves differently in different situations. Like I've written earlier..no going the extra mile but If they need me I still will be available.
Stagnant Career - Career hasn't gone anywhere. I'm not sure if I should put this in lows section or highs section. Cuz i'm not happy about it but I've done anything to kick start it either, I mean its something that I've done by choice. I've been trying to get out of the rat race and i 'try' not to compare myself with anybody but then at times it gets quite impossible and gets onto you.
A disastrous trip abroad - Tried getting some fun into my life but planning a trip abroad. But unfortunately that turned into a bloody trip (and quite literally too). Wasted a lot of money but fortunately enough everything is back to normal now. Don't want this kind of adventures in my life. GOD r u listening!?!?!?!?
The BOMB - Drank a weird mix of rum,whiskey and vodka called 'The Bomb' and it did lived upto its name. Caused 6-7 explosions in me and that made me puke BLOOD. Got me name of 'BOMB'. Things that don't kill you make you stronger huh! R u sure???
Haven't seen some of my dear ones in years and would do anything to get a glimpse of them. Miss you guys, things will change for good next year! I promise!
Los Angeles Lakers beat Boston Celtics 4-3 to win back to back 'ships. Lost out on braggin' rights.

HIGHS:

Exploring places - Kept my promise of exploring new places.
Ballin' - My game sense has gotten better. Have been picking minute details by following NBA more closely. Been trying to teach a few things to youngsters and help them play to their strengths. I guess at some point of my life i would want to coach kids team. As of now i'm still a student of the game.
Injury/Accident free year - The year has been accident free, even though I've been unlucky at certain things but this has been a good year in terms of health. Hope I get stronger next year.
High on life - Drank the most this year and at quality places too. I guess I've learnt how to spend money. BUT its been over a month since I've had a drink. Didn't knew Staying sober was this fun. Gives me time for myself and for my family. I sure hope that I stay determined and give up boozing.
Love is in the Air - Couple of my friends got engaged(with diff people) and are all set to marry. I'm happy for them and am really looking fwd to their marriage. All the best guys!

I guess thats it...can't recall any more things..will add if I remember anything.

9 parts of desire

2010-12-11T18:55:00.000-08:00

Why would 2 exes who have had a bitter breakup, are married to someone else, miles away from each other still comment(or may i say start a conversation) on their mutual friends Facebook status????

Turn around time!!

2010-12-11T18:46:00.000-08:00

Time people take to contradict themselves???? 2 hours....MAX!!!!

How do i know?? checkout their FB or twitter status msgz :)

Note to Self!

2010-11-07T06:14:00.000-08:00

Corporate Lesson Learnt....one more time!!!!!!!!

Life moves on!!!!!

Weird thought!

2010-10-09T21:34:00.000-07:00

Isn't it weird that you talk about anything and more often than not open yourself to a stranger sitting next to you at an airport or at a train terminal but you think twice before sharing these things with a friend!!!!!

I guess the fact that he/she is not going to judge you or even if he/she judges you, you might not get to see them again ever in your life makes it a little easy.

Human Nature!!!!!

Just when i thought...

2010-09-25T21:19:00.000-07:00

"I'm not the kind of person who would expect anything for anybody"

I say this all the time but then why does it hurt when i see people changing around me...i know everybody has their own life and at some point or the other things change but then things changed for me too, i stood the same for them, i always was a call away. The bitter taste has left me disgusted and i don't think things will ever be back to normal and honestly i don't care cuz from this point onward i'm looking out for myself..

The truth is that people often are not what they say they are....and with me its always the opposite..i am what i am...and just to protect this stupid a$$ attitude of me i have jeopardized so many things in life...was it wise??? would i do it again??? answer is clear to me now...

PS: Going the extra mile stops here.

The Trip

2010-08-27T06:57:00.000-07:00

Another run of Bad luck....another disaster, another couple of thousands that went down the drain. At times it seems i'm nothing but Gods punching bag or his dart board. It feels like whenever he is upset, he would just kick me in the gut and take his frustration out...and this time it has gone to a next level..to my family...i know i'm dark and evil but at least spare them o god! Hurt me but spare them the pain..the physical pain at least...

'The Trip' was suppose to be a starting point...point from where good times would roll...but lil did i knew...Actually now that i think about it, I should have seen it coming, should have read the signs. From being the first one to reach the airport to being the first one to come back, this trip was full of disasters.

The trip will be remembered for what we could have done rather than for what we did.

Being the person that i am, i still found couple of +ves.....Adversity bring out your character(did someone say this line) and i was impressed with coupla guys who showed their mettle and proved me right.

Cheers guys!

I wish!

2010-07-13T03:44:00.000-07:00

Life would be so much better if people who are no more get visitation rights. Won't that be gr8, won't that be less painful. I just wish i could meet some of the people who have left me.

Miss them bad!!!!

R.I.P RP/TW

Trades and Drafts in corporate world

2010-07-06T01:32:00.000-07:00

Wouldnt it be gr8 if we could sign our deals with our respective corporates. NBA style FREE AGENT deals I mean. Like at time of hiring they pay us a particular sum for X # of years and then based on our performace, they decide if they want to retain us and how much they are willing to offer. If not we should be unrestricted free agents..For average performers, they should be asked to get an offer and based on the offer company will decide if they want to re-sign the employee or they wish let him go with the offer.

Wouldn’t that be fun! :)

Another set of Rat racers spotted!!!

2010-06-28T02:07:00.000-07:00

Everytime I see something that freaks me out, im like “no this cant be true”…”a grown a$$ man/woman cannot do this”…but apparently ive sent much world yet..

So what happened this time…Another classic example of rat race, another example of people following other people blindly..

This happened to me while I was waiting for a friend outside his MBA institute…2 gurls came out of the institute..with GMAT books in their hands, talking about what they have been doing for a good GMAT score. Me and my friend were just standing near the lift..minding our own business…The lift at that moment was on ground floor and we had to go down to ground floor from 4th floor….so what do you do when you wait near a lift..you just start reading signs near the lifts, the autographs, the love letters…and that’s what we were doing…one of the sign near the lift read ‘Only 4 persons at a time’… I thought to myself…”good thing man… I don’t wanna climb down”…so after some 2-3 minutes the lift came..and as soon as we(me and my friend) entered, the girls flipped out..and next thing I hear is “lets go by stairs”…

I was flabbergasted..i was like…WHAT??? Wat did we do?? Wat did I say to you??? and then it struck me....a girl who isnt comfortable going in a lift with 2 strangers..how can she even think of writing GMAT and eventually running a company or presenting something in room full of strangers…… im gonna get judgemental here but its gonna take more than bookish prepration for them to get through…

All the best chicas!

