2009

A little bit of grin, a little bit of whine
That sums up my take on the year 2009

A cherished dream made it through
As perseverance and patience got its due

Fate almost tied me down
But I managed to evade the drown

Few relations busted and lost the track
As distance added more ruptures and cracks

As year goes... A new one commences
Marking memories and moments as references!

A Brief Preview of Quarterly Review

Every industry has a process to review the employees, based on which they are promoted or demoted, given pay hikes or the pink slips. Software industry in a way is no exception to this process. Each IT company has their own set of objectives / yardsticks to measure an employee’s performance. Appraisal or the Quarterly Review is a forum where you get to say/hear the "white" lies.

The process commences with the employees doing self appraisal or review. An elaborate explanation should be provided for each of the rating against the pre defined objectives. That’s indeed a marvelous, mind-boggling task! This is the time when the employee gets to say the white lies while rating his/her performance. Now here is the twist - Can a person deliver "beyond expectations"? If that’s the case, then why is he/she still in the same organization doing the same work for the last few years?

My friend recently commented that in today’s scenario, getting a work completed on time is itself a case of delivering beyond expectations. She finds that the new comers are more interested in working on their looks that kills than on programming skills!

Lesson no 1 – Doing the task on time with minimum bugs are at times considered delivering beyond expectations! Now you may ask, what are "minimum bugs"? Sorry, I can’t help you with that for I have been clueless and confused about it from a very long time!

Once the employee has done with his/her self review, it’s the time for the manager to step in and do his/her part of assessing the subordinates. Human beings have an acute acumen to remember and retrieve bad incidents and they conveniently forget the good ones!

Lesson no 2 – Be pleasant and at peace with your superior especially when the appraisal time is round the corner!

The third step to the appraisal process is the review meeting. The employee and his/her superior sit together and have a discussion on the ratings. This is one of the most time consuming step. If the employee is quite vocal and vociferous, he/she can actually have the ratings revised but it’s indeed one of a case! This is the time when the employee gets to hear the white lies – "You are indeed too good but there is still a scope for improvement!"

Lesson no 3 – If you are bad at convincing, better accept the lies.

The last step is the normalization stage, can be also termed as the bidding process. Here, all managers reporting to the same superior sit with the HR and grade the employees reporting to them. One of my friends recently expressed her concern on how people stoop to a very low level to promote his/her candidate. Though everyone knew that her candidate was the right pick, they brought in the low attendance (due to some personal emergency) as a factor to veto his candidature!

The end of the appraisal cycle, the employees are given a hike based on his/her performance - the good ones get a decent one while the bad ones are not at all ignored! In short, people who work really hard gets awarded with more work while others hardly work and still gets paid for no work!



Which path would you choose – the ideal one or the idle one?

2012 – A disastrous attempt on not so distant disaster!

It’s the first time in my life when I got to see a movie on the very first day of its release. The movie is all about the end of the world, and that too on 12-21-12 as prognosticated by an INDIAN astrophysicist (time for little Garv and Taliyan) Poor guy! Though his prediction turned out to be true, he and his family weren’t saved from the gobbling, gurgling waves of Tsunami!

The film depicts how in spite of the ark being built by Chinese workers, only the Richie Richs of the world, the ones who could afford to buy a ticket worth one billion Euro, got a chance to escape. Anyway, a heartrending speech by American scientist Adrian Helmsley, quoting the lines from the book written by Jackson Curtis convinces the G8 leaders to open the gates of the ark for more people. A melodrama! (What more can we expect from the makers of The Independence Day)

Now, who is Jackson Curtis? Well, he is the hero portraying a zero in life! His book didn’t have much takers, he is separated from his wife who is currently staying with her new surgeon boy friend and her kids with Jackson.

Jackson comes to know about the catastrophe and the film focuses on how he tries to save the lives of his kids, wife and her boyfriend! The movie ends in a happy note – US’s last president’s daughter gets a boyfriend in form of Helmsley (Mr. ex-President! Good that you chose to stay back, you were all the while the sole reason for your daughter being single!), Jackson and his wife reunites (Calamities can reduce divorce rates!) and the ark moves to Africa, to be precise to Cape of Good Hope!

Now, the most interesting part or the lessons learnt – Don’t press the panic button, now that you know that the world will end by 2012. If you have a fat bank balance, a Chinese visa, sound swimming skills and pilot certificate, you would be one among the lucky ones to make it to 0001!

Jokes apart, what’s the one thing that you would have regretted not doing before the end of the world? I would really like to know!

Big, Fat, Finicky Indian Wedding!

The marriage season is back … having a couple of marriages to attend early next year. Marriage is a virtuous institution but I fail to understand why people spend so much of time, energy and money for a lavish ceremony. May be it’s because marriage happens only once in a lifetime!

But is it worth all the efforts and endeavors? People just pour in for all the ceremonies (engagement,wedding,reception), criticizing the food being served, circulating comments about the couple, comparing the ceremonies with ones that they recently attended! Biggest irony is that the bride and the groom have no idea about the people who had shared the dais with them when being clicked!

