Guest Post: A woman

There are so many layers to her.The sooner you peel each layer off and start to understand it,there's
another waiting for you.She wants to be loved to be understood. A woman...a subtle thing in her own
right. She'll laugh with you,she'll cry with you.


Eve,the first woman God created ate the apple.Was she sinner,nay i think not.She just did what
was right."She" is a force to be reckoned with.Men have plundered and pillaged her throughout the
years,does she back down.No...she's back with a fury,another layer surfacing with an intensity never
seen before.


She can tempt you and she can please you with a wink of an eye.All you can do is sit and ogle like a petty
fool.


She's yang and she's yin.


Hell hath no fury like a women's scorn they say but heaven hath no love like a women's warm
embrace.She's a mother,lover and a homemaker.A multi faceted being who can twist and mould any
man's dream with a twirl of her finger.


she is the opressed and the sufferrer as well.Suffering from the cold and clammy clutches of a swarthy
man.She knows she doesn't deserve this.Every scream and bellow extingushes that flame within her bit
by bit till in the end there is just a single souless being residing within her.The man or rather the men
doing this feel like kings.Barbarians ravaging across a land they think they own.A false sense of "owning"
this is.


On the other hand there are "those" who make men feel like there's no tomorrow.Every cell in her being
wants to love him to bits.


In the end all i'd like to say is that she is an adventure,a trip of a lifetime and a mystery i can hardly
fathom.




P.S- Nickil Somanna says he could've done this more justice if he hadn't run out of cigs. I agree :P

Life as we know it

The past week has been brilliant. But the mood right now is sombre. This phase of life encompasses the weekdays and the weekends. (As does every-other phase), the only difference being, Friday night is chill and Sunday night is WTF!OMG not again! I'm already finished with six months of work. Obviously was hard moving into that City if you can call it one. 

There was a time around two months back when I'd convinced myself that I'd hit a low, career wise. I tried out a few other comanies, made it to the last Round on two separate instances. There was a time when I told myself that 'I deserve better things'. I don't know why. I was happy with my IBM position for the better half of my stint, yet, somewhere, somehow, I sensed that I wanted something more. That's the problem with people dealing with this "Cross-Roads" of life. One doesn't make things happen, he expects them to happen. He doesn't factor in time, luck, effort, and all other essential variables. The Big question- 'What do i want to do/become'? haunts you down when you're in the most happy moods and eats at you. You begin to think about angles when there isn't one.

What i'm probably trying to say/Ramble about is that it's important that you realise that you are the master of your own fate and destiny. And there are probably a million different ways to set about doing it. It's up to you to figure out the best. In the end I believe that One's search for happiness is not a search. You need to follow your passions and do things you're comfortable doing. You need to be in control of things you can be in control of! End of story.

That being said, I'm looking forward to things changing, a Good Gmat score followed by a decent time in Europe. I'm being in control, no?

Random-5

• Now it's time to write naan-sense again. Last week at work, there was this one 'corporate' bugger who happened to walk down beside me for lunch. The thing about how 'professional' the IT dudes are-  They pretend to be something they're not. For instance, this chap had all his mannerisms intact with the silly americanised excuse me's and sorrys. All of this at Work. But I heard him Burping repeatedly outside our building. No sorrys eh, bugger? :D
• Speaking of Corporate, I think it's Bhandarkar's worst movie. 
• I actually made a promise to myself that I wouldn't watch any Bollywood movies after watching 'Love Aj kal'. But my cousin managed to get me to watch Golmaal 3. Worst decision ever! Worst 70 bucks spent ever. I actually wouldn't mind buying beedi packets and giving it off to those sad-ass auto drivers.
• I actually think Golmaal 3 was worse than ClockWork Orange.
• If I somehow win the lottery or make some Money on the Vegas Strip, I'd like to make Golmaal-4. I'd w ant for it to suck so bad that these Dumbasses would stop considering making Sequels ever again!
• Only if Golmaal-4 makes it to Cannes or Sundance will I consider making the next version or negotiate with the Big Studios. Else, the Big Finger to you all. Bye.

