A Holiday To Remember

I firmly believe that a city is like a person’s mother. No matter how she is, we will always love her. In my case I’m blessed to have two such loving cities, Madras was the city where I was born and spent most of my summer holidays during childhood and Hyderabad was the city that brought me up and made me the man I am today. So both these cities hold an equally important place in my life. My trip to Madras and Pondicherry was my first trip out of Hyderabad in over a year and a half, so it was obviously a much awaited one for me. So let me in detail, take you through the six days of what I call A HOLIDAY TO REMEMBER.

Jan 23 –
After a no incidents train ride, I caught a bus and went to my Uncle’s place which is about 45 minutes from the Central station. I decided to not do too much on that day, so didn’t make any plans. But didn’t want to be stuck at home all day either, so I visited the famous Kabaleeshwara temple in Mylapore passing through most of the busy roads in Chennai or Madras as I will be referring to it throughout the rest of the post. The temple is vast, has many shrines but mainly that of Shiva. Like any other South Indian temple complex it has a huge Gopuram and a lake inside the premises. It was a peaceful place and I went at a time when it isn’t particularly crowded. En route I saw the Akkineni Nageshwara Rao Park and the Andhra Mahila Sabha school where my mother had started off her career as a teacher before coming to Hyderabad. After this I headed back home, again local bus + shared auto formula, the cheapest way to get around after the famed Madras Electric Train. Madras is particularly balmy in the mornings, so are most of the coastal places in the winters I’d like to think. So I totally loved the weather for a change. Rest of the day I spent bonding with cousins Vishak and Ashok.

Jan 24 –
It was Vindhya’s birthday. For those of you who haven’t been introduced to Vindhya, she is doing her 3rd yr Biotech at IIT Madras. So I took a bus from the Vadapalani bus stand to IIT – M. It was one of those local deluxe buses, there is a lot of variety in the buses that ply in Madras, like in Bangalore. We have the rickety old ones to the new air conditioned ones with digital signboards.
Madras like any other Indian city suffers from the curse of excessive honking, processions, crazy autorickshaw drivers and the occasional jay walking cattle. So it was a while before I got to IIT-M. There I met up with Vindy, who had arranged for a bike. Met a few other friends who had come from Hyderabad. Meanwhile Vindy had made plans to go to an orphanage for HIV positive children called CHES. The place where they stayed was called ANANDA ILLAM (House of Joy). It certainly lived up to its name. As soon as we got there after a grueling bike trip, the kids came and clung to us like they had known us all along. It was a moving experience, most of these kids may not live to celebrate their 21st birthdays. The House Manager Mrs.Chitra and Father Samuel, the teacher explained to us how they learnt the essential education needed, and also played around for a while in the evenings.

It isn’t a walk in the park managing kids, they can be so absolutely unpredictable, some kids meddled with my shades, some played cricket with me, some of the younger ones pulled my hair, some begged to taken for piggy back rides, but I realized that in the end, all they needed was to be loved. Affection was one of the key factors that kept these kids from going into depression. I’d like to think, that I did my part and brought a few smiles to these children. Thanks Vindhya, firstly for the orphanage trip, secondly because, I got the chance to pass by the place where I lived as a kid. That house still remained as it had been so many years ago.
Meanwhile, we totally forgot our hunger, and in Madras no restaurants are open after 3. So after a lot of searching, we finally found a Pizza Hut in Adyar. After a quick lunch, we headed back to IIT. After this I met up with Deepthi, one of my seniors who was now working at Cognizant in Madras. We met at this place called Planet Yumm at Ascendas, a software complex on the Old Mamallapuram Road in the IT corridor. It was a super place and had most of the major food outlets, I tried some green tea for the first time and didn’t quite like. There was a lot of catching up that we did. Feels good to know that distance only makes people like you more. Went back to the IIT campus at about 8 in the night, spent some time with my classmates who were staying there and then headed for home. Unusually at 10.30, Madras had become a quite place, owing to its majority of early sleepers I presume. Next day it was off to Auroville.

Jan 25 –
Took an early bus out to Auroville via the East Coast Road, one of the most scenic highways in the country. It took me three hours to get to get there. After getting off at Periya Mudaliar Chavadi, I saw a signpost which said that Auroville was a further 8 kms inside. I had just had two glasses of milk in the morning. So mustering up all my strength, I started walking. I was about 5 kms into the township, when an auto stopped a few metres ahead of me, a smiling old gora asked me I needed a lift. I nodded and got in. He introduced himself as Alain. He was a frenchman working on a bio organic farm there. We spoke for the next 15-20 minutes as the auto made its way to the visitors centre. He explained to me how he had a carefree life in France and that he was busy here in Auroville, I told him the contrary, that Hyderabad was busy for me and that I had come to Auroville to slow things down. After saying bye to him, I went to the visitors centre where Eva , the receptionist there told me that it was peak season and that everything was full. So I trudged back the beach, 8 kms , stopping for a few idlis at Dinesh Tea and Snacks. After getting the beach, I looked around and finally found a lovely place to stay in. It was owned by a German couple. The lady was of Malaysian Tamil ethnicity, so she could speak Tamil. Her husband was German. Padmini Aunty showed me up to the cottage which was supported by 8 stone pillars and was made of bamboo sticks and dried coconut leaves. I loved the place immediately, it had place for 3-4 people and a table fan, a bulb and a mosquito net.
I must have slept for 3-4 hours after that 15 km walk. Aunty came and woke me up and we spoke for a long time. I loved the hammock in front of her house. Throughout the trip, I spent many hours in that hammock. As the heat receded, I went and explored the beach, from the pier down south to the fishing village in the north. Here I ran into a very heart warming site, a Tibetan single father and his daughter. He was teaching her to swim on the beach, and everytime she successfully completed a stroke she would come running back to her father and kiss him.
My alone time was going to come to an end. Harsha and Sneha said they would be joining me in the night. Sneha’s uncle was at the Aurobindo Ashram. So she would be going there, and Harsha would stay with me. They arrived three hours later at around 8 in the night, we came back to the cottage, put their luggage. Then we made our way to THE BEACH CAFÉ for dinner. (Remember the Indica V2 advertisement, that place only). This was a place where people of all nationalities ate and socialized together. Knowing Tamil made things easier for me, but the Europeans were pretty happy speaking in Francais and Deustche too, of course I managed with the limited knowledge of these languages that I had. We strolled around on the beach after that. The stars, the sea and us, along with a few dark silhouetted people in the distance. The night was breathtaking. It was off to sleep after an eventful day.


Jan 26 –
Republic Day. We woke up to a few local numbers being played out after the traditional National Anthem. Some events were being held in the local village on this occasion and the loudspeakers were on full volume, much to the amusement of the Europeans residing in the area. The three of us decided to head to the beach that morning. We loafed around, I even did a Daniel Craig imitation on the beach and kept getting battered around by the waves. Then we went back, showered and headed to Pondicherry. Here with Sneha’s uncle assistance we hired a bike and explored most of French town and the Indian quarter. We also saw the Samadhi of Shri Aurobindo and the Mother.

Since booze sells at half the price in Pondicherry, compared to other states, my friend wanted to make optimum use of this. So we went to the seaside Ajantha. I had a Virgin Mary. He had his fill. We returned to Auroville and headed towards the Matrimandir, the main meditation hall in Auroville. It is a golden sphere which signifies the divine power. Inside it is a meditation chamber entirely in white marble with a single ray of light passing through. There was also a placed called the Lotus bud which has the soil of 124 nations in it, placed during the foundation of Auroville. It was a pleasant evening and as we made our way to the cafeteria, we saw posters saying that the Auroville Theatre Group would be staging an adaptation of Hamlet. So we hastily made our way back to the Beach café, had some coffee and garlic bread, went to the cottage, had a cold shower and went to the Town Hall Plaza where it was being staged. As we were leaving, Aunty warned me to wear pants during the night because there would be too many mosquitoes and it would get cold. But I didn’t listen and went ahead.
The play was captivating. Probably one of the few occasions where one would find Indians, French, German and Tibetan actors on the same stage. I faced the wrath of the cold on our way back. We did all sorts of crazy things en route, there were hardly any vehicles on the road, so we went a few seconds switching off our headlights. Crazy and Scary simultaneously. After dinner, a few hours of silence followed and then we went off to sleep.

Jan 27 –
My last day in Pondicherry, I woke up and headed to see the sunrise alone. It was spectacular. I headed back to the cottage and had coffee with Padmini Aunty and her daughter as Harsha was still asleep. It was more roaming around French town. We checked out most of the places, went to the Puducheri museum, The Manakula Vinayakar Temple and a French restaurant called La Maree.

Contrary to what you all might think, every cuisine offers decent vegetarian fare and I feasted on the food at hand. It was very nicely done, tres francais to be precise. Then we sat on the rocks at the beach and shopped for some handmade products. After this, my friend Puppy dropped me at the bus stand and I made for Chennai.It was Sunday evening and getting a ticket was a pain, the junta in my bus were packed in like a can of sardines. But the trip was fun anyway, the highways in Tamilnadu have improved a lot over the years. On the way, I saw the Panchavati Hanuman temple, the idol here is really huge. After getting to Madras, I ate and slept.

Jan 28 –
Last day of my holiday. Didn’t have too many plans. Went to Landmark, Nungambakkam. Bought a few books for my cousins. Went to the coffee day nearby, sipped Ethiopian Coffee and caught a bus back home.

I packed and arrived at the station long before anyone else. They were all running late. A few of them were a little too late and one guy pulled the chain, I was the tamil translator and we were let off the hook with a fine. I stayed up late talking to friends in the train. It had certainly been a HOLIDAY TO REMEMBER.

PS: For a week no one spoke of b schools, college and there was no gossip. So it was all the more peaceful.

The Unsung Hero

A writer friend of mine once said that the best writing comes from an author who is on an empty stomach. I’m guessing that this entry into my diary should be my best then. I haven’t eaten in 3 days. Eating snow isn’t exactly like Ice cream.

