random thoughts.....!!!!

An engineer by qualification, a consultant by profession, a connoisseur by passion and a traveller by choice...

A proud owner of an Engineering degree as a starter, Masters degree as appetizer and if not insanely high then decently high income bracket as a main course and all necessary and luxury amenities like flashy gadgets, electronics items, a nice convenient car as icing on the top of the cake....
A family which loves you to the level of absolute trust and adoration and friends who actually are friends for life. You would think this person would be happy. At least satisfied in life.

Accomplished in terms of materialism and happy in terms of relationships with people. And yet, someone who has retained the innocence of that learning phase and has been sticking to the values which have been ingrained like oxygen....

But I wonder where satisfaction comes from. Its more important to retain the innocence. Life teaches you any and everything. It becomes important that you learn your lessons well and when finally when they are put to test, you need to realise deep down that basics matter. Core values of life are the ones which ultimately help you cross all barricades and surpass all hurdles... There are ideologies for which you just care..... And no matter what you are not ready to let them go.... You have your own share of phases when you kind of go through a struggle phase in life and you don't exactly know what a repercussion would be of a particular action!!

And one fine day this stage passes by and you are not afraid of taking a decision which suits you fine. You then become capable of taking your own decisions and you are mature enough to see through what is presented before you. Your concepts of life become more clear which by the way is one of the vital stats for survival..!! Life ke fundae clear hone chahiye. And at the end its that what matters. Pata hona chahiye ki what you respect most and what would be that one thing for which you will be dedicated...!!! You realise what kind of person you would gel around with and what is it about people that you really dislike..!!!

of dreams and beyond........

I believe in a second chance!!!

I believe that the sun shines after the rain

I believe if you don't get hurt you'll never gain

I believe in not doing things the easy way

I believe that being selfish doesn’t pay..

I believe there's destiny for me and you

I believe that good things come to those who wait

I believe love never arrives too late ...

I believe something good comes from something bad

I believe that for tears of happiness there are tears of sad

I believe everyone has a guardian angel

And the good you do will be rewarded well...

I believe that what comes first is family

I believe we should all live in harmony

I believe in making the most of a beautiful day

And it's not the end until everything's okay .....

I believe absence makes the heart grow fonder

I believe you will lose if you sit and wonder

I believe every experience teaches you a lesson

And nothing cures better then a drinking session ...

I believe to always look on the bright side

I believe that life is just one big ride

I believe when I die people will grieve

But it’s ok because I believe ....

food for thought...

Rules... 
There are times in life when you just want to throw the rulebook and do something out of bounds out of imagination and be done with it... It happens mostly in accordance with your risk appetite. The more of a risk taker you are, the more are the rules which you tend to break. 
                                  
Something got me thinking about all this. There was a time when I was a minimal risk taker. I used to abide by the rulebook back then. At least if nothing else, my degree in finance changed this. I like experimenting and I totally believe in the "out of box" concept.
A change of circumstances creates new rules, but I have to confess that I was never someone to bow down low to the conventions. To some degree this prim and proper has always gone ahead and tried delving into new experiments.
Some are successful and others fail hopelessly. But just the brutal honesty of the experiments is something which keeps the flame live and thriving. And of course there is that element of hope. You are nothing without that element of hope. That even if its all gloomy today, its gonna get better. Are you?  

some nothings.....

You get amazed when you actually observe human psyche.

My maid does not know hindi and I do not know Telgu.
Yet we are able to communicate very easily.
Ultimately she understands what I say and I get what she is saying...
Forms of communication!! People generally have a misconception on what is communciation. They tend to think that if you are able to speak a language well you are good in communication as far as that language is concerned. But its not all about just speaking. You hav to talk. And you have to listen.
Is there anything in this world which does not communicate at least on some basic level? Leave alone Homo Sapiens... Music, Literature, Buildings, Monuments, Scenic places, technology, animals.. not even a single example which does not speak.

Its been said correctly "Everything is a volume. You just need to know how to read it.."

Some would say why am I talking about communication. Its just that interacting with my maid today got me thinking on some different lines. I was thinking of myriad things. Music talking to people.. people talking to people. And that is a totally different language!!!

Life Changes..!!