Thank you God!

2010-06-26T06:46:00.000-07:00

When you are sick and have a terrifying near death experience, you think about everything...that one moment makes you sit up and think about things you have done, things you haven't done...people you have met, people you would like to meet before you leave...and of course how things could have been 'normal' had you taken the conventional way out.

Ironic part of this is that once the moment is gone, once you know that you r gonna live..you just thank god for being able to get out of that situation and then carry on with your normal routine. The things you've been wanting to do, people you've been wanting to see..everything you said to yourself takes a back seat..and you continue to run the rat race..

I don't want to be in the situation i was in last night but i certainly wont mind god reminding me the importance of being a good human being and to keep materialistic things at a place where they are supposed to stay.

Left for the DEAD?????????. NO MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!

2010-05-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

From writing 'em off to predictions of 'em winning the EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS. This is what happens when you start believing in yourself.

GO CELTICS!!!!!!!!!

More thoughts!

2010-05-11T06:07:00.000-07:00

God has a way of busting you up when you need him the most ....BUT he gives all a second chance!!!!!!!

AMEN to that !!! (or should i say CHEERS to that ;) )

Another one bites the dust!

2010-05-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

No Fist punches on the floor anymore! Its going to be a strange feeling

*sigh*

1 step forward, 2 back !!!

2010-04-17T01:25:00.000-07:00

Just when you think u have taken a step forward and have left bad times behind you, life throws another surprise and you end up going back 2 steps.

Everyone has a life to live, but I somehow I feel i'm living it for others. All I do is Plan. Plan for things and then when the time comes to put the plan in action, things come up unexpectedly and I end up putting all my plans on the back burner and gear for the immediate task on hand.

Wonder if its just me or if this happens to everyone!?!?!?!?

Warning: Stay away from me...I'm JINXED!!!!

High in Spirits!!!!!

2010-03-28T02:34:00.000-07:00

Not every booze party is a waste of time and money. Studying Omkara as a Case study was worth every penny and second. I love the movie even more now.

why is standing up for urself such a crime ???

2010-03-25T10:24:00.000-07:00

Dont start something that you cant finish...if u start it, im gonna finish it for sure..so better think gazillion times before u act stupid or im gonna take you for a ride....hope the message was loud and clear last night.

And for all those who act sissy in the name of 'corporate'...ive got 3 words for yall...GROW SOME BALLS!!!!!

Legends Never Die!!!

2010-03-23T10:18:00.000-07:00

Only if we could be a % of what you were.......May your soul rest in peace!!!!!

You will always be remembered!!!! Inquilab Zindabad!!!!

POSERS!!!!

2010-03-20T22:05:00.000-07:00

Updating FB/Twitter while you eat/drink/take a piss!!?!?!?!?! Wats wrong with people today???? Enjoy the company yall!!?!?!?!

POSERS!!!!!!

Hunt is on!!

2010-02-28T08:52:00.001-08:00

Buy 'em (UK-14) if you get 'em anywhere

Master Blaster!!!!!!

2010-02-25T09:15:00.000-08:00

SA beats Sachin by 3 Wickets ...

Sachin 200*

South Africa 201/7

Lucky Bastard!!

2010-01-29T09:03:00.000-08:00

Look whoz promoting NBA in India.

http://www.nba.com/video/channels/originals/2010/01/27/bollywood_knicks.nba/

I wonder why this wasnt publicized in India. Till the time people know the association, the game wont grow. Its unfortunate that things like these get no where. Luckily, this got into hands of a hardcore basketball fan and here I am promoting the game.

Help me spread the word and eventually the Game.

Reviewing 2009 and the road ahead

2010-01-14T04:45:00.000-08:00

Wow!!! Look @ THIS...this was my last years resolution list...and guess what..i didnt accomplish anything...NOTHING...ZIP....ZILCH.....NADA......hmm...aint particular proud of this fact but hey look @ the brighter side...I stayed on course for most part of the year.....

Weight was in double digits..ok...lemme be honest, its still in triple digits..but hey it didnt go up!!!!!!!!...so thats good..thats consistency :)
Played ball on regular basis, 2009 was good for Basketball...won a Championship Ring too[Just one though!!! :( ]
Didnt stay clear from spirits...all the incidents that happened, didn't help either...will have to find a different approach to handle this...
Have been eating healthy for a year now...and in proportion too..so thats gud too..
Travelled to some unknown places in 2009 and intend to continue the same in 2010 as well. Am already planning a trip to Leh/Ladakh...
Did nothing for immigration. Hey I'm not a bummer, it just shows how much I love my country :)
Got GMAT book but thats being used by someone else. Plan to finish it off by this summer.
On-site streak was broken in 2009. Wouldnt mind a company sponsored trip but dont expect anything from this company. Anything that comes will be a bonus.
Did no savings. Bought certain things which weren't needed, things that sucked up all my savings. This is a must do in 2010.
The charmer is back but with a changed mindset. Think myself as a servant of humanity. Let people remember you for things u said/did. Clock is ticking, life is short.
Was a social person for most part of the year but then it went right back into my shell.

Other things that happened in 2009:

Highs:

Well got high many times in 2009, high on alcohol not on life though. And that actually sucks.

Buying a car was a high(till it got rammed by a truck).
Winning a championship rings with this team was definitely a high. Fact that it was their first makes it even more sweeter.
Mom got retired from her job. Damn!! What an achievement!!! 35+ years of service for same organization. Can't even imagine doing anything like that.
Made some friends (for life or not??!?!?!? we shall soon find out).