My name is Karna. Whoever finds this diary should realize I might already be dead. If all this is unfolding too fast for you, let me bring you upto speed with the occurrences of the past few days, and since I haven’t entered my anything into my diary for a long time, it will make Mr.Diary happy too.

On January 2nd, 2010 after a wild new year party, a bunch of us i.e. Harsh, Sneha, Pavan, Isaac and me decided that we should do something memorable since we still had a few days left to get back to our mundane routines. A few suggested Goa, but the majority were in favour of going to the Himalayas. The mountains always fascinated us city slickers, so we jumped at the idea and preparations were underway by that evening.

We reserved tickets to Gorakhpur, and decided to make our way eastwards towards Nepal thereafter. We lodged at a place called HOTAL ROYAL PALASE. Despite the horrible spelling, it was a quite a comfy place to crash in and the owner Shiv Bahadur was an amazing conversationalist. He hooked us up with a local guide called Sarvesh Singh aka Captain, a strapping six footer who had worked with the Border Roads Organization, but had a premature retirement for reasons no one knew. Shiv told us that Captain never spoke much. So we never asked him too many questions, went along and did whatever he asked of us. I’d like to think that I am a good judge of people so from what I saw of him it was obvious that he was an adventurer but something from his past had extinguished the fire in him.

No one has the power to predict the future, but the superstitious few always know when something is going to go wrong. This is exactly what happened on January the 9th. Pavan woke up with a start, sweating like he’d been working out in his sleep. Pavan was the kind of guy who wouldn’t invest in stocks, if he saw a black cat that morning or if someone sneezed when he left home that day. He had had some nightmare and tried desperately to convince us to limit ourselves to bead shopping and temple visits that day. Though we were a close bunch of people, Sneha was closer to Pavan than the rest of us and reluctantly agreed to stay behind . So all suited up, Harsh, Isaac and I made our way to Mountain View Restaurant, where Captain usually picked us up in his rickety old Willy. He informed us that today’s trek would take long and was the most dangerous yet. We were pretty kicked about it, since we had done very exciting stuff in the last 2 days, so were waiting to push the envelope this time around. But time to time, I kept remembering Pavan and his nightmare. I marched forth nevertheless.

Four hours into the mountains and we had passed probably the most beautiful terrain that we had ever laid eyes on, the light mist floating above the mountains, the small stream gushing with a force like it had to get to work on time and the sheer majesty of the mountains themselves, standing tall like grand old men. Isaac started complaining that his wife Irene should have come along and that being stuck with two guys in such a beautiful environment was frustrating. I felt the same and I’m sure it was the same with Harsh, we looked at each other and tugged Isaac’s backpack to make sure we didn’t lose pace with Captain who was leading the way, unaffected by all breathtaking beauty around him. Was it because he was indifferent or was it because he had seen these places before? I will probably never know.

It was almost 4 in the afternoon, we were famished. Captain suggested we go a little further and make camp. But we insisted since we our legs would not carry us anymore, even though we knew that the base of a mountain wasn’t the best place to make camp. Harsh was a chef at one of the better hotels back home in Hyderabad. So he started working on our mini feast. Isaac & I went to gather some wood while Captain sat a few metres away on a rock eating the single paratha that was his standard meal on all our treks.

We ventured further into the woods, the trees on the border of the woods were soggy and unsuitable for making a fire. We were still searching, when we noticed something in the distance. A musk deer I think it was. There was an abundance of the beautiful beasts on the Indo Nepal border areas. But I remember Shiv had told us that poaching was a big problem in these areas. And surely enough, we noticed a few hundred metres away, behind a foliage, two burly men taking position like snipers with a rifle. I took out my SLR, and zoomed in to get a better view of things. The guns were armed with tranquilisers with yellow feathered tails. We didn’t want these guys to succeed. So we decided to scare the animal away from danger. So I started yelling and Isaac hurled a few rocks at the deer. It immediately noticed us and darted into the bushes. Mission accomplished we thought, but little did we know that these poachers would now turn their attention to us. Captain came running towards us and pushed us to the ground. As we hit the ground, we heard shots fired and bullets whizzed past us. The sound echoed. This was bad news. We were in avalanche country.

We were grounded in our positions, and the poachers reckless fire had triggered huge echoes. Soon enough, we could hear the rumbling snow. Something had to be done and fast. Captain had informed us that as soon as heard me yelling he had asked Harsh to ring up the Mountain Rescue team through his satellite phone. But it would be impossible a helicopter to land in these circumstances. Captain crawled closer to us, informed us of what he was going to do. We hesitated furiously. He slapped me back to my senses and asked me to make a run for it. What happened after this was like a movie is fast forward.

Captain sprang up, ran towards the gunfire as fast as he could, and hurled himselves at the shooters on the ground. “Run”, he yelled. Isaac and I dashed back towards camp, we could see Harsh at a distance signaling us to pick up speed as the snow was rushing towards the base of the mountain. I turned around to see what was going on. Before I could realize, one of them got shooters got a shot away and it hit my leg. It felt like something sprang up from the ground and bit me real hard. I collapsed in the pain. Isaac turned around, I yelled at him to keep running. He came back, put me his shoulder and trudged along. This would get us nowhere I thought, I wriggled out of his grip and warned him to save himself. Tears welled up in his eyes, he threw his back pack at me and made a run for it.

The snow came crashing down. I managed to make half a tent in the next few seconds and crawled into it. Meanwhile my eyes scourged the place, but there was no sign of the Captain or the poachers. The tent collapsed under the weight of the snow, but I had room enough to move around. I assumed that the snow wasn’t too deep since I could hear the groan of the helicopter. I grabbed a torch and checked the provisions I had, minimal food, this diary, a pen, 2 torches, 2 sleeping bags and a long rope.

As the day turned into night and loneliness engulfed me. My thoughts started wandering. I thought of my family back home, my cubicle at work, all the laughs that my I had shared with my friends, the memorable trip that this had been. I was glad that Harsh and Isaac were safe, or atleast I can assume so. I’m glad Pavan and Sneha never came along. The fat bugger could hardly run. Finally I thought about Captain. I had to remain sane, so I picked up my pen and I’m writing this. I wish someone would save me.

___________________________________________________________________

I must have blacked out sometime while writing that. I woke up in a cozy room to see Harsh, Isaac, Pavan and Sneha around me along with some strange men. My arm was bandaged; I felt a stinging pain in the right leg where I was shot. It was January 14. The authorities had found me as I was on the edge of the avalanche. I still had a pulse and so they shifted me to the best hospital in the area. After a few long distance telephone calls, a few forced smiles. They left me to rest.

I still think about Captain Sarvesh Singh to this day. He was a Hero. Heroes aren’t born, heroes aren’t nurtured, heroes don’t beat up 15 goons with their bare hands, and heroes certainly don’t dance around trees. A hero is an ordinary man who conjures up the courage to place himself before others in extraordinary circumstances. Had it not been for the Captain, three of us would have never lived to see the sunrise again. I read those pages in my diary once in a while to remind myself of the rebirth that I had been granted at the cost of another’s man sacrifice.

The High Times

What does it mean to get high on alcohol ? I don't know. Maybe I will in the future, maybe I won't. But in the last few days, I have been high on life.

I have been away from all the things that I would usually have done for the last few months only to realise the futility behind what I was trying to do. Neglecting blogs, short films,films and most importanly people.

Who says Hyderabad is boring ? If you do, come spend a day with me, I'll show you a whole new city you never even knew existed. I'll tell you some of the things I did in a span of few days, you decide if that was fun or not.

Theatre - Hyderabad has been a latent place for theatre, but that all ended with the Metroplus Theatre Fest which brought to our city, theatre groups from Chennai, Mumbai and Bangalore. I went and watched Five Point Someone and loved it. It was an amazing experience considering I had never been to a play before and also considering that I hadn't read the book. It even had a french kiss. Who says Hyderabadis are narrow minded ? ;)

Music Concerts - This have been happening on and off for a while, but there are hardly any quality performances doing the rounds. But that all changed with Shankar Ehsaan and Loy turning up on one mildly chilly saturday night. I went with a couple of friends, one of whom was totally high after he shook hands with Shankar Mahadevan. The show was scintillating, they belted their usual repertoire of soulful yet youthful music. But you what the best part was - I GOT TO SEE IT ALL FOR FREE. Of course "Karma" had made me spend a hundred bucks to replace my broken clutch wire a few minutes before I could reach the concert. A small price to pay for some amazing music

Also I hear there are a lot of classical/fusion concerts that happen on and off. I have fallen in love with a song called Raghuvamsa Sudha, thus the sudden interest in classical music. Heard of it ?

KBR Park has been an oft visited place in the last few years. There is something absolutely serene about this green island in the midst of the hustle bustle of Jubilee Hills. Go there at 5am in the morning, sit on the rocks and stare at the world around you. You might just bump into a few celebrities, or better yet you'll find peacocks flying by.

Career Launcher, Ameerpet - Its more like another home to me these days, I not only go there to study but also to chill out, to have intellectual conversation (yeah !! right) and to get high on Ice Cream.

Watch Happy Days. Not because its shot it MGIT/CBIT, but because its a very touching movie especially for those who are in their final year of college. That movie talks of friends, and that brings me to the conclusion of this post.

Friends/People in general.

There was this article that I read recently about Tribes in the Modern World. The author tells us that in the evolving society, tribes of friends will start becoming like parallel families. I totally agree with him, friends are like family to me. I have always valued the people around me, especially those who stick around when you're not doing too good. Respect to all you guys.

I had this whole recluse phase for a few months, now I have become crazier as those who have seen me recently will agree. I shaved my three month old beard and chopped my unruly locks, replacing them with a short crop and a handlebar moustache. The cop look, I brag. Many actually agree, after a little pondering.

Exam season is around the corner and my schedule is packed, but I'm glad I took this time to get back to Blogging. Many thanks if you took some to read this.

Looking for a Meaning

He wakes up in the morning, still tucked under his blanket, he thinks what the day has in store for him. The Sun is just growing out of a nascent orange and has plans to brighten the day for all the world (his world atleast) . He showers, parades around in his towel and smelling of a mixture of lemon flavoured soap and menthol shampoo. Breakfast is decent, he doesn't ever stuff himself.

