M@vέr!©kά Mu§έ§

If- Rudyard Kipling

2010-01-31T03:40:00.000-08:00

If you can keep your head when all about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on you;
If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you,
But make allowance for their doubting too;
If you can wait and not be tired by waiting,
Or, being lied about, don't deal in lies,
Or, being hated, don't give way to hating,
And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise;

If you can dream - and not make dreams your master;
If you can think - and not make thoughts your aim;
If you can meet with triumph and disaster
And treat those two imposters just the same;
If you can bear to hear the truth you've spoken
Twisted by knaves to make a trap for fools,
Or watch the things you gave your life to broken,
And stoop and build 'em up with wornout tools;

If you can make one heap of all your winnings
And risk it on one turn of pitch-and-toss,
And lose, and start again at your beginnings
And never breath a word about your loss;
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew
To serve your turn long after they are gone,
And so hold on when there is nothing in you
Except the Will which says to them: "Hold on";

If you can talk with crowds and keep your virtue,
Or walk with kings - nor lose the common touch;
If neither foes nor loving friends can hurt you;
If all men count with you, but none too much;
If you can fill the unforgiving minute
With sixty seconds' worth of distance run -
Yours is the Earth and everything that's in it,
And - which is more - you'll be a Man my son!

The ferrari concept!

2010-01-29T22:09:00.001-08:00

Every Indian man dreams of owning a Ferrari... and wants to be an F1 winner. But fact remains that there is only ONE Ferrari-Schumacher combo. And Ferraris, even if you don't drive them DEMAND MAINTENANCE! As for F1, you can't host it on Mumbai's roads, can you?

Men need to be reminded of the grounds they stand on!

Freedom... is a price you pay...

2009-10-21T04:46:00.000-07:00

They bind you in love, with sweet words and fears...
They trap you in hugs, kisses and tears;

Where would I be without you?
Where would you be without me?
If it's really the answer you want...
I'd say... WE'D LIVE FREE!!!

VIVIDHA... VIVA VIDA!

2009-10-18T08:52:00.000-07:00

2009-09-27T09:43:00.001-07:00

Somebody and Me

2009-09-08T03:57:00.000-07:00

Somebody... not me...
decided where I should be born

Somebody... not me...
decided where my baby should be born;

Somebody... not me...
was with me for the first, early excitement days of motherhood

Somebody... not me...
decided her name would be from B,V,U...

Somebody... not me...
did not let her be Samskaara

Somebody... not me...
planned how to celebrate her birth

Somebody... is free somewhere, and enjoying life

Me, not Somebody, is trapped in LOVE; and wondering if it is worth the tears.
Me, not Somebody, wonders how it would feel to be free again.

"MOMMY"... is MEEEE!!!!!!!!!!!

2009-08-19T20:06:00.000-07:00

My little princess born on Independence Day! 5 weeks earlier than anticipated. They put her to my cheek, tiny n slimy, immediately after she was born
(by c-sec).
They say she looks like Samir. She has his chubby cheeks and a dimple... But her eyes are mine! Curious, strong and confident- from the day she stepped into this world.

Samskara, my love and my life! You will be an independent and responsible woman.

More than a month in the hosp...

2009-08-04T04:43:00.000-07:00

... now that my bleeding has stopped, my BP has sky-rocketed!
It was 160/110 yesterday
Lotsaa ppl turned up; Aahan's 3rd b'day was being celebrated y'day since it was a Sunday.

I am scared...

2009-06-30T21:47:00.000-07:00

... this is my worst nightmare. that horrid dream, where a little baby dies in my arms...
Please GOD, keep my baby safe and happy...!!

Feeling babooooooooooo........

2009-05-25T09:51:00.000-07:00

yupeeeeeeee for first time i felt baboooooooo kicking from inside, saying hi daddddaaaaa how r u.........luv u baBOOOOOOOOO AND MOMAAAAAA.

cheetoooo cutteeeeeee aniversaryyyyyyy

2009-05-10T10:29:00.000-07:00

happy anniversary, anniversary full of love personal feelings surprises. heeeeeeeee .
luv u cheeeeeetooo bboooooo

Heaven hath no rage

2009-05-02T23:49:00.000-07:00

...like love to hatred turned, nor hell a fury like a woman scorned.

why should I...

2009-04-24T21:36:00.000-07:00

... ?

Paradise Lost...

2009-04-24T10:52:00.000-07:00

11 years of friendship, familiarity, love and loyalty loses to 11 days of acquaintance...

Playing Hide-n-Seek, already!

2009-04-23T02:37:00.000-07:00

OK Babbouie! I know kids of ur generation are SMARTER than their parents (actually that applies to all generations... heheh!) But you li'l naughty you...
First you hide yourself from the tests.
N then ocassionaly you hide yourself from the Dopplers, giving the nurses a tough time.

But now I can feel you! I am pretty sure I can :)

Hum hai Complan baby!!!

2009-04-21T22:58:00.000-07:00

Hum abhi almost 18weeks old hai! Humara weight is more than 200gms (more than double in 3 weeks). Humara video-clips bhi hai CD pe... Hum Best-babouiee hai! :D

Food Habits!!!

2009-04-10T03:16:00.000-07:00

I've started liking chhass more than milk... i've traded an ice-cream offer for garlic bread! I LOVE MANGOES! Even had 2 in one day- 1 morning and 1 in evening. So now we are learning about your tastes. :)

In love... all over again!

2009-03-30T02:54:00.000-07:00

12th week scan- i saw you do a couple of hic-cuppy jumps! They guessed you'd be in my arms by 24th Sept
and the 15th week scan- Dadda n me saw a lottttt of detail :) your physique, your nosey, your eye lens, spine, your beating heart, your moving stomach, your collar and femur bones... you weigh around a 101 gms. And you look BEAUTIFUL! I am in love, all over again!!!!!!!!!

N now we have done a little teeny-weeny procedure, to make sure you stay nice and secure in me. Grow well, Stay Strong, Be Beautiful on the inside and the out.
Love you, my life, my cheeto-babouie!

the heart beats!!!

2009-01-21T14:45:00.000-08:00

... the 6th week scan showed it. :D

Coooeey! gagaga! giiiiiii

2009-01-12T22:39:00.000-08:00

:D :* :))

Strand Book Stall

2009-01-10T22:43:00.000-08:00

Poorie and I had visited one of the sales, and had seen a lady with a car carrying away a stackful of books. And we had said to each other "Humara bhi din aayega, kadhi-tari apan pan mothi car gheun yeu; ani khoopshi pustake gheun jau"

And today was that day- Cheeto n I shopped fr books over 8K!!! Tho' most were his management books, I can still read them, because they are Harvard publications.

Called up Poorie after the shopping; reminiscenced about that day and also about Holi during our 12th classes, when we were studying on BM's flat, and PRasse n others were throwing water balloons at us from the A-wing terrace. Those were the DAYS!!!!! :)

GIVE ME BACK MY MUMBAI!

2008-11-29T22:05:00.000-08:00

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984) about the inactivity of German intellectuals following the Nazi rise to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group.

A hut spinning on chicken's leg...

2008-11-17T00:25:00.000-08:00

Dasvidaniya! ( i dunno the word for Welcome- hehehehe- so I'm opening with Bye-Bye!) :D

I was around 10-ish when I started thinking about all things Russian...
Russian Lok-kath- a Maroon cloth bound version which "Chachi Prachi" owned.
Folktales of the peoples of Russia- a white cloth bound version with green cover print that i think Dada-mama gifted me. I learnt that "Peoples" as a plural word is grammatically CORRECT... Ivan Ivanesevic, Vasilisa the Beautiful, Baba Yaga the witch who flies in a pestle-mortar ...