What if the marriage doesn’t survive? Recently I came to know about a divorcee (father of two grown up children) deciding to walk down the aisle again. He is surely a man of real grit and gumption! May be he had learnt from his past mistakes and will try hard not to repeat them again. This time around he is having a grand marriage followed by a grandeur reception!

My colleague had mentioned how she and her partner decided to have a civil ceremony with just two of them and few random witnesses. Her idea about marriage was that one should get married when one feels like. When, where and how should be left to the individuals who have decided to enter the sacred union of body and soul!



What’s your take on marriage and the ceremonies associated with it?

Anthem for Bangaloreans - Who let the dogs out?

When my sister was new to Bangalore, a decade back, I had asked her “How is Bangalore?” She replied “Bangalore is beautiful. Here, there is a plethora of two things!” Curiously I asked “What’s that?” She said “Software Engineers and Stray Dogs!”

The same situation prevails today. The dog described better as Man’s Best Friend or the Most Faithful Species in the Earth has become a menace. Every lane in Bangalore, stray dogs are in profusion. Looks like they are settling scores with their fellow populace (read Software Engineers)! Attacks by dogs have become the order of the day. Lots of cases are reported daily but seems like nothing is being done about it.

PETA or rather Ms M Gandhi considers it as a criminal offence if the stray dogs are killed, but is it worth keeping them when they can hurt and harm other inhabitants as well? In an era, where doctors recommend Euthanasia for a terminally ill patient, its time to realize and recognize that by killing a stray dog we are indeed palliating its contemptible life!



Do you want the current anthem to remain forever? I want to hear your say!

What’s Your Rashee?

I am not reviewing the movie starring Ms Piggy Chops in a record breaking 12 avatars, but penning down my interpretation and investigation on the traits of various zodiac signs. These are based on my interactions with people who were/are part of my life during its various stages.



Aries: - He is modest, mellifluous and at times meddlesome!

Taurus: - He is taciturn, techie to the core, stay away from his temper!

Gemini: - He is genuine, gregarious but extremely garrulous!

Cancer: - He is open, organized, total home bird!

Leo: - He is sophisticated, scholarly and stubborn by nature!

Virgo: - He is creative, carefree and once in a while capricious!

Libra: - He is overtly motivated, mysterious, can be manipulative!

Scorpion: - He is sensible, sensitive, way too snobbish!

Sagittarius: - He is independent, positive and quite possessive!

Capricorn: - He is gleaming, gifted, certainly confused!

Aquarius: - He is unpredictable, unpretentious, awfully preoccupied!

Pisces: - He is a devoted, dreamer, perfectionist to the core!

Do you agree or disagree?

Lost

My conscience is clear
Yet, whom do I fear?

Striving to be a righteous offspring
I missed out on life’s zest, zeal and zing

Love knocked at my door in various forms
But I gave in for the social customs and norms

Never have I consciously adopted unscrupulous trails
Yet, my life had less bliss and more disgruntled tales

Currently, I stand in the crossroad
Unclear, undecided on which path to board

Why Me?

A beggar wails “God! Why me? Out of the many!
Today I haven’t made a penny!”

A wife worries “God! Why me? Have been his support and stability!
Yet everyday he questions about my credibility!”

A student fears “God! Why me? Have put my heart and soul!
If I fail again, things will go out of my control!”

An entrepreneur mutters “God! Why me? Have been sincere and true!
However every quarter I don’t get a proper due!”

A salaried employer moans “God! Why me? Have really sweated it out!
Still I was given an unceremonious way out!”

God listens to all cribs and smiles
He says “I am processing your files!
Try to look within you for the answer meanwhile!"

Anything For You Ma'am by Tushar Raheja

Last weekend was a long one and I had actually made some brilliant plans, but Varun Dev was not in good mood and he foiled it all.

I ended up reading a book called “Anything for you ma’am” by Tushar Raheja. It was marketed as “an IITian love story”, and the strategy tricked the poor souls like me. I went ahead and purchased the book expecting it to be on the similar lines of “Five Point Someone”. Not that I am a great fan of Chetan Bhagat, but his initial work was a good read. Every author gives their best shot in the first novel and seems to take the readers for granted in the next one!

Coming back to “Anything for you ma’am”, love story is passé, too cinematic, an archetypal script for YRF Bollywood masala! “Too many cooks spoil the broth”, similarly too many happenstances in a write can take away the pleasure and the punch of a narrative.


On the positive side, I liked the few lyrics that the author had penned. For a first timer, Tushar has done a good job. Also, getting his work printed at such a young age is an astounding accomplishment too!

Now that you have couple of long weekends ahead and if the rain plays spoilt sport, you can grab a copy (100 bucks for 250 pages) and get engrossed in this tale of coincidental incidents.

Do let me know your take on this IITian “love”ly fiction!

