If

If I was a gardener,
I would have cleared the weeds of envy and egocentricity

If I was an artist,
I would have wiped out the colors of rues and miseries

If I was a firefighter,
I would have never extinguished a spark called hope

If I was a mason,
I would have laid the bricks of education, empowerment and enrichment

If I was a teacher,
I would have never taught the words synonymous to corruption

If I was a writer,
I would have effaced terrorism from my readers’ minds

If I was a politician,
I would have strived to build a Utopia in my country

Alas, I am just another programmer
Designing her software called Life to match the entire IF conditions

50, Not Out

It took nearly a year to get my half century(50th blog), I have a make of a good test player (Are the selectors listening???) Well, what should I put down on paper? May be about some random thoughts that have crossed my mind while I write these lines.

I was quite elated when India won the match yesterday. Somewhere, I had this sixth sense that India is going to win the first test match, and indeed we did. Kudos to Sehwag for he laid a solid foundation. “Well begun is indeed half done!!!” Little master gave a perfect finale, hence proving that “All’s well that ends well!!!”.

I have completed reading the following books - Almost Single by Advaita Kala, Manual Of The Warrior Of Light and Like A Flowing River by Paulo Coelho. I just got carried away by the synopsis of Almost Single. Its just another potboiler which can make a perfect Bollywood script for the multiplex audiences. Not because I am bigoted about Mr Coelho, the latter books were quite inspirational and can be termed as must read.

Most of my friends feel that I have only poignant tales to convey through my verses. I am a very optimistic person but my compositions prove me otherwise. It calls for some retrospection, introspection and correction and what a perfect way to start them as the New Year is round the corner.

It’s time to go back and figure out how the year 2008 has been. It’s been a kind of mixed bag, with moments of grief and glee going hand in hand. Recent untoward incidents at the security and economic levels reinstated the fact that “Nothing is permanent in this world apart from Death!!!”

I am looking forward for the Xmas holidays to spend some quality time with my kith and kin. There are some plans for a school reunion, but not sure whether it could ever work out. Anyway, keeping my fingers crossed.

2009 is just 1382400 seconds away. Before signing off, a few lines:-

The current year will be gone
As another year beckons
Its time to make amendments and corrections
To chalk out new plans and resolutions

A new year brings in new hopes
New hurdles to cross, new challenges to cope
Its time to curb all tensions and fear
To make 2009 a fruitful, peaceful and prosperous year

Fear

I venture out after a long time
And I feel a chill down my spine
I see visions of brutal, barbarous warfare
Humankind yearning for peace, love and care

I leave for my workplace
With a feel of uncertainty I need to face
I see visions of idling and state of no job
Thwarted, tormented, discontented mob

I decide to take a relationship ahead
A fear of commitment creeps in my head
I see visions of kinship gone bust
Love long lost, no respect, no trust

The fear, the fright grows on me
I ceased to be what I used to be

A Citizen's Plea

Nearly a dozen terrorists crossed the sea
Reached Mumbai, started their shooting spree
Police, loaded with lathis and artilleries quite old
Became mute spectators, unable to hold

The mayhem that rocked the nation
Began with a gory onslaught at the CST station
Soon Taj, Trident and Nariman House were captured
And its inmates were confined and tortured

Few others became victims of weaponry skills
NSG commandos were brought to end this impair
One militant caught and rest were killed
After sixty hours of explosions and gunfire

The media was on a competitive race
To forge ahead in their respective space
Pak had a role in this nerve wracking play
Is all that the government had to say

People across India is seeking an explanation
What government will do for its nation?
Citizens, currently in a state of shock and sorrow
Need a terror free, peaceful and secure tomorrow

Concerns of a Clueless Citizen

Last 3 days have been horrendous. There are no words to describe the trauma that the financial capital had to go through. It exposed the gullibility of out security measures and the lack of concern from our so called democratic government. I salute those brave soldiers for their chivalrous act and my sincere and heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.

The coverage and courage of the media need to be lauded but they did go overboard sometimes by giving contradicting reports about the number of death tolls, number of terrorists etc. One news channel reported about Israel going to sever ties with India because of the way the NSG carried out its operation at Nariman House. To the government of Israel, how should it be carried out?

Another news channel carried information about “disturbed” Amitabh Bachan having to sleep with a gun under his pillow. So what? He has his best brother, his savior Mr Amar Singh. By the way, where was Mr Singh? Went into a shell or were you discussing how to politicize this entire terror tamasha?

