Timelapse of a journey down the memory lane

I had thought my goodbyes here were said. Done with. But its not really goodbye if you are not going away. I stayed. Maybe lost a little touch.

I had thought I wont write again but here I am - revisiting or rather stumbled upon my posts and kept wondering what happened since long. A Lot has happened (not necessarily in right order.)

- I got married. Life hasnt been the same since... in a good way.
- A lot of my friends got married. Have or having kids.
- Some friends stayed away from the bandwagon.

- Some didn't stay friends. Relationships.....All I can say is "It is Complicated !!!" Its where logic doesn't work and I have no ability inherently to go past it. I have tried to control it and failed. So the only thing left to do is to let go. Letting go something that is in my nature to hold on to has been the biggest punch in my heart so far.

- I left my job with IBM - one place I had thought I will never leave. Never say Never huh !!!
- I shifted my base to a small town called Bharuch - they call it a city but really it isnt.
- I am not earning from my knowledge in computers. In fact I have nothing to do with technology now. Hate this part. The only other part that I really hate is not able to sell or rather sell something that one doesn't need in the first place...!!! My last job took me places, made me meet people and made them take decisions of huge amounts solely on my ability to show them, convince them on how it will benefit, if they bought it. Hate not able to do this anymore.
- I started liking gardening - never had space for developing a liking for it in the city earlier.
- Owning an Aquarium - big one to come soon. Guess now I am responsible for more lives than before... :)
- Modi got elected !! Not exactly what I had thought would happen. I am not the one to voice my political opinions out in the general but I didnt expect this. Its either something has changed in everyone I know or I have been blinded and deprived of seeing what they see. Everyone around me is celebrating the victory that I fail to comprehend. I guess its the same on how everyone sees God and how I do. Maybe I am different.
- Kejriwal stumbled down the rabbit hole and  is maybe wondering if it would have been better if he had taken the blue pill.

- Bought a new house. Voila !!

- Developed keen interest in photography - bought a DSLR. At the risk of sounding cliche, I dont want to be the one who has a black box in hand with a belt around the neck with trigger happy fingers shooting everything and posting it to the world. For me I only want to capture what my eyes can see and heart can feel - the moment. Just the moment and Its for me.

- Became director of a company - I can see myself retiring from. Wait - its deja-vu. I had this feeling when I joined IBM as well. Guess I cant really say for sure where my life will take me in five years but certainly every life changing event has happened in five year intervals.

- I no longer work to earn money. How much is enough?? - No clue. But I work to achieve something I didn't have. A sense of rising from below to heights one can only awe. I have yet to experience my one true achievement. 

The list goes on and I must too. But if I write again. Lets C. (reminds me of Let us C..:))

Goodbye !!!

"I suppose in the end, the whole of life becomes an act of letting go, but what always hurts the most is not taking a moment to say goodbye." - Life of Pi

HIStory

It seems so much has changed in such short time.. things I thought would never change... changed, things i thought will never happen.... happened. Sometimes somethings just need to be done to make it right.

MJ (RIP) said this in his song.. 

"How many victims must there be

Slaughtered in vain across the land

And how many struggles must there be

Before we choose to live the prophets plan

Every day create your history

Every path you take youre leaving your legacy

Every soldier dies in his glory

Every legend tells of conquest and liberty...."

Had few decisions been taken differently yesterday might have changed the course today completely. Maybe its done now.. maybe worse. Anyways, I dont want to make this an encrypted letter that even i cant understand. But mind speaks like this these days!!

Just yesterday I said, how many times we have travelled like this.. these roads... aint that some HIStory.

QUOTE

Success is getting and achieving what you want. Happiness is wanting and being content with what you get.

b back soon

will be back soon

Bangladesh creating Taj Mahal replica !!

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-12/09/content_10479651.htm

If you care to see the replica of our Taj Mahal being built in Bangladesh ... 

Shocking ??