Kochiyude Kochu Kathakal (Short anecdotes of Kochi)

My sister forwarded an email from her school yahoo groups which described about how Kochi has evolved, the city where I had spent twenty years of my life. I had been to Kochi two years back and almost lost the way to my college. Four lanes, tall buildings, shopping malls, Mc Donalds, KFCs, Pizza Corners have almost conquered Kochi. One thing has not changed at all – traffic jam just before the North Bridge!


Earlier, every second Saturday we used to travel to Kochi – I can even recollect the names of the red colored private buses which used to take us there (Ambily, Ansamol) , watching movies at one of the theatres - Savitha/Saritha/Sangeetha complex / Padma / Shenoy / Sridhar, eating out at one of these restaurants - Ceylon Bake House / Dwarka / Woodlands / Bharath Tourist Home, shopping at Jayalakshmi / Seematti / Parthas, prominent areas - M G Road / Kacheripadi / Padma Junction / Marine Drive / Broadway …


During those days, girls if seen in Jeans and Skirts had to face wide stares and obscure comments. Eve teasing and pick pocketing were always on a higher scale. Can you imagine - I had given elucidations to neighbors for my late comings! The city was always ahead of its times but its inmates were always dogmatic and bigoted. May be it explains why my parents didn’t stay back in Kochi after retirement.

“Nothing is permanent but change” – Globalization should do well for the city which gave me sound education, illustrious teachers, good friends, variegated experiences of love, of camaraderie, of tiffs, of treacheries...lifelong moments to cherish and relish!

Queen of Arabian Sea, I'm coming!

Falling in to Fallen out?

Love is thought to be unconditional
Only to discover that it’s ruled by conditions!

Love is believed to be blind
Does it imply to seal the eyes and move ahead?

Love is supposed to be true and pure
Is pain and ache all that it has to offer?

It takes real time and effort to fall in love
And a single moment to fall out!

The power of C

A relationship nurtured with utmost care and attention is nipped before it buds and blossoms. Why?

On analyzing meticulously, the root CAUSE of any problem is expectations. If the expectations are like two sides of coin which never face each other, fall out is bound to happen. CURBing expectations can evade troubles. It requires tons of introspection and retrospection, only a determined person can reach to that stage, a step closer to saintly hood. COMPROMISE is another way to sort out issues. Relationship is comparable to clapping. It requires two hands to clap, similarly giving and taking should happen freely from both sides.

Is there are any other way to avoid altercations? If not, how far one should curb expectations and compromise?

Bad Dangerous Thriller

Yesterday, on VH1, King of Pop “Michael Jackson” songs was played back to back, a kind of tribute to him. It took me down memory lane.

During late 80s, my uncle had got the videos of Michael Jackson, Abba, BeeGees, BoneyM etc. I remember watching them with my cousin S on good old VCR. S, who was much younger to me tried to emulate MJs’ terrific dance moves and magnificent moon walks. Those days were indeed the best days of my life!

MJ,

I have grown up listening to you. You are peerless! A prodigy! Sad but true - We realize the value and worth of a person only when he/she dies. Quoting the lyrics of your song – “All I need to say is that they don't (read nobody) really care about us (read you)!!”

You have died but you continue to live through your music and moon walk. I don’t mind watching you groove to Billie Jean over and over again!



Thanks for entertaining us. May your soul rest in peace!

Just Another Fan

Abort a Detained Flu!

I fail to understand the life of a celebrity. Whatever they do, whatever they say, whatever they see, whatever they touch draw a lot of attention from media and common man alike - being discussed in newspapers, in television shows, in office cubicles, company’s board rooms!!


Mr Senior Bachchan had blogged about his Bahu Rani being bedridden with flu like symptoms. Hoards of people are dying of Swine Flu but media got a new topic to debate - Whether one Ms Rai , rather Mrs Junior Bachchan was suffering from Swine Flu? On the very next day, Mr Senior blogs and blames media for being too meddlesome and misquoting his words! Well, Mr Bachchan, why do you ever blog about your family, if you want too have a “perfect” “personal” life!


One Mr Badshah Khan was detained at an US airport for nearly two hours. Media got a new tale, a new thrill and they discussed about it with much hype and hoopla. Mr Badshah became their cynosure! They came up with an irrational, irrelevant “tit for tat” treatment for Americans when they come down to India for ill treating their favorite superstar! Mr. Badshah even quoted that his religion was one of the reasons for the extensive, extended interrogation. Well, Mr Khan, you are just another commoner and not superstar when it comes to security checks at airports! Remember, even Dr Kalam was not spared! Hope you have not forgotten to apply your tanda tanda cool “tel”!


Mr Perfectionist Khan doesn’t seem to be too perfect when it comes to blogging. Mr Perfectionist blogged about his wifey’s abortion. Media sensationalized it further by mentioning how Mr Perfectionist lost out in being a father, the third time. Well, Mr Khan, you wanted to let your fans know that you are taking a "break" from blogging but you ended up depressing them instead!


Some celebrities does not know to play their cards right - Mr Ahuja, What happened to your case? Are you guilty or being wrongly framed? Well, Mr Ahuja, its time to take lessons from some one named Ms Sawant, oops future Mrs Parujanwala!