There was long silence from our very much erudite Prime Minister, Mr Manmohan Singh and our very own home minister, Mr Shivraj Patil. What were they waiting for? Mrs Sonia Gandhi to give a green signal? Where was our “mute” President? (Oh, I forgot her name!!!). Is she aware that Mumbai is a part of this subcontinent called India?

Mr Narendra Modi, I didn’t know that life of an officer is only worth one crore!!! What about those innocent souls who were held hostage and killed by terrorists? Mr L K Advani, thanks for visiting Mumbai and blaming the intelligence. We are aware that the intelligence did not even have a clue that a mission of this intensity is being planned out in some other part of the world. Well, Mr Raj Thackeray, you must be a completely relieved person, for the terrorists had flushed out more non Indians (read non Maharashtrians).

This year, India has been a target for large number of terror attacks. But what measures have been taken for a secure future? It was appalling sight to see Mumbai policemen trying to encounter the loaded terrorists with lathis!!! 5 star hotels like Taj and Trident should be having a decent security, but how come these terrorists were able to infiltrate with arms and ammunitions without being caught? They came by boat from Karachi, but how come our Naval radar could not capture it? How are we sure that the entire terrorists behind the attacks have been killed? It’s quite possible that they dressed themselves as hostages and escaped unhurt.

What’s going to be the outcome of this episode? Is it going to be another such incident which will be forgiven, forgotten and wrapped up by so called Mumbai spirit? It’s not only Mumbai, in fact any city or town in India is vulnerable. Can a citizen like you and I move around without fear of unwarranted death?

It’s time for us to awake, arise and make India a place “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high” as indited by Rabindranath Tagore.

The Biggest Mistake Of My Life

I just completed reading the book “the 3 mistakes of my life” by Chetan Bhagat only to realize that I have done the biggest blunder of my life.



The 3 mistakes of my life would be recapitulated as

1) Buying the book
2) Reading it
3) Now, reviewing it

People who have already read and appreciated the book, I salute you. People who have already read and share the same feelings as mine, I sympathize with you. People who are planning to read, my sincere advice is to stay away from it.

To the author of “Five point someone”, I am totally dejected and disappointed reading your last two books.

Mr Agnihotri, are you listening? There is a scope for yet another “Hello”!!! Mr Bhagat, I guess its time for you pen your thoughts for some scrap Bollywood movies.

Vaarnam Aayiram – No Varnam At All !!!

Well, well, well. What should I write about this movie? If K3G was all about loving your parents, this is about loving your dad (in fact an overdose of it). One suggestion to Mr Gautham Vasudev Menon, the movie should have been released on Father’s Day. The director made a film of three hours to convey a vital message of "Smoking is injurious to health" [:-)]

I won't completely write off the movie because there were some moments which simply took my breath away. The director has brought out spanking new ideas of expressing love and I must say they were really eye catching and worth experimenting!!!

It's out and out Surya movie and he has done complete justice to the dual characters of father and son. Among the leading ladies, Simran is outstanding, Sameera looks stunning (she is completely covered up this time [;-)]) and Divya totally out of sync.

It’s worth one time watch. If you are hard core Surya fan, you will never complain. Still wondering why Surya got those 6 packs!!!. If you can reason out, do let me know as well.

Sat(isying)(O)urDay

Weekends always have been days to be spent with my nephew, my little toddler. But this weekend he was not around, so I decided to devote these two days for friends, fun, frolic and films.

On Saturday, H, M, A & I gave lunch a miss to watch a movie at Inox, Swagath Garuda Mall, Jayanagar. Because of A's perpetual custom of being always on phone, we missed the first 5 minutes of the movie. Anyway, the movie was worth the skip over as well as the penny spent.

On the evening, the ex-lunch gang decided to meet up for dinner. I had moved out from the organization a way back while the others continue to be a part of it. Though we have been in constant touch through mails and mobile, it’s been months, rather years since I had met most of them. The decided venue and time was Ebony on the 13th Floor at Barton Center, M G Road at about 7pm. Blot from the blue was that everyone showed up on time. Time brings a lot of professionalism in people. I must say, if this get together was organized a few years back, nobody would have turned up till half past eight. We had three good hours of ingestion, conversation and discussion before parting ways at 10.30pm.



We decided to meet again when there would be an additional member in the group and that day is not too far away. 22nd November was one of the most satisfying and soul-stirring Saturday that I ever had this year.