Someone I know asked me a question the other day.. "Do you like changes?" Seriously, I had never thought of that before. I never really had paid attention. At that moment, I responded that I think I do. But the more I thought of it, the more I was convinced that I dont really like a lot of changes. I set things in life in a certain way and I get attached to them. And then it becomes very difficult to let go of then.. Junk Collector!! hmm.. I do often remember that expression. Ofcourse being the adaptable person I am, I do adjust very easily to the new things but cant really help about attachement to old stuff. No wonder its said Habits Die Hard..!!

And when you get used to something, it just becomes a part and parcel of life. If its not there, you many adjust and accept new things but somewhere depp within still lies a soft corner for it..

PS: Have come to a new place and everything is new here. I dont know what new has happened but touchwood every step which I am taking is falling into the correct direction. Not sure whose effect is this but for some reason I got lucky and everything is falling into its correct place..

The truth is the truth

Came across a statement, the truth is the truth...!!

They say, the truth can set you free. Yet often the truth makes life more difficult. I feel it is very easy to choose the easy path but choosing the correct path takes its own sweet time and effort. In everyday life, we go on the faith that  people are being truthful, yet we know that there are occasions where a white lie sounds better than the hard core truth. its an individual thing. but I still feel that there are some relations where a white lie is not an advisable course of action. In those relationships which are a part of your 1 mm diameter, I think there should exists a complete total crystal transparency. Not sure about the practicality of this but I sure would want to maintain that relationship with a crystal clarity. 

These are the times when I feel that I am way too impractical. For some reason I have never been able to figure out the percentage of practicality which exists in me. There is a trade off between being practical and being emotional. And it becomes difficult to decide sides... 

twists-- simplified or exaggerated

wht are our reasons to stay alive... 
random moments or twelve to ten
unprovable theories, facts, figures, 
mutinies, shallow world, 
unresponsiveness, ironic humour
spontaneous thoughts and actions....
crazy incoherent thots at times...
agile alert state of mind!!!
what purpose do these serve..?


a person who acts dumb.. 
is he or she realli a moron? 
may be they like some disorders in a fairly arranged life..?


come to think of it... 
we often see people who at first sight seem to ve the very  careless kind..
do they really do not care for things? 
or is it just a case of an attention being placed elsewhere..? 


similar is the case with tastes...
i might love Irish Cofee
at the same time i will come across some 
who would find the taste too bitter for their taste buds!!
tastes!!!!!!!






PS:  i was going to write something here. i really forgot what was coming to my mind


cos i got distracted by a song being played here at the coffee shop...
a soft melody competent enuf to distract my very alert and very agile mind!! at least i thot it was!! 
and this has to be real crazy!! i am out.. at a coffee shop 
and here i am hooked to this virtual world trying to write this piece at eleven am in the morning... 
most people have better things to do than this!!!
Now that I think of it, I will miss this place. I wasn't prepared for leaving this place this early but life happened. And here I am.. creating some of the last memories at this place...

random something...................................

Some dreams are so beautiful 
that even if they break, 
you want to go back and 
find the broken pieces to complete them..

Life Style

There are people who stay outside the 1 feet radius of your personal space and as you move ahead in life you come across people who cross that diameter and come closer. I usually am a person who does not realli believe in having formalities with people who are within this diameter. Agreed, very few people cross this boundary but those few who do, stay here for life.




something got me thinking yesterday. was having a very candid discussion with a relative yesterday who has been staying at US since at least 15-16 years. On something she said thnx. And I was like you either say that I am your daughter or you don't. And if you do, these things do not come into picture. And she went about mentioning that that becomes a habit when you stay for this long here. She said she says thanks to Roomi di as well. And I can not say that she is not right. In my professional life, I get to interact with an assortment of people from all places across US, Europe and Asia Pacific. Which gives me a lot of insight to study their psyche. There are myriad differences if you start looking closely. The clearest sign that I am from India is my attachment to the spoken words. Face-to-face and voice are more preferred means of communication for us. I don't prefer to present the ideas in mail or as a document. "Word of mouth" becomes more important than "word of link".


