What Year is it?? !!!

As mentioned on the previous post (which took 4 years for "in"completion) and aptly stated above I guess I was hiding under the block Calvin used :)

I did come back to this blog to start scribble something new, finish the write up on the awesome SKITs which I was completely in awe of and keep penning down my memories but in vain.

Q.Did I get busy?? 

A.Really?? 

Q.Did I get stuck too long between the accounting equation and Healthcare training?? 

A.Naah...coz I don't remember them one bit 

May be I was just running the rat race,trying to be somewhere without any clue of what I would do next and that thought brought me back to this.

For the last 4 years I have abused check-ins, iPhone cameras, editing tools and every picture and check-in had a mini story to tell. I might remember some of them for few months (may be even a year later  when Facebook reminds me) but, there's still so much to record, so much to remember and so much to tell.

I remember how I wanted to do a blog on my first Goa trip/trips and the unforgettable Ladakh trip.

Laziness got the better of me and 2012 turned to 2016 !

So here I am..making a promise to myself to keep coming back and scribbling my memories regularly.

Chasing The Dream

Aug 2012

How important it is to chase one's dreams??
How often do we care to chase our dreams??

More often than not these dreams get crushed in the bustle of our daily lives; we move on sticking to our set routine(Oh how much we love the monotone !!) Basically taking any step towards realizing that dream is an overkill.
These were my thoughts till lately, until I saw dreams turning into reality.The day one of our favorite Stooge decided to take a plunge to the virtual world-the world of art.

IdleBrain

There are days when you are shuttling b/w Accounting Equation & Healthcare training topped with cough,cold & fever with a dash of flip-flopping,alternating scary voice so much so that you have to "dare" to speak !! Change seems to be only constant thing with the sounds you utter & you have absolutely no clue how the next syllable would fathom.(It did entertain a lot of people around trust me !!)
If this was not enough, there is bootcamp-you've got to speak, help audience make sense of no less than 55% of what you are blabbering. Phew!!

Waddling through this tussle for 3 weeks got me to a much needed Sat eve break-(another farewell @10D) only to land into another week full of surprises(honestly more of shocks) when finally I get this much needed idle time on Fri eve-surfing the net,scrolling through random articles, followed by my favorite activity-scribbling on Vanika-Ville :-)

It's one of those days when you do not have much of content to put through- I believe that's when you take the maximum time to jot things down , that's when you make the most of it!!
Catching hold of that random chain of thoughts, articulating it,dressing it up to look good -the idea here is to sell it.
Typically, I use a simple title & label it "random" so that the readers get a whiff -not much on the plate.
I like to dress up my blog -seriously, the amount of time I spent post processing it-changing the background, fonts, colors to suit the post could give way to 3 more.
Again this also has its share of ups & downs -there are days I don't spend anytime on the look & feel of it.

So here I am putting a random end to a random chain of thoughts..let's see how this one turns out -coz I have time to paint it red !!

The Rain

"I feel it's gonna rain like this for days
So let it rain down and wash everything away
I hope that tomorrow the sun will shine
With every tomorrow comes another life"

With the week, the weather changed too..while we were up for the customary cuppa chai, the clouds gave in ..yes it rained.."perfect timing"..so out we went ..to enjoy the change rather than sulking on the chair or admiring it from the glass pane considering the fact that this one was an authentic monsoon shower than the touch-&-go, hide -& -seek: fooled you kind.

My feelings for monsoon have never been consistent...they vary with time, place & spot.
As a kid I used to hate the rains.. with the exception of the surprise holiday it used to fetch, I disliked being drenched, the wet shoes & eerie feeling of dampness all around..white socks were stale socks & I was always bothered about the bleeding notebooks...(yeah ink-pens it used to be then...they came with a promise of improving one's handwriting...the flip side obviously was bleeding notebooks, stained hands & if u r lucky the pen used to flood ur pencil box blue). Well yeah how can I forget the raincoats..I have never ever understood the need...they never kept anyone dry..though added to the additional baggage one had to carry to school.

Rains are always enjoyable from the comfort of home...an ocassional stroll in the rains, playing with raindrops & floating paperboats was fun as you could always snug into the cozy blanket..

Cutting back to present:
Rains cause a lot of damage to formal wear, those costly shoes, those smart stilletos are totally no-no ..you don't want to skid in front of half-a-dozen colleagues..well the bruises never hurt before bedtime coz all the while you are busy attending to the bruised ego !!
Walking on the roads is the most difficult part..while all 2,3,4 wheelers aim at splashing grime, grease,clogged water ..you like a road-fighter gingerly pave way....you gotta save yourself from skidding, save all belongings, be mindful of all potholes & should make it without skidding -BIG DEAL !!

Rains are awesome if you are riding comfortably in a car..& red vehicles stand apart in the rains...but that too has it's share of woes..getting stuck in traffic or being banged by another one are always on cards...but yeah a ride along the country side or low traffic zone with plenty of lush green trees around makes it worthwhile.
The view of the sky with clouds in various shades navigating with the wind, the shining green leaves, the open fields, the drops of water, the aroma of soil..is awesome..it's like everything comes alive with the rain.