To Sir With Love by E.R Braithwaite

It’s a good read and I must say few sections really caught my attention.

“Don’t fall into the habit of bringing work home. It indicates a lack of planning, and you would eventually find yourself stuck indoors every night”.

It hit the nail on the head. I bring work home and find myself stuck indoors most of the times. I am now trying to break that shackle and explore the world outside.

The next appealing snippet is dedicated to all the populace who is or will be teacher.

“Teaching is like having a bank account. You can happily draw on it while it is well supplied with new funds; otherwise you’re in difficulties.

Every teacher should have a fund of ready information on which to draw; he should keep the fund supplied regularly by new experiences, new thoughts and discoveries, by reading and moving around among people from whom he can acquire such things.”

I need to watch the movie, provided I get the CD. Hope it does full justice to the book.

What should I do?

Reclining on my chair, wondering how the day turned out to be. It was just another day when nothing exceptional happened. I had considerable concentration and hence was able to complete lots of pending activities. As I was about close for the day, I got a mail from a friend after a very long time. Felt good, in fact ecstatic. To remember someone during so called hectic schedule is indeed a great gesture. Thank you my friend.

I had used all kind of medium to keep in touch with this particular friend of mine. But the responses from the other end were not consistent and timely.

My faltered ego stops me from replying.

What should I do?

November 14th – Kuch Khatte Kuch Meete Pal

My friend’ birthday falls on November 14th also known as Children’s Day or Chacha Nehru’s birthday. I have been wishing him for the past few years. I did the same thing this time too, but alas my call was never answered. He never returned me a call too. It did irk me big time. The middle class mentality of losing out some cash for returning calls is still persistent among us. Anyway I won’t give up and will continue to do the generous act of remembering and wishing friends/relatives on their birthdays and D-days. On a lighter note, I spoke to another friend of mine to remind him about our common friend’s birthday, he just said “Hey did you realize something? November 14th is exactly nine months after Valentine’s Day!!!”. I couldn’t quite suppress the famed sardonic grin.

This day, I was running down the memory lane and felt quite nostalgic. November 14th was always celebrated with lot of fervor and ebullience during my schooling days. It was the only day when students were allowed to wear dresses of their choice. It was day when students exhibited their talents and were awarded for their excellence in extra curricular activities. All of them used to wait for this Red letter day.

I called up my Chemistry teacher. I was not sure whether she will remember me as it has been more than a decade since I have caught up with her. I wasn’t a bad student, rather a very obedient, disciplined one. I dialed her number and said “Hello ma’am. I am X, do you remember me?”. She said “Of course, how are you? How is your sister doing?”. I was totally taken aback because my sister was two years senior to me. Also, she enquired whether I still have a thin frame or have I gained few pounds.

She was quite ecstatic and excited to speak to an old student. She has taken a brief hiatus from teaching to spend more time with her family. She assured me that next time if she happens to be in Bangalore, she will definitely meet me. I could feel the horripilate, for this was the best Children’s Day I ever had. Thank you Ma’am, you played one of the key roles for what I am and where I am today. The world needs more teachers like you.

In the evening, I headed for home, sweet home to make it more special for my parents - my creators, my greatest pillars of strength.

All that I want

I want redemption

From monotony
From humdrum life
From being led
From norms and rules

I want freedom

To live life my way
To explore new avenues
To speak my mind
To feel free

I want to feel

The piquant, musky odor of the earth
The thirst of the fiery, devouring fire
The soothing, solacing touch of the air
The sound of the vivacious, illimitable ocean

I want to break

The vicious cycle that I am a part of
Figure out the purpose of my life
And translate them into actions

Am I asking for too much?

Chasing dreams!!!

I am sitting back, sipping a coffee, gawking at my monitor and reading the lines by Paulo Coelho – “Follow your dreams, Transform your life!!!”.


















These brought back fond memories of my friend who exactly did what these lines said. I had a long conversation with him some days back. He is quite happy and contented with life.

He gave up his lucrative job to pursue his interest in sound editing. Nowadays his name is seen in almost all the Bollywood films. He took the biggest risk in life and it paid off in the end.

Chasing dreams is not a bad idea at all. Thank you my friend. Your life will be indeed an eye opener for many of us.

For all the dreamers out there, just a suggestion:-
You have two simple choices: Go back to sleep and dream or wake up and chase those dreams!!!