Men are from Mars, Women from Venus

Today, "Ladki Kyun" from "Hum Tum" was one of the tracks that were played in FM. Prasoon Joshi had come up with some apt and adept lyrics for this song.



I really loved the final punch lines about men, very well delivered by Rani, which goes as below:-

“Pehle pehle bawarein jaise aas paas mandrai
Phir busy hoon kehkar tumko woh tarkai
Samjha karo darling aaj bahut kaam hai
Door hua to kya dil mein tumhaara naam hai
Jiss chehre par marte hai woh boring ho jaaye
Kuch hi din mein nazrein inki idhar udhar mandrai
Sirf pyaar se zindagi nahin chalti
Tum interior decoration ka course kyun nahin karti”

Men and women are poles apart in their attitudes and actions and is a lifetime enough to know each other?

Ahem!

Revisiting the learnt lessons

Incidents in the last few weeks reiterated the importance of effective and eloquent communication. The essential ingredients for a communication process are consistency and clarity. When one need to let another person know what’s there in one’s heart, its better to speak out than using any mediator. In most scenarios, the mediator misconstrues leading to unwarranted misunderstandings, commencement of a life long altercation.

Incidents brought to surface unceasing, unsolved issue termed as “Generation Gap”. My cousin had made a statement earlier “You might feel that you have been blessed with the best family, but you should remember there is a gap of one generation between them and us”. Generation gap and communication are tightly coupled, in fact communication is the only way to bridge the gap between two generations.

Incidents also brought out the value and worth of trust. A popular saying goes “If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything”. Trust is like a glass, once it’s broken, no matter how many ever adhesives are used, it can not be mended.

Speak your mind, tell the truth, you may not be able to please all, but you are at peace with yourself.

Do you differ?

Yet Again ...

Gosh!! I am yet again down and under
For I have committed yet another blunder
I repetitively playing a futile game
It’s my inanity, I am all to blame

I keep fretting about my miserable plight
Bawling over it day and night
The spider of thoughts entangles me
It clutches me hard and never let me free

I was never inclined to listen or to reason
Though each instance had a clandestine lesson
Now, its time to listen to my inner voice
Make the right move, the right choice

PS: For a change, this time around I am not the victim

Global Warming

My friend wanted me to write on some serious topic affecting our daily to day lives. The topic chosen was Global Warming.

Here it goes:-

Scorching sun, extreme weather conditions
New diseases eruptions, perturbing extinctions
Agricultural yields varying, rise in water level
Overall, Mother Earth in a state of upheaval

Global Warming is conquering us slowly but steadily
Before the state of affairs turns dreadful and deadly
Wake up, take action and save our Mother Earth
For she has given you in excess, never in dearth

Friends! It’s time to get up and get going.

Remember,
If not Earth, Where?
If not Us, Who?
If not Now, When?

Come what “May”

I have been out of blog sphere for nearly two weeks and was equally flabbergasted to see a kind of dormancy among my fellow bloggers. While Bond is solving the "Love Triangle" case, Ceedy is stuck with "Project Why". Chag is busy with "Salsa", Divya is mulling over the "Without Water" issue. Jaggu is enamored by the "Jai Ho" bandwagon, Jishnu is vexing about not being a "Dawkinian Atheist". Thankfully, Ashu & Potter are not caught in this phenomenon called “slowdown”.

From my side, May started off very slowly but without prior notice the work started piling up. I started reading three books but was not able to complete them. I tried following IPL, but that too came to an abrupt end. I tried watching a movie and till date hasn’t finished watching it. On the whole, I have been leading a mind-numbing life.

January, you gave me lot of hopes and aspirations
Thirty one days of enthrallment and exhilarations!

February, you made me mature and wise
I grew old and was it not paying a heavy price?

March, you changed the course of my meaningless strife
You unveiled the missing link in my mundane life.

April, you taught me the power of patience
Success comes after years of toil and sound resistance!

May, you haven’t been quite nice to me
For I am no longer what I used to be

June .. December, I will relive and revive those lost days in May
By being productive and purposeful come what May

How has May treated you till now?

If I were to be reborn
I want to be Jason Bourne

Truly the fabulous fictional character
Is the most charismatic, most sought after

Amnesia coerced him to search for his Identity
But it didn’t dither him from gaining Supremacy

Giving his foes tough times and ultimate Ultimatum
Discovers and discerns his son to sustain the Legacy

Emerges victorious even in brilliant and bizarre Betrayal
Hunted and hounded, still not bounded by any Sanction

To track down his Nemesis, opted for Deception
What’s his next mission, his next Objective?

If I were to be reborn
I want to be Jason Bourne

Out Of Hibernation

I have been dormant for a while. Last day my friend asked me “Looks like you have stopped blogging”. I gave the usual exculpation of “having no time”. He reminded me of my golden statement “There is time for everything, all you need to do is to manage it well”. My response – sheepish and speechless.

Anyway, the updates from my side:-

- Have been blogging in the social blog co-authored by Ashutosh and Anushree. It’s more of serious blog with plenty of matters and hardly any dope. Do have a look.