Misha that monthly kiddy magazine (it was often lost in post- rarely got it every month) book that Bhai-mama had subscribed in Prasad's name. I used to read it more than him. PRass also a book about "How Daddy.. something..."

Russian circuses... Russian gymnasts... Russian Ballet telecast on DD- How i wanted to learn it. How I adored those stockinged and tutu-ed dainty dancers (didn't know then, they were called Tutus). I forced my parents to by my first pair of full stockings. How envious I was when Maureen n Raynah got to do a pseudo-ballet for the Annual function. And how it was the first time I heard the word "Dasvidaniyaaaaa- Goodbyeeee"

And I "experienced" that word again now... after what? 20 years?! :) I liked the movie... serene... peaceful... death... something I can see for myself.

P.S.: I'm going to dig up up all those books the next time I go to Mom's plc.

My Best Friend for 3 minutes...

2008-11-14T22:37:00.001-08:00

... was an almost grow-up black-n-white stray pup at the chai-ki-tapri, who came to me wagging his tail like he's missed me all these years! :)

Fed him some soya chips, which he gladly crunched up. And sat contentedly near my leg (almost with his head on my knee) for a couple of minutes... and then crawled under the nearest parked car for his siesta

...the small joys of life...

Photo blog of Rajasthan

2008-11-08T12:15:00.000-08:00

Cousins at Diwali... 2008

2008-11-05T00:10:00.000-08:00

n feeling like a TURKEY!

2008-09-20T04:10:00.000-07:00

... 3 weeks of dreaming gone kaput! that amazing technique of making me feel guilty never fails...
GET ASSERTIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I've been told that... n about time i put it in
practice.

:(

The Moving Pyramid

2008-09-18T02:15:00.001-07:00

The Moving Pyramid
Video sent by nicop

Il était une fois dans l'ancienne Egypte des Pyramides qui se déplacaient...
Voici l'histoire qui explique comment elles se sont arrêtées de bouger !

BIG Travel plans! :j

2008-09-16T02:05:00.000-07:00

:j

Dreaming ...
began with Turkey!- Istanbul, Cappadocia's fairy chimneys & hot-air ballons, Pamakkule's cooton castles, greek ruins at Ephesus, and whatnot!
... then thought of combining with Italy and Barcelona (Spain)- Venice, Gaudi, trulli,...
then wondered about Greece (meteoras! Santorini!) and Egypt (nile cruise!)... or perhaps, Greece-Cyprus with Turkey...
Still dreaming (less than a month left to plan)... scope narrowing down- Turkey n Greece... or just Turkey... or apna MP... Orrr...o well, the OT... Hmmmm...

Completely cracked cousins! :D

2008-09-03T09:06:00.000-07:00

Some excerpts from a recent mail-trail between us cousins:

Pongs:
ohh thtz bcoz mr canada doent understand hindi :P shame on u.... sheeeeee...!!!! (4 more) "

"abhi se reply panekeliye abhi mai kuch medical facts batane wali hoon...
aids....chune se failta hai...
common cold is transfered 2 humans frm dogs....
docs in canada r mad...!!!! "

"\but prasad bechari 23 yr old baachi se shaadi karke uska bachpan mat cheen ussee hehehe...imagine mai abhi 23 honewali... hai... hehehe.... "

JT:
Bandhukaka, Do you still think there is no generation gap J ?
Never took so long to read/understand a email...and Abhi hats off to you - picked up the "pooj-language" pretty quick !!!

Ab:
"After consulting many decoders and agents, we are convinced that the email sent by one "pooja raut" is in fact extraterrestrial. They apparently speak some kind of hindi-english-aol-msn-l33t hybrid language. for example - in the sentence "nywyzzz.... hope....fr d best!!!!", note the incredible number of explamation marks - four to be exact. additionally, there are only two actual words...that too buried in what can only described as someone writing an email after snorting atleast three lines of cocaine"

"The hindi parts I could understand. The english parts i could understand.
It's the other 80% that bewildered me.

I wil tri 2 talk lik u frm nw on! lk hao kool i am!
wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee"

Prass:
Well on generation gap.. i can say it changes in 5 yrs... i cant understant half the stuff that pooja says ne ways, and when se is out on a rampage like this one..... i give up

Dips:
"guys please forgive Subhros "gender confusion" when he writes anything in Hindi....Its a Bong problem."

Subs:
pooji kyu aag laga raha hain………. Dinner khilaya aur uske badle mein yeh

And I make a great discovery...

2008-08-29T21:04:00.000-07:00

At the age of 30, I discover that I'm born with extra internal spare-parts! How interesting!

Some Favourite Animated movies :)

2008-08-18T00:38:00.000-07:00

Some observations on Cheeto's changed behaviour...

2008-08-11T22:49:00.000-07:00

THE GOOD:
.. willing to look at other persons perspective (with a tendency for deliberate argument)

... willing to plan time better

... trying to find focus in things in life

THE WEIRD:
... guilt-ridden sense of humour... (he tries 2 make politically correct jokes. E.g.- wen v all joked abt d name "Kitchen Bell" sounding like a kitchen appliances shop rather than a restaurant, he said "how can u be judgmental, it might b serving good food"-Hello. boss!!!v were not even commenting on d food quality!)

... a Jesus Christ complex... (I'm d son of God, I'm yet one of you... I forgive you, and yet I m humble, I m empathic and sympathetic, but I insist you follow my way of living to achieve redemption in life)

... supporting "communist" tendencies (d good thing about Maadu women is dat despite Ghoogats & restrictions they get 2 wear diamonds - So Sone ka Pinjara is supposed to be gud?; or that Communist govts r right in forcing careers on people for 'the greater common good', rather than allowing people to choose their own careers. I made an example of our marriage- marry a Gujju gal for the benefit of Patel Samaj and the family?)

... obsessed with what others think of him- Repeatedly asking everyone for their "Hearing"/ "Listening" about him. Slightly bordering ego-mania. Spending too much time on planning the next day. Feeling guilty when the "written planned stuff" is not done "Integrity compromised"

... crediting all good things/ achievements in life to Landmark; taking guilt of all failures on self.

And another landmark session at home...

2008-08-10T22:18:00.000-07:00

with friends... Ankur, Avanika, Priyank, Sejal, Shweta, Rakesh... 4 people signed up.. and I can still find flaws in their theory. :( Priyank seemed apprehensive, but i guess he signed because Sejal did. Ankur's not signed up. Some of the bad marketing techniques include:
Why aren't your signing-up, what's stopping you?- Ermmm, your loopy logic is stopping me. All said and done you say the onus in on the individual. So why will i spend time and money to be told that?
And of course Ashwin-bhai didn't have an answer to my DKK (Don't know that you know) logic for blindspot identification.
And I have yet to present my argument on the "chair as your past" logic.
O, and he also said that unless "I decide to be happy, no-one else can make me happ. Not even God!"... so that rules out Landmark,anyways... once again tendency to repeat rote-learned quotes- not using your own logic for extra-polation. I feel sorry for these guys sometimes. They are becoming lesser that Homo Sapiens

Let's see how this shapes up... Meanwhile I'm working on my course for Cheeto.

Kanheri adventures 7th July 08

2008-07-11T21:48:00.000-07:00

... Sanjay Gandhi National Park, 8.00 am, 5th July 08...
... A walking 7 hours trek...
...nowhere near difficult...
... leisurely strolling along the concrete road...
... 8 people...
... splashing in streams on the way, natural reflexology...
... crawling up trees ...

... mildly raining, cloudy weather...
... Buddhist caves- viharas, Chaityas with Stupas, ...