Lows:

Fallout with my GF tops the list. The bond isn't the same anymore. Hope time heals everything.
Shitty job would be a closed second on this list. There is nothing worse than having a fucked up boss. And a woman boss make things worse. There are certain things she also dont know..like ability to fuck people without having a dick. She should write that under achievements section of her appraisal.
There is nothing worse than death of good people around you. Its like they take all the +ve energy with you. Honey(my cuz), Tim...may you soul rest in peace. Crack a deal with the lord and book a suite for me, u never know.....*drip*
The fight with the LORD!!! Had many unanswered questions and as a result of that I crossed swords with 'him'. (Hey we have called it a truce now...havent we *looks for fist pump*)

There are other things as well, but I think I've already told you guys all those sad stories.

Happie New Year!

2010-01-01T07:45:00.000-08:00

2009 was a pretty bad year..nothing spectacular happened(apart from the fact that I helped my company win their first ever corporate championship). Everything went down the hill for me, both on personal and professional front.

A lost friendship, a job that sucks, a team that doesn't know how to stay together, Questioning the mere existence of GOD!!!????? ...nothing worked in 2009

I wish 2010 turns the tide for me..And you all too!!!!

Have a wonderful year ahead!!

Celebrate Life!

Lakers!!!

2009-12-31T07:58:00.000-08:00

Foam fingers for fans, broken finger for KOBE and too many fingers for a dizzy Artest. I got a one finger salute to Lakers recent play.

Aap, main aur mera El Charro

2009-12-29T18:19:00.000-08:00

Clown makes everyone tickle BUT......

2009-12-21T10:58:00.000-08:00

I don't want the world to see me,

'cause I don't think they'd understand

when everything's meant to be broken

I just want you to know WHO I AM

The Countdown has begun!!!

2009-12-05T22:53:00.000-08:00

43 (working) days to go....

PS: 2009 sucked!!!!!!!!!!!BIG Time!!!!!!!!!!

Hungry Again!!!

2009-11-22T08:05:00.000-08:00

Ive always liked the spotlight (ask a LEO and u will know what that means to him/her).I remember, as a kid, I used to do stuff that would get me attention and trust me I used to get all the wrong kind of attention. Growing up I learnt different ways of getting attention. It was those damn slogan tees in college and then all some expensive brands during the first job. Down the line I also realized that you can use your work to get attention too. And being a freshman it was easy for me to work through and rise up the ranks (going onsite was a big deal for a rookie).

But then suddenly I started feeling content (aint nothing bad in that rite), I gave up on lot many things, goals, ambitions (cuz maybe I really had what I wanted..Job/Onsite/new-job/friends/girlfriend). I started going with the flow but now i have the feeling back. I feel restless again. I want things again. I want more from life now..and im not gonna sit and wait for things to happen, im gonna work and make things happen now.

Cuz im hungry...hungry for everything u can think of

I dont know if this is a good thing or bad...guess we will soon find out.

Its Over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-11-11T08:21:00.000-08:00

Its final..i don’t believe in god anymore…hell I think I might be in a war against him now…I mean things have from bad to worse …from accidents to monetary loses to people dying..i have sent it all in past coupla days…and If being friends with God got me this then I as well stay away from his company.

I get ran over by a bus while waiting at a traffic signal and get my car damaged in the process(yea…AGAIN), One of my younger cousins(just 21 in age) dies in an accident and then when I want to be at his funeral I miss my flight…talk about the mental stress levels.

What had I done to deserve this??? Whats the bright side of this??? Whats the positive out of this??? What lessons do I learn from all this??

All this ,indeed, has made me learn one thing, that there is no God. Destiny drives everything. Cuz if he was there, he surely would have listened to prayers of thousands of his college mates, he would have listened to prayers of a mother who hadnt seen his son for past 4 months, he would have listened to prayers of those who knew him as friend…but he remained unmoved..he did wat he wanted to do…is that GOD?? Or is that destiny fucking around with you???? I don’t know and I don’t want to know..all I knw is that if something is going to happen, it will happen. Praying to anyone wont help for sure.

Moral teachings

2009-11-04T09:59:00.000-08:00

Read this while i was home this time(at my mom's school). Makes me wonder if it still holds true. Not in the corporate world atleast. And i still cant figure out what are they trying to tell young kids in school via this.

Per Kg???? WTF!!????

2009-10-18T22:10:00.001-07:00

Crackers here are sold per KG while apples sell per piece.... Crazy Shit huh!!!!

Acquired!!!!Tally goes to 14

2009-10-18T20:19:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Chris-T i have another pair of Jordan...Looks way too cool..isn't it???...Now whats the next thing on my list????? A pair of in-ear headphones...hmmmm....so guys ..buy 'em and email me for the address..i've got a friend coming..lol

God Bless you??!?!?!?!??!!?!?!?

2009-10-14T11:40:00.000-07:00

“…There is a lesson to be learnt from everything…” said my mom after hearing that I had met with an accident.

But I don’t think there were any lessons to be learned from this one. Waiting at a traffic signal for the light to go green and u get rammed by a truck..I don’t think so.

Situations like these would either make an atheist start believing in God or would make a theist question his morals.

This made me wonder…Why do we believe in god?? I know im gonna ruffle some feathers with this but I cant help question your beliefs..and mind you its not to offend anyone of you. The selfish person that I am,i'm doing this just for me....maybe im trying to strengthen my belief cuz off late Ive had started questioning certain things.

I also spoke to one of my close friend, Mr. wiki (cuz most of the times he would have answer to all ur questions) and this is what he had to tell me.

“When we are a kid, we have someone who would make decisions for the family. And quite often we trust his instincts and go by his word. But when WE get to be a decision maker we sometimes hesitate cuz quite frankly things are always not a shade of black or white. The thoughts of the aftermath or repercussions sometimes makes us weak and thats when we turn to someone superior, someone who we think would have answers to all the questions and hence pray”

This easily explains as to why, most of the, people pray in tough times. But why do we pray in normal times…like good time, bad time we have something called normal time..where things are just on track …you ofcourse would want more out of them bt at that point u r ok (may or may not be happy) with how things are shaping…so why do we pray??

I asked couple of my friends and 90% of the people replied me saying they pray for well being of their loved ones. Hope is what drives them, hope that the prayers will keep there loved ones safe. The other 10% said that they pray for things to be better or things to be done ‘their’ way.