L'Auberge Espanyol

It's been way too long since I put up a post, and now there'll be a string of posts to compensate. I've never done a movie review before. I figure 'L'Auberge Espanyol' a.k.a 'The Spanish Hostel' is a good start. 
This Spanish experience reminds me for some reason of 'A Good Year' of the Ridley Scott fame. Shot in the majestic mediterranean city of Barcelona, It gives you a feel for the Catalan culture and way of life. The message portrayed is pretty much the same. Sticking to one's roots, finding love and solace, Friendship and trust. 

The protagonists are Romain Duris as Xavier, a cheeky French lad in his mid 20's going through what one would call A mid-life crisis. He's leading a not so happy life in the city of Love-Paris. He's in love with the most desirable Audrey Tatu- who plays Martine, your typical French chick in 'Love', the works! Xavier decides that his life lacks direction so he heads up to Barcelona as part of an exchange program, as he's told it is a pre-requisite for a job with the French Government. So he leaves his caring mother and girlfriend behind, with hopes for a better future. 
On the flight he meets a French couple, and they convince him to stay in their flat. With no place to stay and immediate future uncertain, he agrees to stay and sleep on the couch. He soon feels a slight attraction for Anne-Sophie, and is mindful of the fact that he is in a long distance relationship, so he stays away. Anne is not familiar with Spanish, but Xavier is able to pick things up soon. Cedric Klapisch, the Director, has done a remarkable job in showing how things drift apart, and how distance acts like a kind of barrier for a relationship. 
Xavier decides to move into an apartment with six other people from all over Europe. Together they bond, live through each other's problems and idiosyncrasies. Xavier's distance caters to a growing 'distance' in his love for Martine, and soon they are Kaput! Meanwhile, Xavier discovers that one of his room-mate's a lesbian, so things get a little weird. One night, they get to talking and she tells him precisely how to work a girl.

                                                                 
His lust and yearn for Anne Sophie grows, and soon he is oblivious in that he doesn't honour 'Marriage' and what it stands for. There is a lovely scene with "lust" written all over it. Xavier and Anne are taking an evening walk, when he grabs her behind firmly in such a way that she is unable to move, she arches her hip forward and they end up making love, all the while realising that it is wrong.
L'Auberge Espanyol is about finding your holding ground, leaving things you're familiar with, adapting to variants in environment. It's about leaving, getting back, going about in circles, and much more. It is about how a bond grows, how Friendship is so important. More importantly, it is about following your passions! It is a must watch
rating- 8/10




                                 

John Williams

What's in a name, you may ask? This isn't just about John Williams. It is about the greatness of the Schindler's list sound-track. When you're sitting down at work in a sombre mood, listening to 'I could have done more', with a knot in your throat, and the tears are almost on the way, you have nothing else to do but simply ask yourself- What is there to crib about in this materialistic World where Technology dominates mankind. Money is moved around. People get broke everyday. Some turn overnight millionaires in the "Vegas Strip". Dreams are broken, and new ones are born. You wonder what we're complaining about when we have everything, or at least a glimpse of it. You ask yourself what the Jews had then? They have a land of righteousness now. 

You know the greatness of music if it can ask you such questions.

Guess Post- Time Pass

First cigarette

You might wonder with all the warning signs and public awareness ads people still continue to smoke cigarettes.

I'll tell you why I like smoking a cigarette.

I love that light headed feeling after you get after you smoke your first cigarette of the day,I'm not a "regular"smoker persay but i love having that "occasional cigarette" when i'm bored or drinking a nice mug of cold beer.

I'm smoking a nice B n H while i'm writing this.The whole process from lighting a cigarette to stubbing it out is an experience of sorts.I love watching the smoke twirl around in the air forming patterns and designs enticing your mind.

When you take in your first "drag" you forget everything around you.I know I cant put it in words. A cup of tea in your other hand just makes the experience a more magical one. Your throat burning with the smoke and the liquid.Its like a dance happening between the both of them in your mouth. If its the first time you're smoking i know that feeling when you’re wondering  "damn this tastes like tar" but once you get accustomed to it,nothing like it..period. When the cigarette starts to burn down you tap it.The ash falls down to the earth from whence it came.Good music added to this melange of things.Ahhh..simply serene.