... so near and yet so far from mMubai...

... the purest, most beautiful emerald green...
... mera-wala green n blue...

... spittle bugs with foam on trees, crabs, ants that build pagoda nests with tree barks, chittal, langurs, monkeys...
... aching feet, cheerful spirits...
... hunger whipped up for more adventures...
... call from Shalaka about Amol's 50 foot fall on their Bhimashankar trek...
...fortunately no serious damage...
... a slightly depressing end to a beautiful nature-filled day...

(Foto credits to Aparna G, Hemant P, Neha S)

My biggest strength is also my biggest weakness

2008-07-01T22:29:00.000-07:00

... and the converse is also true.

Kas tvam? Koo aham? Kutaha aayaataha?

2008-06-30T01:47:00.000-07:00

Who are you? Who am I? Wherefrom have we come?

- Sankaracharya in his Bhaja Govinda verses.

Adventure Sports!

2008-06-29T23:43:00.000-07:00

Kids imply the thrills of adventure sports for all your life! All shocking emotions are part of the package!

Brand Tag lines! - Ur micro-guide-book to all Self-Help Courses!

2008-06-29T22:50:00.000-07:00

Furthering from my previous post- hereeeeeee goessss:

"Just Do it" (Nike),
"Impossible is Nothing" (Addidas),
"I'm lovin it" (McD's),
"There are some things money can't buy, for everything else there's... (Mastercard, ),
"Next is What?" (Samsung- looks like it has learned some tricks from Adidas),
"Think different"/"The power to be your best"/"Think outside the box" (Apple Computers), ">Reach Out and Touch Someone" (ATT)
"The happiest place on earth." (Disney)
"The power of all of us" (eBay)
"Quality in everything we do" (E n Y)
"Play, Laugh, Grow" (Fisher Price)
"The Power of Dreams" (Honda)
"Pleasing People the World over" (Holiday Inn)
"We are behind you every step of the way" (Huggies)
"Because you're worth it" (L Oreal)
"Your potential. Our passion" (Microsoft)
"Connecting People" (Nokia)
"The right relationship is everything" ( JP Morgan Chase bank)
"Share Moments, Share Life" (Kodak)
"Dar ke aage jeet hai" (Mountain Dew)

the Landmark Home intro-

2008-06-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

Still not convinced enough...

Mr Ashwin Shah came to our place y'day to 'lead' the introduction. He did a 6 month ILP course to be able to do this. But I was not impressed. They are still not teaching us anything new from what we already know.

Having attended the previous intro session, during Sam's 'graduation' programme, i found most of his stuff repetitive. The example about "putting your past into your future, which affects your decision", the 'chair' routine, the 'pick up the pen' routine,the 'i was impressed by the efficiency of finding name-tags, and smiling faces' routine... it took him 6 months to learn that? It took me less than 2 intro classes to learn, analyse and tear apart their examples.

For instance the 'chair' from ur past is stopping u from proceeding ahead- welllll, use the chair to climb up and get a better perspective of what options there are to proceed, make a decision to proceed... by denying the existence of the chair in ur presence you are denying your past (which is possible only if you have some sort of amnesia!). Instead acknowledge the presence of the chair and use it to your advantage (why don't they teach that?!)

The 'pick the pen' example- 'just do it!'... if only solutions to problems were as simple as picking a pen!!!... what if i said "push the wall" (because life's examples are like a wall obstructing us) - i'd say "you are being lazy and not pushing" or i'd say "you're lying; i can't see the wall move, hence you are not pushing- u are just saying that 'you are pushing'!" Instead why don;t you try the option of opening a door / window in the wall?

Their examples are jaded and repetitive. They are not being taught to be spontaneous. They are being taught by rote. They are not taught to question.

Just had a thought! These guys are like multiple hoardings with a lot of brand tag-lines : "Just Do it" (Nike), "Impossible is Nothing" (Addidas), "I'm lovin it" (McD's), "There are some things money can't buy, for everything else there's... (Mastercard, or shd i say LM!), "Next is What?" (Samsung- looks like it has learned some tricks from Adidas), "Think different"/"The power to be your best"/"Think outside the box" (Apple Computers), Reach Out and Touch Someone (ATT)... OK!HANG ON!... now i'm on the Net n surfing taglines :) Let me make a new post of it!

n it's published with 5 star rating ... :D

2008-06-24T00:22:00.000-07:00

http://www.igougo.com/review-r1349002-Jageshwar-_Ancient_Temple_Complex.html

it has the "Editor's Pick" tag to it. That feels goodddddd... I was beginning to feel that I was losing touch with my writing abilities.

Plus a couple of my fotos are also on the Editor's Pick list (Tower Bridge in London n Naini Lake).

Now i'm on igougo.com toooo... :-)

2008-06-20T04:59:00.000-07:00

Here I am too...

http://www.igougo.com/profile/myProfile.asp?member=614553

Although it doesn't appear like they have rewards for bloggers from India, still i think it'll help me keep track of my adventures...

MEanwhile this is a pic of Jageshwar temple complex in Uttarakhand. Have posted the review of the place on igougo, waiting for them to review and publish it...

Here, Kitty, Kitty, Kitty........... BAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!! X-(

2008-06-17T12:08:00.000-07:00

Ok, so I would personally prefer dogs to cats, anyday... but that doesn’t mean the exotic big cats should entirely avoid me! In my 2 years at the IITB campus, with its reputation for leopards (or is that panthers?) in the monsoons, I never saw one even when captured. People ran into them on bicycles (Gau n Hemant), people petted the cubs and got themselves clawed by the mother (what was that idiot even thinking!), people saw a dog being hunted down by the panther in the quadrangle of IDC itself. But never me... never even heard a distant roar!

Before that, we had been to the Sunderbans, during our 4th year study tour... Sam claims they saw the tiger from the motor launch. As ever, I din’t !

Even today, I visited the Corbett National Park... woke up early morning for the safari in that bumpy Jeep. But no luck with tigers. I know that, as stalking predators, stealth is their most important characteristic (but humse kya sharmaana man?!). Look at the deer- spotted (Chittal?), Sambar, barking deer; all of them stupid and supremely confident! They stick their heads up when they hear our Jeep, and stare at us in the face... (which is good for camera shots, not to mention, even better for GUN-SHOTS!). Compare that with the tiger... more powerful n yet stealthy... completely camouflaged.

I do seem to have exceptional luck with all kinds of reptiles tho’... at IIT it was 3 kinds of snakes (a ‘dhaaman’- viper, cobra, and some small thin slimey thingy), and a couple of crocs. Also saw a lot o crocs in the Sunderbans. And here in Corbett, saw a couple of 4- feet long monitor lizards, and slimey small one in our room. Besides of course, a whole lot of birds!!!  pheasants, woodpeckers, kingfishers, and a lot of others unfamiliar ones.

The place we’re staying at is Camp Riverwild- nicely designed log-huts on the banks of the Kosi. We took long walks along the pebbled river-bed, yesterday n today. Feels nice... Sam’s good at skimming stones on the river . And ofcourse, getting *COSY* on the rock!!! MMMMMMMmmmmmmmmm ;)

wrote my first hotel review...

2008-06-10T00:53:00.000-07:00

... about Camp River Wild, in Corbett- posted it on holidayiq.com; waiting for it to go live :)

P.S.- it's live now- Camp River Wild review

In Uttarakhand

2008-06-01T02:31:00.000-07:00

Reached here on 29th May... The journey from New Delhi to Nainital began at 1.30pm... and ended at 10.15 pm.... Our chauffeur Pandey is one yappy chap. At first he was reluctant to take us to Nainital the same day, bcoz of the Gujjar violence at the borders. But the agents convinced him and we reached Nainital the same day.