- I had travelled home for Vishu (Kerala’s New Year). Didn’t receive much Kainettam this time, my wish to become Richie Rich on Vishu foiled and fizzled out.

- Awards always eluded me, but how long they could resist? Recently received an award for being a Star performer for the last quarter. Hard work always pays off in the end.

Signing off with some photos of Vishu to view and revel :-)












Also, do update me about what you have been upto.

Rapid Fire!!!

Over dinner, was trying to come up with single word for words that generally came across my mind.

It goes as below

Job – Comfort (gets you into comfort zone)
Money – Crazy (can drive you crazy)
Society – Change (needs change)
Country – Citizens (is build by its citizens)
Hobbies – Choice (are alternate choices)
Life – Creation (is all about creation)
Death – Certain (is certain)
Nature – Cajole (always cajoles its children)
God – Controller (is supreme controller)
Fight – Cause (for a cause)
Friendship – Care (is about care)
Love – Convenience (isn’t it all about convenience?)
Marriage – Compatibility (survives if the persons involved are compatible)
Parents – Compassion (synonymous to compassion)

What comes across your mind? Do get back to me.

He...

He creeps in and creeps out
Reminds me of the battles to be fought

He is there when I am feeling quite low
Or when I am involved in a perpetual row

He guides me through righteous path when I fail
Boosts up my confidence and my morale

He tackles issues immaculately well
He knows the roads to heaven and hell

I feel his presence everywhere, every time
For he is positive, jocund and sublime

He has grown up and matured with me
A voice that I hear but cannot feel and see

Itz Friday!!!

today, the day we all wait for. It plays up the end of a week and a commencement of a new week, new hopes, new aspirations…

Though this week didn’t offer me anything different and drastic, it had been quite exhaustive and hectic. The project that I was a part of is going live today and I need to be awake and alive till wee hours of the day. Work will still be the key focus over the weekend, but need to give some time to unwind and rejuvenate to prepare myself for the moody Monday. It’s just round the corner and can feel the blues already. With Monday comes the wait for the next Friday.

On a lighter note, quoting Mr Farhan Akhtar
“Remember this about Fridays – no matter what you do, where you are, how hard you try, where you go, what you think; no matter who you ask and who argues with you; no matter what anyone says, how much time elapses, how many governments come and go, Friday will always come after Thursday and before Saturday.”

For me, Friday stands up for freedom, friends and freaking out. What’s your take on Friday? Do write in.

Tagged!!

I was tagged by Ashu to write about

facts, of course about me..

Here it goes:-

1-> I am lead by my heart most of the times.

2-> Adore my family. Have dedicated my life to them.

3-> Was left hander by birth, coerced to change to right hand. (Wished my grandpa hadn’t wasted his energy on me!!)

4-> Firm believer that “Everybody is good but circumstances can be tricky and dodgy and people might end up appearing evil and bad.”

5-> Firm believer that “What goes up must come down.” (Law of nature follows a sine curve)

6-> Firm believer that “Everything happens for the good.”

7-> Wanted to be a space scientist and settle in U.S.S.R. (An unfulfilled wish!!)

8-> Wanted to retire at age of 30 and get into social service. (Recession came in between!!)

9-> An ardent Paulo Coelho fan. I have read most of his works. (He is my philosopher, my guide!!)

10-> Love music and musicians. (A talent that is inherent and inherited!!)

11-> Die hard romantic and waiting for a knight in shining armor to sweep me off my feet. (Pyaar manga hai tumhi se!!)

12-> A recurring nightmare that I get is of not clearing my B-Tech, though it has been 8 years since I have graduated. (There are others too for company!!)

13-> Stopped eating meat from 2002. (Chicks and lambs are loitering around feeling safe and secure!!)

14-> Love spicy dishes. (Sweets are a big No No). Can survive on just H20.

15-> Used to be interested in numismatology and philately.

16-> Hate sycophants, male chauvinists, infidels.

17-> Enjoy coding more than people management. (CG is my idol!!)

18-> Suffer from Insomania. (Enamored by the magic and mystic power of NET!!)

19 -> Suffer from Obsessive Compulsive Disorder called Cleaning. (Dusting, mopping, washing are my stress busters!!)

20-> Ophidiphobic. (Didn't even watch Anaconda!!)

21-> Love spending time with children. (Indeed messengers of God!!)

22-> Can never be idle. (Indeed my mind becomes devil’s workshop when idle!!)

23-> Am amiable, amicable, accommodating. (Like to make friends and goes out of my way to keep in touch with them!!)

24-> Learnt to control my temper. (A big achievement, a Herculean task though!!)

25-> Passionate and proud about even the smallest things that I do/achieve. (Always try to give anything and everything my best shot!!)

Bond, Ceedy, Chirag, Jaggu, PAN, Potter, Thoda Sa – I am passing on the baton to you guys.

Key to Success

Today’s thought for the day read as below:

Formula for success – Rise early, Work hard, Strike oil.