Regional National Anthem

I went to see Rab ne bana di jodi.... and as much as I would like to post a review of it here.. i am holding against that.. atleast for now… J

We all have been accustomed to the National Anthem that is sung before every movie played in the theatres in Mumbai. I think its a good move where we can pay a small tribute to our Nation's heritage and its pride for few minutes before enjoying our movie that we paid out for. I liked the idea despite a huge debate going out in the blogging circles about the sanctity and the justification of playing it before movies like "No Entry" or "The Dark Knight".  Leaving the reasoning behind it, I still liked it. I will admit, I don’t fully realize the reason behind the move though. 

What is actually circling my mind is the regional representation of the National Anthem. I have always seen it sung by heroes of our nations, celebrities, leaders.. as a whole united nation coming from different part of our country. Since the last few movies I have seen, mainly in Cinemax, I begin to get the felling of regionalization of the National Anthem itself. I believe we have a National Anthem to bring national pride in oneself - which shows how diversified, multi cultured, multi linguistic nation we are and can unite and sing one song for our country. It represents the country not the state and hence all states are mentioned in the song. If an Anthem is supposed to represent the nation then why have only regional actors singing it. 

Maybe I have not taken it in the right sense. But I do not see any point in having only Marathi cinema actors sing the entire National Anthem either. Don’t get me wrong, am far away from such regionalization and its politics. I love all the actors in the anthem and this goes nothing against them. I am jus trying to understand the purpose behind it as tomorrow another region will start doing that and we will race towards regionalization than nationalization. At least not for the National Anthem. Let it speak for the Nation by the Nation. 

Please excuse if sentiments are hurt. This goes nothing against any particular region or language or state. 

Any thoughts ??

Back to normal... HUH !!!

There have been times in the past few weeks when I came here.. opened up the blank post editior and kept staring at it for a while and closed the window. No word compares the anger and the uneasiness thats in my mind and shared by countless others in mumbai today.  Its not the same anymore... and I wouldnt call going back to office the next day is the spirit of Mumbai as if "Life goes on... ". Its been enough that we got back to normalancy very fast as if we have accepted it as part of our life. I for one, went to office the next day and I felt disgusted about it as soon as I reached there. Its not supposed to be normal the next day.... not the next month.. not the next year.........

Mumbling Thoughts....

What good is freedom of expression, if you are afraid to express

   What good is right to be heard if you are afraid to speak

      What good is education if you choose to remain ignorant

           What good is your love for your country, if you keep complaining about it

WOW, I coudlnt think I can produce those 4 lines.... 

I too complain a lot whenever I go to Yantra Park TCS office or Lake City mall. Not that the area is bad or anything to do with TCS or Lake City but its the approach junction thats like a living hell. I wonder how Katz manage to go to TCS everyday.... :D (Just kidding) btw, she lives walking 15 mins from that place, what else do you need. 

Today, Rabs lost her best fought secret to my intelligence.. I am proud of myself today.

We had one of our biggest software event in Rennaisance powai past week. Ofcourse I had a great time, but the best time was the speaches heard from our corporate strategist on how our company is viewing this world and shaping it for the future.

I just finsihed reading Kane and Abel and have started with A prisoner of Birth. Not that I am suddenly in love with Archer, but Katz seemed to have these two. I will admit though that the books are great. Though I expected a lot better ending from Kane and Abel, I think the Prisoner of Birth will definately provide that. 

Movies haven been lagging these days. The last I saw was Quantum of Solace. Dissapointed was one word right after the ending. Though there were few seconds of cherrish during the movie, the impact of Bond was just not there. Casino Royale still is my favorite. 

Am just mumbling my thoughts here since there isnt much that I want to write now. Time to catch my sleep.. There have been times when i wanted to pen down a lot but those thoughts are no longer there. 

Expecting the unexpected

What disturbs me the most is that people do not understand people. I can see if people cannot understand what cannot be seen or felt or heard. But people can see, hear and feel people and still remain ignorant about each other.

Just for the record, I have always being modest all my life... and today I realise words from KK - this is no world to be modest. Rightly said... maybe!!