Uttarakhand isn't as charming as Sikkim (or is it that I am biased bcoz Sikkim was *HONEYMOON*.... muaahhhh!). The thing abt Sikkim was that tourism wasn't the only thing for locals. N there was a certain Zen-like detachment about the people. Whereas in Nainital people are just busy trying to sell you horse-ride, boat-rides, n wat-not... So they can get pesky at times... The countryside is nice... beautiful alpine scenery!... and the lakes (both Nainital n Bhimtal) r pretty huge. The boating's peaceful with the breeze. At Nainital we were put up at the Pavilion. D staff were polite n nice... but the rooms badly need some maintenance. As with most of the heritage hotels, not owned by biggies, the intent was noble, the execution outright sloppy.

Today we reached Bhimtal. The Monolith resort designed by Gautam Bhatia in wood and stone. Very charmingly done (Bhimtal is slightly less commercialised than Nainital)). The timbre floorboards could do with better cleaning.

Hv uploaded pics on orkut... more updates to follow... Laptops and Tata Indicom Mobile Internet *ROCK* !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

the first yesterday...

2008-03-10T23:03:00.000-07:00

Excerpt from "The Five People You Meet in Heaven" by Mitch Albom

"I figure its like in the Bible, the Adam & Eve deal?" the Captain said. "Adam's first night on earth? When he lays down to sleep? He thinks it's all over right? He doesn't know what sleep is. His eyes are closing and he thinks he's leaving the world, right?
"Only he isn't. He wakes up the next morning and he has a fresh new world to work with, but he has something else too. He has his yesterday."

Addendum to NLT, Landmark, et al post...

2008-03-10T22:21:00.000-07:00

"Shodhishee Manava,
Rauli, Mandiri,
Naandto Dev ha
Aapulya Antari"

- Sant Tukaram

Two of my most important points of contention-

1. Why should anyone have to pay huge amounts of money for learning the non-material richness/ "possibilities" in life. If X cannot afford to pay for a course conducted by ABC, why should Y who has attended it pay on behalf of X? Why can Y not simply "pay it forward". In other words, pass on what you have learnt to others, and spread the knowledge exponentially. You becoming a teacher is also a "possibility", right?

2. Why should the "possibilities" of my life depend on these kind of forums? Does the forum to teach me to be happy without being depended or addicted to only their way of life? Hypothtetically, if what happens in the past are my "stories"/ "rackets" that affect my "possibilities", then the forum I took yesterday is also in the past now. It will affect my "possibilities" in the future. If it stops me in the future from turning to a different philosophy, then it is for all practical purposes a "racket".

It's a bit like drug addiction. You start with small doses because your friends tell you that it will relieve symptoms. The drug only relieves symptoms, but the underlying cause is not addressed. You grow dependent on it, till it begins to take control of your life...

Quoted from www.skepdic.com :Research has shown that the feelings of having benefited greatly from participation in an LGAT do not correspond to beneficial changes in behavior (Michael Langone, "Large Group Awareness Training Programs," Cult Observer, v. 15, n. 1, 1998).

NLP, Landmark, Scientology, Art of Living... What is Learning?

2008-03-09T22:46:00.000-07:00

Sam attended his first course of LAndmark education (Fees- Rs.5500/-) and promptly signed up for the next level of the same (at a WHOPPING Rs.10,000/-)... !

Why do educated, sophisticated, otherwise intelligent people with good family support and dedicated friend circles, need to resort to these New Age courses?

Worse still, why should they PAY THROUGH THEIR NOSES to be able to acheive peace?
Is peace, well-being and happy fulfilling life, not the right of the poor? Do we need more peace than people in countries ravaged by war, like Afghanisatan, Iraq, Vietnam? Do these New Age philosophies reach out to such people and do this for free?

I completely agree, that

1. Our mind should be open to coaching... (coachable!), but that does not mean allowing ourself to get brain-washed. We should be allowed to think that we can lead happy lives, without signing up for expensive courses.

2. Facts are different from interpretation, but there is no one single fact in life. It is, was, and will aleays be interpretations. Language, History, Science, Maths, Morality & Ethics, everything we learned, is proof that interpretations abound !

3. It is touching to see people open out about their deepest fears, humiliations, et al. But it should also make us aware that in our lives we also have people who have cried to us, who have been angry with us, but just never did it on a stage/ podium. And we have done all this as well. All societies & religions have some ethics inclining towards 'empathy' and 'sympathy'. We're taught this/ we learn on our own as kids. And we *DO* practice it in life, unconsciously.

4. We are partially responsible for everything that has happened to us. But the percentage of partiality varies between 1-100. We ARE and ARE NOT responsible for everything that happens in the world. There is a Zen theory- the butterfly effect. A tiny butterfly flapping its wings at one end of the universe may lead to a typhoon/ tornado in another part of the world. So should the butterfly apologise for flapping it's wings? Should it not flap them ever again?

The problem with most of these courses is that it takes advantages of people's lack of reading and philiosophical awareness. Books have always been my best friends. People equate books with bookish-ness, with learning by rote. But I've always learnt so much, I have questioned so much from them.

I have come to believe, that there is no ONE GURU, no ONE FORMULA, no ONE RELIGION... the world & the God entity in all its complexity, are TOO BIG to fit into any ONE... I m a believer of multitudes. All of us are gurus and shishyas, and everywhere we go is a Jeevan ki Paathshala...

Career paths...

2008-02-04T20:39:00.000-08:00

I've got bosses who have a graduate degree in Engineering/ Technology, a PG in Design and YET another PG in Management. There are also now aiming to climb higher up the corporate ladder into strategic planning and one of them wants to do a Ph.D. (not sure in exactly what!) Why didn't they simply do a B.Sc and an MBA... faster track, eh?

Can't help but wonder if they know what they want to do with their lives... I've always been sure I wanted to do design. Architecture, M.Des, User Experience or Dance... I want to do good creative hands-on stuff. And in office I'm given incentives for a PM role... Isn't there a ascension path for Design? Can I not become Super Senior Design Consultant? Or Alpha Designer? Why do all paths lead to PM roles. Why is it the unlessI have a"Manager" tag in my mail signature people won't think of me as important?

I WANT TO DESIGN!

Cheetoo's cholecystectomy

2008-01-31T14:47:00.000-08:00

My teddy bear underwent laparoscopic cholecystectomy (removal of gall bladder). Went thru unbearable pain at night before it was detected. After surgery he wasn't given any pain-killers for the first 2 days (thanks to his tendencey for allergies). Poor baby, he spent the whole time asking us to do something about his upper back and shoulder ache.

People have been visiting regularly. On the day of his surgery Ankur's mom n dad dropped by, just as he was being brought out of the OT. Aunty mentioned that it's hard to imagine Samir lying unconciosu on the stretcher like this. That was the only time I could not control my tears. God! Please don't ever let me see him like, ever again in my life. Amen!

Flickr

2008-01-16T04:41:00.001-08:00

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Taare Zameen par... Heere bhi Zameen par

2007-12-24T04:19:00.000-08:00

If only people remembered movies beyond 18 reels & carried the message forward for a lifetime... !

TZP is NOT a 'kiddie' movie in the 'Hanuman' or 'Harry Potter' sense... It's a touching story of a small kid who is intelligent but dyslexic. He cannot understand the written word. Inu's world is different. He thinks out of the box. He sees what others cannot... textures, colours, and beauty in everyday things. But the real world is too busy building competitive toppers who can carry the expectations of their parents on their tiny shoulders. And Inu finds it increasingly difficult to fit in...