While I look forward to the rains, you can checkout this song ..I love it & love it even more every monsoon:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k3jxi4JhXA


P.S. A few bonus tracks.. ;-)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9gcds0xLgXA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMZ4amjbqhU

The Road Not Taken

The Road Not Taken

-by Robert Frost

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear,
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I marked the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I,
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

Rollercoaster

A year into Vanika-Ville ..I've been wanting to write a blog embedded with pics for quite some time now..took an oath to put a whole travelogue post the Goa trip but laziness takes over most of the times... for now we have another one...

This one was not a smooth take off.....naah !!! As the plane steered high into the sky, the turbulence increased....though this wasn't really my first encounter with turbulence..this one was teeny-weeny...(experienced the real one on an international flight & for me the whole Final Destination franchise came alive.. )  ....it did trigger a recall..I called in to the fun times....my journey through rollercoasters...!!!

I had been away from rollercoasters for quite a long time after the Essel World tour..
Years later comes this trip to Las Vegas..the Sin City...it is famous for casinos, nightlife, gambling..& rollercoasters would be the last thing on your cards..still remember the  road trip, the outskirts taking u to the city, the famous "Welcome to Las Vegas" billboards...this city stumps u ..I was still cherishing the looks of Mandalay Bay, Eldorado, MGM when we happened to drive by New York-New York & all my fellow riders were frenzied by the huge rollercoaster....( I was caught off -guard...we r not getting on rollercoasters not in Vegas....!!! these rides are reserved for trips to Six Flags, California Adventrues & Disney isn't it.....)Thankfully, they decided to check-in to the hotel first & take a tour of Strip & reserve the rollercoaster ride for the next day.. !!

Vegas is a city you explore in the night..we roamed on the Strip .. went crazy abt the city...retired at 4 am & were up at 12 PM the next day..(Vegas does this to u ) We had our brunch at a place right opposite to New York-New York :-)
I was right opposite to this giant mammoth watching it for a good 45 minutes..ppl screaming, the cart tossing them up in the air, the rumble of the cart wheel against the rails..I had butterflies in stomach...what scared me most abt this ride were the two inversions...two vertical loops where u r upside down...I decided not to think too much abt it & geared up

The tickets were purchased, there was huge queue as ppl thronged to  get on the this adventure..I made a new discovery...before the inversions, the first thing happening to u is a long vertical fall...there went up a ramp as high as I cd see.. followed up by a sudden fall to the bottom most point...

After watchin' ppl get in & out of the cart, our turn came too...we were six ppl..or one cart full load..(since there was only one cart on the rails tht day, it was just us..it was comforting ;-) )
The cart kicked off..it takes u through a dark chamber & launches u on the tracks..then the ascend begins..this one as expected was never ending..I cd see rooftops of most of the surrounding buildings .. the ascend would still not end...soon it was only sky..we came to the end of the ascend...the cart came to a jerky halt for a couple of seconds & there we were thrown down.....can't describe the feeling....I was off my seat already.. thinking this is my last ride ever..before I could feel the seat again...we were swirling, wobbling , the two inversions were taken too ...I kept screaming throughout(which if u ask me, is the best trick to enjoy these mammoths...ur attention diverts away from the pounding heart, the gushing blood, the dry throat & that's wen u get to the thrill)
The interesting part of all such rides is they always click a picture of the riders on the highest/scariest point & u see ur pics flashing everywhere as soon as u alight from the cart.

After this ride, I came out a confident person..I think it's just a matter of breaking the barrier by taking the first flight.. :)

Next in line was Stratosphere...the tallest structure in Vegas..other than the breathtaking view of the city, it also had to offer the most insane rides.
The  elevator takes you to the higest point in seconds ..the twist is the door always opens at your back..It's a crazy feeling..while u are waiting for the elevator door in front of you to open..suddenly the enclosing behind your back pops open.. :-)



These are the rides atop the tower

Due to strong winds, Skyjump & Insanity were closed.
Big Shot is free fall & X-Scream has a trackway which pivots in a see-saw fashion past the edge of the building.
While few ppl jumped on, two of us decided to stay back & reserved double shot for the Disney leg.

Then came the much awaited trip to LA, after an amazing run at Universal : Jurassic Park, the Mummy followed by the Disney tour, "California Adventures" was on the cards more for the variety of rides it had to offer & I was game to explore them all ...(yes it's just the first fall that matters)

Grizzly River Run & Double Shot were soon conquered over, we went on to California Screamin' too...

The most exciting one .."The Twilight Zone: Tower of Terror"..the theme is a haunted hotel, the elevator being the prime feature..

You r taken to the old library where an old TV set shows u flashes of past...how ppl never survived this haunted place.. then u proceed to the creepy boiler room & step in front of the elevator

The elevator door opens, u  take ur seats... what happens next is best described below(not in my words this time) :

The elevator rises for a few seconds before coming to its first stop.

The doors open to reveal a long, dimly-lit hotel corridor, with overgrown plants and doors to guest rooms running the lengths, and unread newspapers and trays laid out in front of them, with a single window at the opposite end of the corridor. A violent thunderstorm is raging and lightning flashes outside the window. Ghostly images of the five doomed guests from 1939 appear for a moment, turning to the elevator and luring the guests to join them. They then vanish in a burst of electricity.
The elevator doors close and the car continues its ascent. The voice over continues, saying
"One stormy night long ago, five people stepped through the door of an elevator and into a nightmare. That door is opening once again, and this time, it's opening for you." The elevator stops once more. The doors open to what at first looks like a maintenance room, but slowly transforms into an endless field of stars.<Then pops up a mirror where u see urself with all fellow riders....all faces are shown melting away giving u a slight idea of what the ride has in store>

And then ur dropped....this is one hell of a fall must say...it raises u off ur seats..and then there are two more falls .... while u reach the highest point before benig dropped, the elevator doors open & there u have the view of the park from the highest point..tht's wen the cameras flash too....:-)

I loved this one.. took it twice on the same day only to come back cpl of months later to relive the thrill.