So my next question was …”how does fate/destiny fit into this”....i mean on one side we say that things are destined to happen and the ever so famous “honi ko kaun taal sakta hai”…….so if something is destined and is already planned then do u think praying to god would help??? I mean the cast is already set..isnt it?? He has already decided how ur life would be shaped…you are doing what he wants you to do…you are just enacting …aint that right???

Now some people also pray to seek forgiveness for the sins that they have commited???? But werent those planned as well??? And even if they werent then why would you seek forgiveness ??To get an entry into Heaven??? Something that nobody has seen?? Something that can be classified as ‘fictional’. Or to have longer life??? But if that was the case then all the saints would have lived forever …pope would have never died then…Does that mean we ,like always, are pursuing something that we think will help ease out our future. But at the cost of our present???

I don’t know if it would make sense to you but what the hell , not everything is derived by logic…

Comments/Brickbats must.

??

2009-10-11T06:03:00.000-07:00

Past couple of days have been really boring..thanks to my tooth extraction..havent had chance to do anything i like....

Anywz, hope the wounds heal before Diwali...

Roadtrip Down south!!!!

2009-10-04T05:10:00.000-07:00

LIFE IS AN OPEN ROAD FOR ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh Shit, Not Again!!!!!

2009-09-22T09:56:00.000-07:00

“Oh shit, Not Again!”

That’s the book that im reading these days…but I should have listened to people who say “you should never judge a book by its cover”.

But then again, it’s difficult to ignore a cover which ask you following questions :

Have you ever experienced what happens when a porn movie is mistakenly played in front of your grandma and the CD player refuses to stop?

Have you ever experienced what happens when a boy is kicked in the groin by a girl when he attempts to kiss her?

Have you ever experienced what happens when a college-going student has an affair with a married woman whose husband carts a gun?

Let’s complete this and then i would tell yall how it was

What time is it!!??!!

2009-09-16T10:54:00.000-07:00

I don’t think anyone knows…bt I have a certain time of the year when things go really wrong for me…it’s like anything I do (or not do), I end up being at the receiving end. Awful things start happening….like road accidents, injuries, fighting with friends, dead relatives..all sort of cranky things…so that’s when I try avoiding people, that’s when I try to stay alone(so as not to pick any unwanted fights)

All of this has been happening for last couple of years…normally its 2 months every year (November and December)..but looks like it happened a lil early this year (or maybe it’s just a heads up for what’s in store for me, or maybe its extended from 2 months to 4 months now)…. First I grow away from a very close friend, then I get my car fucked up and now being sick …its guess the time has come for me.

Thunder comes to India!!!

2009-09-06T06:07:00.000-07:00

The wait is over!!!! The Baap of all Bikes is here. Harley Davidson is officially launched in India and even though the first set of bikes will be thumping down the streets sometime in 2010 the much anticipated wait seems to be over. Well.. almost over..thanks to mangoes.

(You must be thinking that ive gone crazy...but go ahead and read full story here)

Riding the Indian Harley was fun but i think I have to let go of Indian Harley, will have to retire mine and will have to book a Harley.

I know it might cost me a fortune but what the hell..you just live once..dontcha...plus rumors are they might release an Indian version of the bike ...closer to 200 grand, which i think is worth the label....

Harley tees is what i already have..all i need is a bike and retire from this job .. Im gonna be a H.O.G someday.

Still Thinking

2009-09-01T06:50:00.000-07:00

Sometimes solutions aren't so simple

Sometimes good bye's the only way

Yayyy

2009-08-31T12:03:00.001-07:00

Guess whoz coming to town

Picture Perfect!!

2009-08-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

What a week it was!!! I have put up a picture post this time....while some of these pics are breath-taking others are plain funny....Ask me and i will tell you about the places ive been :)

I really was wishing that yall were with me while i was out there.

Aite...this is it... Enjoy the pics

ME!!!!!!!!!!

OOO(Out of Office)

2009-08-09T19:51:00.000-07:00

Its getting HOTTTTTTTT in here...

PS: Feels good to be home!!!!!!!Gonna drive to the mountains today...closer to nature...closer to where i belong

Champ is here!!

2009-08-06T10:37:00.001-07:00

A Picture is worth a thousand words

Mixed emotions!!!

2009-08-06T10:29:00.000-07:00

A day full of emotions…a day where I didn’t knew how to react…cuz there were happy moments and sad moments too…and that too at the same time… It’s my friends Bday today..so I was happy for her..it was her day..so called her at my midnight, at her midnight(she is in US) …spoke to her and she sounded happy…sounded just like the way anyone would at their bday…got my ‘revamped’ professional designation today…

Everything is fine if you don’t ask people as to what they got…but it’s practically impossible to do so …even if you don’t inquire, you still will get to know about what others have got…so a very good friend of mine got a band higher than me and even though I was happy for her, I felt a lil bad for myself…

Kept reminding myself …“Comparisons often cause unhappiness” ..but easier said than done…I was flushed…another heart break …

But me is me...can’t be sad for too long…im not sad anymore...it’s just that im a lil disappointed, feel a lil let down …By the company ..cuz they talk about being a people friendly company, a transparent company, a impartial one

Anyways…congrats babe…for getting what you got…it was about time too..so bask in the glory

And Happy Bday Girlfriend…many more to come…Go party!!!And dont forget to send me the pics...

PS: The day lit up in the evening.....after we won the championship

Heart Broken

2009-08-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

Im devastated, heartbroken and have been mourning since yday. The loss is irreplaceable. Things are going wrong…for my shoes..I have broken 2 shoes this year…two of my favorite ones…Jordan Retro series and And 1 shoes(my super favorite)…. I can’t seem to get over the fact that I won’t be able to play in them anymore L. Im depressed ..so depressed that I cant concentrate on anything….

People who know me would know how crazy I am for sneakers and would know what this loss means to me.

Don’t sympathize with me….don’t tell me “ I know how it feels”… cuz you don’t…you know what..”RETAIL THERAPY” always works…be it a guy or a girl….it works…so if you want to help me, please order any of these for me L *makes a cute boo boo face* ..remember im US-15/UK-14 size.

http://www.and1usa.com/NEW/footwear/smooth.html

http://www.footlocker.com/catalog/productdetail/model_nbr--98786/sku--31823101/size--15.0/cm--GLOBAL%20SEARCH%3A%20KEYWORD%20SEARCH/

:``((

Oops!!! I did it again!!!