He walks out and a gust of breeze hits him, displacing his neatly combed locks. He picks up his bag which is lying on the marble floored porch adjacent to the huge swing that reminded one of the swings of in a huge mansion in the villages of South India. " Grandmother's gift ! ", he would beamingly exclaim when his friends asked him about the swing. After adjusting the bag on his back, he turns toward his bike. He doesn't like cars, for reasons which only his closest friends from college knew apart from himelf. He owns a snazzy Royal Enfield Bullet Electra. I remember how he would religiously spend a litre of water and shine it every evening. It was something that was almost like a part of him. Bag on back, aviators on eyes, helmet on head... he chugs away from home on his ride. This was what I would see of him almost everyday.

He was away for most of the day, once or twice I remember him coming home during the afternoon. In the evenings, he was always sporting shorts and a t- shirt. There was something about these t-shirts, they were always those freebies that you got when you attended an event organised by some big organisation/institution. That seemed funny, because he was only dressed in crisp shirts and matching trousers every morning. So much for alter egos. He was liked for his calm, easy going and friendly nature. He would always let those devilish 7 yr olds play cricket on his lawn, he would even join them sometimes bowling underarm and trying to be as slow as he possibly so the kids could actually score off him.

He never spoke much to anyone. An occasional smile from him would be all that we would get. He loved his TV and you could hear the constant groan of the Idiot box throughout the night. He had one of those amazing flat screen televisions with extra dimensions which made one feel like one was in a mini cinema theatre. A few hazards of living by oneself are that inanimate objects like the television, the cellphone and the internet become family. He had friends, a group of 5 if memory serves right, they had dinners at his place often. They were always the silent intimate kind of dinners. No loud music for him.

Never could he be seen reading a book, but you could know that he was a deeply insightful person. No one ever knew what he did. Some said, he worked for one of them Software Giants, a few others said he was a journalist, a few others thought his attire was that of a financial analyst, one person who had seen with a famous actor once even went around telling people that he was a famour director. But no one ever knew what he did or for that matter anything about his past or present.

I will always remember that day, January the 13th. This day was the first time, he wasn't doing the usual routine that I had seen him do day after day, he was dressed in a smart white striped collared T shirt and blue jeans. He was walking towards my gate. I sat up with coffee mug in hand, wondering whether he had noticed me observing him and was getting annoyed, and that he was coming this way to give me a piece of his mind. "Ah ! Well, atleast I would hear him talk", I thought. But he didn't seem like the type who would care for nosey neighbours.

He came up to my gate, looked me straight in the eye and smiled. I signalled him to come on in. He kept the stare going as he strode towards me and fidgeted with his pocket. He shook hands and sat himself down. The first words escaped his mouth, he said, " Hi, I know we haven't spoken much." I smiled. He went on, " I'll be going away for a while, and I'd really like it if you would take care of my Bullet, wash it once in a while, and in return you can drive her around for a bit." I was delighted, that was a like a dream come true. I assured him that I would love to and promised to be careful. He nodded a thanks and started to leave. I interrupted, " Where are you going and when will you be back ?". Decreasing the pace of his step, he turned around and said - " I'm going in search of the meaning of life and I will be a while. " I did not quite understand his cryptic talk then, but I smiled and waved goodbye.

A month later, I heard his gate creaking open. I ran outside. I saw his friends driving into the driveway. I could sense, that things weren't in order. A girl, probably in her late 20's saw me and signalled me to come and join them. I went as quickly as I could. She enquired in a low voice, "You're Aditya right ?". I nodded. She forced a smile onto her pale face and said - "He wanted you to have the bike. ". I did not quite understand and stared back at her perplexed. She ushered me into the porch and we sat on the swing as the other four friends went into the house. She explained to me that my neighbour was one of India's foremost writers. He had travelled to the war stricken areas of the Rajasthan border to write about the life of people who lived there. He had planned to name the book, THE MEANING OF LIFE. One night as he was on one of his walks on the sand dunes, he was fired upon by a few militants. The villagers who he was studying for his book, found his unconscious body 3 hours later. He was on his deathbed when his friends went to see him at the hospital in Jaisalmer. She told me that he looked like someone else and that they were inconsolable, but he still smiled and spoke to them for half an hour before he suddenly rested into his eternal slumber.

She said that what he said during those thirty odd minutes were profound. "He never had family and he always was close to us. But he loved the kids in his neighbourhood and especially the boy who unknowingly waved goodbye to him with his eyes every morning", she quivered, almost in tears. I felt a shiver crawl down my spine, and lump in my throat. I stood up and froze. The girl put her arm around me and said "Thanks". For what, I did not know and did not care to ask. I just looked back at her walked out of the house and headed straight for my room.

He went in search of The Meaning of Life,but went so far away from Life that he could never return. Sometimes bonds are formed without even saying a word.

My first fictional work. Do comment

A Public Service Message :)

Frustration leads to anger leads to creative surges. Hours of waiting in the traffic and daredevil auto drivers have lead to this.

Cheers

The Tortured Artist

PS: Art and Concept by Aditya G Narayanan :P

Infinite Fun ... and some learning too

When I'm happy I'd like to multiply my joys and that is why I'm probably writing this blog. Its a been a long while since something worth mentioning happened in my life, Nirvana being the last.
The last week has been pretty eventful and this is how it unfolded.

Monday: Cognizant came calling and I answered their call. Got placed, with the right kinda preparation and some effort.

Tuesday: Went to Kashish's house for lunch. Feasted on yummy parathas with makhan and mouth watering biryani. This was the first time, I had to suck the pulp out of mangoes and well let me just say, I made a fool of myself :P :P. This was when a friend of mine called saying my results had come. I was little anxious, but not too bothered since my CTS would have neutralised any threats that the results posted. I always think that things in life can only get better, and proving this fact, Puppy called me saying I had cleared all subjects with 72 %. Was damn relieved.

Wednesday: Spent most of my day at Career Launcher since they were organising a residential workshop called Infinity 2007 and I was helping co-ordinate. Dinner with family in the evening was a rare occurence and thoroughly enjoyable.

Thursday: Three of my friends came home and my father dropped us at the Rendezvous Point ie. CL Parklane. Most of my friends boarded Bus # 1 and I was the Captain of the Bus. We reached the destination - Sreenidhi Resorts in about an hour. We were then shown to our rooms. The guys in the first bus, got rooms with cockroaches and spiders for company with rickety old fans and spongeless mattresses. But we weren't the ones to complain since there was lots of fun to be had.
We were divided into 3 teams :- Thunderbolts, Castalia and Intrepid. My friends and I ended up in Thunderbolts so it was gonna be a ball for sure. We had a GD session first and then a few games which tested group dynamics and strategy.
The evening was set aside for planning the cultural events and deciding what was to be done. As Radio Mixing was my area of expertise, I got into that and we made a funny script. The night was totally ours, we hung out with people, got to know them better and made some amazing friends.

Friday: Bah !! The worst way to wake up, have a bunch of girls break down your door. Well it didn't deter us too much because once we shooed them away, we went right back to sleep. We had another game called Liar Liar which was a lot of fun and this game our team won by 20 pts and we were leading the pack. Then we had interview sessions. Here we were divided into groups of 3 and had to interview each other. During our exercise my friend and I tortured the eternal bakra Nitin, who I must mention had mustered quite a fan following after a random rendition of Tanha Dil for the CL faculty. The evening and night were a lot of fun. We had a disco, and for the first time ever, I danced for three and a half hours straight. Boy !! It was a lot of fun and every muscle in body hurt after that. Late into the night, our gang hit the merry go round and we spoke till around 3 in the morning.

Saturday: Gyaan sessions by junta who were headed to the IIMs made me realise that the CAT wasn't that big a deal and with the right frame of mind, anyone can crack it. Then after brunch, off to the Culturals. After 2 hrs of performances, Thunderbolts and Castalia were declared joint winners. We had a photo session around the resort for a while and then headed back home, wishing that we could turn back time.

Thanks to all those guys who i got to befriend, the friends I got to know better and everyone at Infinity 2007. The memories will last forever.
Contact CL soon for the videos and pics

A scapegoat of Dynasty Politics

This is the story a man named Dayanidhi Maran. A Saggitarian, a tech savvy and smartly dressed politician who has been made the scapegoat in the ruckus of dynasty politics of Tamilnadu.

The History :
In November 2004, Mr.Murasoli Maran, Dr.Karunanidhi's nephew passed away leaving the constituency of Central Chennai without a candidate for the 2004 Lok Sabha Elections. The DMK leadership chose the then 28 year old Dayanidhi, shy younger son of Mr.Maran as a replacement. Dayanidhi was new to politics but he had a resounding victory in the constituency that was previously's his father's bastion and a DMK stronghold.
He was sworn in as Minister for IT and Telecom which is one of India's growing sectors. This did not sit well with other DMK contenders for they did not quite appreciate a rookie being given a ministry on his first trip to Delhi.

The Flash point :
Dinakaran, a Tamil Daily published an opinion poll about who would be the successor of the Octogenarian Leader of Tamilnadu. M.K.Stalin was shown as the obvious choice of the Tamil junta. This did not go down too well with M.K.Azhagiri, elder son of the leader and Don of Madurai. His infuriated supporters set the Dinakaran office in Madurai ablaze in the presence of 44 Police Personnel. A typical tamil movie scene, my fellow tamil movie goers would agree. Reel life isn't that far fetched from Real life after all.

The Aftermath : The party blames Dayanidhi Maran for indulging in anti-party activities and asks for his head. The senior leadership gets what it wants and Mr.Dayanidhi Maran leaves his position much to the discontent of many industry experts as he was one of the more industry friendly ministers.
Well !! What can I say. NICE GUYS FINISH LAST .

The Bright Yellow

When I was in Class 6, I religiously played cricket in the hope that I would become a cricketer someday. The coach did not pick me in the school team and chose some kids who were obviously less deserved of their positions than me. The perplexed 11 yr old that I was , I walked away from the world of cricket other than the occasional game with friends.