The movie is beautiful shot. No fancy filters, no exotic locations, no gravity defying camera-angles. Just our usual daily world, yet it looks simply beautiful from the eyes of a 8-year old. Yes, it could do with a bit more editing, But then again, this is not a fast-paced thriller. It's about a boy who ponders and wonders and dreams...

It also seems to have an idyllic optimistic ending; perhaps not something that will happen with every dyslexic child. But Aamir's directorial debut brings up a disability, that certainly needs to be looked into in our academics-focussed society.

NZ- Auckland- Waiheke

2007-11-23T02:09:00.000-08:00

First Weekend:The hop-on-hop-off Auckland Explorer bus.
(with TinTin n Shrek for company.)

Bastion Point: mera-wala blue green! lawns, spring-green n the blue sea. Felt like running on the lawns. Wish I had a bicycle. I felt like i could cycle all day long.

KElly Tarlton's Underwater world- (nice but not exciting enough- sorta smallish in scale; maybe in hindsight after having seen the Singapore Underwater world). Clicked a crazy pic of Shrek with his head in a shark skull (op illusion while clicking). That's what shd be done with all bosses ;)

Auckland museum- Interesting interior! Not spent much time there. So can't comment on the artifacts. One interesting display was about musical volcanic rocks... essentially the xylophone/santoor concept.

Victoria market- DISAPPOINTING! beyond words!-

WAIHEKE ISLAND- the next weekend:
With all the TM paltan. A ferry ride to the island. lots of walking around. BEAUTIFUL BEACHES!!!!!! Nice sea-side cafe- ordered funny dish Avocadoes on toast (literally that was IT!) that came with some non-veg side dish which i didn't touch. The boys had a gud time pulling my leg over it. Didn't visit the vineyards.

Dethaly Hallows (Potter 7)- Flaws

2007-11-21T03:17:00.000-08:00

1. When Voldy asks Cissy to check if Harry's alive, how did Voldy not guess Harry's alive since Voldy is so good at Legilimens & Harry's so bad at Occlumency?\

2. Why was Ginny kept in the background of the entire Book 7 when she was such a promising character, as powerful witch and Harry's girlfrind?

3. How can Harry become an involuntary Horcrux? Does anything become a horcrux?

4. What exactly happens at King's Cross station? WHat's the wailing creature?

1. The triwizard tourney was *SUCH* a redundant exercise! As Mad-eye Moody, Barty Jr. could have easily placed the Portkey *ANYWHERE* within Harry's reach. He met Harry so often to counsel in person. Why wait for the end of the TW tourney to make harry touch the portkey!

For the N-th no. of time...

2007-10-23T04:06:00.000-07:00

... I feel blog sites should NOT allow Drafts and post-"POST" editing ... to kick procrastinators like me out of the habit!:D

Yet another post stuck in draft mode :|

Unified Seamless Theory of Everything...

2007-09-24T23:40:00.000-07:00

Hmmm... Somethings get the gears whirring... this is one of those...
Certainly not as esoteric as theoretical physics (I'v always been fascinated by that tho')... but more of a Unified Seamless Integration Theory for Everything Everyday...

So much to see...

2007-09-23T18:39:00.000-07:00

Even more to Learn...

and just One Small Life-time...

Can you give me more knowledge?

Can you give me more strength?

Can you make me experience the vastness?

Hoomurrrrrr in NZ

2007-09-17T21:42:00.000-07:00

Shrek (on MTR food for dinner): Raat baaki.. Masale- Bhaat baaki… Khana hai jo khaa jaane do…. Socho naaaa dekho tohhhh………..
_________________________________________________________

Shrek n Tintin (on defining our customer): Customer = Kashta Maar… Kashta karvoon maarnare…
_________________________________________________________

Process documents require the system to “Obtain relevant info from customer”…
Tintin: Let’s just put one big box on the screen saying ‘please enter your relevant info… ho gaya Ui design’…
_________________________________________________________

(Trying to hide from clients the fact that we use cracked versions of s/w)
Shrek n Tintin: Dombari ki Phooti hui avrutti
_________________________________________________________

(On deciding the button labels for a BUY journey)
Shrek: Either the client will click BUY or the client will click BYE-BYE
_________________________________________________________
Mantha: Sab 'yede' aate hain yahaan par...
_________________________________________________________
(On firangs apologising/ excusing everytime they run into someone...)
Whenever they say "Sawwyyy" (Sorry), we say "Egzackleee"... (-to quote Salaam Namaste)

southbound...

2007-09-07T12:09:00.000-07:00

Heading for the Southern hemisphere... to experience the onset of spring.

A time to connect with NATURE...
I need no-one else...

Spiritual... not religious...

2007-06-26T05:40:00.000-07:00

The title of this post comes from the Orkut religion options! :)

Am re-reading Chocolat... N cannot help wonder... how did religion become *SUCH* a restrictive part of people's life! Why can't religions liberate our minds...? Help us think... think ahead... think lateral.. think diagonal.. think backwards... but *THINK* !!! It's not very differnt from what we hv at home... Religious advice is becoming noisy, no longer inspiring...

I say to myself, yet again, nice book... bewitching... wicked... beautiful... delectable.
Went for a Chocolate Truffle with vanilla ice-cream n choc sauce at Cafe Coffee-Day, on the rainy Sunday, with Sam n strolled in the Thakur complex garden... felt like part of the book ... Cravings shd be given in to... >:)

UK trip- 1st day.. 1st Impressions

2007-06-26T05:02:00.000-07:00

... Feeling prolific...!

*Third* post in one day... too much by my LAZY standards

The weather reminds me of my UK trip... so here's the promised travlogue.. in parts...

reached Heathrow, on a *SUNNY* afternoon, wearing a faux leather jacket! From HEathrow to W#$&*(^ in a cab driven by "Kashmiri" (?) "Amitabh Bachchan"!!! He's chattering away, asking me about India... small talk, but a lot of it... He plays Hindi radio... Empty Roads... Rows houses with little gardens. Where are d people? There are cars, but where are d people? There's an old lady reading on a bench outside her house... soaking d rare sunlight, I think :) Something reminds me on Enid Blyton!
I'm having a minor panic attack- What if d cabbie's taking me for a ride? How do I know! He's talking too much... If I yell for help, there isn't a soul on d road, in broad daylight! I don;t hv a working cell! I quickly say a short prayer- Vighnaharta! get me thru this!

The BnB... Big on the outside... teeny rooms inside... strang-ish division of spaces. An east European house-keeper, speaks in heavily accented, almost unfathomable English. I get settled into the room. Twin beds, tho' I'm not sharing with anyone. How I wish Sam was here! How does d shower tap work? I call my collegue in office... report to work at 1.30pm. Call Sam n Mom from office- let them know I'm safe :).

Get myself a temporary place. Get to know people around... get to work-out schedule... Sorta tired... Take d office shuttle. D driver (also appears to b east eurpoean) is rather talkative (are they all like that?!) Carries my laptop case 4 me. Boys ask him to play Hindi music. He says "only if d new lady sings"... I just hide n try to make myself invisble behind d seats... He persists... Boys talk him out of it... They're being nice :)

From d shuttle's drop-point, it's a long walk to the BnB. It's getting a bit chilly, windy... I HATE this sort of cold!, It freezes my bones... Boys take me upto their BnB; we hv chai... they drop me to mine... It's 7 mins away from theirs.. I reach my room... just 5 channels on TV... pigout on theplas, laddus ... drop off ... Sleeppyyyyy... Some serious work ahead tomorrow... My shoulders ache... laptop's heavy... Jet-lagged... Don't think so... ZzzZZZzzzz...

Connect...

2007-06-26T04:31:00.000-07:00

... with myself ...