2009-08-04T09:52:00.000-07:00

Counter Reset!!!!!

PS: Apparently I've still got the charm

The day that Never comes!!!

2009-08-01T23:16:00.000-07:00

After completing 35 days without alcohol, I finally succumbed under pressure. Well it wasnt pressure, its just that there are some people I cant say NO to.

So it was weekend, we went out (supposedly for dinner) and thats when I was offered drink by my brother(from another mother) and I had to take it. Just like I had no reason to tell as to why I had decided not to drink, I have no reason to tell you, now, that why I accepted the drink.

Anyways, My clock has been reset and lets see how it goes from here on.

PS: Now that I have my clock reset, should I use the Beers sitting in my fridge? :)

PS2: Mr.Rajesh I hope you feel previledged that of all the occasions I chose this.

Main, Meri Patni ..aur bijli band !!!!!!

2009-07-18T21:15:00.001-07:00

"A Man and a Storm never issue a warning before descending on you".

The statement jumpstarted my lazy sunday morning. LOL!!!

Apart from the statement, the article also made me think about my horrendous U.P trip(experienced way back in college days)...personally it was a very overwhelming trip, trip full of emotions...from happiness to sadness to disgust to fear..everything.

I had gone to attend a wedding. The wedding was at a place called HAPUR(less than 80 kms from the capital). I was excited for the trip..excited because I had already heard some shocker of the news before we even planned our trip. News like there were two marriages that were suppose to happen in 2 consecutive days....One of my friends neice and second of my friends younger brother......looking for the shocking part????? here it comes....His neice was just 16 and considering we were in college doing our masters i think his younger brother wouldnt be older than 20-21. I had already asked my friends a zillion questions ...Questions about the hurry they were in, and why were they doing this to them ...but he had only 1 answer to all my questions..."Thats how it happens in my place"..and i wasnt buying that answer cuz he was "in college" and still un-married...a Virgin for that matter...so if that was the case, he should have been married to...but me being me ...didnt wanted to take it to an argumental level and decided that I would see for myself.

So coming back to this article I read in todays newspaper, it so true that people dont have anything to do..i mean out of 24 hours, the so called "posh areas" get electricity for mere 4 hours and that too from 2am to 6am...wow!!!!

The site and sound of the place still haunts me....There were children everywhere...everywhere you see...and if u sit in ur room and close ur eyez..the only sound you can heard was of children...some crying..some playing..some laughing....so to beat this cacophony me and my friend, who had travelled with me from college, decided to go for a walk...walk in the fields...In countryside, especially in India, you cant miss two things:

Lush green farms and
Children playing cricket

Me and my friend both are from farmer family so we decided to goto farms and see what kind of tools do they use ..you know like picking the best practices :) ...U.P is known for its sugarcane production.....and we were surprised to see 10-12 foot high sugarcanes...i mean we do sugarcane plantation in our state as well, but the max we get is a 5-6 footers...so that was really impressive..and immediately got us thinking that how could a state so rich in plantation be so poor....we had just one answer...Population!!!

anyways, we went over to the kids who were playing...seeing us come towards them, they stopped and asked us if we would like to play..we played with them for a while...and then after we were done, we sat near a tubewell and asked them about their names and schools they study in...all of them were from the village school..and told us that even though it was a wednesday, there was no school for them ...REASON??? It was sarpanchs(village heads) daughters wedding :) ...

We asked them about their favourite cricket players....they stared at us with a blank face, as if we had asked them to spell checkoslovakia(I too googled it)....

They told us that they dont watch cricket...."cuz there is no electrcity in the village"

Someother things that we found out during our stay were:

There was no chemist shop in the close vicinity( so no using contraceptives)
Sarpanch(Village head) himself had 9 kids...Talk about leading from the front
Electricity Poles didnt had wires..story goes that wires were stolen
The night never seemed so beautiful...i have never seen bigger stars in the sky..maybe cuz of lack of pollution

I used to get real mad at him for not replying to my emails during vacations...not after that trip

Taking Stock~Talking Sock!!!!

2009-07-15T08:21:00.000-07:00

I sometime wonder as to What is a more disgusting site…a guy wearing sagged socks(the ones which have a loose elastic) or a guy wearing NO socks with leather shoes???

I detest both these breed of people. Im sorry to say but we as in Indians still have to realize that socks are ALSO part of the dressing. A very important one for that matter.Ive seen gazillion guys wearing proper formals but when it comes to socks, they would make a complete fool out of themselves.

While some wear Black trousers, nice formal shirts.. GREEN socks…or shining BLUE socks or sporty ankle sock, others do it The other way round. They would wear formal socks with sports shoes..how weird is that!!!! I know it’s a part of the clothing which is not quiet visible but that doesn’t mean you can wear anything or NOT wear anything. That’s stupidity.

It was the same case with undees sometime back. But now people treat their undees as if it’s a thing to show off…I guess in some more years socks will improve too.

I will try to click some pictures of such guys and maybe that will tell you what that means!!! ;)

Goodbye Guys!

2009-07-11T02:28:00.000-07:00

There are a very few people who you call friends in this corporate world. And Just when you think that life couldn't get any better, they get an Onsite assignment.

Such is Life is guess!!!!!

My HERO!!!

2009-07-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

There is one character that I totally admire and idolize. One guy I always aspire to be. One guy I know I would never become. He is the guy who gave India two golden words. Two words that rocked the world. Two words that still echo in million hearts.

INQUILAB ZINDABAD.

Its none other than the legendary Shaheed Bhagat Singh.

Im a proud Punjabi and he gave me enough reasons to be proud.

If you want to know more about him. Click here

Hold on, Be Strong!!!!

2009-07-07T08:11:00.001-07:00

I dont know about others but I love cooking...I love cooking when i feel like cooking..By choice i.e. And there is nothing like sipping beer or scotch while cooking. Drink while cooking seems to be my mantra.

If it wasnt for the changed me, today would be have been an ideal day for Rum and Coke. I cooked today...and what do i do....Drink while cooking..but only this time around, it was nothing more than "orange juice".

Talk about resisting the temptation !!!!!

PS: It takes a lot of determination to ignore the beer bottles sitting in your fridge.