And then the most amazing of them all ...Soarin' over California which is a simulator, takes you on a virtual tour of the Golden State, California..right from Tahoe, Napa, SFO to Redwood Creek, Monterey, Yosemite , San Diego to LA ending at Disneyland....everything including the aroma changes with the places..one needs to ride it to experience it...for me it was Serene, calm..it was like achieving "Inner Peace"

Shakespearia...

Pulled back to school days yet again...driving factor..."Sonnets"

English Literature was my favorite subject...I remember the last week of June aimed at being "School-Ready" ...books were purchased, scanned through...(it was like diving into the bad times which were nearing..)...the only book I was interested in was "English Reader"
I would start at the index, flip pages & in no time get deeply engrossed ...for me it was the most attractive thing..it was plethoric, had so much to offer..from Arabian Nights to Fairy Tales...from Sindabad & Aladdin to Cinderella & Rum-Pel-Stilt-Skin...Poetry & Prose, Grammar & Diction..Subtle to Surfeit....I found my niche in it !!

Years passed by & the content upgraded...from a single reader to 3 books & a novel we had verbiage at our disposal....grammar was an integral part & we had some real technical stuff like "Parsing"(hate using the word technical here...but my diction has been long lost ) ....
This reminds me of a poem which I love....was amazed to find it on Google:

  "Loveliest of Trees"

 LOVELIEST of trees, the cherry now
 Is hung with bloom along the bough,
 And stands about the woodland ride
 Wearing white for Eastertide.

 Now, of my threescore years and ten,
 Twenty will not come again,
 And take from seventy springs a score,
 It only leaves me fifty more.

 And since to look at things in bloom
 Fifty springs are little room,
 About the woodlands I will go
 To see the cherry hung with snow.

"threescore & ten" is a phrase which is glued to my head since the day I read this poem...score being a 20 ...the poet talks of a span of 70 years( now tht's math made interesting)

Unfortunately with years...the preference changed too....
The pipe-dream of being an English teacher was trounced by the charisma of the technologist...materialism trimphed over subtlety... and there I was...lost in translation..

Flipping to today..came across one of Shakespeare's sonnets..which reminded me of one I read in school.....which also brings an end to this long "summery" reminiscence:

 Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
 Thou art more lovely and more temperate.
 Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May,
 And summer's lease hath all too short a date.
 Sometime too hot the eye of heaven shines,
 And often is his gold complexion dimmed;
 And every fair from fair sometime declines,
 By chance, or nature's changing course, untrimmed;
 But thy eternal summer shall not fade,
 Nor lose possession of that fair thou ow'st,
 Nor shall death brag thou wand'rest in his shade,
 When in eternal lines to Time thou grow'st.
  So long as men can breathe, or eyes can see,
  So long lives this, and this gives life to thee.

...(null...)...Random...))

Random thoughts going through my head right now...& I am determined to write ..it's been quite long & I hate taking a long break from Vanika-Ville...

With Violet Hill ~ Coldplay playing in the background I decided it's time to put these random pieces to place..be it to satisfy my writer's ego of not being able to come up with something worthy or the observant in me who wasn't able to focus.

It's one of those days in office when you are on the spot -AGAIN !!
Honestly, I am sick & tired of these lone shows...hate it when people simply escape leaving u behind to run a show full of shit...this workflow(job) has been fixed & executed endlessly for past 3 working days & it just fails to give-up ..& so do I !!!
The worst part is to sit & monitor it when you know it's gonna run for a good 30 minutes before failing with another random reason...all you could do meanwhile is get to social media, refresh it..only to logoff after a while..then there are random emails floating in you mailbox...some mail chain which has been running for past 15 days only to pull u in loop for last day...u think of taking a break but such workflows have a knack of failing as soon as u get up for that break...!!

And then Adele plays on the list :
        There's a fire starting in my head,
        Reaching a fever-pitch & it's bringing me out the dark..

For past few weeks I am stuck on a song .. Apologize ~ One Republic...have played it endlessly for days..

And then my thoughts wander through the weekend...the Friday nite @SPOIL , Unplug with KK ...I want to run back to the weekend & play it on an infinite loop.. :-)

And yeah the workflow Stopped & Restarted.....(ppl here are calling out in unison that it is amucked....)

                                            I need a break..  :-)

Child's Play

Saw this kid in the basement of a newly constructed building today...standing on the ramp..making weird faces...dressed in a bright green floral frock...!!
She was all by herself..& needed no one for company...she would chuckle, howl, smile..walk barefeet in the sun & back to shade..caught hold of a dried thin bark of a tree..swept & mopped the floor..hit everything around with it when she saw a cement bag placed near te grilled gate..that turned into her sofa..she would gingerly perch on it..get up ..try to balance her feet b/w the grills & get back to the sofa...wd steal an ocassional glance at me & get back to her gig.