- with words, books, ideas, ideals...
- with dance, music, my physical self...
- with dry pastels, ink, brushes, paper...
- with architecture, vistas, photographs...
- with people, potraits, places...
- with plants, animals, birds...
- with earth, water, skies...
- with fire, fractals, force...
- with the universe, the elementary particles...
...............................................
...............................................
................................... Connect ... !

I'll take the rain... Anyday!

2007-06-26T04:17:00.000-07:00

Tee Hee heee... that's how it makes me feel :D I can't wipe the huge grin on my face when the rains wash into my life every year...

Grey, yet Green,
Muddy, yet Clean (well, not Mumbai's roads!)

Tempestuous, yet Soothing...
Dark, yet Lightning...

Damp, yet Aromatic...
Depressing, but Romantic...

Dreamy... Drowsy...
I want to get drunk with the rains...

Whatz love gotta do with it?

2007-06-06T00:26:00.000-07:00

Does love mean thinking of someone all the time?
Does love need space?
Does love need sacrifice?
Is it love if you sacrifice urself for someone not worth the sacrfice?
Does love need proving?
Is love tug-of-war?
Does love need prodding?
Does love need account balancing?
Does love change over time? If it changes, was it love in the first place?

Ignorance is Bliss

2007-05-25T04:38:00.000-07:00

Couldn't help wondering... are intelligent people always a दुःखी lot? Is this why "intelligence" is different from "wisdom"?

Is it bcos intllgnt ppl always end up analysing situations unconciously? Is it bcoz intllgnt ppl cannot help but come up with an alternative solution? And get depressed at the fact that their solution, which is better, is not implemented?

And the wise are those who realise that though they may be intllgnt n hv better solns to everything, fact is that no single person can stop the universe from working. What course the universe takes may be drastically different, but it will not stop.

I am but a grain in the sands of time!:)

Re-blogging! :)

2007-05-25T03:02:00.000-07:00

Thankooooo John, for reminding me to blog! :)

Have been travelling quite a bit in the last month or so... 2 weeks in UK, a business trip to Pune, a Sunday in Lonavla , a long weekend in Matheran, couple of days in Daman...

Started a couple of posts, but left them as drafts... altho' ideally blog-posts SHOULD'NT be drafts! I mean... u JUST BLOG! Drafts et al, are for official documents! :D

But nevermind... one of the drafts is a mini-travel essay... so that's justfied ! N i'll trash the rest... unless... o well...

A micro trip to Brit-land...

2007-04-15T05:56:00.000-07:00

UK was interesting! Well, whatever I saw of it in 2 weeks. Everything's bloody expensive, the people are bloody polite (to the point of being boring), places are bloody beautiful and well-maintained.

Fortunately it was the beginning of spring and there were a couple of sunny spells. But it was cold by my standards, and fingers wld often go numb (o dear! I am talking weather like THEM!).

Visited London, Greenwich, Cambridge, besides of course Watford where I worked.

Numerous observations.. about ppl... places... culture... Detailsssss soon to follow!

Save the Animals! Save the Trees! Die Humans!

2007-03-23T23:24:00.001-07:00

Quite honestly, watever we'v done as humans... we'v messed up big-time!

So when some ppl's conscience pricks them abt eating meat, drinking milk, wearing furs n leathers- my conscience pricks me about eating leaves, killing those poor plants who consume little besides sunlight and provide us with fresh air, UV protection & power-packed nutrition. Aren't we being unfair to them? they'r as much living as animals, and far more immaculate & sinless than any animal who eats other living beings (including plants) for survival.

Chaddi Pehenke Fools Khile hai...

2007-03-19T22:16:00.000-07:00

Our dahling Indian Cricket(y) team made d highest World cup score y'day against Popatwadi XI (Bermuda, as labelled by Mumbai Mirror). Until y'day, half of India's cricket loving population thought Bermuda is that sloppy-looking "चड्डा " u wear on lazy Sundays. And dat's wat d Indian team did... to quote Gulzar's lyrics for d Japanese Jungle Book animation..."जंगल जंगल बात चली है .. पता चला है ... अरे चड्डी पेहेनके फूल खीला है ... फूल खीला है ..."

Oh well, atleast d team got d statistics right for d records... it's *STILL* a century for Sehwag, and record score for d World Cup... (Yeeeeessssshhh..! I've hidden my face in d dust-bin at my cubicle...)

Nachooooooooooo...

2006-12-12T04:27:00.000-08:00

After yearssssssss of stagnating n fattening up, I'v recently started dancing again... it's a difference of 13years and 13kilos, between then and now :)
The ocassion being, my dear buddy Ankur-Chankoor's shaadi. After the heartbreak that he went thru, and all the consequent stress that we all suffered, it was high-time we let down our hair and rock.

And rock, we did!!! Sejal n Sweety r doing d choreo... we all meet-up at Anks' place after dinner; Aunty lovingly forces food down our throats (did I say 13 kilos?...it's probably 15 by now!!), n v practice n laff upto 1.30 am in d nite... this is USUAL!

Ok, assessing my performance... So ppl tell me I m graceful... (Mua-haa-haa-haa... गज गामीनी , I say!... The elephant's gait is indeed graceful, and swaying)... n I pick up d steps quickly (Good ol' Mrs. Phillips-these compliments r for u !:D) ..Sam's still a bit uptight, not very quick at picking up steps... BUt I know he can dance well, he has good rhythm... he'll do it wid a BIT more practice...

Hv to hand it to Ankur's family... they're ALL enthu abt. this! Uncles, aunts, cousins... everyone finds time for practice... n r thrilled abt the Sangeet ceremony. May God keep them together like this forever !:) Cheeriossssssss Ankur-Ol Pal... May u hv d most memorable wedding... n d happiest married life ever... u deserve it !:)

Confessions n Angst on Blogs

2006-10-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

Diaries, Journals, poems... wat not.. v spill our lives on d Net... free for all 2 view... 2 comment... 2 connect... 2 judge... making ourselves increasingly vulnerable...

Mahesh Bhatt leaked out Parveen Babi's personal tapes. .. jus for publicizing his freaky film... much to severe criticism from his peers n d public in general.

N now v , ourselves, hv our confessions n heart-felt emotions poured into something as open, public, n free as a blog... We don't need no Mahesh Bhatts!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Holy Cow, Holy Smoke, and Holy Matrimony

2006-10-23T23:42:00.000-07:00

The Cow's the nice person ( the daughter-in-law, the mother-in-law, the wife, mother, the husband even!), the protector, the provider, the least opinionated.

The Smoke's what comes out of the Wedding fire, the passion between 2 hearts, the fury between warring sides, and the funeral pyre

The Matrimony's what's undefinable. It's what brings together 2 very unlikely worlds, n actually manages to keep them together with one humongous effort made by all of the strange assortment of people involved.

Train-ing!!!

2006-10-16T02:39:00.000-07:00

I want to write a book on the trains of Mumbai- I miss them... have rarely travelled on them in the past 5 years...
Anecdote: trinket-seller with howling baby slung on her back... other ladies commenting "अरे कैसी औरत है ! पहले बच्चे को देख, फीर सामान बेच..." .. the trinket-seller's defiant, yet determined look almost acusing the others "What do u know, how i hv to bring up d child,and make a living?"

Some general thoughts to put in...