It takes but a moment to learn that Indians are more service centered. No wonder the service sector is more prominent than any other sector here. you go to a store and there are people following you around. There is virtually nothing which you couldn't hire someone to do, at a low cost. Same can not be said for US. labor is costly there. time is limited and people want to feel independent. And that has its own appeal. Packing up your rucksack and leaving for a two week trip is not something you make a point of doing in India. But these little get aways soothe your mind, body and soul. Approaching a snug harbour, watching a small plantation amidst plenty of water or progressing through a book on a lazy day at a beach is something which has its own charm. You go to any beach in India and you will see people relaxing in their own way. But the usual picture is not of that lazy, easy-go-lucky attitude.


Guess if we take up pointers from both the lifestyles, a better picture comes out.

Be careful what you wish for-- II

why do you grin away to glory
when you are so happy
why do you smile at each happy thought
that crosses your mind every now and then
why do you make decisions
to stick to the most practical thoughts
why do you find it difficult
to stick to what is right and only right
and why is it that you care for
that brutal honesty which exists
why is it that you treasure
those little somethings in life

beyond the first glance....

At times when I'm alone
I think of secrets
beyond the first glance,
Cos I am on my own.
The thoughts that come
are warm and from core
They flow with life
and take no form
And then take a place where
there is a little difference
between reality and virtual triviality
weird instances in life
leave you amazed
and make you think
what it is about it
that makes it unique

PS: This was incomplete and hence in my drafts since abt a week..
never used to happen before.. i guess kisi ki aadat par gayi...
aur draft editing bhi shuru ho gayi....

purists vs the not so purists......

Hare Krishna Hare Rama is coming up on TV right now.

As I flicked on to this channel saw the song Dum Maro Dum coming up.
Instant reaction was to compare the remix with the original.
Purists, when hear the remix, are bound to get shocked by the outcome. Which is in a way justified.
Was talking to some acquaintance yesterday and the train of thought went as "My Roommate is interested in classical. He is one of those prude people who will get upset if changes are made like this........ "

Yea, totally understand what remixing of such an iconic song can do to the purist thought process.
While the original has a tipsy hippy look about it, the remix is not much different from the cosmopolitan culture which is being exhibited in some specific metros/ social strata in India these days.

Jeenat Aman displays a charm in the grab attire which is very different from what Deepika depicts in her very ultra mod cosmo look..
A slow tempo vs a fast beat makes the two versions very different from core...

Still... its very difficult to remember something like Sheila or Deepika for a long time whereas the originals still stand on their own and are copied even today...

I was literally shocked to see the English version of Chak De.. Even that was copied.. Whenever I see the Mini cruise scene of Dhoom 2 where Abhi and Uday have a face off with petty criminals, I get reminded of the original Italian Job scene.. Kismat Konnections is again a copy. There are myriad examples... And the instant reaction is, can't these people create some original stuff of their own.. instead of taking these so called inspirations...!!

Hollywood is of a different genre. And so is Bollywood.. Action cannot be displayed in Bolly Movies as well as the Holly movies..  and melodrama in any form cant be as good in Holly movies as the Bolly ones. So why not concentrate on what you are good at instead of copying stuff from here and there?? That is a million dollar ever unanswered question...!!!

Food for thought......

If you are like me, you will have heard the word "World Cup" being thrown about past few weeks.


If you’re like that guy on TV who gets worked up and shouts a lot, you probably know everything there is to know on this subject, and have extremely strong views on it. The way cricket is worshiped in India, chances are, most of you are somewhere in-between; you know most of what is happening and you follow cricket religiously if India is playing. 


We dropped the ball (a sports analogy seemed fitting). I am amazed we have been winning the games so far..  Consider the match against England.. The result of the match was perfect justice. Neither team was eligible for a win. The way the  bowlers were dropping catches was outrageous. For that matter, even Bangladesh team was in a position that it could make our team sweat for success. And one would not like to talk about the last over of India South Africa match where Nehra gave a 4-6-2-4 and paved way for success of SA. last over, crucial 13 runs required in 6 balls and nehra placed everything on a platter. And if one reprimands me to talk so critically and says things like this happen, well, i would say that it was a part of nehra's Job to ensure this does not happen.