Yesterday, Mom called and said, do you live in a rented place and have nothing to call of your own? Are you indebted with loans? Well I was shocked to hear  and was wondering whats wrong that she sounded so hysterical. I started wondering what did I do wrong today. I realised soon that it was some matchmaker telling her that I am no good, have no future, nothing of my own and am indebted with loans. This she had heard from some family I had met. Was finding it difficult to recollect exactly which sentence of mine they didnt understand. Ironicly mom thought I was making a hell of a living. I had not lied but comeon.. how can u infer this out of that conversation. God Gracious.. help mankind... PLEASE

She was understandable in her tone, and I was smiling. though couldnt fathom the ignorance and the immaturity of people who cannot stand anyone else but themselves. Apart from calling and blasting that matchmaker for telling my mom all this, I told her a tiny count my assets and my standing when she said .. OH sorry !! Showing dignity I said, sometimes good people get wrong perceptions... God Help them so.... PLEASE!! Chapter Closed.

At night, had a blast with friends, came home and was blasted by mom again. This time reasons not worth mentioning. But it had a lot to do with me not eating dinner at home. 

Yeah.. and I saw a movie in the old single screen theathre. It had to be Malhar and movue had to be Kidnap. As disappointing as was the movie, the samosa for 12 bucks and balcony seats for 60 was just wortht it. Truly nostalgic. Life is beautiful.

One dentist told me I will have to remove my wisdom tooth. Its tilted towards my gums and causing problems. I never looked back and did the only thing I could think of at that time......  I Ran......

My company gifted the entire team an iPOD. I gifted it to my dad - He loves music. Dad gifted it to back to me. Will fill his songs and gift him back... Life goes full circle... :)

Eating honey nut crunch at Baskins at 11 at night in panchpakhadi (home) and looking at the craziness at the streets makes a hell of a time worth remembering.

Mumbai meri jaan

It was just yesterday night, when we were sitting at the katta below my house, and were having a discussion on the happiness index in our country. We all agreed that no matter how much we earn, or how good is the feel good factor or how near are we in becoming a super power nation,  the happiness index is the lowest in the country.  And its not cause of anything else, but its due to the sheer stupidity of a few. What to do? The best solution is to go abroad and earn and be happy. Seems just right.

I dont know whats wrong, and i guess neither does anybody. Anyways, its easy to identify the wrong. Cause changing the wrong would mean changing all of us. Would you do it? 

Dont worry, you dont have to answer that.. and btw, this is not a reality check post. For that, watch Mumbai Meri Jaan. Its not cause I work there everyday and can relate to most of the phyche displayed amongst the people. Its simply about who is happy today. Every character in this film relates to someone or the other I know. The movie is about the train blasts that happened on 7/11 and how every character got influenced by it. I remember when I caught 8:38 the very next day from Thane station, I could see the faces in the compartment and the silence around me. I could see how my mom was worried and called me 10 times that day to see if I was fine. I know my friend who was on that train but was saved miraculously cause he choose to catch the other first class compartment rather than his usual one. The film showed every inch of that reality.

The part of the film that no other film could capture so far was that it showed the fact where no matter how affluent you are - a rich kid with a luxury car, or a chai wala on the cycle, or an upper middle class professional or a middle classe police man -- everyone is striving to be happy. It reminded of the movie in Pursuit of Happiness in which Will Smith emphasis on the work "PURSUIT" and how it needs to be pursued. Mumbai meri jaan compares this very point and asks you to find that happiness. This film goes right there.

I saw A wednesday before I saw Mumbai meri jaan. Both very strong in concept with a very influencing message. One shows the problem, the other a probable solution.

Anyways, the blasts in Delhi just rocked the nation again. No words to describe the insanity of the kinds who spread this fear. They say Mumbai is on High Alert. Well... I am sure, no one has been on any low alert since a long time now. It just gets used to now... and thats a F*ing big problem. 

Pune Trip Landscape

Went Pune yesterday... official purpose ofcourse.

Cant describe the beautiful landscapes on the way.. just couldnt resist the pics. Been there like a 100 times.. but this time just after the rains went slow.. and the sun in its full glory.. the sky and the greenery was an awesome spectakle.

It could easily have been mistaken for some other (over glorified) tourist place...

Rock on...