Shoes, dupattas, bags, umbrellas getting lost, displaced, separated from their owners;
The varied trinket-sellers;
The Monkey-walli and her monkey :"यह मेरे बच्चे जैसा है... तुम्हारे बच्चे को तुम train में नही लाता है क्या?";
Eunuchs: "Ladies compartment में ही आएंगे ! हम gents नही हैं !";
Terrorists;
Grumpy office-goers: "Girls these days dress like call-girls, earlier even prostitutes had some 'हया'";
Giggling n studying Collegiates: "Tee-hee-hee, that prof's so cute!".. . "Abbey u better study well, he isn't so cute when he checks the answers" ;
Veggie sellers,
Birthday parties
तीन-पत्ती parties,
Deranged people,
Pick-pockets,
Fisher-women and body odour,
Brawls,
Blasts,
Rains (I had missed my 11th First Sem bio-pracs, thanx to train probs!)
The development of the new Metro (will it be another throbbing microcosm? or will it be impersonal and snooty?)..

A myriad of experiences :), and Body odour's the only form of pollution that u will encounter during travel! :)

I wanna CRIB... CRIB... and CRIB MORE...!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-10-05T01:57:00.000-07:00

Why am I feeling *SO* pissed ... I was never like this before... except maybe when my parents rejected Sam and I was wrking on my P-3... that was major low-point in life...

For once I really feeling running away.. . I am usually not *this much* angst-ridden!...I am the one who tells ppl to chin-up... but I really really want to go into some secluded place... not so secluded, but with maybe a bunch of friends around... just laff... laze... read n discuss books.. dance on the beach, on the mountains... and SCREW THE REST OF THE FUCKED UP WORLD...!!! I hate compromising... in personal and professional life! This has got to be the nadir of my life... what crap am I talking! Man, this is a rotten time..!

Premonitions That I've had ...SPOOKY!!!

2006-09-29T02:19:00.000-07:00

I'v had the strangest premonitions at times... It's a bit scary... adn I insist I m *NOT superstitious... But how dyu explain d following?

Case1: Sometime, during my stay at IIT, my friends decided on a midnite trip to Kashid beach. They're all experienced bikers.. and when they ask me to join them on d trip, I had this strangesy gut feeling dat things aren't goin to be good. OK, I've always been jittery abt. sitting on bikes, but I've NEVER worried abt. others. That one time I felt s'thing amiss; and told them abt it. On our way back Shama n Gera's bike took a tumble on a clear, straight road, n Shama ended up with a hairline fracture in her knee... :(

Case 2: I had very strange dream abt. Ank's n Sejal's Grannys... I'd only met both grannies just once in my life before... Sejal's granny at her wedding, and Ank's granny at a Satsang in our society, both over year ago. In the dream, we were all sitting at "Ganjawala Juice corner" ... seemed like late night... n we were talking abt our grannies (mine has already passed away)... n In the dream I had fleeting glimpses of both grannies, as we were talkign... couple of days later I got the news of boths grannies death, just a day apart from each other.

Case 3: I dreamt that I was at the backside balcony at my mom's place Suyog; mom n me were watchin Suyog B wing swaying... like crazy... the weather seemed winding, almost monsoon-ish... A few days later, in real life, mom told me that proposal's are on for the redevelopment of the Suyog society, and B-wing will be knocked down first, to build a residential tower, accomodating A & B wing residents, and the road-facing A wing will be converted to a commercial block.

Case 4: Just the other day, I remember mine and Monika's conversation immediately post-marriage (more than 2years ago). And suddenly the next day, she pings me to tell me she's expecting a baby in April :)

How do we know went to trust our gut feelings? What causes these?

Designing my Ideal life...!

2006-09-29T01:47:00.000-07:00

Lemme list my passions... putting them in order of priorities is tough... Am capable of re-prioritising on day-to-day basis...So just lsiting them for my own sake:)

Dancing
Design (Buildings, Fabrics, jewellery, ojets d'art... what not)
Books(reading... Design books... Beautifully *designed books*, Classics...)
Nature
Travel (of all sorts... adventure, culture, spiritual, luxury...)
Samir
and atleast ONE thing in life that will make me famous around the world... :D

So what can I do make this happen?!... I could "design" a "book" on "dance" based on "Nature's" beauty and hopefully that will make me "famous around the world" and "travel" for demo, lectures, awards, maybe even become a brand ambassador!!... Sounds amazing, doesn't it...! :D

Pondering Death...

2006-09-25T03:04:00.000-07:00

Sounds scaryyyyyyy?

No...Unfortunately for the world, I am not contemplating suicide and/or homicide :)
It's just that in the past 1 month, I've seen and heard of death so much...
Nana, both of Bhakti's aunts, Sam's Kaki, Govardhan-baapa... all within a span of a month...Dr.Maasa before them all...

Some of these death's were peaceful, quick and painless... and others painful for both the sufferer and the family.

The questions is how wld I want to die? Famous? Rich? Satified? In Pain (and yet be an inspiration for others) Surrounded by family and friends? Alone and quietly (no weeping and sobbing around me at my final moments! I'd like to have some peace!)

What happens when one dies? Do we *know* that it's coming? Is it panic, or is it premonition?

And Nana is no more...

2006-08-29T21:28:00.000-07:00

He died as he lived... strong, independent, and mentally as sharp as ever.

Ruke naa tu... Jhuke naa tu...

2006-07-11T21:40:00.000-07:00

yes... We Mumbaikars don't stop.. we Mumbaikar's don't cower.. we move ahead steadfastly.

Yesterday Mumbai was struck with by the terrorists again. Blasts along the Western Railway line at 7 differnet locations within 10 minutes of each other. Once again, the spirit of the city raised its head. Fellow commuters rushed to rescue the trapped people... People carried dismembered organs... human beings in pieces, both alive and dead, without waiting for the authorities to arrive. The media reached the venues before rescue officials... and the citizens gave vent on TV to their frustration at the lethargy and compalcency with which the bureacracy moves.

Trians coming to a standstill, the roads got overburdened. Adiditonal buses were plied into service... traffic got jammed... poeple were stranded on roads. Once again, local people helped out with supplying water, and packets of biscuits to stranded travellers.

Poticians and VIPs mouthed platitudes about things we already knew... "It was a planned inhuman act of terror to disprupt the financial captal..." OMIGOSH! R u serious??... we honestly wldn't have been able to figure it out if u hadn't told us... "We urge the citizens to stay calm and go on with life as usual".. come to think of it, Mumbaikars have always been calm and going ahead with life. Even in 1993, the offices were up and running with almost 50% attendance the very next day. Today again, poeple have reported to office. Infact I am blogging from the office.

I wonder what the editors at Reader Digest, who conducted the "rudeness surve" say to this spirit of Mumbai. How rude of people to interefere without permission freom authorities? How rude of people to report to work, despite the deaths of so many, and disruption of normalcy? How rude of people to provide free drinking water in bottles to stranded travellers- couldn't u have atleast offered them in glasses on a platter, and shown some etiquette? I wonder....

Edge of the Sphere & Corner of the Light

2006-07-11T01:48:00.000-07:00

The title sounds *ESOTERIC* , doesn't it????????....

There was a time when I thought about things seriously... when my intellect was a driving force... when I was trying REALLY hard to prove that women, though different aren't inferior... I was dead against conventions like women quitting careers n staying at home. I was quick to retort against any prejudices. I was always trying hard to PROVE A POINT..! Any Point..!

Somewhere down the line, I fell in love, and mellowed down. From a Feminist, I became an "Equalist". It's like someone aptly said " Love fills the heart and empties the brain"...! In some ways I am enjoying it, in some ways I miss my old self.

Why is a fiery woman always viewed with suspicion? Sam's always known my temperament; but all the others brand me as "what a sweet, ever-smiling girl!" OK ppl, my "sweet smile" has nothing to do with the thoughts in my brain. So much so that when my real self does pop-up beyond the sugary facade, ppl r positiviely scandalised! "My, my, young lady, u'v become a lot more smart, and saucy!" "No, Aunty-ji, I was always this saucy!" But then, my "up-bringing' turns me around the edge, and I'm back to talking sweet!