Its kind of same all over. Take common wealth. What happened..?? 
We made a bid to host the games way back in 2003, and have been diligently doing as little as possible to deliver the goods. The story is one familiar to all of us: bureaucratic hassles, disinterested government officials, sub-par results, and lots of blame being thrown around. I say this story is familiar because it crops up all the time, not just during the preparations for an international sporting event being held in India for the first time. From healthcare and education to basic infrastructure and governance, the fact which we must all accept is that our government doesn’t give much of a damn about us.


If you cast your mind back over the years, you’ll notice something interesting: the major leaps of progress we’ve made have been in spite of the government, not because of them. For example, if you want to set up a company that links the entire nation using cellular phones, do you think things would go smoothly? Or would you have to bribe officials at every level of the government in each and every state? Why do you think massive roads like the one linking Bombay and Pune, or even the famous Sealink took forever to build? Because they were built by private companies, who had to deal with miles and miles of red tape and interference.


To cut a long story short, we’re on our own. You’re interested in higher studies? Travel abroad, go to college in the US, the UK, or Australia (My views on the Indian education system are bleak to say the least… but more on that another time). You play sports? It better be cricket, my friend, because if it isn’t… well, there’s really no kind of infrastructure to nurture talent in this country. Just take a look at the fine way we treat our national hockey team, football team, or even our Olympic winners. No, we are most certainly on our own. If we want anything, we’re going to have to make it for ourselves, and fight insurmountable odds to do so. How many of us know Prakash Padukone for instance? Or do we have an answer to the fact that people know the boxer Vijendra Singh only because he appeared on a reality TV show? 


I’ve spoken a lot about our responsibility as citizens of this country, but I’ve never really touched on the responsibility of those who govern us. And as I think about it, I realise why that is — I gave up on them ages ago. I don’t think it’s a cynical point of view. I think it’s a realistic one. I honestly expect nothing different. I expect apathy, corruption, ineptitude and an almost willful attempt to hold our nation back. And they have never disappointed me yet.

away......

This morning I awoke before the sun....
Sitting alone in the still morning air,
I watched the first dances of light 
appear in the dawn sky 
through the eyes of a five year old kid
I held close to my heart......
 His wonder 
and excitement of nature’s simple treasures 
brought me back to the time 
before innocence was lost. 
I have been away so long.........

Cricket Mania

Cricket always reminds me of three things
a. India Pakistan matches
b. Daniel Vettori
c. Harsha Bogle

India Pakistan matches have always held a special place in hearts of Indians. The kind of excitement and fervor it  brings is noticeable.... still remember the India Pakistan World cup. i think it was 2003. whoa... was @ RIT hostel. and what zeal and enthu..!! the people present there were so excited. if half of them would have put half of the energy which was vibrating to studies, world would have been different for them today....
u ask a cricket fan to name a commentator, there is a 9:1 probability that the answer would be Harsha Bogle. the way he provides commentaries is worth listening to.

Daniel Vettori has always been a favorite. other than India, there are a few teams whom i follow closely... NZ is one of them. these people have played good sports... Don Bradman, i think, is one of the most talked about cricketer. Somehow am not that great a Don Bradman fan though. Have preferred watching the game of Vettori, McGrath, Gale and Gilchrist... Be it 300 wickets and 3000 runs of Vettori or Mcgrath's Highest number of test wickets by a fast bowler... their game has been outstanding and matches have been milestones.
watching the India England World cup today brought back many memories... Oh and what a match this was.... 338 runs in first innings by India and still a tie. A point came when each over was as exciting as the previous one. was a close match. and enjoyed it throughly... I keep saying myself i should give more time to persona self than i do these days... these days work occupies most of my time.. which I think is something i understand pretty well. Do not have many other things where I can give my attention these days.. Its just me, work, music, and a couple of frens... Used to watch so much of cricket when I was not this occupied...


So far so good... Lets see what future has in store for me......

Dedicated thoughts...........

By miles you are far from me
By thoughts you are close to me
Imaginations were running wild....
And seems dreams are coming true...

The day ends now and I wonder where I am
Did not imagine the things will go the way they did
Unanticipated things happen
and leave me amazed at the miracles

Here I am now at this time
Soaking and living every moment
with a conscious gratitude
giving way to new ideas of "seasons"
making way for new thoughts
which of nowhere are coming to my mind....!!!!