The Australians stormed home to yet another World Cup victory last week and this prompted me to blog about cricket which I thought I'd never do. Their dominance of World Cricket is very similar to the way the Brazilian team reigns supreme in the world of Football. The way these teams dominate the game and decimate their opponents is a sight to relish.

But does their performance depend solely skill, talent and the way the sports administration works in the country ? Of course these are very evident reasons of their respective teams' success. I observed a sort of pattern in both these teams and plan to write to Mr.Sharad Pawar one of these days suggesting to him to change the kit of the Indian Cricket team to YELLOW.

Yes Yellow !!! When people say they've got the blues, it means they are not doing so well,then how on earth can we expect the Men who've got the Blues to do well in a sport. Of course the Italians are an exception to this fact. Yellow is the colour of the Sunflower(which can be placed on the caps as the logo for the cricket team) .It is also Martin Scorsese's third cousin's favourite colour. Bands like The Beatles sang about the Yellow Submarine and not a Blue Submarine and even Coldplay has made a song on the colour. So whats not to like about yellow.


Its simple logic ->
When we need some service, we look in the Yellow Pages
When we need victory, we look to the Men in Yellow
PS:MY FAVOURITE COLOUR IS BLUE

The Grind

It is that time of the year again which all engineers-to-be love to hate. Its Exam Season.
Borrowing records from friends, hours of waiting in the photocopying place, nightouts with the gang, extensive planning, hardly any execution. This is my way of life during these tough and testing times. Apart from this, to increase my blood pressure in this sweltering heat I have Nirvana Audit work which is like a real pain, since most people don't want to give bills for evading taxes.
My computer crashed yesterday, I had to sit and re-install windows and all the other softwares. So its all going wrong as of now, but still I smile. I read somewhere that life gives us two choices -
The path we should take
The path we eventually do
So which I will take and whether I successfully accomplish all of the above mentioned tasks and go into the month of May peacefully is yet to be soon. Multitasking has always been one of my strengths, so I should be able to manage.
I'd like to take this opportunity to apologise to someone very special. My dear BLOG !! I have been neglecting you for a long time I know. But I have been busy with lots of stuff outside of cyber space, so please forgive. I know you will :-) :-)
I'm putting up here, my fave pic from Nirvana 2007 which has probably been the best thing to happen to me this year, thus far, hopefully other important things will follow suit.

Nirvana 2007 - A job well done

Its over. I cannot believe its over, just like that. What do I do now ? Classes ? College ? Nooooo, Nirvana I want you back, please don't go away.
This is how I'm feeling now. But I have an epic to tell you guys, let me start with October 14. This was the day Nirvana 2007 work was officially kicked off, I gave a small presentation. A few hours after this, I met with an accident. This was probably a sign of things to come, the difficulties that I was to face during the months of January, February and March.
PROLOGUE
We started having our meetings in the month of January and decided initially that it would be Shaan or Colonial Cousins. Now the hurdles started being hurtled at us. We had our first official meeting with our respected Director. He was totally against the idea of us having celebrities from outside come and perform. Around 15 of us kept rallying against this and were finally able to convince that this and only this would be the best entertainment package. He agreed.
We got our permission letter on January 18, ten days after the set deadline, but we still had lots of time. By then, it had been decided that I would be made Student Convenor and there would be a Core Committee to back me up. But due to a few unforeseen situations and for the evident betterment of the fest, I scrapped the Core.
Now things had been set in motion, money was top priority. I had been reading a lot about Laloo Prasad turning an institution like the Railways into a profitable organisation, so I resolved that I would do the same about Nirvana which was always short of money. So I kept telling everyone that Mission SHOW ME THE MONEY was top priority. A team of 10-12 people who were really dedicated started doing the rounds of a few companies, and I was taking care of other things.
Many important activities were not on schedule. I was getting a wee bit worked up and making people work harder. February came, the supplementary holidays began and lethargy set in. Half the team went to sleep and I was powerless to do anything. Our deadline of Feb 20 was fast approaching and I did not have enough finances to show for the team's hardwork.
Then the worst blow of all. I was told that Mr.Hariharan would not be available for the 10th of March. This had a chain reaction. A few big companies who were to give big amounts backed out, we lost almost 3.5 lakhs, and the whole brain racking of finding a new performer began. Due to our financial constraints we were forced to go low budget.
We decided to first sign Hemachandra, finalist from Saregamapa and upcoming singer. Sona, Leslie Lewis and Kartik were other names that were suggested. The money kept trickling in, but my stress levels were reaching break point. My team and I just kept at it, Money money money. Something had to give way. Saturday Feb 27 was easily the toughest day for me. People from all sides were putting too much pressure on me. People who I thought cared about me a lot did not even bother to call. I was on the edge. Something had to be done and fast. So along with my closest confidants, I trudged into Sterling Cinema and watched Blood Diamond. Solid relief it was. Slept well after a long time that night.
Next day it was back to work. Then suddenly something out of the blue. One person was interested in being main sponsor, a ray of hope maybe. We tried but that did not work out too. Just as I was coming to terms with the fact that my fest would be just another mediocre event, a heaven sent miracle. Akshay Rao, a brother to me called me on the March 3rd and told me about this band called Prayag. I loved the name. I googled them, I loved their music and I loved the idea of bringing them to MGIT. We needed another 70k to pull this off. So the sponsorship run never stopped, but big amounts were just not coming. But we kept at it with a dogged determination.
The last 3-4 days before were hectic. It was like I was going downhill without brakes. Once we convinced the management about having Prayag also, things had been set in motion that could not be undone. So it was upto us to pull things together and give it a 100%. I designed the posters overnight and gave them away for printing. They were looking good. It was going to be good. I was very close to being disowned by my family for my crazy work timings. Then Nirvana came -
DAY 1: This was the day of the techies. There was a decent response and the events happened without any speedbreakers. Team Nirvana still had to pool up 30k. We were lying down on the lawns in college and wondering what the hell to do. We had our last meeting for the day where I emphatically said – “Sir, we have come 90% of the way, we will do what it takes to go the remaining 10%”.
DAY 2: Things began smoothly, I was still on the edge since the financial situation had improved by 10k only. So I went and sat down with the faculty incharge to do another round of accounts. This was one of the most defining moments of Nirvana 2007 for me. Magically an extra 20k had been miscalculated before, we needed only a thousand rupees more to break even. This happened in the next few hours and I was just so thrilled. I had accomplished what I had set out to do, without compromising the quality of the fest.
But happiness never lasts long when one is doing something of this magnitude. After the sound and stage had been setup, the backdrop gave way. Due to some ingenuity from one of the workers, we managed that. Next problem that sprung up was that our man had brought a 60 hz generator where the whole of India used only 50hz. But somehow we dealt with that too.
My close friend Nitin’s band REVE from JBIET was to perform first. It was an amazing performance considering that it was their first major gig. Their drummer, Venky who was a visually impaired 14 year old was the toast of the evening. Trust me guys, this kid is has a bright future ahead of him. Then a beautiful fusion ensemble by the 2nd year guys kept the show going. Due to a small delay our main performer Mr.Nagraj was delayed. But luckily Mr.Ravi Varma , a playback singer was in the audience and he graced the show with a few of his numbers. Then Mr.Nagraj arrived and put on a stellar show despite a few members of the audience leaving early.
DAY 3: With all the confidence in the world, I woke up at 6.45 am and left for the airport where I was to pick up the members of Prayag. The flight was on time and the guys were eager to get to the hotel and get some sleep. They were the most down to earth bunch of rockstars I had met. It felt like they were one of us . We were more than pleased that we had chosen Golkonda Resorts and Spa as our hospitality sponsor because it had an amazing ambience to it. After a five star breakfast, they went to sleep and I left to conduct the quiz prelims.
Most events went on decently except the ones that I was incharge of, and I’m still feeling guilty that I could not hold a JAM. But nevertheless, once the quiz was done, I had to prepare my vote of thanks, change into my kurta and get ready to receive the guests of honour.
Things went on well in the auditorium while sound check was going on in the ground. So once things were done inside the auditorium, we were ready to start. Hemachandra was to perform first. I was to be the emcee for the evening. He started off with an A.R.Rahman number and his playlist was well received. He also had a great interaction with the crowd and kept them in awe. Once his performance was done, I announced Prayag onto stage with their tagline THE STORM TROOPERS OF HINDI ROCK. They stood true to the name and took the show by storm. Great numbers like Where the streets have no name, Kashmakash, Duur were making the audience of 1500 Come Alive. Just when I thought things could not get any better, they dedicated the song Roobaroo to me and called me on stage to sing along. It was an awesome experience and I think I got a little stage high also, but once I realized my amateur singing talent I took a bow and got off stage. Prayag ended with their flagship number – RAASTE. It was an amazing show, an amazing turnout and I’m glad everything turned out alright.
LESSONS LEARNT
Being at the helm for Nirvana 2007 was like being the Captain of a fire fighting unit. One fire here would be extinguished and another elsewhere would start. I think the entire team stuck together and pulled off a great show. There were no fights, there were a few wrong decisions, lots of juniors earned my respect and I found myself a band of brothers who would give their all for me, not to mention one great friend who helped me through most scarily stressful nights. I have also realized that I’m a more resilient person than I thought I was and that working under pressure turns me on.
I would like to thank every fireman, I mean ever member of Team Nirvana for making this happen. I would like all those who showed up and enjoyed the fest. I would like to thank Mr. Venkatramana for patiently bearing with us through everything. I would also like to thank my parents for allowing me all liberties. This would be incomplete without a special thanks to all my paduans and my brothers and the new friends who stood by my side through trying times. May the tradition of Nirvana bring joy to all of you like it has done for me.
Cheers