Saw Rock on on Friday.. and felt how did we not have this music for all these years... The music was awesome.. and so was the film. Awesome style displayed. Anyways... have thought will keep a note of films I watch since my last blog -

Rock on - 4*
Mighty Aphrodite - 3.5* if u liked old Woody Allen, this is though different from those.
Wanted - 3* - nice action.. infact bullets also curve (lol).. angelina jolie is awesome.. f*all story though.
Master and Commander - 4* - russel crowe's character as the Captain is truly religious.
Tried to start Mission istanbul... just couldnt take me beyond 15 minutes. Sorry for no rating there.. :(
So thats all ... I got my new net connection.. downloads been kinda slow.. :( Its called uptime vs speed compromise...

Wanted a neat try at this.. just one of my favorites below. (Click Play)

Pic this

Thers something am doing more often... letting pictures say more than words.

The above one's from my room.. before the grills came.

Thats when we went to Silphata few weeks back.... had gone just to take a walk.. but ended up there :)

Thats all.. my battery is down.. time to shutdown.. :D

Memory Remain..

"Ash to ash
Dust to dust
Fade to black
Fortune, fame
Mirror vain
Gone insane
But the memory remains "

Thats so true... in the end its only Memory that remains.. Well.. its not my ash or my fortune thats gone to dust... its my books. The books that were with me from the day I joined MBA till today. Those stack of books in the picture.. was my sleeping pill for two years.. and finally I have given it away. I still remember the book at the bottom.. Kotler as it was called. Huge papers were filled not looking at that book on the subject - Thats Marketting :)

The most priced item I thought I had .. was in two minds was the KK notes on Quanti... I was still scared as to what if he found out that I gave it away - - what will he do?

Anyways.. I finally decided to pass it on to the other generation whos doing MBA now. I was wondering how we spent SEM after SEM looking at such books and gave our tests. As you can see.. from 48 units I have only 10 books on me.. the rest is lost in memories... :d

So long.. good bye to my books.. On the brighter side.. I got empty space for my DVDs now..

Passee

Past week...being alone at home.. killing time...had my space to the extent... The city takes most of it away, so this was time for myself.

The days been testing - especially the rains. One Monday was the worst hit since the working class decided to work showing little respect to the rain Gods. Our system made them vulnerable. I stood on the platform for an hour.. was actually thinking of going back home, but waited still looking at the situation. Any sane would tell you, its not the day to take a ride instead head home safe, but Thane station was packed like any other Monday. What amazed me was there wasn't a place to stand still on the 9 platform station - as i said, just like any other Monday. I recollect an interview of a CR railway MD on BBC where he said "A mini City travels one way during peak hour using local trains". If you stayed in long enough, you wouldn't be surprised.. but the moment you leave and travel to other Indian cities, you realize the importance of that statement.

When i go out to other cities (unsaturated ones), I find there are places where for KMs you wouldn't spot a living person on the road you driving. I cant imagine that even at 1 at night on any day on any road even in Thane.. forget south bbay.

Guess I just assumed its always like that. Its like our professors always saying.. you got to visit rural India to see what it is. It cant be taught in books.

Anyways.. these days time passes by quickly and i hope people realize the dream... and stop cribbing about whats not there.

Recently, someone at a coffee shop argued with me that China is progressing and why cant we. I had heard this from my professor :

"In China if the Govt. decides to widen a busy street and cut all shops on its way.. the Govt. actually goes about doing it. In India.. we still have something called Democracy. Its different..."

Movies Masti and Magic .... still continues

Saw Jaane Tu ya Jaane Na at R-Adlabs yesterday again and simply loved it. I had already seen it but this made me feel so good. Yes.. the story is repetitive and been told a thousand times, but this one was in great style. The beauty of the movie is in showing the simplicity of the relationship that gets complicated over time due to obvious nature. It was very well executed portraying just how people react when the obvious is not very obvious.


Anyways, point not being writing a movie review here.. but the fact that Adlabs and Cinemaxs of the world are just loot. Found that out when they said front seats are not available and had to take the Gold tickets only to find out later that the entire rows in the front were EMPTY !!! God can I sue them for misleading.