Oops!! He does it again

He calls, he messages, he mails
Takes her for numerous dates
She gets impressed with his heroic tales
Unaware that she is yet another bait

Whenever a decision has to be made
Of what is in store for him and her
He has an uncanny knack to evade
Leaving her clueless and nowhere

His acts and his dillydallies
Are well backed by relatives and allies
They need to recollect the popular say
That every dog has a day

Hey!! the gullible, innocent souls
Remember, its for your own gain
In cyberspace, he is on constant prowl
Beware and be aware before he does it again

Note: The character in this verse is purely fictional. Resemblance to any person living or dead is quite coincidental.

The ShawShank Redemption

The ShawShank Redemption has been one of my favorite movies. The movie was based on a novel by Stephen King. I have been searching the novel for a while, but all my efforts proved futile. Today luck seems to have favored me. I got a link to the E-book. Thought of sharing the same with all the fellow netizens who got inspired and entertained by this critically acclaimed movie.

Rita Hayworth And The ShawShank Redemption

It’s really worth reading!!!

Unforgivable Sin!!!

Khaled Hosseini in his book "The Kite Runner" mentions theft as the most unforgivable sin. He perfectly penned it as below:-

"When you kill a man, you steal a life. When you tell a lie, you steal someone's right to the truth. When you cheat, you steal the right to fairness. There is no act more wretched than stealing."

Back with a Bang

Just back from a lovely but exhaustive vacation – What did I actually do??

Catching up with my relatives (bringing smiles onto their faces), playing with my nephew (being a kid all over again!!!), spending hours talking to my family about my current state of affairs (of heart ???), gobbling some lip smacking dishes (committing 1 of the 7 sins), catching one’s breath after a very long time.

Moments that I experienced last few days are indeed priceless and will be cherished forever. I feel completely rejuvenated and refreshed. I am now Back with a Bang!!!

Irony called Fate!!!

This incident might raise a chuckle or two … Has it ever occurred in your life when a person who has rejected you comes back to you after few years? How can a person considered to be mismatch for him/her becomes Ms/Mr Perfect to be called his/her better half??

Anyway, as saying goes “Life never gives you second chances!!!” Is he/she worthy for the rule to be broken?

I need your take on this irony called Fate!!!

Hell BRAKE Lose

Through a jam packed road
The vehicle staggered with upmost speed
Though the brakes were screeching and shrieking
It was not functional at the hour of need

Soon it turned to be

An evening of action packed drama
An evening of extreme helpless state
An evening of trembles and shivers
An evening when we resigned to fate

An evening of complete pandemonium
An evening when hell did BRAKE lose
An evening that one will never forget
An evening when death had plenty to choose

But destiny had other plans
And we survived the calamitous mishap

Paulo Coelho - A Philosopher & A Guide

I have been reading a lot of books by Paulo Coelho nowadays: - Eleven minutes, Veronika decides to die, Fifth mountain and Brida. Some thoughts that I found interesting in these works:-

Sometimes you get no second chance and that it’s best to accept the gifts the world offers you.
[Eleven Minutes]

The strongest love is the love that can demonstrate its fragility.
[Eleven Minutes]

The great problem with poisoning by bitterness was that the passions - hatred, love, despair, enthusiasm, curiosity - also ceased to manifest themselves. After a while, the embittered person felt no desire at all. They lacked the will either to live or to die, that was the problem.
[Veronika Decides To Die]

What we hold now the name is the one which was given by our parents when we born. We need to find out our own name dealing with the circumstances we live in. Using the light we received, the knowledge we accumulated and situations we face we have to find out our name. In another words, our names should reflect our goals.
[Fifth Mountain]

When we put off the harvest, the fruit rots,
But when we put off our problems, they keep on growing.
[Fifth Mountain]

Life is about making mistakes. Cells went on reproducing themselves in exactly the same way for millions of years until one of them made a mistake, and introduced change into that endless cycle of repetition.
[Brida]

An Ode to a Friend

The music that you play
The smile that you display
The trait that you portray
And into my life you did foray

Remember, the day when we first met
Foundation for a sound friendship was set
We kept losing touch and losing contact
But fate continued to play his generous act

Friend, I see in you my philosopher, my guide
Whenever I need you, you are by my side
To my fantasies and my dreams, you have all the ears
I can open up with you on my happiness and fears

You have been a true friend and continue that way
My life would be vacuous if you ever went away!!!

Envy

When the wrong triumphs the right,
When nothing seems to suffice.
A feeling grows on like a parasite,
It’s envy ... an evil in disguise.