I watched her for a good 10 mins & it made me think....
"Life can be fun with the simplest of things around..all you've got to do is start enjoying it !!"

Party Rockers !!

Apr 3rd 2012: Went to an official gathering again...
Venue: Aros Lounge & Bar , Hitex

It was one of those partner visits I've got used to by now..but this time the invite & venue both looked interesting..initially I wanted to laugh it off wen thy said .."Join the dance floor with ..........."
We aren't gonna dance with them are we??

Reach the venue & there's this usual MO(modus operandi) meet, greet, network..so u know thr'll b a monotone to everything u do ....& then u remember the only motivation u had over the last dinner was company of few ppl..(the remote stooges now) but this gathering was a li'l different considering the fact that the ppl were large in number, u weren't pushed for n/w-ing & u din't hav to go into hiding... ;-)
Soon the dance floor was opened & we also had to get into some gig for some time...
Well all in all it wasn't that boring...it was good ..

But dance floors work best wen u hit them with friends..say informal gatherings & so far I've had the best time wen it wasn't too planned..u just get up one fine day & gear up to go to 10D or B&C or HRC..
10D started on a not so grt note..with less space n random songs but then we decided to njoy it our way...we sang every song & danced on it too till the time the dance floor was opened & then there was no looking back....
Then there was this random visit to HRC on two sunday evenings(with 2 different set of friends) which turned out awesome
Last grt gathering has been R & C's farewell night at B&C ..we had almost cancelled the plan wen R just takes a firm stand (which was pretty strange for all of us) & pushes everyone out of ofc...we danced till we dropped ...also identifed some out of the ordinary character which looked straight out of the Harry Potter movie & we had lot of fun taking digs at the pathetic DJ & coining new steps(learning few new looking at the AV)...this was followed by a quick trip to Ohri's & the after party continued till 2:30...new friends were made & the party ended on a high note..with 3 of us posing on the road divider ..!!!

And now, I'm looking forward to the next one... !!

Lone MovieBuff

"Movies to har koi dekhta hai..lekin movie dekh kar yaad rakhne wale ko Movie Buff kehte hain.."

A blog on movies should & must take off with a dhamakedaar dialog isn't it ??

Well I am this movie buff who not only remembers bits from blockbusters but from those odd, flop, forgettable ones too...& tht's the quality only true movie buffs have..although most of my friends get taxed by the endless jargons(read: movie bits, dialogs, actors) I hurl at them, but in the same group I have also found some true soulmates..there's this niche group of people who are as crazy as me ( some even more knowledgeable than me..I'm trying hard to cope up with them)
Yeah niche group is a term I learnt from Shekhar babu.. (as we fondly call him)...I can't forget the endless discussions on Kaka's step , Mithun Da's disco moves..(not to forget the engine step), Rajkumar, Rajnikanth, Vishwatma or Tridev..any movie...u name it ...he knows it...wat a camaraderie !!

Not to forget..moviebuffs watch as many movies as they can lay thr hands on...I went a step ahead & even watched movies alone...yeah alone..all by myself..
Initially the very thought of being a lone moviegoer din't make any sense to me..I mean how could someone do it?? There were numerous times when I bent myself to give up watching a movie in theatre for lack of better or no company & wait for it to be aired on TV or catch hold of the pirated version..

Then came the twist..."The A-team"..tickets were booked we were on our way wen Chin gets this urgent call from office...he rushes to ofc & I make the tough choice.."Let me watch it...let's see how it feels"
First part is easy..collecting tickets & entering the audi...if movie starts on time ..u are good...I enjoyed this movie thoroughly...action-packed, good humor, some no brainer action thrills...it was a nice ride except the interval & few odd glances ..no big deal..eventually u get used to it ...

"Who says u can't watch a movie alone...?? While u watch a movie u r alone after all.. it's just the screen & u .."

I was thrilled...this gave me enough boost to watch "Band, Baaja, Baraat" on a lazy Sunday afternoon (Chin was out of town this time) & then almost a year later it was "The Artist"...(no one was interested to sit through an oscar-winning, B&W, silent movie) but I was determined...I had to watch it....so I did !!!

Trust me this movie is totally worth a shot.. I can pen paragraphs to praise the movie, the director, the
lead actors ..everything...!!! There isn't a single moment in the movie where you feel it is silent..Jean Dujardin speaks through his eyes & smile..the most amazing smile I've seen in years..u are instantly connected to him...!!

And now ..reading through the lines here, I feel the title is a paradox...if u are a movie buff...u'll be anything but a loner... :-)

Series Stalking

"PB I'm addicted, I'm outta control..u r the drug that keeps me from dying"

Well this is my version of the Enrique song dedicated to Prison Break(PB)...my addiction for such TVseries' started with Heroes..
wait a min..I got to take a step back..it actually started with "I Dream of Jeannie", "Dennis the Menace" & "The 3 Stooges"..back then, I managed to finish up my homework so that I could catch a glimspe of Jeannie & Dennis..evenings were blocked for these shows & I wouldn't care for more TVwatching after my daily dose of these shows.
And then years later...there was this trip to US which actually introduced me to "Series Stalking" & "Desi Chores"
These are the most apt phrases according to me...as soon as a desi sets foot in the US, he is greeted by American desis(some wannabe americans too)..ppl who think thy know every thing abt the US & then there is a desi laundry list of things to do wen in the US..& one of the most imp items is downloading torrent & following a SERIES... yeah & if u don't ..well u cannot become an american desi... ;-)
Then there are standards to follow...u hav "SERIES TO START WITH"..within 2 months every desi who has never switched on star movies or HBO in his entire life embarks upon "FRIENDS"..(yes this is what everyone starts with)...people who in their initial 2 weeks in US are watching hindi movies or listening to sufi, qawaalis or pathetic songs on free, speedy internet move on from desi-ism to am-desi-ism & talk abt how many seasons of FRIENDS he/she has watched.