Interestingly enough they charge Rs 120 to 150 for front seats and 200 for back .. the movie looks the same from any direction and its pretty comfortable. I prefer the front ones cause its better experience, the exits are near and its cheap. Thats where I like PVR where the rule is first come first and all seats are equally priced. But then Nirmals is then few more Kms away :(

Am thinking of loging to Moutshut.com and write a blasting review about these places. Makes me wonder how much I really miss my old theatres .. classy blacony seats where Rs 50 seemed overpriced and Rs 12 ka popcorn was just too much. Apart from the price the experience was just wonderful when the aroma and the distinct smell in the air made you feel you in some extravagant place. The time when you enter the building and you rush upstairs towards the balcony and then enter the gigantic hall and you see people down in the stall was so much more fun. These were also the places where our school used to take us for educational shows. I wonder whats happened to such outings in school. We had seen Chota Chetan with 3D glasses and that was the one of the best time we had. No one makes such movies and there are hardly such theatres left where schools can take entire standard for a movie. Those days are well gone..

We all liked the spurge of multiplexes without understanding what we sacrificing for it. Am not being cynical about multiplexes but am trying to get in terms with the balance thats no longer there. In our little area where I live, we were surrounded by 7 Big theaters each showing a different film that used to stay there for atleast a couple of months. Aradhna - Wandana - Anand - Malhar - Pratap - Prabhat - (cant recollect the last one). Now mind you.. all these theaters are walking distances from each other and in our childhood we have had a ball visiting them. Aradhana was the most famous with also being the one taken down. Ruble and memories now lies there. Gone are also the typical show timings of 12-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12 and the famous matinee shows.

Well.. enough said but cant change the fact.. but my next move is to watch the next film in one of the 7 theaters and then see if the change is really for good or it isnt. Anyone wanna join let me know.

Break.... need more!!

The sea winds have that effect and makes us all take a moment to about all the beauty thats out there and forget the unforgiven life that we live mostly. What we all need is to take few times of our schedule and listen to the silence of the shores, the touch of the ghostly winds, the paramount exhibit of nature and enjoy the long fields. Enough said, I do it a little to often and havent had enough yet.

The beach was wonderful in all its glory. I avoided the pics there but its pasted in my mind. Its the view of all the wonderful things on the beach playing with all the other wonderful things. We played too.. but not with the other wonderful things that generally we all d in mind. We played cricket on the beach.. :D

Had thought the trip ended there.. but Mumbai weather had other things in mind. I could barely see 5 meters ahead of me..and was wondering how my taxi driver could see the road with the heavy downpour on the road. I enjoyed the rain seeing every system tested to its limits. wondering how everyone like me is stupid enough to travel to office today..... :)

Indeed... now I need a break...

Thought-fully

Parties and dances have a distinct feature of attraction but I feel more at ease without it. Nothing wrong with the music and the DJ (as what it was to be).

I see and I see it coming for myself too. The preparations, the style, the smile (stickiness), the fashion, the food, the materialistic minds, the show offs and the pride. Rest all things kept in place, I wished not.

The pressures of not staying here are high and not justified. What is the pattern is expected to be followed. Generations I knew are in some other corner and everyone has a story of chance to tell. I rather not tell mine.

Chances are there and ambitions too. It’s now a matter of choice. Time will tell.

Thinking why would someone keep a great song on caller tune and then disconnect when someone calls.

Sometimes think that the final of IPL is as scripted as it could have been. I wonder if it is actually being played.

Things are very predictable and unfashionably cool. College was so in... Outside its just Life with its shrewdness.

Dun wrry... lecture is not the mantra of the day... Just wanted to share the pic... :D

Delhi Shelli...

Its often said and believed that Mumbaikars dont like Delhi and is wisely reciprocated. Never have we met a Delhieite and the conversation of city superiority ever reached its conclusion. This stands true for all topics of conversation right from City Location, Infrastructure, Politics to which place bears the most good looking gals that make you say woooooooow .... :D
Well, the conversation still continues and I still believe Mumbai is best in terms of Gal Quotient.. some of my friends disagree :P... I though admit Delhi has some amazing roads and infrastructure.. but then it has the space for it. We cant do that on our island.

The below list is taken from one of the Mumbai group on Facebook -- The group has 100s of them, I took few out of it.