This devil is of perennial kind,
And the victim becomes quite fazed.
As righteous paths are left behind,
And perfidious means are embraced.

When the success it yields starts to fade,
And the pleasures it generate soon jade,
The victim gets heavily paid
For its hard to clear the follies those have been made.

Tried v/s Tired

Slight changes in the position of alphabets in the words “Tried and Tired”, make a lot of difference in the sentences constructed using them. A spider taught Robert Bruce to “If at first you don't succeed, try try again”. Had the spider given up by saying “I am tired”, Robert Bruce would have never won the battle against the English.

My activities during the last few weeks reiterated the importance of Tried over Tired. “3 Ps – Patience, Perseverance and Persistence” are the major keys to success. If you continue to persevere with lots of patience and persist what you have learnt in the entire process, you will succeed in your life, no matter what obstacles obscure your path.

Thought provoking lines from Paulo Coelho

That which is funny about man

By Paulo Coelho

A disciple asked Hejasi:
- I want to know what is the most funny thing about human beings.

Hejasi said:

- That they always think crooked: they’re in a hurry to grow, then lament their lost childhood, and soon loose the money they need to keep their health.

- They are so anxious about the future, that they neglect the present, and thus live in neither the present nor the future.

- They live as if they were never going to die, and die as if they had never lived.

Decision

What more can I say,
It has always been one way
Now, I have decided to stay away,
And consider others that come my way.

I have given him countless chances,
Waited for long for those passionate glances
Days just passed by,
Never did I get a suitable reply.

I have been waiting all this while,
For a relationship that was so futile
Soon I made up my mind,
To move on and not to bind.

What more can I say,
I never knew it will end up this way!!!

London Dreams

27th July - Day 1
----------------------
27th July was the day when I boarded the flight to London from Bangalore. Prognosticating that the security check would be exacting and exasperatingly difficult, I took a cab at 1.30 am in the morning for a 6.45 am flight. This is the first time I was visiting the new airport. All the processes got over in less than an hour. Sitting all alone, I whiled away my time by reading "Veronika decides to die". But soon, exhaustion took over me. I ended up sleeping till 6am. It's at this time when I heard a voice calling me from behind. It happened to be that of my long lost friend. He was boarding the same flight, though his destination was USA.

All through the 10 hour journey we did a lot of catching up. We also tried interviewing each other. It was quite interesting and gratifying. To give my mouth some rest, I saw a calamitous movie called "Laga chunari mein daag". It really put my mind to test!!! One of the steward onboard seemed quite impressive. Eventually we managed to break the ice with him.

We reached London by 12.15pm GMT. I discovered that the roaming was not activated on my cell (Airtel sucks big time!!!). Luckily I could make a call to my cousin informing her about my arrival using my friend's phone. He & I took a couple of snaps together. He bid adieu and he rushed to catch his next flight to US. I followed the crowd and managed to get all the formalities done very quickly.














[My friend & I @ Heathrow Airport]

Then, came the long wait. I could neither find my cousin nor the cab driver. I tried to ring her up but the calls were not going through. Later I met an Indian guy (airport staff) and took his mobile and gave her a ring. She was already in the airport by then looking out for me. Due to miscommunication between her and the cab driver, we had to wait another 1 hour for him. The cab driver happened to be an Indian too. He had been in London for the past 50 years. He seemed to be very enterprising guy.

We reached the hotel at about 4.30 pm GMT. Took a quick shower and left for some sight seeing - St Paul’s Cathedral, London Bridge. Bought an Oyster card (common card for trams, tubes and buses)to travel around London. Felt really good being a part of the Sunday mass at St Paul’s Cathedral. London Bridge reminded me of the old rhyme recited at school (London Bridge is falling down :-)). Night was spent at my cousin's house at East Croydon. Fatigue soon conquered me as Day 1 made a slow but steady exit.

[St Pauls Cathedral]

28th July - Day2
--------------------
The day I need to go to the new office located at Snow Hill. At 7.30 am, I called up a colleague over here, enquiring about the office's location. I should have apologized for waking him up but I didn’t do that. May be my Indian mentality of taking every(thing/one) for granted refrained me from doing so. I reached office at about 8.30am. I was the first one to arrive. Soon, others arrived. I learnt from them that in UK office, people have an option to work from home. Hence, I got to meet only few of my colleagues.