These are just some pearls of wisdom by some wise man. In the present scenario, people who are successful fall under two categories –
i) the ones who chased dreams and chose to be daring and different.
ii) the ones who worked on their inherent talents and harnessed them completely.

Resul Pookutty falls into the former while A R Rahman falls under the latter.



Last week, in the middle of the night, I was woken up by a SMS from a friend which worded like this: -

"Check this link http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7895708.stm
Can you recognize this face?”

Curiosity killed my sleep. Visited the link, and was startled to see the photo of my friend G. He has been interviewed along with the likes of Pookutty and other sound technicians. I had mentioned about G in my blog under the title “Chasing Dreams”. Way to go my friend. You are doing it perfectly right. If Pookutty has done it, so can you!!!

In “Dark Knight”, Joker mentions “If you’re good at something, never do it for free”. A perfectly articulated, thought provoking statement. Similar to what S brothers from my native have done with their lives – worked on their strengths, sharpened them further and made their passion, their line of work.

More information available on this link http://www.hindu.com/mp/2007/01/29/stories/2007012900330200.htm



Is there any formula for success? May be, for it varies from person to person. Do divulge your views on how to unlock the key to success.

Two Gals And A Guy

This V’day, they decided to travel a bit far
To meet their zahir, their twinkling star
He is the new man in their lives
Against any odds, their love for him survives

He welcomed them with a killer smile
They fell for his elan and distinctive style
Hugs, kisses and unbound love were showered
An unrequited affection, care budded and flowered

He is the apple in their eyes at a very tender age
They promised to be with him at each and every stage
He is lucky, there are two vying for his attention
He knows them as his doting mother and his sole maternal aunt

A Citizen’s Journal - A menace called Autorickshaws

Just reached home. Completely drained, both my cell battery and my brain. Traffic in Bangalore moves slowly even after 9pm. I decided to hire a rick.

The moment I got into the rick, the driver said “1.5”. I obliged. Though we speak about woman empowerment and equivalent statuses for men and women, the bitter truth is that cities like Bangalore are never safe for women, especially after 9pm.

He had already decided to take me for a ride (Bangalore Darshan in short). I could read his mind and I said “Go through Residency - Hosur road”. He took me through Kasturba Road instead.

It really upset me and I literally squalled at him. Soon, he changed his demeanor. He started acting quite naive as if he had just arrived in Bangalore. On reaching Vittal Mallaya Road, he said “Guide me how to go now”. I guided him through the routes that I am aware of.

On reaching my house, I paid him 1.5 times the meter charges. I expected him to give back the change which he didn’t. That’s when I said “Arre yaar, chaar rupiye se main tea/coffee kareed sakti hoom. Tum log change kyun nahin carry karte? Petrol aur diesel ka daam kam ho gaya, phir bhi tum log humhain lootna bandh nahin kiya?”. He gave in, gave me the change and sped with his three-wheeler.

I wonder, with increase in petrol/diesel prices, the bus/auto/cab far increases but why not vice versa?

What do you have to say?

Raaz about Raaz

8th February 2008, P, H, M & I got together at my home. As usual, at the nth hour, we made up our mind to go for a movie. The plan was to watch Dev D, the latest offering from Anurag Kashyap. It didn’t work out as tickets were not available, so we nailed down Raaz 2 starring Emraan Hashmi, Adhyayan Suman and Kangna Ranaut as the next best bet. The film was quite engrossing and hence we weren’t let down in shelling out our hard earned money on it during the recession time.



During the interval time, we hashed out on Raaz 1 starring Dino Moreo and Bipasha Basu. It’s when I realized that 7 years back on the same day ie 8th February 2002, D, R & I had watched Raaz 1.

There is something about Raaz series and the way it’s trussed with my life. Raaz, The Mystery Continues to haunt me ...

Can anyone unravel the Raaz for me?

Same Day, Another Year

An extra candle adorned the cake
And I move a step closer to the grave

The cake asked “How the years have been?”
I answered remorsefully “I am no longer in my teens”

“New phase in my life, new problems to be dealt”
The candle said “Glow bright and brilliant until you melt”

“Grey strands and wrinkles tells my age”
The knife stated “People look up to you, so sharpen your image”

They emphasized “Be open to the challenges and learning that time will teach”
“As a new stage in your life, is about to unleash!!!”

Why Should Boys Have All The Fun?

Plot
Adventures of Three Musketeers in Thiruvanthapuram and Kanyakumari,
24th – 26th January 2009
*ing
A (Athos) working in Mysore
B, that’s me (Porthos) working in Bangalore
T (Aramis) doing PhD in Thiruvanthapuram
Supported by
P, doing engineering in Thiruvanthapuram
V chechi & H ettan, working in Thiruvanthapuram
G1 & G2, nephew & niece studying in Thiruvanthapuram

Planning
Christmas day, Palakkad – A, B along with P visited T. A and B disclosed about their London escapades to their younger cousins T and P. Out of the blue, they devised a plan to make a trip to Thiruvanthapuram since V chechi, her family, P and T were now based there.