Every brand has its “experience” .Like every human being unique in his/her own way , every leaf of tobacco in the cigarette plays its part.

A rainy day and a cigarette are a match made in heaven. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Gods were sitting up in their abodes smoking a pipe while its raining. The entire atmosphere created just screams at you in your ear, telling you “smoke that ciggy”. I feel the rain just amplifies that experience.

When it’s all over you stub the cigarette.  You stub it, crush the very life out of it. A companion lost in the cause of making you happy.  Then you look at what you’ve done, some feel guilty looking at that bud because of broken promises and others feel elated at the sight of it and light another one up which doesn’t really give you the same joy of that first cigarette.

P:S- The guest writer is a friend of mine- Nickil Somanna, who for some reason doesn't have a blog.  He calls this piece 'time pass' and he doesn't yet realise he can actually write

Direction

There's something about Direction that intriques me. I can't exactly say what, though. Direction is such a complex word. 'He lacks direction'-  What exactly this statement means beats me. To me, everyone has Direction or a sense of it. Everyone has goals, and it may seem comic to some, but to them- A goal is the end result of the right 'direction'. This is my view on it. What drives you to your goal? A direction. A push, so that you get going. Start 'feeling' it. And then you'll know if it's realistic or farcical. 

How you get to what you wanted at the start is not important. Your perceptions may change. One day you wake up and decide you no longer want to be just a 'somebody'. You want to be a man of your own will. Do your own things in a way that seems right to you. In the process of being something You can relate to, You know at every step that Life is such a difficult maze. It will throw you obstacles, induce fear. It will make sure you re-think. But it will help you make the last step if you're there for the ride.

But when do you stop, rather where do you stop? Or how do you know if you have to stop.

I especially like these lines from the song Different World when it comes to the above matters

                                                   

 I thought I had it all

I had it all worked out

Just what my future held

That there would be no doubt

But then the card came up

And I took another turn

But I don't know if it's

Fulfillment that I yearn.

Let's now talk about Direction in the lesser sense. Long term goals need a 'direction', one that includes realising short term ones. But what if your immediate future makes no sense? What if you're not happy now, even as you convince yourself that 'this' is a pre-requisite to What you want in the future. What if your view of the beautiful starry night is blocked because it's cloudy.

Is the juice worth the squeeze then?:P

Traffic

A few people once told me that I would eventually love Bangalore. I seriously do not like living here. I do not feel at home. The air seriously is different. There are times when you're standing suffocated in a crowded bus, and you actually gasp for air. There are times when I wait by the side of the road for more than half an hour and just wait some more as the crowded Public transport passes me by. After a long wait, with my thoughts set on just getting a move on, if luck is on my side, I finally catch a Bus that has a seat to offer me, which, trust me, is a rarity.

Once on the bus, I plug in my player and close my eyes. The gentle breeze floating across the open window feels good on my face. It is for exactly this I am willing to wait a while for. If it wasn't for the seat, I would end the day the same way I end most days, albeit, with a headache. It takes around an hour and a half to get to work. At those bottleneck junctions, you will see all kinds of people. Selling newspapers, bangles, flowers, etc. You will spot a few 'hijras'. If you're not lucky to catch a bus, you eventually end up taking a cab. And you do not want to be sitting next to the Driver as a hijra walks by. You have a false sense of security and ego. You almost convince yourself to not pay up. It's impossible. There goes the 10 bucks that you wanted to use at the next bus stop.

Most times, we end up in a stand-still at a Railway crossing every morning. I count the number of bogeys as the goods train breezes by. You can actually sense other people counting too. 49 I say, but the guy next to me says 48. You actually wonder where you went wrong. It's a nice moment. Masks the hell that Bangalore Traffic is all about. Sometimes you wish Traffic is bad. 'Cause that's when you can take a nice nap or listen to some timeless songs.  
But the days the traffic is bad are the days you have to get to work early.

~

The Light morning drizzle,

Why not take a swivel?

The sun through the clouds,

both the quiets and louds.