Lost in the sands of Time

Shangri La, Atlantis, El-Dorado. These are the names of 3 cities which have captured the imagination of explorers,archaeologists and adventurers over the last few centuries.
But did these cities really exist ?
This is an answer which will probably never be answered in our lifetime, although I wish it could be.Proof of these cities can be found in ancient texts and this has led people to believe that these formerly flourishing cities are potential treasure chests.
Allow me tell you about my favourite of the three - Shangri La. Several possible places in the Buddhist Himalayan region between northern India and Tibet have claimed to be the basis for this legend.The legendary Kun Lun Mountains in Tibet offer other possible Shangri-La valleys.A popularly believed inspiration for Shangri-la is the Hunza Valley in northern Pakistan, close to the Chinese border,being an isolated green valley surrounded by mountains, enclosed on the western end of the Himalayas, it closely matches the description of the city.
This city is supposed to home to Immortal people, flying Lamas, architectural wonders and is a lush valley untouched by the insufficiencies of modern civilisation. Only those who are pure of heart have the power to see the city. So that rules me out !!
What makes it so damn difficult for modern explorers to find is that Tibet ie. The Roof of the World is home to the world's most inhospitable terrain. After watching most documentaries Tibet, which was once a forest many centuries ago, brings to my mind the picture of vertical cliffs and dry barren plains. Hopefully if my show airs someday, I shall go where no man has gone before,with my team and explore Tibet,which as a friend of mine once told me is truly THE LAST FRONTIER.
Talking about Tibet,it is impossible to ignore the role that China has played in shaping modern Tibet. According to the Govt. in exile, Tibetan culture is diminishing in Mainland Tibet and the Dalai Lama and his disciples are trying their best to keep their traditions alive at Dharamsala. Its a sad state of affairs considering the fact that the Tibetans are being forced to adopt a foreign culture.
Its a pity that something this beautiful is being scarred by politics and foreign exploitation. But still,as some famous Tibetan said - "Wherever you feel at home, you are at home. If your surroundings are pleasant, you are at home.”

An "INTER"mission

People have always applauded my choice of titles especially after HAMARI AZZURRI KAHANI. So it is only fair that I explain what this one means. Well for most people Intermediate ie. +1,+2 life is hell, but for us at Kakatiya it was quite the opposite. It was almost like a pleasant break from the ratrace of life that people used to experience at that point of time, thus the title.
This is a very(*thrice*) brief account of the five of us and our two years together. Alphabetically:
Mr.Abdul Rehman BBA
Mr.Achyuth Reddy B.Tech
Mr.Aditya G Narayanan B.Tech
Mr.Nitin Prahlad B.Tech
Dr.Vishwajit Reddy MBBS
We have known each other for five years and have seen each other going major metamorphoses. It has been an awesome experience getting to know each one of them, each damn special in their own way. Rehman,Achyuth and Me started out as being the only sensible people in an otherwise dumb class. Nitin and Vishwajit joined us the next year,Vizzy being the only non Math guy. It was the best combination of acads and fun that one could ask for, though I still feel I could have done better,had it not been for the complications that I brought upon myself.
We had the most iconic lecturers around like -
Mr.Ramarao used to call Rehman - REHMIN and me - ADICHA
Mr.Subramanyam taught the periodic table like a slokam(thats why I can remember it well probably)
Mr.Raghavulu and his voice which was nicknamed SONIC BOOM due to its loudness
Mrs. Neeraja for her sheer sweetness and mass
Mr.Sudhir and his antics
Mr.Venugoal with his "EM RA !!!"
the SLIMY MR.NAIDU (need I say more). All people that we shall never forget in our lives.
We are still remembered in junior college as the TERRORIST batch because of all the mischief we were upto. But we were all spared since we managed good scores, thanks to me who all the above mentioned buggers copied from. There was also this specimen of a guy in class called Naveen. He was like a 7 yr old kid in a big exhibition for whom all the lecturers were toys, the way he annoyed them is now legend in Kakatiya circles.
We loved college so much so that we would come back to study(read DO RANDOM TIMEPASS) at college in the evenings. We knew everyone and everyone knew us. We hardly ever bunked college since college was so much fun. More frequently than class, we were at Roheed Bakery, Kakatiya's equivalent of Pop Tate's. Then there was this ritual we had, which we called THE WORLD TOUR. Since we always ended up finishing our lunch in the period prior to lunch, we were free for a whole half hour. This is when all of us used to visit every boys' toilet in the building. The boys' loos were on the 1st,3rd and 5th floors and we loved 'em. We used to steal tubelight starters and we(one of us) even lit a laddi in the loo with the help of a mosquito coil acting as a timer.Now thats home grown technology for you!
Whenever I meet these guys its always a riot, we're always laughing our tummies into an ache. Since Rehman is in Melbourne,we usually do our laughing online with those smileys. Thanks to Yahoo for that, We're Smiley people. He had recently come down for a holiday and one day we met at Sarovar and drove the people there mad. It had been sometime since I had laughed that hard. That night I was so bloody high on WACKINESS QUOTIENT that I wrote a few funny stories which a few of my friends totally loved.
I had been in quite a fix over a few things over the last few days. Thankfullu,this day has been a good day - spent quality time with people who genuinely cared about me , got to know a few encouraging things and experienced an excruciatingly exciting(these things are called Alliterations :)) drive courtesy of Achyuth's psychotically in-control driving.
Next on the agenda for my next fun outing(which will be after Nirvana) is Paintball. Recently saw an ad saying it has been launched in Hyderabad at Jalavihar. Anyone Game ??

Discover Yourself

Everyday is an adventure, a celebration and I really needed to experience this after a boring semester at college. I went to Bangalore - Mysore for the sem break.I have kin in both places, so it meant a lazy week in the Western Ghats for me. Watching lots of movies, long chats with my PAATI(granny), feasting on some yummy food courtesy of my aunt and bullying my cousin Anand was all part of my daily routine. But one night, my uncle S.R.Ravichandran decided to do a little self-development programme at home. Having attended lots of workshops and management programs at IIM-A, XLRI etc.,he was probably the best person around to do some soul searching with.
He placed a white board on the bed & armed with a blue marker and a few white papers we embarked on a most marvellous journey. He drew a a few diagrams representing how the human psyche was made of both masculine(Purush) & feminine(Prakruti) shades and that there were a lot of factors which affected the personalities we ended up becoming. It was the first time I ever heard of something like this and it gave me a new way of perceiving things. He said that it was important to grow psychologically and emotionally along with the physical growth. He asked me what I thought about Marriage - " Co-existense" came the reply. He laughed heartily and told me that I should save such opinions for later. He asked me what I thought of success, Power and Financial Freedom I said. It was probably the sort of answer that an average 20 year old would give. We spoke about lots of other things, how much IQ played a role in success and how much his diligence did.
Dinner was served and we concluded. He still left me in a state of ambiguity about "success". A sound sleep in the cold Mysore weather followed. I was to leave the following day for Bangalore. I was woken up by a phone call. It was Ravi,we said our goodbyes. Then he muttered,"Think about this SUCCESS IS CONQUERING EVERY WAVE OF OPPORTUNITY THAT COMES YOUR WAY." Food for thought indeed. I immediately felt like a surfer trying to conquer those high waves which crashed onto the shores of California. This is how I shall remain.
We all face little challenges and big challenges around every corner of the street called Life. Each one of us is unique and is armed with a special arsenal to tackle such issues. There will always be ebbs and tides. Our surfboard and our character will be our only friends in times like these.
I shall conclude with the immortal lines of Robert Frost which I read in my 8th class English text book.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep.
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

The most famous LEFT FOOT is dead

Ferenc Puskas
For the uninitiated Ferenc Puskas was part of the Mighty Magyars during the 50s. This Hungarian team that was the first ever foreign team to beat England at Wembley.He was a very unusual striker, stockily built and had the most respected left foot in the world at that time.The goal that Puskas scored is probably one of the most famous goals of all time,his pull back with the left foot that many including me are disciples of, and the shot with a sharp angle that went into the bottom right corner stands out in History. He was fondly called the Galloping Major. He is probably the only footballer the world has seen to have a near 99% strike rate. He scored 83 goals in the 84 matches that he played for Hungary. His partnership with Alfredo di Stefano for Real Madrid will be remembered for aeons to come as probably one of the most deadliest strike pairs ever. He was part of the Real team that mauled Eintracht Frankfurt 7-3 in the European Cup. Gee !! How I wish I belonged to that era, goals used to flow. Now all the bloody defenses are stingy. A stadium in Budapest has been named after this legend.
MAY HIS SOUL REST IN PEACE, MAJOR THERE WILL NEVER BE ANOTHER LIKE YOU

Le Premier Anniversaire

Its been a year since I entered the blogging world. Boy ! It has been one helluva ride. From the front page of Hyderabad Chronicle to Blogcamp at Tidel Park,Chennai. It has given me a window to express those creative juices & I have made quite a few friends who I think share the same frequency of thinking.
Thanks to all those who have been regular visitors to the page,your comments and criticism are appreciated.
The Blogging Juggernaut shall continue on its journey in search of truth and salvation
Cheers

Who am I kidding ?!