The room was filled with sudden exhilaration and elation. The conversation took place as below.

T said “Thiruvanthapuram is a beautiful city. Why don’t you guys (A and B) come over? We can have some memorable time together.”

P was equally excited. She said “I would like to have food at Maurya. I am just waiting for an occasion to make a maiden visit there.”

B said “A, if you are fine, why don’t we visit them on January? We have a long weekend starting on the 24th.”

A said “That’s great. I am for the game, but need acquiescence from my Mom.”

When B conveyed to her Dad about the Girls (cousins) Days Out plan, he smiled, lifting the famous line from Mahabharata, he said “Shoot arrows instead of words!”

That reminded B about a conversation that she had with G, one of her closest associate. She had some plans to visit him in Mumbai which got foiled, thanks to Mr Kasab and team.

He said “B, is there something that you wanted to do 10 years back and didn’t do it?”

She thought for sometime and said “Yes, aplenty.”

He said “Don’t repeat it again. If you plan for something, execute it at once. Its way better than not even essaying it and repenting later, say 10 years down the line.”

In order to start the New Year on a promising note, B resolved not to have the plans go astray, went ahead and booked tickets for the arrival & return trips. She knew that 16 hr trip via bus is going to be too fatiguing, and train is the best option. To get train tickets in such a short notice was merely out of the question.


from left G1, V chechi, T, G2, B and A

Execution
January 23rd
A boarded a bus from Mysore to Bangalore, together with B left for Bommanhalli at about 6.15pm. To live up to the India Stretchable Timings construct, the bus started 1 hour after the scheduled departure time of 7pm.

A’s mom was not quite pleased with the decision of travelling by bus and she conveyed her displeasure at the nth hour. It didn’t dampen the spirits of A and B because they knew fun and frolic awaits them at Thiruvanthapuram.

Because of the last minute booking, A and B didn’t get seats next to each other. Girly sentiments do sometimes soften a guy’s heart. And it did. The guy henceforth called X who was sitting next to B agreed to exchange his seat with that of A.

At about 10pm, the bus stopped at Krishnagiri for dinner and loo visits. At A2B outlet, A and B gobbled ghee dosas followed by hot cup of dainty, aromatic coffee. Since A insisted that she needs to brush before she boards the bus, B gave in, in spite of the continuous honking by the bus driver. The look that the driver and co-passengers gave when A and B finally got on, can not be scripted in few lines.

At about 7 am, B woke up. She was comforted by the fact that the bus would reach its destination in 2 to 3 hours time. At about 8.30 when the bus stopped at Tirunelveli, X made her realize that the bus was 2 hours behind the normal schedule. She received a call from H’ettan asking her about her current co-ordinates. Meanwhile, A was woken up by a call from her home.

B continuously bugged X asking him about the time when the bus would actually arrive at Thiruvanthapuram. The bus finally reached the terminus at about 1 pm, 24th January.

A and B were dog-tired, but in hearts of heart they acknowledged the fact that they just had 2.5 days and it needs to be utilized to its zenith.

When B and X parted ways, he did ask her “Is it the first time you both are travelling to Thiruvanthapuram?” B said “Nope. We have been here before but this time its gonna be different.” Using this medium, B wants to convey “I don’t know who you are, what you do. Thank you for your remarkable tolerance and patience.”

January 24th
To be continued ...

Wise Versa?

The other day, my friend told me “B, you are not slim but thin.” All this while, I cogitated that slim and thin were synonyms, but her words proved otherwise.

Similarly, do you invite your friends for your marriage or for your wedding?

Watching a cinema in a movie hall or is it watching a movie in a cinema hall?

Whether an innocent man is naive or naive one innocent?

Also, some idioms/proverbs contradict each other. Take the following cases

Unity is strength or do too many cooks spoil the broth?

Slow and steady wins the race, but early bird catches the worm.

Actions speak louder than words, remember the pen is mightier than the sword.

Ignorance is bliss since little knowledge is a dangerous thing/empty vessels make the most noise, but something is always better than nothing.

Have you encountered such ridiculous riddles in words or in wisdom? If yes, write in.

Creativity At Its Best

I came across some incredible ads during recent times. Perfectly articulated, with hardly any ornamentation, this ad of Maggi truly stands out.


I would call this as a cleverly crafted, creative ad.

This animated ad of Mentos really caught my eyes, the Evolution theory tweaked and twisted.



Creativity is not just limited to ad world, even headlines are sometimes catchy, perfectly striking the chord with the vast, variegated readers. I am able to recollect couple of them like

Raju ban gaya conman – which described the ignominious fall of Mr Ramalinga Raju

An apple a day didn’t keep the doctor away – which reported Apple’s Steve Jobs suffering from hormonal imbalance

Is there something that struck you in a similar fashion and can be termed as "Creativity at its best"?

Slumdog Millionaire – A Bollywood story dealt by a Hollywood crew

American colleague of mine went gaga over Slumdog Millionaire, so I decided to watch it as well. Golden Globes win paved as yet another reason not to miss out on the movie.