The smell of wet Earth,

And everything that's worth.

Wet Grass and dew,

Is everything to rue.

The waves and shore,

The beach and even more.

The sky and its shades,

But our vision fades.

The stars in the night,

Are beacons of light.

Dreams of a distant land,

Faces in the sand.

Mountains standing tall,

Fathering avalanches that fall.

The white of the snow,

But the dark is a blow.

Yin and Yang,

The little birds sang.

Birds of Life,

And all that is rife.

Random-4

Due the bad hit I've taken with respect to the lack of 'Creative Juices', I will stick to something Random for this post. Have fun reading!

• Have you guys seen that 'Do not touch' nonsensical add? There's a good chance it's the worst add ever made. It is so very irritating. I seriously don't know what they're promoting. If it is a touch-screen, it is to be touched. If you want to get someone paranoid,lock him up somewhere and keep playing this add. Seriously. I'd rather watch 'The Clockwork Orange' of the Stanley Kubrick fame than this again.
• Yup, 'The Clockwork Orange' is the worst movie ever made. But Please watch to gauge for yourself.
• Speaking of Kubrick, I don't GET his movies! Watch 'Eyes Wide Shut' and you'll appreciate why people use WTF a lot!
• when a relative gives me money i refuse, but inside im like YESSSS. Please visit if you want to evoke a WTF reaction. Isn't it obvious?
• Here's another-"Omg they broke up!".. "Dont worry they will be back to...ohh see their already going out again." Who gives a flying fuck? Can't believe such a page even exists. It's they're and not their. Retards:P
• If you google 'Bangalore Palace', and pull up the wiki, towards the end of the article you'll see a line that goes- 'David Gilmour is supposed to perform on 18 August 2010'. For all the ardent Gilmour fans rueing this missed opportunity, Relax. It never happened.
• Has anyone heard of the giggle loop? Check this out, it's hilarious. It reminds me of the time in school when we're asked to observe a minute's silence but we just can't stand the silence. Our insides are itching so badly that we just have to let it out!. Sigh. Those were the days!
• I hate how people fight over the bill after a nice dinner. It's just pointless. Eventually the bill has to paid so might as well decide who is paying before going. If only the male ego would be more agreeable, perhaps?
• Have you gone up to a  random Girl and directly asked for her number? I have. Let's just leave it at that:P  

Perceptions

It's been a while. I've really become very lazy when it comes to posting a Blog post. Whenever I sit in front of the computer, trying to think of something to write, I'm overshadowed by an empowering emotion of sorts. Sub-consciously, I'm told to not write. So I leave it at that. But today is different. I've decided that I'm watching too much Entourage:) I've watched 35 something episodes in 3 days. That's a lot. 
Okay, first off, I feel like bitching about Murphy. He's always screwing things up for me. I wrapped up work early on Thursday and managed to convince my Manager for a  'casual leave', for Friday, which he was more than willing to give. So I decided to hop on the Bus and make it home as soon as I could (Mysore obviously).
It was around 4 by the time I got to Hebbal. There was an ISKON kiosk put up near the Bus Stop, and some guy there asked me for two minutes of my time. He then went on about Vedas and Spirituality and religion, all things I couldn't care less about. (Unless there's a VTU exam). He then told me that in order for someone to able to be qualified to chant the 'Hare Krishna' mantra, he must have studied loads of religious things. Okay, first off, How does this concern me and my life? He went on and on for 15 min. I didn't want to tell him off too. I was feigning interest. I finally decided to buy a book on Life/Religion/Science for 50 bucks. Turns out I lost the book. 
Anyway, It started pouring soon so it took me a while to make it to Majestic. Once there, I coudn't miss eating at KFC before leaving. (Even a guy on parole with no cash would love eating there, even if it means he has to rob someone).
It was 5.30 by the time I was done. I called S.F to ask if there were any trains leaving for Mys around that time. Turns out there was one at 6.15. I made a dash for it. It was 6 by the time I managed a ticket. Some guy near the counter had a Ticket to Mys he didn't want. Ticket price was 42/-. I gave him 45 and waited as he patiently looked around for change. It was already late, and I sure as hell didn't want to stand on the Train. (Should have asked for the change. Murphy aggain!!! You'll know why soon).