Now before this blog gets more desified..let's move on to topic at hand...I'll have to write another blog on American desis..I owe them one  !!

So off I was to catch hold of some series that I could cling on to..& found Heroes..I was just done with Xmen Origins: Wolverine
(for the record : I'm a die-hard fan of Hugh Jackman & this movie released on my B'day 1st May 2009 ..wat more cd I ask for ??)
& with the special power concept still fresh in my mind I was too inclined to watch it...few hours into the series & I was blown away...instant crush was Peter Peterelli...the person who was still discovering his powers .. as I clung on ...I was totally impressed by Sylar...Zachary Quinto portrayed the part so well it was almost real..Sylar was a person u'd love to hate...!!
I was in a different world altogether..some part of me longed for these powers...I used to pray to god daily to make me one of them....& then  I found some soulmates..ppl who longed for these powers too..we often used to ape our fav character ..guess that was as close as we got to the powers :-)

Came back to homeland .. the memories of Heroes still afresh in my head ..I convinced Chin to giv it a try too...(Initially it was "OMG..another US returned alien forcing ppl to get into the her mode !!"
..2-3 episodes down.."I don't understand wat's so great abt ths one"
..and finally..evn before he cd step inside the house.."I want to watch Heroes...are u sure u hav all seasons..all episodes?? I don't wanna brk the rhythm" Bingo !!

And Heroes was quickly followed by Prison Break(PB)...and many jailbreak movies...we got so puzzled at one point in time that we used to look for movie characters in series n vice-versa..this was followed by a long break...(Project Mayhem)...finally we started over with PB last week & there has been no looking back since...this was the first ever weekend wen we were done with all household chores by 12 PM to get on to PB.. :-) it's been really difficult to disconnect from it ...u keep thinking abt what happens next ..at home..at office practically everywhere..both of us have been unplugged from all prjct related discussions for past 1 week ..I haven't been able to fix a simple mapping for past 2 days as my mind wanders each time in the lanes of  Mexico, Kansas, Dallas & Fox River Penitentiary..!!

There are times I think I understand how saas-bahu serial addicts feel ..but wen I compare the content thy are put through...Serial Stalkers are better off..!!

Time to sign off...PB Calling :-)

The 3 Stooges

So here we are...3 of us..chatting over the customary cuppa tea/coffee on a sunny afternoon...only 3 of us now at this location...!!
We talk about many things....the weather, upcoming movies, a game of squash, weekend, lame projects, our resolutions & plans of quitting IT ..everything under the sun..but there's something we keep coming back to in every discussion-friends who traded places..people who were a part of this discussion until few days back..but are remotely logged in now :-)

Funny...ain't it..!! It feels like just yesterday when this group was formed..the foundation was laid on the shittiest project all of us ever worked in..guess that was the binding factor..most of us were alien to this new process(??) or lack of process...(I'm still confused) & wanted out of it...the group expanded over lunch gatherings..rapport caught up like fire & there we were enjoying the time OUT we got ..the Barista breaks, the mandatory 10 min walks..the bitching sessions, the  laughter riots..planning an outing every week..was fun.

Then came the parting times....and the parting times continued..now all we have is the 3 stooges left at this place...still sharing the old jokes, creating some new ones ......and yes...remembering one or the other stooge in the motley ..the stooge who logs in remote.. :-)

Timberland

The year 2011 ended with an awesome event...an epic wedding !!
I dwell into my childhood & there's this amazing bunch of people...Dad's best friends & their families.
We grew up together & were like extended families.

As we move on in life, there are numerous ppl we befriend-one has different cliques at different stages in life..sometimes these cliques intersect..& sometimes they are way apart.

We used to meet often ..at birthdays, get-togethers, summer /winter breaks, festivals...long weekends...!!!
I have so many beautiful memories -I think of forests, trees, those huge government quarters, that carefree life & the games we played..riding tricycles, bicycles, to hitching a ride with the orderly...fighting for the corner seat in jeep when we hardly sat on it ...coz we were always dancing & jumping around.

I can never stop talking about the awesome time we had at Nepanagar-
It was a very small town famous for the paper mill...since our background was "The Forest Department"....the postings were always at small, peaceful towns with abundant greenery, huge bungalows..most of them built by the British & slow life.
We were quite close to this place & a visit to Nepa was always on the cards whenever Dad & his friends felt the need for a quick reunion..
As soon as you land into Nepa-the VCR used to be turned on with the movie : "Amar, Akbar, Anthony"...we kids were so much in love with it....watched it with the same rigor each time-(precisely at every trip-countless)
By the time we were done with AAA, supper was already at the table & then there was this lush green lawn outside with bonfire set up...we played  & played till we were sleepy only to wake up next mornin for a quick Bfast & a walk to the nearby forest....it was a walk uphill with trees swaying at both ends..collecting pebbles, stones, dry leaves & flowers..& the soft twigs...we often used to pack bread-butter & bottle of water for an all -kid- picnic..& then at times we encountered these nasty monkeys & used to run downhill with double speed....!!!
The worst time was to get out of Nepa -get to our place & get started with school..