During the lunch time, my colleagues took me out for lunch. The topic of discussion was kids. This is when one of my colleagues asked me "Do you have kids?". My instant answer was "I am not married". Ghosh, I thought and I continued with a smirk on my face "I don't have kids either" ;)

My cousin joined me in the evening and we decided to explore the Tower Bridge. We roamed around. Mr. Sunny gave us company till 10pm. Poor chap, being summer, he needs to do overtime everyday!!! We had Subs for dinner and decided to call it a day. We parted and proceeded to our own destinations. Jetlagged that I was, I got up at 2am. I forced myself to sleep for further few hours.

[London Bridge]














29th July - Day3
----------------------
The day, when I met another long lost friend. He was my ex-colleague and neighbor. I just mailed him and he happened to work near my office. We decided to meet after office hours at Oxford Circus tube station. We met at around 7pm and walked down the streets of Oxford Circus and Bond Street. These are the major shopping centers in London. The places were crowded, clustered and cramped. I realized - Everywhere, the women are the same, shopping binge seems to be in their blood ;)

To avoid the crowd, we decided to do some sight seeing and catching up. So we took a tube to Waterloo and walked down to London Eye. We saw Big Ben and IMax. My cousin was supposed to join us, but she could not as she was loaded with work. In the park, it was amazing to see people playing guitar/singing/tap dancing for their living. The tap dance was prodigious. People were enjoying his steps but they were stingy when it came to payment ;). At last, an Indian family made the first move. Generosity was overflowing as each member in the family paid the tap dancer. I felt a little proud at that moment.

My friend asked me "Hey, why don't you pay that guy". I replied "If I do, I need to dance next week as I am on a stringent budget. I won’t be able to draw the crowd the way this guy could." Mr. Sunny was in a hurry that day. Guess, he got a call from his house. So my friend and I decided to part. I reached my hotel around 10.20pm. I was not feeling sleepy, so I switched on the TV. Nothing interesting was being aired. Instead I watched "Kismat Konnection" in my laptop. It was a good movie because it did put me into sleep ;)

30th July - Day4
----------------------
My cousin & I decided to visit Buckingham Palace after office hours. Infact, Queen sent us an invite, so didnt want to let her down. Around 7.15pm we reached the palace. In the park, people were strolling, slackening (and what not ;)) after a very hectic day. Unfortunately we didn't carry the invite and were not allowed inside. We tried hard to gate crash, but luck was not gracious enough. Took a couple of snaps and decided to explore Queensway(the place where I am put up).

[Gate Crashers]














Queensway is indeed a good place for shopping. You name it, they have it. Since, we were not ready with the list of things to purchase, we decided not to explore further. Soon, we retired for the day. On the lighter note, this day I had a chance to chat with my friend in India. He asked me "How is London? Hot or cold?". I replied "It's hot". He asked "Why?". I answered "I am here. I am too hot to handle". His instant repartee was "Are you the reason behind Global Warming?"

Much Ado About Nothing!!!

Apart from the great Indian political tamasha, another news that caught public attention was the scuffle between 2 of the greatest Bollywood stars. I wonder what is there to be written so much about them. Its just some gimmicks played to be in the spotlight. I was surfing was the net and was really surprised, rather shocked to see the number of responses from the net users supporting their favorite Khan.

All I have to say to netizens is

“It’s a mere waste to figure out
Who is wrong and who is right,
Because they love, they fight,
Just to be in the limelight”

Slumber

The stars have conquered the night
The moon shines with all its might
Crickets at its rattling best
Bats on its nocturnal zest

The bed says its time to repose
The pillow says its time to draw close
The clock says a new day is about to break
And still you are wide awake???

The system gives a droopy look
TV says take me off the hook
A friend wants to be in my dream
And still I continued with this theme

Soon, signaling with the battle of my eyes
The deep slumber beckoned me

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

In your daily life, you run into
The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Hard to judge what they are upto
For they are neither normal nor crazy!!!

The Eyes

Every time I look into your eyes,
I am absolutely bemused
The glow that is there in your eyes,
Is quite acute and overtly profused.

Your eyes give myriad expressions
As they tell variegated narrations
Of felicity, of vexations
Of hatred, of passion.

Your eyes, the window to your heart
Tell me how esthetic you are deep inside
Wish they tell me to be with you and not to part
It's where I would like to, forever reside.

Quest!!!

I am on a ceaseless ...

Quest for exemption
Quest for incarceration

Quest for tranquility
Quest for commotion

Quest for prominence
Quest for obscurity

Quest for passion
Quest for antipathy

In the process of unveiling the enshrouded panoramas of life ...