All the compartments were full. People were sitting in the aisles, standing near the toilets. It was mayhem. I hopped into the reservation compartment. I found a seat empty. Seat number 62. Turns out someone had already reserved that seat. C'est la vie, I thought, but decided that there's no way I'm standing:D


So I went to the A.C compartment and told the T.C 'swalpa adjust maadi'. I had to Pay him 153 bucks extra. I gave him a 200 and He sheepishly said He'd give me 47 bucks later. It got me thinking. What if the guy ends up not giving back? My head and the crazy thoughts whirling inside it. I even 'presumed' that he wouldn't give it. It was a very easy thing to do, running away with money.So I went to the extent of going through what I would complain about once I reached Mysore. It was around 8.30 and there was still no sign of him. If only I'd taken the 3 bucks change earlier. The T.C would have given me a 50. The smile and it's wickedness kept coming back. 
Soon, there was a tap on my shoulder and the T.C, with his same sheepish look, gave me 46 bucks change. Only this time, his smile was genuine. 
You see how the same smile presents two faces.


P.S-This post is for all with a clear conscience. Maybe Murphy does screw things up for you, and it's to accentuate  such situations. It's also a reminder to us all that there are good people out there. Stop Presuming!

Up above me there's a few electric cables hanging haphazardly against the backdrop of the night sky. A few birds meander about. It is generally quiet. In the distance I can see the tail-lights of an aeroplane.Moving slowly yet rapidly. It kind of gives you a perspective of the vastness of the sky.. There's hardly any stars. The floating clouds are grey. Like foam from a soap bar when you wash your hands. They're warning you with the smell of rain drops in the air. You're listening to 'The hero of the day' by Metallica and wondering who this 'hero' is?
The sky, the lights, the imposing skyline, the dogs barking incessantly on the streets, or something else.
Something larger than life itself, you wonder. For just one second you picture what you actually can be as opposed to what you are. And then you realise that it's all out there if you need it. You have to ask yourself how badly you need it. There are some things that can't be quantified. Your dreams are in your hands. Just make sure it doesn't slip away and 'blend' with the distant stars or the deepest oceans. Just remember that the waves still hit the beach. So find the right tide, and hop on for the ride. If you meet an obstacle, bypass it or strike at its heart. If you can't do it, then hope. For hope will never fail you, if there ever is a God..

P:S- written under the influence of a pitcher of beer, on 12-08-2010 at 19:51

This one has no title!

Okay, first things first. I have a lot to write about. I don't quite know where or how to start, for I fear that my deranged mind will give way. I'd have to say that last week was the most easy for me, ever (Relatively speaking). I didn't have much work. Hardly worked 20 hours in total, and the beauty of it is I'm getting paid. So no complains on the job front. Except maybe the fact that my work location hasn't been finalised. It's a dicey situation. 'Cause we all know how travelling in B'lore can be quite the Bitch! 
I can safely say that I've mastered the art of climbing a bus and finding a seat. Here's a word of advice for you all-

1.  Survey the area near the bus stop. Factor in things like the number of people waiting, the number you feel are too keen to jump into the bus as soon as it arrives, and also how you generally 'feel' about making a run for it!
2. Next, spot the bus rolling into the right platform. This step is critical, and can make a world of difference. The faster you spot it, the quicker you can react.
3. Move swiftly across and stand right in front of the door. As it opens, act like a gentleman and disallow people from jumping in. Wait for those inside to move out. The first part is more important :D
4. As soon as the last person has exited, the adrenalin rush kicks in. It will come, just be patient. Murphy's law will not fail you now. Just run across the aisle and sit on the first seat you get.
5. Make sure It isn't for senior citizens, the handicapped or ladies. If you still don't make it, proceed slowly to the back of the bus.
6. Ask the men sitting around you where they're getting off. Plan accordingly.
7. Plug in your mp3 player and listen away. The bus will sway.:p