Another semester ends. Exams are around the corner. Friends say, "Mama lets start studying !!". I concur, if we don't study for the 10 days before the semester exams, whats the point of wasting so much money & travelling 50+ kms to and fro everyday. But unlike a few others who keep saying - OUT OF ORKUT FOR A MONTH, NOT BLOGGING FOR A MONTH, I won't make such bold statements. Though I will surround myself with the almanacs of electronics and mechanical engineering. My thoughts will be about the television series I plan to host in the not so distant future (if I find a friendly producer). Its a travel show,the first instalment will be me running around in Europe. I intend to make it by road from Dushanbe to Reykjavik, making friends along the way, learning the local dialects and I especially look forward to drinking milk of the mountain goats from the Hindukush. They say it is naturally sweet. Naturally sweet like this girl who once told me that some photo of mine reminded her of Colin Farrell in The Recruit. Colin Farrell,Oil Barrel who is she kidding ?!!
These exams seem to be another topic of debate for my seniors and good friends who are doing their post-grad/working. They ask me, "Adi,whaddup !?". I say, "Ejjams ra!!". Pat comes the reply - JNTU exams ke liye you study aa !! Duhh ! These are very same chaps who have 70+ engg percentages. Seniors who have been in my position me always advice me to study and improve my scores while I still can. Now they are certainly not kidding.
So getting back to my travel show, the plan is perfect, the only flaw is that I have to rely on me to execute it. The second instalment as suggested by a dear friend of mine shall include Somalia(Africa). The poorest country in the world and the place where Black Hawk Down was shot. Oh yes !! Lets go blow the horn of Africa. Then probably go Mummy hunting in Egypt or rather go get stung by those Tse-tse flies in Zaire or maybe an amazing safari in Namibia. So if there any buyers for the show, do ping me. Of course, I have lots of other plans in my head. Only Mr.SAMAY will tell if they materialise or not. I hope I'm not kidding.
Now this is certainly worth mentioning, I have finished a book called The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. This is the first novel I have read after 7 years. The ever novel that I read was The Sixth Man by Roland Perry which was about KGB conspiracies. This is a book that no one has heard of. But I'm sure its lying in some corner of the HPS senior school library. Next on the list Leo Tolstoy - War and Peace. Leo Tolstoy eh ?! Mr.Narayanan, who are you kidding ?! :P :P

For all those who are still worried about the foot, thanks for the concern guys !! Its shown a drastic improvement, since I have been doing nothing but sitting on my arse and ordering my mother & sister to bring me everything from the morning newspaper to the pills I take after dinner. Talk about royal treatment. Sometimes methinks I was a prince or a king in my last birth, just love getting things done by other people. But then who doesn't like it.
Foot says - Enough time on the chair,sir. Time to get back to the horizontal comfort of the bed.
Me - Yes sir !! Just don't hurt too much today.
Gotta run...err I mean limp. Until next time - Cheers

Frustrating Temporary Handicaps

Well, I was going uphill and suddenly out of a blind turn, a cyclist came downhill at a high speed. He did not have brakes, so he came and rammed into me. His pedal was missing the rubber padding and that pierced my foot. Nothing serious,thank you for the concern.
This is what the recording on my cellphone tells people,whenever they see my bandaged foot & ask me "dude,what happened ?!". Its been eight days,but still there has been hardly any improvement. The Doc says that the tiny bones on my metatarsals have cracked. So its gonna be a while before I'm up and running. Due to this injury I have come to understand the hardships of the physically challenged. I can't use my left foot nad this makes it really difficult to walk. I'm forced to walk on my left heel and the majority of the weight is on my right leg. Which means every night,my right leg curses me !! I'm asked to take rest, BEDREST !
Think about it, lying down all day doing nothing is the most FRUSTRATING thing ever. I like to keep myself aware of the ongoings in the world, so the TV and Newspaper come to rescue often. I have also started reading my first novel after 7 years. Oscar Wilde is just too damn compelling. The Internet does give me immense relief, since I can catch up with all my friends in Cyberspace.
But one can never keep a person like me tied down. I started going to college 2 days after the accident. Limping around and being carried around by a few heavyweights in college. The pain is unforgiving, any fast movements and it stings. Sleep in the wrong position and it stings. Missing a round a medicines and it stings. This is what they call stinging pain I suppose. I have to lament about October 21st. It was the festival of light for many. But for me,it was the festival of sitting around on my backside doing nothing. Finally I got out of the house at night,unable to take the onslaught of boredom. The purpose of this post is purely to write away the pain, distract my mind from the pain or even the thought of the injury. I have learnt that to deal with things like this, one not only needs Physical Strength,but also Mental Strength.

Love what you do !

It was another boring Thurday afternoon. I got home dog-tired just to find that my Daddy dearest hadn't left the keys behind. So I called him & he said he would get home in a few minutes as he was somewhere nearby.
Since I had a friend for company,I didn't mind too much. I switched on the radio on my new phone and was forced to listen to the numbers that the FM stations were playing. My ears were busy with the horribly plagiarised music that one gets to hear these days. But my eyes were wandering about,gazing at the clear blue sky with a few blemishes of the spongy white cloud here and there. I wonder if something very prosaic like Physics can explain the magnificence of such a beautiful sight. Scattering of light,they say !!
A few minutes hence,I saw a sparrow flying happily towards wherever it was heading. Suddenly out of the blue (literally !!) came an Eagle and snatched it with its talons, ripping the very life out of it.In Greek mythology,this was a sign of imminent war or a period of struggle. Hope it doesn't mean the same in Modern Indian Mythology.I felt sorry for the sparrow at first, but then I realised its nature's law. All a part of the food chain.
I started telling my friend about how lucky these predators of nature are. "Why ??!!" you ask. Well,simple I say these guys work their socks (I know they don't wear any, but its a figure of speech) off, to feed themselves and those who depend on them. They love doing it & for most of them it is the only thing they have to do apart from reproduction exercises.
Compared to them, we humans are a lazy lot. We(most of us) hate to work. We do it just because we are getting paid. Then there are those benevolent few who follow the true Marxist teachings and love what they do,simply because it satisfies them. Allow me to illustrate :-
I hate to study,I know as a student that is the only thing I should really be doing. But there is a small fest in an insignificant college called MGIT which goes by the name NIRVANA. Needless to say,I have been a part of it for two years, and this fest has given me some of the most cherished memories in my life. So no matter what I get back ,I will work tirelessly for it. Now wouldn't it be a wonder if I started thinking about other things in my life with an equivalent amount of passion. Maybe that is what old Karl was trying to tell us when he was putting forth his theories.
I wouldn't go the extent of saying WORK IS WORSHIP,but definitely make sure its fun. Of course what I'm saying now, doesn't apply to Explorers, Ice Cream tasters, Fighter Pilots and Sportsmen.

Of Rainbows and Perfection

Yesterday on my way back from college it rained,but simultaneously the sun was shining. What followed was the most brilliant rainbow that I had seen in a while.We must have heard of the Irish myth of the Rainbow. It is said that the Leprechaun hides his pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The closer we go to the rainbow,the farther away it seems to go. This makes the end of the rainbow almost impossible to reach.
Somehow same is the case with Perfection. All of us strive to go to higher places in life (not talking about Heaven,mind you),this most consider is a path to perfection. But has anybody ever attained perfection ?! Perfectionists can be encountered is all walks of life,but all they do is work hard to achieve perfection. The fact that they cannot attain it,is what makes them crochety people.
I have always considered Perfection to be a far-fetched fantasy,but still there is something about doing things perfectly that gives you a kick. The ancient Greeks viewed perfection as a requisite for beauty and high art. Now how many people do we know,who go to the gymnasium or spend truckloads of money to get the perfect look ?! Do they not understand the futility in such things since when a person crosses a certain age limit, he/she will obviously face the wrath of Ageing. No botox can ever reverse this process. The best example would be - Aren't our grandparents with their numerous stories and warmth the most lovable people in the world.
I believe it was John Keats who said that Newton had killed the poetry in a Rainbow by attaching a bunch of scientific theories to it. Lesson I learnt from all this - Do your work to the best of your abilities, somewhere down the line, someone will say "Hey ! Don't You think Aditya has the perfect blog ??".
**Chuckle Chuckle**. Yeah ok ! Thats wishful thinking. Hope you got the point though.

Growing Up ! Sigh

All of us have to face the harsh realities of life atleast sometime. It was in my face a few days ago.
After attending Blogcamp at Chennai, I boarded the train back to Hyderabad. I happened to share the cabin with two other families. There were 3 minors aka half tickets along with their parents. I quickly ran & occupied the window seatso that I would while away my time on the train. But little did I know what was in store for me that evening, a rude awakening to reality if you would. The 3 kids in question were -
1.Niharika - Age 6
2.Aman - Age 4
3.Nitin - Age 2
It was around 9 pm. We had just passed Nellore,it was pitch dark outside. The parents dozed off leaving these little devils awake on the berths. I was on the lower berth & was still sitting and gaping outside the window, with the wind in my face.
I was busy looking for Orion's belt, which happens to be my favourite constellation when I felt someone tugging my shirt. It was Aman, the little tyke had got out of his berth & climbed down. So being the immature brat that I can be, I started of a conversation with him.
We spoke of everything from "Why Tom could never catch Jerry" to "What we should when older kids bully us". It was an interesting chat I must say, I learnt a lot from the kid.
He got bored in a while and requested a story as if I was a jukebox or something. I guess these must have been tales that his mother told him to put him to sleep. I started off with my favourite,The Hare and The Tortoise. Problem was he did not know what a tortoise was.
This was when Niha Didi saved the day, saved the night rather. She explained to him that it was the creature that they had seen at the zoo some days earlier. I was inspired,I went on to add that these creatures are bigger versions of the TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES. Thus I was now to entertain both the siblings.
An hour and 10 fairy tales later, the smallest of the group, Nitin awoke. He was on the opposite lower berth. He was all excited and waved his hand fervently as if to say,"Guys I want to join too". We were more than happy to oblige. We played a few rounds of Toss the milk bottle around.After he got bored of that game, we went onto the more mature game of "Where's the baby... there he is". Then after a while, Nitin's mom awoke and put him to sleep.
So I started off on another round of story telling, this time it was some story that I was making up as I went on. They seemed pretty perplexed. So I thought better of it & started quizzing the kids on life in Primary school. This is when I realised, I hadn't formally introduced myself. So I asked them if they knew my name. In unison they screamed " ADITYA UNCLE ". They had probably heard my name when I was talking to their father. But aren't we missing the big picture here. I was called UNCLE for the first time in my life. It hit me hard, I was growing older. Crow wrinkles were appearing at the corner of my eyes every time i smiled. I was balding as if someone had been using a lawn mower on my scalp. But I somehow managed to convince the two kids that I was still in college & that I also wrote exams like them thus they should call me Anna. Growing up means different things to different people, more responsibilities, more things to do in life, more wishes to fulfil etc. So Ladies and Gents, smell the beans, the coffee that is adulthood is around the corner. Grab it before it gets cold.