Going Green!

2009-07-02T07:36:00.000-07:00

July 1 182/183…that’s what my calendar showed today….Aint nothing special about this day..I mean it’s not a holiday..it’s not a weekend…nothing special happened @ work…But come to think of it and I realized that this indeed is a special day for me…Special because It marks 6 months of me being a vegetarian..a Huge achievement…It is something that makes me feel proud of myself. Honestly I never thought I could come this far with this thing, and trust me it wasn’t an easy thing to do. I mean imagine going out in a group and people around you having all kinds of chickens and mutton and beefs while you munch on green salad. And being a BIG GUY definitely doesn’t help the cause. While others would order just one plate of any of those dishes, you probably would have to order that damn salad 3-4 times…at least I did and it feels kind of odd. Or Imagine you going to a friend’s Bday party and eating munchies while others are feasting on home cooked chicken and Beef.

But now when I look back, I feel good. I feel good that I had the determination. Feel food that I was strong enough to say “NO”.

Am I happy? Yes and no!! Yes cuz I came this far and NO cuz I feel that I am missing out on something J …the real test however would be when I go home.

How long is this going to go? I guess its gonna b like this for another 6 months…maybe after I complete a year, I won’t have the craving( I doubt that though!)

What Next!!???? Let’s just say that ive become a teetotaler from today(yea..Laugh all you want..will c u on 31^st Dec ’09)…I wonder what im gonna go with 2 beers sitting in my fridge!!! Heard beer is a good conditioner….*sigh* if only I had hair on my head!!!!

Silent Killers

2009-06-27T11:41:00.001-07:00

I hate people who have opinion about everything...Having said that...Herez my opinion on Introverts

Introverts I feel have a better life, than extroverts. They are not exactly introverts so to say...they just dont open up with everyone...they do have a life, they do have best friends...they too would scream their guts out on a merry-go-round...so why do we call them INTROVERTS...

The thing that makes them different is that choose people....they play practical....If they like you, they will hang around with you else they wont care about you...They dont pretend to be someone they arent...They wont go bragging about how they are your best buddy and how they would do anything for you and then at the time of need show their ass and run away..and the best thing about them is that they handle criticism well....cuz all their life they have an additional pressure on them...pressure of people picking on them, watching them closely. I had a friend of mine who got the hottest girl in campus just cuz she thought he had a mystery around him...Lucky Bastard huh!!!

I'll tell u one thing...I 'tried' being an Introvert....I'm a very filmy kind of a guy...Inspired by some characters of some movie, I tried becoming an introvert( I really like when the bad guy just talks with his eyes, delivers one liners and walks away with box full of money and leaves carnage behind)..but to be honest, i get headache if i dont speak for over an hour..or stay home and dont talk to anyone or dont say something..humm a song...

Tell you one more thing.....I want to be a confidant to one Introvert guy..better gurl ;) !~!~! LOL !~!~!

~Writing on the Wall~

2009-06-18T11:11:00.000-07:00

I remember me looking for suicide notes couple of months back(reasons..i also don’t know) but today while listening to a song, I felt that ive found a perfect suicide note( and u thought u know me ..huh!) ….If I ever commit a suicide..EVER!!! Following will be my suicide note

OFF TO NEVER NEVERLAND

FEAST YOUR EYES

2009-06-14T04:36:00.000-07:00

Damn ..what a day!!! It was hot, it was humid and it just even more hotter in the evening. I've been home planning and replanning. These million questions....questions to which i didnt have no answer...like "Should i go pick him from airport?" .."Should i leave from my place or stay over at his place and then go"..."Should i goto office after that or should i just call in sick" ...and as usual i couldn't found no answers...

You feel bad when you have all these questions in mind and nobody to help you....I was feeling terrible...confused....so i decided to go online and decided to make others life miserable too...pick on someone....maybe that would make me feel better(it normally makes me feel better)...so while i was waiting ..i got pinged by one of my old bball friend..so we started talking about different things...from life, to job, to Basketball, to NBA finals.

Apart from the fact that both of us hate our jobs, we had another thing we hate...LAKERS...well lets not go harsh on LAKERS....lets just say that they arent my favourite team. So we talked about everything...from how this being the best chance for kobe to shut out his critics(to all those who say he cant win a championship without SHAQ..on his own)...to MAGIC being a one (Super)man army...from all the free agents to Phil Jackson fighting for his record 10th ring...thats when i told him that buzz is that Phil was dating LAKERS VP. so i sent him coupla links..to show him who she was..and then he pasted me links of Kobes wife Venessa...by the time i was done looking at her pics...i had gotten another link..."HOTTEST SPORTS WIVES" ...i found it kinda funny....It has pictures and then a lil writeup about the couple...The funniest part was for golfer Tiger woods!!!This is what they had written about the woods wife.

"THIS IS WHERE TIGER SINKS HIS PUTTS"....LOL..now that was pretty funny...

I know you would love to see those trophies too..so here is the link....

Traces of Character!!

2009-06-13T04:52:00.000-07:00

There are lot of things which tell about 'you' as a person. From your handwritting, your signature, your way of interacting with people, movement of your hands while you talk to anyone....lot of things. So while i was taking a shower(Believe it or not, all these weird thoughts come to my mind while im in shower), i was thinking if your password tells anything about you or not. Your email id's generally tell lot of things about you :). I,myself had pretty weird email id's....Damn!!This is cracking me up!! The first email id of mine was 'indian_laden' :p...then drfunk( i actually had that written outside my door in hostel...wat a loser !!!! :p) then 'millitant'...lol...yea..thats a fact..apparently i always wanted to be the bad guy...I guess ive made quite a name for myself ...lol...

But coming back to passwords...are they as flashy as those id's? Personally ive had all kinds of passwords...from my best friends last name to my favourite basketball team (Pistons) to "butterchicken" to my home address and in between i even used 'qwerty' as my password....varied things/items/people. I discussed this with couple of my co-workers in office and got interesting remarks. One of them told me that her passwords are always based on a cartoon character. Other i know said she always uses word "sunny" in her passwords. I guess there are many things which tell about us. Perhaps when you get old, you can laugh about all these things.

Just a Word????