This is one pack I never lost touch with-no matter how much our lives drifted apart, we were always in touch.
And then came the time for this epic wedding-GRB(as we all call him) was getting married -it was a pact not to be broken-the reunion of childhood friends..& we had a gala time ..the journey to-and-fro, recalling the Nepa visits , our kiddish fights, the jungle escapes, to dancing on all songs we loved all these years- fab vacation-I was a kid again ...!!!

Why this Kolaveri Di ???

Do I really need to put any clever lines to jumpstart this blog..?? ..the title says it all...

"Why this Kolaveri Di" has created quite a furore..a week full of FB updates...this time Kolaveri updates took over the Thanksgiving updates..consistent updates mussay...all my friends clinging to the word ...it has toppled everything that was popular before this...for once it might have even taken over Rajni-isms or Sardar jokes...
And I got to know the global popularity of this chartbuster wen one fine morning mom called up & asked.."Hey did u chk out this Kolaveri song?? I kinda like it !!!"
I was Knocked out !!! Now this is Kolaveri Di !!!

Though literally it means "murderous rage" the word has become the most popular word to save ur day..:-)
So wen u don't find a better word to fill in go ahead & use Kolaveri...
While it's applied as : "Why this Cola Very D " &  Mr. Joker utters "Why so Kolaveri Di???" I'd like to take a step further to use it -

We could have high defect bugs defined as "Kolaveri"...so instead of Showstopper u see KOLAVERI flashing in Red on ur screen..

Kolaveri should be the answer to all "Good Questions" If my manager pesters me next time with irksome questions I should be allowed to say Kolaveri & get away

No appraisal forms please...i m so sick of them..ask me to put Kolaveri in the form & rest all assured(well u already know wat ur fate's gonna be..even though u put pages of appreciation abt urself in tht form)

And now my favorite part..being the movie freak, u tend to get there don't u ??

Hollywood can cash on a lot from this word...Y don't pick up the word & create sequels, trilogy out of it ??
Mission Kolaveri, Mission Kolveri Di ...Mission Kolaveri Tri ??? :P
The Lord of Kolaveri, Kolaveri Panda, Kolaveri Age-I,II,III.. A Ferry named Kolaveri, When Kolaveri met Di, Wolverine could be name Kolaverine..and the famous dialogs could be tweaked :
"My name is Di, Kolaveri Di"
"Houston, We have Kolaveri"
"Hasta La Vista, Baby" can be replaced with "Kolaveri, Baby"

Apna Bollywood is never behind..imagine Gabbar guffawing & asking Sambha:
"Wo 2 they aur tum teen...fir bhi wapas aa gaye"
"Sardar...Kolvaeri Di"

"Pushpaa...I hate Kolaveri...re"

Rockstar to KolaStar & Ra-one to Kola-One.. Kolaveri can kill thm all !!

I can keep churning Kolaverisms & before I get deeply engrossed in Kolaveri-fever, I'll call it a "Di"
Kolaveri is definitely going places !!

Mission Impossible !!

Gosh...I've got plethora of trainings to complete...u rem those mandatory ones ..don't u..???
Jeezzzzz!!!....1+ month on beach & I'm so lagging behind!!!!

This is the thought churning in the techie's head every day..rather each EOD ..so next morning after the traditional chores..

(u know rt..a day in techie's life involves ...abusing traffic, abusing oneself of being Goofy, GFN(good for nothing) ....vowing each day to become faster, smarter, fitter..... somehow reaching ofc..logging on to FB...(till outlook syncs all folders)...chking everyone's status....pics of ur long lost buddies who are settled in the US ...how thy seem to be enjoying every weekend of their lives...wen u r weekends look so messy n just fly by ...then there are some ppl who u hate so much but thy are still on ur friends' list..looking at their happy faces makes u feel oh so pathetic abt u r life...tht's wen u logout of FB to chk Outlook..only to lock it in less than 2 mins n rush out to grab a cup of coffee)

....the techie(referred to as "U" going forward) registers for some training after careful R&D(asking colleagues which one's easy to wrap up & has easy assessment Qs)
"Industry trainings ...Reforms , 101,202 bla bla bla..."

Okay..so the training page opens...YAWN!!!!!! couple of lines are read through fast,with an exclaimation "Big Deal" ..u move on....
10 lines down..."YAWN 2"...oh oh. u are stuck on the same line for 15 mins...login agn on FB...refresh it cpl of times...nothing worth ogling..
Open up IBNLIVE..."Mayavati to churn out 4 states outta UP...!!" hell yeah..this is the only way she can giv Chetan Bhagat a tough competition..."endless Aishwarya & Big Boss updates later..u flip back to the training page ..
Line 15 agn..for 5 mins "YAWN 3"..so u fall back on the age-old sleep bhagao formula..Music...!!
You queue up some latest songs on the media player & take a shot at the training agn..
"Firms will likely need more capital...........Kun Faya Kun..faya kun faya kun....."  "YAWN 4"
change the song...
"In the near future...Keh do my chammak challo....surely m gonna get u ..."
"YA YA YA.....oh YA YA YA ......Ohhh yay yayyy"....