Movie Review - Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu

Considering that this was my first tamil movie in a Chennai theatre,I was very anxious. I had earlier seen The Rock about 8 years back.
Gautham directing Kamal Haasan,Jothika & newcomer Kamalini Mukherjee (who I had seen in Anand & Godavari) was the perfect recipe for a potential blockbuster.
The Plot
Another story in a Police Officer's Life.The story is very intense,it starts in typical Gautham fashion depicting Kamal aka DCP Raghavan showing his policing prowess beating up the goons.
He is summoned by his friend DCP Arokiaraj(Prakash Raj) to investigate the case of his missing daughter Rani, whose finger the DCP had found on his doorstep tied with a lemon & chillis. This leads Kamal to start from scratch and he slowly finds the girl's body in a field badly mutilated.
This begins the hunt for the killer. Arokiaraj & his wife move to the US to try to put this episode behind them & get on with life. A few months later,they also are brutally murdered. Kamal now goes to New York and along with his NYPD liaison Detective Anderson uses his instinct & expertise to uncover shocking clues. He discovers 4 more bodies, most of them in the same condition as Rani's body.
Narrowing down various options, the killers, Yes there are two, this adds a kick to the storyline. They are qualified doctors who are mentally disturbed and assault women who are rude to them. Ilamaaran & Amudhan (played by Panda of Gharshana and Srikanth,the dark guy who shoots himself in the same movie)are not unveiled till jus t before the interval.
They manage to severely damage Kamal & escape to India. Meanwhile Kamal's lovelife is getting back on track with Jothika, a single mom who he rescues while she tries to kill herself. His first wife Kamalini dies when a goon pushes her off the 3rd floor of a warehouse.
The movie's climax is fast-paced & gripping, a must see for all action buffs.
My Comments
Gautham is slowly showing signs of becoming a top notch director after his last two works, Kaakha Kaakha & Vetaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu. He has a very Hollywoodish style which might make him a little geeky at times, but I'm a big fan of his.
Kamal Haasan,a solid performance. It is unbelievable that he manages to do that sort of action & perform stunts that actors half his age are scared to do. That says a lot about his work ethic. This adds to his list of super cop movies like the hard hitting Kurudhi Punal.
Jothika,she is definitely coming into her own & has consolidated her status as the Tamil industry's top actress with this performance & a simultaneous release Jillendru Oru Kaadhal. Manages to portray confusion, despair, happiness & care with ease in the movie.
Kamalini,her first Tam flick & Boy ! she landed with the big fish. She plays the role of Kamal's wife as she was a veteran of many movies & is said to surprised Kamal with her professionalism. A talented girl to watch out for in the future.
The villains Daniel Balaji & Saleem Baig are scary,but we sympathise with them in the sequence at the Police Station in the flashback. The crowd was actually abusing these guys whenever they got on screen. The way the rapes & murders are filmed are very gory & graphic, so I suggest the weak-hearted to watch out for a few scenes.
Ravi Varman, the camera man has given the entire flavor and feels to the movie. In a lesser craftsman’s hand, the film would not have got this polish and finesse. His visual metaphors are apt and the lighting is amazing. The way he & Gautham explore New York would have made Woody Allen proud. Harris Jayaraj's music is varied & as delightful as ever. His cop intro songs happen to always become big hits. Get your hands on this album and you are sure to appreciate it.
The movie has had the biggest opening in recent times and is definitely among one those CRITICALLY ACCLAIMED movies.

Stevey Mate ! We'll miss ya

Steve Irwin you were a Bonzer(aussie for good guy) mate ! The Crocodile Hunter, was an Australian naturalist, wildlife expert and television personality, best known for his television series The Crocodile Hunter.
His father started the Queensland Flora & Fauna park, which he took over in 1992. He renamed it Australia Zoo. It has set an example to many of the western zoological parks about new age Animal Management. His exuberant and enthusiastic presenting style, broad Australian accent, constant wearing of khakis and catch-phrase "Crikey!" became known worldwide. In 2002 the Australia Zoo was voted Queensland's top tourist attraction.His immense popularity in the United States meant he often promoted Australia as a tourist destination there.
In 2001, Irwin appeared in a cameo role in the Eddie Murphy film Dr. Dolittle 2. In 2002, his first and only feature film The Crocodile Hunter: Collision Course was released.There's a lot that can be written about this great wildlife revolutionary... if you can call him that.
Irwin died whilst filming underwater documentary footage, when a stingray extended its barb into his chest, puncturing his heart. THE WORLD WILL MISS YOU,MATE !!

Ujjain gets rowdy

Sad scenes were experienced as the nation turned its gaze to the city of Ujjain in Madhya Pradesh. It started off as a tiff between the professors & the student union members. Inspite of the Police presence in the area, the students went on a rampage abusing & even manhandling the professors.
In this ruckus, Prof. Sabharwal,a man who had a history of bypass surgeries was hurled to the ground & fell unconscious. He was declared dead when he reached the hospital. A post mortem report two days later confirmed that he died because of an injury to his ribs which caused his lungs to choke. Two other professors were severely injured. All thanks to a few power thirsty students or hoolingans.
We speak so much in detail about how we should involve ourselves in shaping the future of our nation. Will we let such student politicians be the future of our country. I think we all know the answer to this.
No man has the right to take life.This is a typical example of how power cam hush up anything. The students responsible for this horrid happening are allegedly members of the ABVP which is part of the BJP which is the ruling party in the state. Though cases have been registered, nothing concrete has been done thus far.
Guys,seriously who are you kidding. Sit up take notice,all these evils in society can be eradicated only by us. It will take a helluva long time, but Rome wasn't built in a day !!

He made Pheking stylish

"Saleem Pheku" for the uninitiated is one of the main characters in the recent movie THE ANGREZ. Though the movie is pretty cheesy,it is funny as hell. Reasons:
1.Ismail Bhai getting frustrated because he was assaulted by two foreigners
2.Saleem Pheku,who is forever trying to tell people stories of his greatness & how he did superhuman things.
This gentleman owns a purple Bajaj Chetak with silver accesories & this scooter has disc brakes. He is seen wearing Ray Ban shades, a see through vest & a flaming red shirt which as expected is predominantly unbuttoned.
Here are a few of his famous dialogues -
Well here he's boasting about how Mallika Sherawat kissed him at some party at Taj Krishna..
Pheku:Kal kya hua maloom, main ek dawat ku gaya, Krishna Oberoi mein. Wahan jaake main manager logon ku hi-hello bolke poocha Blankit Hall kahan hai...
Kirak(another character): Blankit hall ??
Pheku:Haan re bai, Blankit hall(he meant banquet hall).
Bla Bla Bla
Pheku:Phir Mallika dikhi...
Others:Mallika ???
Pheku:aree MUDDER yaaro
Here they are planning to beat up the Angrez
Jahangir:Ismail bhai ek chai mangalu
Ismail bhai:haan
Jahangir:Aree lao ji 2 chai 2 biskit 2 samose 2 alu bhonde aur chai baaaaaaaaadme, jaldi lao ji pilaning ( planning ) chalri
Ismail bhai(frustrated):Tum logan Ismail bhai Ismail bhai bolke bambu ghusare re mereku (points to his rear)
In another place,Pheku goes around telling people how Ismail Bhai was beaten up. When apne Ismail bhai comes to know that Ruksana came to know about he being *bashed* by the firangis and the way he says
"AB RUKSANA KU BHI MALOOM HOGAYA" and his face expression becomes constipatedly funny.
These are just a few of their antics.The movie is super hilarious. It is meant for the true hyderabadi thought because I doubt if an outsider would actually understand the lingo and what was going on.
NOTE:THE SEQUEL IS ON ITS WAY

Life in the "fast" lane

Hyderabad is getting a facelift. With all its new flyovers & skywalks, Hyderabad is gung-ho about how its going to look in a few years time. But till then we have to face the horrifying prospect of driving through Sardar Patel Road, MG Road, Punjagutta Crossroads, RTC Crossroads and as Yul Brynner once said Etcetera Etcetera Etcetera.
There was a time when driving used to be a relaxing experience, now it is something most of us fear. Going from Somajiguda circle to Begumpet flyover( the one opposite HPS) used to take 3 minutes & 46 seconds, but now believe it or not it takes a minimum of 45 minutes during the evenings not to mention that all hell breaks loose if it rains. Road widening & extensive traffic planning have eased the pressure a bit and also the new Chief Minister residence requires that too many vehicles are not stationary in front of it for too long as it might pose a threat. So it has become a little easier, but once the flyover construction begins in full swing, we're in for some excruciating traffic jams. Methinks in the future when kindergarten teachers say 'J for Jam', it will rather be for these traffic halts rather than the jelly.
Some people think Traffic Jams can be fun. These are the people who have their girlfriends/ boyfriends/spouses next to them, the AC running & loads of fuel to burn. Oh Yes ! This post would be incomplete without talking about the skyrocketing fuel prices. This means no more long drives for broke people like me. I will have to settle for long walks with my mp3 player for now. But some drives like the one to college are really refreshing. The grey tar road, the bright blue cloudless sky & swaying trees on either side of the road are regular traits of a typical morning drive to college. Sometimes drives can give you a very fascinating perspective on life, the long winding road ahead, the speedbreakers, the sudden U-turns all mean something to each one's life. But for now the focus still remains on the Traffic & the pollution that is burning our lungs. Hope we are rid of this, atleast by the time my children can be old enough to experience long drives.

The God of Little things

Have you ever taken time of to think about those small little mundane things which you never really gave a second thought about ?? Things that you took for granted, suddenly when you experience them give you that rush all over again.

I have always been a person who was too busy doing a million things in life & never took time off to see those little things in life that gave you the most heartwarming feeling. It has only been in the last few weeks that my life has been moving at a pace that even a snail would be ashamed of.

But a few incidents here & there have brought genuine smiles to my grim visage. First there was this little kid from the US who kept making me jealous about the amazing walks she took along Lake Michigan. I thought,well my college has a lake near it too, so I shall go for a walk also. So finally my benchmates & I took off from Kinematics of Machines class at around 10.30 am. Armed with two packets of Potato chips we started for the walk. We reached & sat on the wall adjoining the lake. Then we thought, why not get closer to water. The walk was now becoming an adventure. The wind velocity was now several knotts higher, we took off our shirts & sat along the bank on rock admiring the different shades of blue that the Osman Sagar was parading. It was still 11.30, we kept walking till we were finally totally out of fuel. It was 1 pm. We finally ended the walk when we reached the Khanapur bus stop & then we hurriedly got back to college dreading the thought of sitting in the class especially since there were regular powercuts. This little excursion of mine revealed to me how a quiet little walk with genuinely caring people along with Nature’s splendour can just make your day. So next time a friend says,” Mama,Gandipet podham..”, do not refuse. It might just make your day.