Wise OtherWise

With time, we gain wisdom. But thats not the case for me. I am now 2 short of wisdom, on the verge of losing the 3rd one. Yesterday I consulted this with a medical practitioner. He explained the situation as a rare one in the medical history. Trust me, its quite difficult to continue sans wisdom :)

Daud

No, I am not going to write the review of Mr Ram Gopala Verma's disastrous movie. Its about me, about my life … Last 3 decades, gave me fair share of happiness and sadness, and like a phoenix I always rose from the ashes. Trust me, this will take some time to be completed.
Before I divulge any more details, I would like to mention the following :- All characters in this blog are not fictional. Resemblance to any one living or dead is quite intentional.
Now, why this title? Because, I am in a incessant marathon :- Run for name, fame, wealth!!! I am also racing against time, senescing graciously.
What is it in this blog? Its about 3 phases of my life, the learnings and the contributors.

My lost acquaintance

I owe a lot to my friend who conduced a lot to what I am today. I was very awry about using computers. He unknowingly instilled the courage and confidence that made me realize my dreams.

Time has created so much distance between us. I completely forgot his birthday. Thanks to Orkut.

Dear friend,
Advance birthday wishes to you and a wonderful year ahead!!! Regards to your wife & parents!!!

A new beginning ...

Its time to say adieu
And to start afresh and new
Need to tread quite fast
And leave behind a stalking past

Confidence to be pepped up
Spirits to be kept up
Through unknown terrain I need to glide
Enjoying moments of the adventurous ride!!!

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde!!!

I always advocated the fact that nobody is bad, circumstances make them behave certain way. But perception is not reality in case of humankind. In tough and really challenging situations one get to see the darker, the uglier side of mankind. There is a Mr Hyde concealed in all of us.
"What one see
Is not what (s)he has to be!!!"

The Edge...

The movie starring Anthony Hopkins, Alec Baldwin is one that I can never stop watching. Whenever I am down, I just watch it and get rejuvenated.

Its is a story of two men struggling to survive in the wilderness after their plane crashes. Their only chance for survival is each other. This film has some of the best dialogue and the action scenes are beautifully paced.

Some thought provoking dialogues are

Why is the rabbit unafraid? 'Cause he's smarter than the panther.

For all my life, I've have wanted to do something that was, um, that was unequivocal.

You know, I once read an interesting book which said that, uh, most people lost in the wilds, they, they die of shame.
What?
Yeah, see, they die of shame.
What did I do wrong? How could I have gotten myself into this? And so they sit there and they... die. Because they didn't do the one thing that would save their lives.
And what is that, Charles?
Thinking.

I seem to be able to retain all these facts, but putting them to any useful purpose is a different matter.

What are we going to do Charles?
What are we going to do?
We're going to kill the bear.
What do we use for bait?
We lure him in. You know, Masai boys in Africa, eleven years old-- they kill lions with spears.
Uh huh... how do we lure him?And what one can do, another can do.You can't kill the bear, Charles! He's... he's... he's... been ahead of us the whole time! He's playing with us, he can read out minds.
He...What one can do, another can do! You coward! Do you want to die out here? Do you?! Do you hear me?! I'm going to kill the bear... say it!I...Say it! I'm going to kill the bear. Say it!I'm going to kill the bear.
I'm going to kill the bear!What one can do, another can do!What one can do, another can do!

...I never knew anyone who did actually change their life. I'll tell you what... I'm going to start my life over!

How did they die?
Those men died... saving my life.

7th Heaven

The other day, the significance of number 7 was hashed out.
7 has to be a lucky number, else how can we have ...
7 days a week
7 colors of the rainbow
7 seas
7 stars
7 sins
7 virtues
7 wonders of the world
7 notes of music ???
Give it a thought, you might be able to add more to this list.

You ...

I have been alone all the while
And when my eyes caught you
Its then I did realize
Long wait has come to an end too

Whenever you pass by me
My heart skips a beat
All dreams that I see
Are about you and your feats

I can not further suppress
My feelings for you
I have no words to express
How much I need and love you

The Clandestine Truth

Is it really love?
Is it just a passing feeling?
Not quite certain
About our current being

Why are we still diffident?
When everything is so evident!
Together we have been for a decade
Still why this false facade?