Your mind totally off the training...u start a random topic of conversation with a colleague right next to u over instant messenger(IM) & then invite more colleagues on the same chat..pull someone's legs & then make a last attempt at the training ..

"Tougher standards linked to...Sadda Haq...etthe rakh ......tum logon ki iss duniya mein har kadam pe insaan galat...main sahi samajh ke jo bhi karun..tum kehte ho galat....!!! "

There u go ...u r so deeply engrossed in the song..everything in your life can be linked to it...this is the perfect song to describe ur life..so u go back listen to this song 4 times on high volume..start headbanging...and get carried away to some unknown destination...!!!

And then the IM flashes again...time for lunch..friends calling up...u shut down the song..rush off for lunch...& are elated that u only have to deal with half-a -day now..as goes for the training page::
"The page has expired due to prolonged inactivity.Please re-login to continue"

The Techie's life moves on..!!

Striking Contrast

Yeah..!!!! Finally after almost 1.5 yrs of endless struggle I have some vela time to myself :-)

In normal IT world this time is called "Bench Time" but my organisation has an entirely innovative name for it..."BEACH" ....it took me a while to make peace with this word...the first few times I heard it,thought I'd mistakenly heard it as such ...
So Beach time or "On the Beach" is the time when you are rolled off the responsibilties of a never-ending project (I can blabber endlessly on how outrageous this project was but let's not get into it now).
There's this endless toil & hardwork u've put in for months together & u get so much involved in it that u literally start seeing the biz codes in vehicle number plates...spend sleepless nights & weekends trying to get things together to come outta the "GO-NO GO" phase wen one mrng u r jus kicked off....Gosh it hurts... !!!
Atleast I had my ego bruised a bit ..thn there's more to it..u get nasty reminders & emails...pls log u r time by eod to update ur resume, ppl are after u for documents & last but not the least..."vacate ur place email"
This is wen the word beach makes complete sense as u r literally stripped off ..u have no place, no responsibilties...no work....

But look at the positive side..it took me 10 mins to take the anger & frustration out & it was an amazing feeling..I felt like a free bird...this burden that I carried on my head for so long was just gone...!!!
I had so many things to think about..the first thing I did was book my tkts...break time..time to go home...
(Home is word IT ppl use for their hometown...no wonder where we live "ghar/home" is where ur parents stay & u visit ..best destination to get recharged)

So I had this fun filled trip home ,caught up the dandiya fever & came back a refreshed person ...
The past few weeks have been good given the rigorous routine I have had from past 1 yr..was 200% occupied with setting up both home & data ...;-)
This is something that goes more with the word beach...now that the picnic's gonna be over,
         "I'm gonna miss this beach!!"

Project MA(y)HE(o)M(e)

"For good plans, you pay now.  For bad plans, you may pay now and will pay later."

Apt word of caution for any one who's pipe-dreamin of  building a space of his own..!!
Well we fell into that pipe too ... :)

Vani & Chin were two happy souls- Good old pals who decided to be friends for life...
Their life was relaxed, chilled, laid back...like any other IT couple who spend 5 days cannonballing through traffic; deadlines & defects & the weekend whiling time ,shopping for unnecessary stuff; worrying abt the peanutty salary & miniscule, receding account balance -thinking...(mind it only thinking)..about achieving smthng big some day !!

And then, on a not so "dark & stormy day" (rather...a very bright & sunny day as summer was around), the brilliant idea of possessing a house of their own banged in their heads...tht's where the fun began...

Survey, going thru numerous ads, visiting places in the scorching sun, collecting brochures, brainstorming, evaluating affordability went on for months ....all they did for a couple of weekends was call up agents, set time, visit sites, brainstorm agn...
Poor souls...by EOW(End of Weekend) they were exhausted, irritated,mortified & petrified...so much so that thy longed for the weekdays & hated weekends... :-)

After 3 months of hunting they decided to call it quits & be contended with the rented place..but the sorry traffic only added to their woes...& they started looking out agn...but a rented spot this time ...well that was not meant to be..3 years in a comfortable house only spoils ppl & thy don't want to settle for less..

This lead to the revival of HouseHunt..they went over few options & finally narrowed down on the same apartment they liked 3 months back....but Vani was admant as it wasn't a comfortable travel given the distance & the lonely stretch(that was the only excuse she had..the place was jus awesome..but she was used to getting down the apartment n stepping into an auto, she thought it wasn't worth the pain.."SpoilSport !!!")
So this kind of went into a pending state....for as long as 2 months..it took considerable amt of cajoling, visiting the place n times & reflecting back for her to agree..(Pity Chin...din't take him this much time & effort to get her to say "Yes" the first time...Aah...!! ...<no more comments> !!)

Finally the house was purchased, formalities done...how u wish it was that easy..now u need to turn the house into your home..nothin emotional here..builders are smart ppl..they sell u a ready to move-in house..which is not really ready to move-in....that's where the designers debut....builders might be smart but these guys...thy surpass everyone....u gain PhD in Mortification...