2009-06-09T08:43:00.000-07:00

Acceptance...a small word with big implications. Its like an undercurrent. Before you realize you are pulled towards the ocean. In this case, the ocean of people judging you on different criteria, different parameters. Well..I guess things aren't meant to be simple always!!!

Like one of my friend said ...Its a Hard world.

Saints @ the ceremony!!!!

2009-06-05T23:03:00.001-07:00

Couple of "saints" went to christening ceremony of a fellow saints daughter. A fun trip. We need to do it more often. Only if we all have time. Hmmm

Dream Realized

2009-06-03T08:57:00.000-07:00

As a kid I used to accompany my granny to the construction site of our house and ive been told that at that time, all I wanted to become was a “labor”…… Having spent around 5 years in IT industry, I can safely say that I’ve realized my dream. :)

R.I.P

2009-05-30T08:03:00.000-07:00

Shocker of a news!!! Today i came to know that one of my ex-co-worker lost his wife in a car accident. Its not that i knew him on a personal level or anything but still i feel for him, i feel bad for him cuz its a huge loss...Just like the first job, the people you meet during that time also get special to you.

The biggest irony is that he was travelling to his home town and his wife was on her way to airport to pick him up. But fate had different plans i guess. I just can sympathize and console him but the void that has been created for a husband, for a child can't be filled. Such is Life I guess. One moment you have everything and then in a blink it gets taken away from you. I guess moments like these emphasise the importance of thanking the God for giving us everything.

May God give strength to everyone affected by this tragedy to accept the things. May her soul rest in Peace.

Game Over

2009-05-26T11:02:00.000-07:00

Addictions they say are BAD!!! We all have been hooked onto IPL for over a month now. Whoever you were, whatever you do all you would want was to get to a TV before 8pm IST. First thing you do once you got home was to turn on the TV and put on the sports channel. Boy what a fun it was. But now that it's over, you come home and wonder what to do *sigh*. I guess we would have the answer in couple of days time.

Still Scribbling!!!

2009-05-21T09:07:00.000-07:00

Life has come to a point where I have to take a decision. Things aren’t exciting anymore. Life has become a ‘routine’ or maybe that’s how it has always been for me…maybe ive started realizing it now. Professionally I don’t like it anymore. Even though I have people who trust my abilities and see me doing wonders here, I somehow can’t picture myself doing all that. There are quite a few number of things bothering me…. I wish I was able to narrow it down and take the thorn out. I, definitely, don’t have a mile long list but it’s just that I don’t know what’s bothering me more.

Is it the market slump(we, directly or indirectly, are affected by it) or is it the new work environment/people or is it the kind of work that ive been asked to do or is it my ignorance.

I don’t know what good or bad am I doing to me by standing still and letting the time go but im not able to find a way out… not able to face the daemons. Hell! Im not able to see them, forget about facing them. I hate when I get into this mood. I hate to wear the ‘thinking’ cap cuz I never take it off. I love to be the spur-of-the-moment guy and I hate not being that guy. It’s been months …..what makes things worse is that even though ive realized the change, I can’t do jack shit about it. I mean that proves my point of me leading a routine life. I mean in terms of materialistic things as well, I think a million times. I can’t go out with friends for a drink. I can’t get the tattoo done. I can’t go home(read Punjab) ….Why? Cuz something inside me tells me to save the money …. Save the money for something big….spend it wisely…

What a life!! Is it even mine? I doubt that!!! It’s like ive been living it for someone else. Killing myself everyday so as to make life better for others.

I donno man..i can go on and on and on….nobody would care…nobody does!!!! Cuz…. they say “It’s your life” ….. IS IT? :)

MISFIT

2009-05-14T09:09:00.000-07:00

Just when I was thinking that ive come a long way and ive gotten a grip over my anger and emotions, I see myself at the same old familiar spot. All this while I was thinking that ive grown up and I'm not the same temperamental person anymore. I thought I’d come off age and have mellowed down. But apparently I was wrong. Ive been feeling this for past couple of days now. The thing that I don’t understand about all this is that is it a attitude thing? or can I just not accept half-hearted efforts or double-standards ? I mean if I have to put it on paper, I would say it all starts with driving to work. I mean people just don’t follow rules here. I think cows/buffalos manage themselves really well on the roads and stay organized. People here are chaotic, don’t care about others no more. No blinkers, overtaking from the wrong side, jaywalking ...all of it... At times I feel like beating the crap out of each and every person that doesn’t follow the rule.

Then the work, I mean im happy with the change, with the co. but not with people. It’s getting hard for me to decide who do i hate more...i-know-it-all guy or i-will-lick-my-bosses-ass guy. I think the latter will take the cake. While im at it, I would also like to extend my hatred to all those people who are working from client-side(the so called "onsite") and think that people in "offshore" are slaves. I mean come on don’t we have plans, don’t we like to party, don’t we need time to un-wind?

And then there was one thing which I really looked forward to in the evenings. The Ball park. Not anymore though. It was till I met bunch of guys who think they run the show here. Just cuz u r in the team for past 15 years doesn’t mean you know it all. I mean it gets ridiculous at time. They want to play tough but against small guys. They slap, they bruise, they push but when I do all of these to them, they cry foul. I mean how fair is that? why don’t they pick somebody their own size?

But you know what, it kind of fits into place. If you start solving the puzzle, puzzle as to why they haven’t made it past round1, forget about winning and tourneys, you have the answer. They are happy winning over their team mates, happy playing half courts and happy calling themselves #5 fans. They don’t want anybody to learn, they don’t trust in each other, they don’t share the ideology. This makes me even more grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry.

So by the time my day ends, im a rage machine. I don’t know what to do about it or how to let-go of certain things. Am i over-reacting? Is it as simple as "shit-happens, move on" or Am I a misfit here????. Misfit in this part of the country, misfit in this part of the world or misfit in scheme of things of life?

STILL Thinking!!!!!!

2009-05-10T10:54:00.000-07:00

Past couple of days have been very depressing...well i wont really like to call them depressing, its just that ive done a lot of soul-searching . Soul-searching is good when you get answers to your questions. Its good when you get a direction out of it. But its a pretty fucked up thing if u dont get answers to any of the questions u ask urself. And thats where i am currently.

Realizing that you have lived out half of ur life and havent achieved anything remarkable isnt a great feeling.