It’s a normal rag to riches story where in the lead character Jamal played by Dev Patel participates in Kaun Banega Crorepati for the sole reason to get back his lost love, Lathika played by Freida Pinto.

The story commences with Jamal being in police custody where he is subjected to different tortures in order to figure out how a “Slumdog” like him is able to answer all the questions. Jamal colligates each question to instances in his life much to the surprise of the police played by Irfan Khan and Saurabh Shukla. Police releases him so that he can return to the show for the final question. Anil Kapoor plays Prem Kumar, the KBC host who tries to misguide Jamal in the end but Jamal triumphs. He gets Lathika back who all the while was pursuing the show.

The movie is based on a book Q and A by Vikas Swarup. It has indeed captured the life in Mumbai slums substantially well. All the lead characters have given their best shot. The sound track “Jai Ho” is quite catchy and will stay here for some more time.

Mr Amitabh Bachchan has recently slammed the movie saying that it depicted India in a poor light. Well, Mr Bachchan, slums do exist in India and it’s a ground reality. We do expect celebrities like you to come forth and lend a hand on noble causes instead of walking hand in hand with cretins like Mr Amar Singh.

Summing up, I give a thumbs up for this movie and its worth watching one time. The heroine is seen in yellow attire every time she meets the hero. Do reason it out and let me know as well.

Thirakkatha – A Lackluster Katha

I had been to Kerala on a long vacation and decided to catch up on some path breaking movies of 2008. One such movie which had lots of hoopla around it was Thirakkatha. It’s based on a true story of a yesteryear actress, late Srividya and an acting legend, our own Kamal Hassan. Story has been penned and directed by Renjith, known for his brilliant and aesthetic narration.

Priyamani dons the role of the actress Malavika, once a reigning box office queen, now a disgraced soul, whose current whereabouts are unknown. Anoop Menon plays a struggling actor Ajayachandran, now a reigning superstar, who had a romantic liaison with Malavika which ended in a brief nuptial.

A promising, new director Akbar played by Prithviraj is in search for an appealing and original plot for his next movie. The expectations from him are quite high since his debut movie was received stupendously by the audience and critics alike. He decides to make the love story between Malavika and Ajayachandran as the plot of his upcoming movie. As Akbar searches for Malavika, the love story between her and Ajayachandran unfolds as flashback. The meeting of these three characters forms the climax.

Overall, the story lacked depth and the characters not well etched. The climax too, was filmy and overdrawn. The national award winning actress Priyamani failed to impress. May be it’s her character which just failed to click. Anoop Menon was total miscast as Ajayachandran. His dialogue delivery reminded one of superstar Suresh Gopi during his “Commissioner” days. Prithviraj, though had a brief role, did complete justice as Akbar. His potential needs to be harnessed so that he can reach the leagues of Lalettan and Mamooka.

If you have plenty of time at your disposal or are insomniac, watch it.

Wishes

In this era of infidelity, indifference and commitment is just passé, they showed the world what love and care is all about. Cafe did get its branding right, for they met at a cafe and the initial spark happened over a coffee. The spark continues to glow brighter with each passing day. Their journey called togetherness has entered the fifth year today and that’s something that needs to be lauded.

Wishing C (D) and B (V) many more years of togetherness and may their ride continue to be zealous and zestful.

I have known him for nearly a decade now. He had taught me what friendship and loyalty is all about. Today, he is joining the elite club called thirty.

Wishing A a great day and a fantastic year ahead.

The Wait Was Worth It

She had been a good singer in her heydays. Currently, her certificates and mementos lay in a corner of a dusted room in her ancestral home. Irony is that her children have never heard her singing. They are not aware whether she has ever sung lullabies for them. They had to literally wait 3 decades to hear her sing and the long wait was indeed worth it!!!

Presenting a sample clip of this talented person to whom I am proudly associated as her youngest daughter.

http://music.cooltoad.com/music/song.php?id=402318

Trivia about an Anonymous Blogger

I have been blogging anonymously and thought of breaking the practice this year. It's better to make myself visible to others and the way to do it is to answer the questions that are regularly shot at people when met for the very first time.

It goes like this:-

Name: B.R.K
Age: Nearly 3 decades in Mother Earth
Hail From: God's own country
Favorite Color: The color of Tranquility
Favorite Cuisine: A true AQUArian, I love fish especially when they are fried
Favorite Quote: To Err is Human, to Forgive and Forget is Superhuman (my take on Alexander Pope’s quote)
Mostly Seen In: Kurti and Jeans, No makeup, Minimal jewelry
Prized Possessions: Dad, Mom, Sis, Bil & New
Interests: Activities that end with ING like Blogging, Reading, Travelling etc
Detest: The words starting with N as N denotes Negativity. Eg:- N for No, Nope, Never, None, Nothing, Nobody, Nonsense .. also, N for Nemesis
Future Plans: ----------------------
Bizzare Fact: Left hander by birth turned right hander by force

I hope I haven’t missed out anything here. If not sufficient, feel free to ask.