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.