I dont know if its called REALITY CHECK or MID-LIFE CRISIS.

Thinking out loud!

2009-05-08T08:13:00.000-07:00

Today was one of those days when i hated everything about me. I hate my life. I mean ive got to a point where i want to break free but what-will-people-say is whats keeping me from doing anything 'rash'. I mean i want to do things that would make *ME* happy...things that might not get me good money but will help me feel content. But if you ask me what are those things? What would make me happy? I would be ask blank as i am now. Cuz to be honest i dont know what i want, what i like.

Im tired of living a fake life. I hate wearing a mask everysecond of the day. Im not sure if anyone knows the real me. Im not sure if *I* know the real me.

Nothing in my current life makes me happy. NOTHING. Not even booze. I do it cuz that is the only thing that makes me forget alllll these things for a while...but i dont want it. I dont want that to be a part of my life. But i aint got nothing better happening in my life.

Maybe i should press a backspace..but would that mean that im again hiding behind the mask? Maybe someone out there will read this and will help me realize what i want..but will that somebody know what 'he/she' wants from life?

I doubt!!!

Spam!!!

2009-05-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

After having posted the spam mails from a guys inbox(enlargements, enhancements, making “it” bigger and stuff), I asked my female friends to let me peep into their spam boxes. Couple of them were offended by the idea while others were generous enough to let me see their inboxes.

I didn’t find anything remotely close to what can be called “Interesting”, but it did made me think……Think about what could a girl get as spam…Apart from the expected h-e-l-p-u-r-s-e-l-f thing they would probably get emails on how to make *it* tighter, smaller perhaps….like a virgin maybe…hmmm…wonder if there is any such “treat”ment .

Gross !!!????? nah!!! Its called Power of Imagination!!!!!

PS: For reading the man spambox..http://3pinhole.blogspot.com/

My next Tattoo!!!

2009-05-02T05:41:00.001-07:00

This is what my next tattoo is going to be. Its something that is profound and means a lot to me. Its something i believe in.

It reads :

JISKE SIR UPPAR TU SWAMI

SO DUKH KAISA PAAWEY

Meaning: The one who you guard, wont have to worry about anything else.

April Review!

2009-05-02T01:28:00.000-07:00

Summer tyyyme....Its that time of the year when you cant do anything..you cant help but stay indoors...its so freaking hot outside that you dont even feel like going out.... at all...not even to get booze....

April was just a trailer of what weather gods have in store for me i think. And if im reading the signs correctly, its gonna be more sweat and more beer.

So here is my review of last month.

They say "Health is Wealth"....so first and foremost my resolution will be to a) maintain my weight in double digits this year and b) to get back to a moderate 36 inch waist line...maybe by end of Q2-09 --> The kgs are still in double digit, bt its the beer belly that im worried about. Long working hours arent helping either.
To be a regular face @ the gym/Ball park -->Something which needs a lil attention i feel...from playing everyday to playing every alternate day to playing whenever i get time!?!?!?!?! Its gonna go down the drain unless i do something about it..hmmm
To abstain myself from drinking BEER/RUMS/VODKA/AERIATED DRINKS...I guess that means i'll have to live on WHISKY and SCOTCH ;) --> It was a BAD BAD month...drank like a fish...Beer, Beer and more Beer...Need to turn down couple of invitations...or need to "not" drink on weekdays...or need to "not" go out and drink.
To "not-to" feast on any food buffets this year --> This i feel is undercontrol...partially cuz of the weather...partially due to me being a vegetarian or in other words..not finding the buffets worth the money..hmmm..
To try and be a vegetarian this year..-->4 months!!?!???? WOW!!!!!…i guess ive accepted myself as a vegetarian..wait till i go out for a party or something
To do a lil more travelling, take a week off every quarter and visit all the nearest place or hill stations or explore new places locally. --> Nothing on this front..life has been pretty boring.... I dont expect anything from May too. ..Again its a mix of being very Hot outside, not having a car and work pressures.
To file for immigration this year. --> Did checked with coupla friends...got suggestions, need to visit couple of consultants.
To finally buy a book and start preparing for GMAT and IAS services(both extremes i know) --> Nothing here too...too busy i guess...
To, inshah-allah, continue my travelling streak abroad --> Is it gonna happen????
To save some money and eventually bring my loan account down -->Have to take care of some other important/pressing things...will see how it goes..
To try and be the same energetic and enthusiastic person that i was coupla years back. --> On track
To "not-to" forget birthdays this year and make sure that atleats a call/text is made/sent---> Was a good month...i AM social again :)

TJ!!

2009-04-25T22:17:00.000-07:00

This is my main man TJ doing the thang ...

He is Sachin Tendulkar of Indian Basketball...and the winner of the first ever dunk competition held in India. Well, he was the joint winner. He @ 6 foot shared the trophy with S.Robinson(6 foot 7 inches) from Tamil Nadu.

Here is he doing the thing for the crowd. As you can hear, ppl zimbly love him

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0oDAbozck0

Scary Thought!!!!

2009-04-17T09:35:00.001-07:00

I wonder whats more scarier..a Girlfriend finding out that her boyfriend is having a an affair with another chick OR a Girlfriend finding out that her boyfriend is having an affair with a guy? :p

Sufi Rock

2009-04-10T23:37:00.000-07:00

I’m sure all of you would have heard some kind of Sufi song in your life. Different people have different meaning and understanding of what Sufi songs are. To some they are the songs who talk about GOD and his love. To some its something which talks about GOD and love. To me its something which you can hear or sing for both GOD and your beloved. You can use the same lyrics to praise/please your GOD or your lover. To me that’s the magnum opus in writing.

For example: Lagi tumse man ki lagan or Sanson ki mala pe , simroon main pee ka naam or Teri Diwani….

I guess being an Indian and knowing both languages i.e. Hindi and Punjabi helps me a great deal when it comes to finding this connection.

But I was pleasantly surprised when it came to English songs. The so called ROCK Legends have done the same. Well atleast to me it fits the bill of Sufi Song :)

And the song in question here is “Nothing else matters” by Metallica. The name itself tells you a gr8 deal about the song and then the following lyrics.

Trust I seek and I find in you

Every day for us something new

Open mind for a different view

and nothing else matters