More little things were coming my way.I got home from college this evening to see a little box with multicoloured wrapping paper sitting gleefully on my table. It had arrived by courier apparently. immediately I read the from address & started ripping the paper apart. Inside lay the smartest radio in the world, it was shaped like a football with two legs. The feeling inside when an old friend actually remembers what you like & actually makes it a point to send it over to you even though you are at different locations now, you realise that some people are always meant to be a part of your life. These friends will stay on like a pyramid through time,unfazed by the weather or time to stand testament to their affection for you.

The day doesnt end there. We had a little cousins day out,which is very rare in my family since we hardly get to see each other. I was initially thinking that since all of us were different people we would hardly have anything in common & we would just eat & leave. But to my surprise, we had all grown up to become fine young men & women without any of us realising it. The games arcade was the best part of the night, with me realising that not only did I love football,but now I loved foosball too. Methinks I should spend more time with my family also. Thanks guys !

We’re still talking about the same night, I’m just planning to hit the bed when me & a friend hit of on this really thought provoking conversation about life, and how dogs & buffaloes have more fun than we humans do. All we do is worry about the future & are busy doing something about it in the present. When I was on my walk I noticed a herd of buffaloes, all they did was graze around all day, drop dung wherever they like & the only thing asked of them was to give milk, another human necessity. Buffaloes are lucky. Period ! She then asked me,” Adi, what would you like to be reborn as ? “. I probed & probed, then pat came the answer. HUMAN. I went to the extent of saying that I would like to be reborn as myself. No matter how much we suffer or curse our boring lives, I’m sure none of us would ever want to give up what we are.

MORAL:ENJOY EVERY MOMENT, EVERY CHALLENGE, EVERY DISAPPOINTMENT & WALK ON VALIANTLY

Hamari Azzurri Kahani

Football is a religion for many. I belong to the many. And mere mortals could experience a slice of heaven as the footballing demi-gods descended upon Deutschland. The last one month has been exciting & there are so many around the world that would be feeling lost now that the tournament is over.
The Italians are elated. After the Serie A was rocked by the match fixing scandal, I think Italy finally has a reason to celebrate again. It was a world cup to remember with some exciting games. This tournament has been dubbed the Defenders tournament & that is how it was till the end. The team with the better defence won took top honours. Fabio Cannavaro who I first saw at Parma along with a young Buffon. Of course the both now play at Juventus. I had predicted at the start of the world cup that the partnership of Cannavaro & Nesta would be unbreachable. Although Materazzi deputised for Nesta, he was no slow poke although he made a few mistakes sometimes. But he was a busy man in the final, he equalised, made some ruthless tackles, got headbutted & dispatched the spot kick.
Enough can not be said of Cannavaro. He was the player of the tournament for me & deserved the Golden Ball more than Zidane. Zidane only came into his own after the match against Spain, Cannavaro had been a rock for Italy since the first game. He marshalled his troops and was the perfect captain throughout. He will now occupy a special place in Italian football history alongside some legendary names life Giuseppe Bergomi,Franco Baresi & Paolo Maldini. Along with the menacing wingbacks Zambrotta & Grosso, they had a formidable defence. Their brain & braun central midfield consisting of the grimacing Gattuso & the sublime Pirlo was instrumental in their victories. Though their attack was lacking, Toni & Totti showed rare glimpses of their true self. I would not say that the best tean won, but definitely the most organised team won.
Talking of the best team, I definitely think Germany or Argentina should have taken the prize but luck had a different say. The four teams ie. Australia, Argentina, Germany & Italy, I was rooting for played against each other & consequesntly knocked each other out. Australia along with Ivory Coast, Ukraine & Ghana were the surprise packages of the World Cup. The Socceroos comebacks against Japan & Croatia trult epitomise the Aussie Spirit.
The Albioceleste of Argentina had the firepower & the defence that a tournament of this nature demanded but luck wasn't on their side. The Germans were dazzling going forward with Klose,Podolski,Ballack & Schweinsteiger. Solid in defence, Mertesacker is a name to look out for in the future. But this world cup has done them a world of good.
The French... Zidane could well have the architect of a french win, but it was a sad end for the mercurial playmaker. But youngsters like Ribery & Malouda made their presence felt.
Brazil was just as they were reaching their peak, the french pulled the carpet from beneath them. Roberto Carlos who I thought was the best left back ever was at fault for Henry scoring.
Spain still remain PERENNIAL UNDERACHIEVERS.
The Dutch will surely be better next time around because they had a very young team this time & these guys are sure to mature.
The Portuguese were a tough outfit but filling the shoes of Luis Figo will be a tough task.
The names of Ballack, Klose , Robben , Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Zidane , Vieira, Cannavaro, Totti, Pirlo ,Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney , Beckham, Raul ,Torres, Messi ,Tevez etc will be etched in out memories forever.

Temporarily distracted

For all those who love my blogs & for all those who just read it because I send them the link, I would like to say Sorry,that I haven't been blogging off late. Been occupied with my first love, FOOTBALL. So after the World Cup is done, you can expect a maha-big post. Cheers

Silent Strength

What cannot kill you, only makes you stronger. There may come a time in your life when people you took for granted will startle you. There will be certain things which will make you question yourself. Situations might arise where you will have to give up everything that you had been doing because you realise that they are just leading to futility. There is no ordeal that is a 100% smooth.
A strong mind, an unbreakable spirit is what is required to overcome such situations. You can take the example of so many revolutionaries in the world who were blessed with these gifts. Mahatma Gandhi & Che Guevara have been named as the two most revered revolutionaries by a German magazine. They were ordinary people who were pushed to the envelope by impertinent people. But what happened when such fought back is a lesson that history is proof of.
I distinctly remember this line from a prayer we used to say during our school assembly, "NEVER BEND YOUR KNEES BEFORE INSOLENT MIGHT". This is a moral that will be with me throughtout my life. Silence is a powerful weapon. When a person provokes you, try not reacting. It will madden him. This does not mean that we are not capable of retaliation, it just means we choose not to retaliate & are stronger individuals.
Always remember WHEN YOU ARE ENGULFED IN DARKNESS, THE SUN WILL PROVIDE WITH LIGHT OF DAWN & YOU WILL NOT BE ALONE.

The Tricycle Diaries

"Tricycles",what do they signify ?

Childhood.

Ah Yes ! Childhood, the time when your only worry is whether your mother is going to scold you for spilling talcum powder on the floor so that you might play "SKATING". I'm 19 going on 20, and I have only occasional flashes of my blithe childhood. The sugarcane juice that Appa used to buy me after Greenwoods. The way my mother, who has one of the "most beautiful handwriting ever known to man" used to scribble in my notebooks so that it might seem to my teachers that I had done my homework. I often hear stories of my days as an obstinate kindergarten-goer. I am told that I used to sit on the window sill facing the railway track with my cheeks puffed & eyebrows making a V refusing to do any thing remotely academic. But Thank God for Hanna Barbera. Tom & Jerry would bring me the cheer back into my melancholic existence and thus the days went by.

Kindergarten was the place where I learnt the song, "HUM HONGE KAMYAAB". I guess I have subconsciously made an effort to make that the theme song of my life. But due to certain Irishman named Ronan Keating, "Life is a Rollercoaster" is what I swear by. Those were the days of annual concerts & I have been known to be very scared of make-up & give a hard time to my teachers at the Green Room. Reason: Well, you see my aunt is professional Bharatnatyam dancer & I saw some really scary looking guy who was supposed to dressed as a 'scary guy who was supposed to kidnap the damsel'. My friends who wear make-up these days can still vouch for the fact thats one fear I haven't got over. Life seems so simple. I remember the days when I used to jubilantly trot into Pauline Media Centre (yeah thats the shop adjacent to st.ann's) & buy books in which Alphabets were taught by elephants, Math by Mickey Mouse & Opposites were explained by the Seven dwarfs. Amar Chitra Katha & Noddy Puzzles were other favourites.

Thanks Ma for never saying no to any book I wanted. All this was just making a path for the future and as expected I'm still the same. Read(not a lot) all sorts of things except academic material.
My childhood life would be incomplete if I didn't mention Building blocks, GI Joe, Glo Friends & Hotwheels !!! Was introduced to movies at a very early age in life. Dalapathi was the first ever movie I saw in a theatre, I was 4 then. The bug bit me hard & has become one of the passions of my life. Used to love Nagesh comedies & Ilayaraja music, though I never understood the lyrics back then. Those were the days when I used to take my kiddie bat & play cricket with older people. Obviously I was bowled to using "under-arm throws". These were the days when I used to love scribbling on the walls of my house & my mother would get yelled at by the house owner.

My uncles, trust me these guys are hardcore. Made sure my every visit to Madras was eventful and fun-filled. Introduced me to computer games (Mario) in an office where they worked. Took me to every amusement park on the coast & made sure we went to the Marina beach every weekend.

I hated veggies back then. I still do but not that badly also. God ! Why do farmers grow Spinach ?? I was quoted to have said "so what if that one-eyed Popeye eats, he's just a cartoon." Intelligent Kid hunh **pats self on back** ! Rumour has it that I used to call a tomato, "gogli-wogli" & used to get the kick out of squishing every tomato I laid my eyes upon.

My photos prove that I was chubbier in the days gone by. My Soumi Akka used to say that I was a shy fella always running away from her friends & apparently I loved to break dance. Oh yes ! I used to play 'House House' or rather 'Castle Castle' too. Obviously I was always PRINCE CHARMING. But the castle was very weak & kept falling off because it was made out of pillows. Present parallels can be drawn to this, some say I build castles in the sky.

The company that made my tricycle was Tobu. So many memories, so little time to recollect. If I wrote more, I'm sure you would fall asleep. They say what you are is a reflection of what you have been in the past. I agree.