Those riveting moments
Those anguishing torments
The essence of being together
We owe a lot to each other

Its time to unwind
Lets vent out our mind
I know you are my choice
And I need to know your voice

The young maestro

Had an opportunity to spend the Sunday evening with my friend, nicknamed as the young maestro. He had been giving concerts since childhood days, and it’s nearing decade that I have cognized him, but still I never got to hear him play. Yesterday luck seemed to favor me. The young maestro played some awesome tracks – bhajans, carnatic & filmi. Each of the tracks outdid the other. In a gist I would describe the performances as

A voice so thrilling ne'er was heard
In spring-time from the Cuckoo-bird,
Breaking the silence of the seas
Among the farthest Hebrides

A small word about the maestro - He is an incredible, immensely talented person. The best lineament about him is being very earthy. He will surely go places!!!

The K factor

I have been with this organization for the last 1 year. I got a chance to work with some exciting and intriguing souls. Among them, one person's unparallel dedication and diligence actuated me the most. The K factor that changed my beliefs, my judgements.

Each moment spent with K was an eye opener for me. Being from a development background, I was always prejudiced that testing was an additional overhead.

K flummoxed me with her incisive ability to decipher glitches in the developed code. During discussions, she always came up with intricate details about the features being developed.

In the last 1 year, my view about testing took a dramatic 180 degree turn. I am now completely convinced by the fact that without getting the complete buying from the testing team, no product should ever reach the customer.

31st January was K's last working day in the organization. She has moving on to a new phase in her life.

K ...
Its heartrending, now that you have gone away,
But I have some respite when I am realize you are just a call away ...

Thanks ... you have indeed an invaluable place in my life.

The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Recently I went through this book: - The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It’s just a simple fable highlighting one main point: - Follow your dreams. It has full of inspiring thoughts which suggests how one can learn new things from whatever one has got. Learning is an ongoing process and at every juncture, one gets to learn something new.

** Some excerpt from the book that’s pretty thought provoking **
Everyone seems to have a clear idea of how other people should leave their lives, but none about his or her own

That at a certain pointy in our lives, we lose control of what's happening to us, and our lives become controlled by fate. That's the world's greatest lie.

Everyone, when they are young, knows what their destiny is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their destiny.

If you start out by promising what you don't even have yet, you'll lose your desire to work toward getting it.

It's called the principle of favorability. When you play cards the first time, you are almost sure to win. Beginner's luck.

Because there is a force that wants you to realize your destiny; it whets your appetite with a taste of success.

The secret of happiness is to see all the marvels of the world, and never forget the drops of oil on the spoon.

When you want something, the entire universe conspires in helping you to achieve it.

Both you and I needed to cleanse our minds of negative thoughts.

I don't want to change anything, because I don't know how to deal with change. I'm used to the way I am.

Every blessing ignored becomes a curse.

Imagine if everyone went around transforming lead into gold. Gold would lose its value.

Because I don’t live in either my past or my future. I'm interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you'll be a happy man.
Life will be a party for you, a grand festival; because life is the moment we're living right now.

When he looked into her dark eyes, and saw that her lips were poised between a laugh and silence, he learned the most important part of the language that all the world spoke - the language that everyone on the earth was capable to understanding in their heart. It was love.

When you are in love, things make ever more sense, he thought.

Actually, it wasn't that those things, in themselves, revealed anything at all; it was just that people, looking at what was occurring around them, could find a means of penetration to the Soul of the World.

Remember that wherever your heart is, there you will find your treasure. You've got to find the treasure, so that everything you learned along that way can make sense.

You must understand that love never keeps a man from pursuing his destiny. If he abandons that pursuit, it's because it was true love ... the love that speaks the Language of the World.

Well, then, why should I listen to my heart?
Because you will never again be able to keep it quiet. Even if you pretend not to have heard what it tells you, it will always be there inside you, repeating to you what you're thinking about life and about the world.

Every search begins with beginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor’s is severely tested.

When you possess great treasures within you, and try to tell others of them, seldom are you believed.

Men have never understood the words of the wise. So gold, instead of being seen as a symbol of evolution, became the basis for conflict.

Everything that happens once can never happen again. But everything that happens twice will surely happen a third time.

No project is completed until its objective has been achieved.

It's true; life is generous to those who pursue their destiny.

Grab a copy today. Get enthused and enlightened!!!

(I do) + '(I do)

As the New Year commence, I am caught between devil and deep sea … My heart say to say “I do” while my head says otherwise ...

To do or not to do, that’s the question!!!