I keep going around the sphere.. sometimes running into my old self, sometimes reaching to my present self; mostly flitting between both. A flirtatious relationship with the 2 sides of me.. Always turning at edges, and hoping that light will bend around the corner with me... an inexplicable dual existence... an unsolveable problem!

(WHOAAA! I just wrote all that stuff!.. I can pass it off as poetry!)

going PHILLOZOPHEEKAL...! :D

2006-07-11T00:31:00.000-07:00

Nope... not preachy... Just routine! :)

Decided to re-collect how much philosophical gyaan have I gathered over years of reading.... So am going to list some inspiring works in this post. Came up with this thought bcoz of Project Gutenberg's anniversary celebration- worldebookfair.com, which is allowing tonzzzz of copyright free books to be downloaded for a month.

I've been a reader ever since I can remember. I've had Nana for inspiration; have seen him stock volumes of Indian epics.. have seen him compose so much- both prose and poetry. And dad was always encouragin about my readin habits; he's the one who took me to Strand Book Stall (god bless Mr. Shanbagh!). Mom was a reluctant skeptic, especially coz I used to read my extra-curricular reading material behind school-books. ;-)

So here comes the "PHILLO" list:

The Little Prince- Perhaps the first bit of philosophy I ever read. Read an excerpt of it in school in class 5 (or maybe 6- can't recollect exactly when). The part of the boa constrictor and the elephant, and the sheep. Really didn't make much sense at that time. But is now one of my favourites. It can still make me blink away tears, for sheer simplicity, honesty and clarity of emotion (not jsut thought..!).
Sophie's World- heard from Chaitanya (our Theory of Design prof. at KRVIA- cute, knowledgeable, esotericly irritating and over-bearing- i did have a TINY BIT of a crush of him...)- the book's pretty long and has a pop-ish approach to classical philosophy. But a good intro for beginners of classical philo.)
Jonathan Livingston Seagull- Cheesy, preachy, tends to drag, despite being less than 100 pages long. Over the years, I've learnt to appreciate the "one-liner" approach in philosophy. Pretty much explains why proverbs are so much more prevalent and practical than voluminous and elaborate treatises.
The Alchemist-
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance-
The Old man and the Sea-
The Virtue of Selfishness- Ayn Rand's philosphy is interesting; but she's surprisingly verbose, despite belonging in the Modern generation of minimal and clean architectural styles.

Hmmm... can't think of any more right now. Maybe will update the list laterzzzzzzz.....!

Blasphemous

2006-06-12T03:43:00.000-07:00

"The only thing that burns in Hell is the part of you that won't let go of life, your memories, your attachments. They burn them all away. But they're not punishing you. They're freeing your soul. So, if you're frightened of dying and... and you're holding on, you'll see devils tearing your life away. But if you've made your peace, then the devils are really angels, freeing you from the earth."- from the movie Jacob's Ladder

Of Destinies and Decisions

2006-06-07T02:04:00.000-07:00

If ever there was an insulting emotion invented by the human race, it was PITY...

Pity is a degradation of a human being's self-respect... of his/her sense of dignity. Pity makes one feel as if the purpose of life is lost. And that's SUCH A *PITY*...!!!!! How I despise the word "bechara/ bechari"...!

I have often wondered where does this loop of Destinies and Decisions begin. Do destinies influence decisions; or is it the other way round?

It seems to be a human tendency to blame destiny for one's condition. and destiny is equated with pity..." It's pity that couldn't happen"... Where's the fighting spirit? Did "IT" not happen because of destiny, or because of your decision (or the lack of it)? Did you decide to move heaven and earth to *make* IT happen?

I often believe that it is decisions... more than destinies. Strong focussed decisions! Decisions for which we have to take responsibility.
“When a person really desires something, all the universe conspires to help that person to realize his dream,” to quote Paul Coelho, in The Alchemist. While I don't believe in long moral sermons, a line or two somewhere usually hits hard... and hits the nail of the head and this is one such line...

Yes, destiny does play a role. Circumstances around you change. But change has always been an integral part of the universe. Birth and death are the only destiny dominated events.Some people are born poor/ disabled/ in any other discomforting situation. But what do they do about it all their lives? Make excuses for living? Everything in life, is a direct consequence of decisions. Wrong decisions lead to wrong results, and are conveniently blamed on destiny. When we make a decision, we have to be fully aware of the flip side of it... of having to suffer as much having to rejoice. And the decision has to be made with an alert, prepared mind.

There are many philosophical theories on destiny. The West strongly believes that Indian philosphy is a destiny-oriented one. But they have always overlooked the "karma" part of it. Karma is conscious. It is a strange dichotomy. We are told that irrespecitve of what we do, fate will decide. But at the same time, we are told that it is important to *do*, and then leave it to fate. Well... if it was to be left to fate anyways, why don't we just lie around like vegetables? Scientifically,even vegetables have intelligence. They react, they respond, and fight to survive. The purpose of intelligence is to decide... to respond... to LIVE...!!!

MUA-HAA-HAA-HAAH...!

2006-05-09T21:39:00.000-07:00

HUMOR: My ISHTLYE

Here's Malavika's Theory of Relativity:

E= m x c (Square) 'Excitement in marriage' = 'Mother-in-law' x 'cousins (Square)'

How do you react to the Hindi saying " मेरी साँस फूल गयी " when you have an obese mother-in-law...?

Most बहू 's opinions about their in-laws: Pappas are the cute ones! It's the पापी's that are the problem :D

A certain don's daughter got married, n her pics went around d WWW. Ok, so you love ur daughter a whole lot, and u love ur gold a whole lot more... but what's the idea of a Gold Chastity belt..!!! (Check out d attachd pic)

A friend of mine has friend called लव मीणा .. Mua-Haa-haaHaa... :D

What do u do when ur boss repeatedly calls ur cell, when ur in th loo? Excuse urself, and make him hear the sound of flushing toilet. If that still doesn't ring a bell in his head, u cld try making farting / constipated sounds!

Mavericking...!

2006-05-02T05:49:00.000-07:00

Wheeeeeeeeee Haaaaaaa...!!!! This is MY space...!!! where I intend freak out, connect... and paint the screen with things that make me feel wild... happy... and single...! in other words... a virtual world that sets me FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE...!!!!!!!!!

Haven't had much time and space for myself in the real world... So this is my new beginning, to keep me cheerful, to reassure myself that I haven't lost my ability to wonder...

Getting accepted...

2006-03-27T00:52:00.000-08:00

what does it take to get oneself accepted in new environment?

I am adjusting to a new job... so far so good...! New people: polite, helpful, friendly... (but with biases...!) While telling me what I should do, and who I should meet, I get tips on whom to avoid, and who should be tackled how... as well as "this system sucks a bit" pointers...

And I have another example. A very dear friend's girlfriend broke off saying she wouldn't be able to live up to his family's expectations.Somewhere she sniffed discontent, and chose to walk out. OR maybe she was jsut commitment-phobic. I can't decide if what she did was right or wrong, but my friend is very heart-broken.

What's with pre-conceived notions? what's with the fear of accepting challenges? What's with the "this will never work" attitude? Whatever happened to our beloved quotes from the Bhagwad Geeta, to which we nod wisely, when we hear a guru spouting gyaan?... "We don;t own anything on this earth nor should we hope to; we should take what life gives to us as a challenge and give it our very best effort. The rest is destiny. "...

What should be an ideal mix of "personality traits" to get oneself accepted? Honesty? Guts? Hard Work? Politeness? Nicety? Helpfulness?