So the bubbling enthusiasm of designing a space of their own -which was clutter-free, super-contemporary,out of the ordinary(a smart home to be short) was curbed down by the struggle that went in planning & getting the basics right.

I read this amazing quote smwhere :
"Do you think that the devil's in the house plan details?   The only devil in the house plan details of whom we know is the devil serving lazy, lousy home designers and home builders."

True..Devils they are...devils you cannot curse, scream, yell at, thy make u drink from your nose & make u feel happy abt it...u got to turn ur grimaces into grins..snarls into sweet talks...scowl into smiles....u gotta master the art of patience...!!

Phew...!! Vani & Chin -here they were caught into an infinite loop of travelling b/w work, new house & old house..(and our dear spoilsport was also working on a prjct with so calld strict deadlines...she found it easy to skip the new home class..Chin was all by himself..into the deep dust (..of wood accumulated in the house...) it was like a 30 km ride each day....problems din't see an end, there were absolutely no solutions...none..just a lousy bunch of people(the devils) who thought they were too good with their work no matter how mch thy spoiled it...
                      
                      Project My Home turned into Project Mayhem..

On & on it went...thanks to the devils...the notice to the landlord was revised twice..and then the deadline came in..thy had to move...!!! Yes move to the new house..but guess what...timelines were not met..it was still not ready to move-in..but thy did move-in..hoping one day..yes one day thy'll have the chance to unpack..

This gets me to another tailored to perfection set I read :
"Whatever you know about designing a home isn't likely much.  Really.  Whatever you know about building a home isn't likely much, either.  For sure.   So where you are is in-between folks who know way more than you do about the home you're paying out the nose to get home-designed and built, live in for maybe a major chunk of your time on this earth, sell someday to cash-in.  You know more about groceries than about home design and home building.  That can change, but only if it's in you to get from here to there"

We will get from here to there..."We shall overcome...we shall overcome..Someday...!!"

Reminiscence of Driftwood

I have known Ms Driftwood for close to a year now...

There are times wen u come across this person with whom u share many common traits..
From our love for kohl-rimmed eyes to Hugh Jackman.. kairi pana to mojito..
to being in red house..sporting the same watch n cellphone (with a broken camera) ...to our childhood dream of becoming an english teacher I couldn't blv how  we have so many things in common..ppl also nicknamed us as sisters as we shared sm common features in addition to like tastes :D
We went for a shocker a cpl of times wen we struck the same idea-  you know it's like u kind of Cough, Sneeze & Grunt together as one wd Hop, Skip & Jump..

Our alchemy started from hatred for a certain kind & has faired over time.
We also have creative exchanges of thoughts not only on mutual interests but also on varied ones-she keeps telling me abt books & poetry & all things rational & I goad her on Bollywood...

But I have to admit she has inspired me big time - I finally got to dropping a line coz of her.
Though it'll take me ages to get to the quality of her compositions-
  Ahoy !! the day I ushered into her musings ...2 blogs down & I was already a fan.
And I could not think of a better way to end this section -talk abt inspiration :
 "Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm,
 but to add color to my sunset sky"
  ~Rabindranath Tagore

And now that time has come to bid adieu, I do not want to share clichéd farwell remarks but an all time fav punch:
"All I know is...I'm gonna miss u Ms.Driftwood...!!"

P.S. -Wanted to post this on Jul 1st, but couldn't wait to see her reaction to it....you gotta get selfish at times.. ;-)

Down on the Road..!!

Okay so I have lazed enough & it's time to pen thoughts again.. :-)

The title of this blog is inspired from the famous George Clooney movie-"Up in the Air"
Considering the fact that I travel milessssssssssssss back n forth to office it's only legit to blog about it :)
But Mr. Clooney is better off..he gets miles each time he flies which could be encashed & then there's me..on the road in the car befuddling traffic which gets worse by the day & sorrier by the season !!

Look at the brighter side, Hyd is a city of shopping arcades..you are on top of all offers going on in any showroom on the way, you know how regularly they update their stock & if any new outlet springs up, you sure know if it is worth it.If I go by stats, billboards only second these outlets..no wonder why Hyd is termed as City of Billboards ; Funny ain't it..you see the road dug up & a sign saying..."No space, please take diversion" & a billboard right on top "Finding office spaces was never easier"; then there are some pathetic ones -spooky faces for some movie promo; CCL -with Heroes;bulldozers; rhinos & wat not - **super**stars endorsing cements to chicken...little did I know "Nandi is Nice" is the catchphrase for Nandi Cement...and one fine day..there are numerous birthday wishes put up for Superstars, Megastars, Stylish Stars, young stars (pun intended-no celeb cd b a plain simple star here..they are glorified to the superlative) each personifying their screen-avtars ..Lions, Tigers, Fighters, Ninjas wat not ...

Guess I too got carried away talkin abt Hyd's skyline... ;-)

My transit time also accounts for venting out office grievance, chalking out plans for weekends, catching up with friends(on phone-the advantage of not being on the driver's seat), listening to music-(with great freedom comes great responsibilty-I have to keep the playlist refreshed & updated-thanks to my fellow rider);I have at times gone crazy n utilized this time for having breakfast, reading newspaper & attending meetings too !!

But as each day passes by,how I wish I was a teleporter who would go places with the wink of an eye,owned a flying carpet that could break the traffic n fly home or to say the least earn some miles & encash them too...any takers ???