You know you are from Mumbai (Bombay) when

1. You say "town " and expect everyone to know that*this means south of Churchgate.

2 You speak in a dialect of Hindi called 'Bambaiya Hindi', which only Bombayites can understand.

3. Train timings (9.27, 10.49 etc) are really important events of life.

4. You spend more time each month traveling than you spend at home.

5. You call an 8' x 10' clustered room a Hall.

6. You're paying Rs 10,000 sq ft. for a 1 room flat, the size of walk-in closet and you think it's a "steal."

7. You have the following sets of friend: school friends, college friends, neighborhood friends, office friends and yes, train friends, a species unique only in Bombay.

8. It takes longer to get off from your house to the station than from one end of Mumbai to another by train.

9. You actually pay for your rickshaws by the meter.

10. your idea of personal space is no one actually standing on your toes.

11. At 3am in morning you can still get wadapav or butter pav bhaji and when u r stuck in traffic even at 1:30 a.m

12. you call the cabbies n waiters BOSS

13. Every time you speak Hindi in front of a Delhitite they have the WTF expression on their face.

14. you behave like a foreigner in any other part of the country.

15. Chal, paka mat!" is an overused part of your vocabulary

16. You drink 2 sips of tea called 'cutting' more than thrice a day

17. you know that 'khamba' does not only mean pillar

18. When even at 8 in the morning you can see couples sitting and cozying up at Marine Drive and Worli Seaface

19. You get photographed at three parties and you're suddenly a page 3 regular

20. You know what the term "video coach" stands for in the local trains... (My Fav)

:D

My earlier trips there weren't exactly the social types and neither was this one... but on the last day of our training we had some time to make good. Having our drivers waiting to take us to airport, we took them to take us around Delhi. Expecting little dissatisfaction for doing more work than usual, my driver was more than happy to show us places. We could catch up only Kutub Minar and it was awesome. I had seen Lotus Temple last time ... so Qutub Minar was on the top of the list.

Click on the pic for the entire album :

Delhi Outing - Qutub Minar

Next Destination.... thinking!

Weddings in Heaven....Rents in Hell... People on Earth dreaming

Well the concept of arranged marriages is very simple, miraculous, intelligent and also Outright Preposterous !!!

Had been in this game for a while now.. so I can tell. Its played pretty much like cricket. Both sides come to bat and there are fielders who are there to catch a bad ball you hit. The interesting thing worth noting here is.. did you really hit a good ball badly, or did you purposely hit it to the fielder to go back to the dressing room. Well the fielding side will never know since the scorecard will read You Caught... HAHAHHA...It is a funny game.

Hence, gals, you really rock. Katz is convinced she wont marry conventional style.. Rabs no different. F1 (as rabs calls her) never did. Rabs recently told me that she wont attend my wedding if I marry someone I recently met cause that poor girl made an intelligent comment.... hehehhehe. At least now I know she will attend my wedding... Phew!! Had I only known it earlier.. :P

I read today that someone took a property was rented for 1.5 crores a month in Bombay. That makes the whole equation in perspective.. doesnt it? Ambanis are creating a world record by creating the costliest house on Altamount road. Yeah.. its just Rs. 2000 crores worth. If you any graduate, you can figure out how much is 2k crores worth today.. and how many countries have GDP-NDP of that size.
http://www.mumbaimirror.com/net/mmpaper.aspx?Page=article&sectid=15&contentid=20070530022210718d7460de5

My boss on my way back home on Friday asked me about a Job opening in UK to two of us. I was silent but was thinking thats too easy. They had the requirement and we had the niche. Boss's word wouldn't even need an interview. But will that make a difference.
I thought and Money wise, Yes... but as I cant help seeing it as Penny wise Pound foolish.

Lets see how Bombay has evolved. Its nothing to do with my love with the city but am asking you to do this from an historical perspective. Migrants from various villages came here for work and did the laborer's job and were treated as outsiders. They stayed through the humiliation and hard times and their next generations were called residents. They then took better education and job so you could make it big. Now when there is chance to make it big here, you go from this place to another city and start the whole cycle again ??? Is this all education here has taught us? We going from one village to another city. In all sense Bombay is costlier than New York and if one can make it big here, one can make it atleast twice as big in any other city in this world. Thats what I know..

but I dont want to convince you cause I might take the offer and GO !!!......:D