The next thing to do is prepare yourself for the hour and a half long journey. Now, it's really fine if you just want to listen to music, but you'll be missing out on loads of fun. For instance, just pause your player for a minute and listen to the conductor arguing with a passenger for correct change. Or sometimes, if you're lucky, you'd start noticing a trend. A powerful and dismissive voice that goes- 'Change illa'. Now you know you shouldn't mess with the conductor. So you make it a point to tender correct 'change' every single time. You will also see loads of people speaking loudly on the phone. Telling weird stories and using curse words. If you're very observant, you will see few heads turn around. As though it's a sin to use profanity and as though the turned heads have never used it. :D

As you approach Koramangala, you will convince yourself to wake up from your self imposed sleep. For you don't want to miss out on the horde of chicks walking by, in those tight levi jeans. You then wonder where to look, cause you want to take it all in. You're almost overwhelmed.

You see a marvelous ass, but then another that beats the 'ass' out of the previous ass.  

Now your mind has been transported into another World. One outside the bus, and one that presents a realm of opportunities. But then you curse God and that hopeless conductor for calling out that it's your stop. Now you have to report for work. You really hope that the next time, those pickpockets run away with the conductor's bag. Isn't that the easier option?, you wonder, as you walk away..

The Bengaluru experience-1

Bangalore. To put it all in a nutshell, All I'll manage is to say it is crazy. The traffic is eating on your insides. I always tried coaxing myself to believe that Bangalore will make me a more patient person. Patience isn't something that comes easy to me. I always feel weird when I see those 'Welcome to BMTC' signboards on the bus. What kind of a welcome are we talking here :P. It takes an hour and a half to traverse 10 km. All this in the comfort of a BMTC bus, albeit masked by 'Standing' on it. 
I meet all kinds of people/characters on the bus. Some still believe in the seat reservation through handkerchiefs. It just doesn't work. 
Waiting for the 171 in majestic is kind of an adventure, cause you never know whether the bus will be empty and you actually get to sit. Nevertheless, the characters one meets on the bus negates the horrible standing in one place on the bus thingy. 
There was this one college boy whose English wasn't up to the mark. He was speaking to his friend beside him, narrating him a story. Some of the snippets I heard were- 'My brother rided the bike, then rain camed heavy.' And then he went on to share his expertise on bikes. 'Something they will loose, if they tight also It works da'. Lingo in between. Mighty fun. 
There was one guy who apparently got drunk the night before. He didn't know where his bike was and he was setting about tracking it down. 
One evening, while returning from work, I was sitting beside a blind guy. This guy worked 10 hour shifts somewhere, and I'm pretty sure he wasn't being paid well. Felt very bad for him, but more importantly, I just felt lucky that I lead a better life. 
One sometimes wonders why he works 9 hour days, travels 3 hours on all weekdays to the same monotonous schedule. A life that is centered about work. The only 'social' time I get is during the weekends. But putting all things into perspective, I've just come to accept the fact that such is life.
After work, I sometimes take a walk around Mantri mall. I can't help but walk into KFC every single time. I sometimes just wanna have fries, but seeing someone else order a zinger burger makes the stomach feel bad, so I pretty much order the same. After that, I walk down Sampige road (Why isn't it called Mallige road?:)   ) down to 6th cross where i have some Butter Gulchand:) It's just a bundle of goodness. 
On Friday night, I get that feeling of just hopping onto that Volvo bus and rushing to Mysore to sleep on one hell of a bed:)

The Mysore Sky:)

Stretched out like a rubber band,

Can't reach out with an outstretched hand.

The colours change with passing time,

Makes you want to hum a rhyme.

A safety blanket during the day,

One that even god can't lay.

Its vast expanse is quite a take,

It'll take forever to even fake.

Awe is the word that one woud think,

Forge some thoughts and make them ink.

It has no face, no hair no smile,

Just the same for many a mile.

Yet its monotony is so brave,

One does always look and crave.

Yes i'm talking about the sky,

It makes you always wonder why.

The chennai fiasco

In my last post, I'd said that I would be leaving for Chennai with quite a heavy heart. But all that changed the night before I was to leave, with the arrival of an e-mail. IBM had something on the lines of- 'Your request for an alternate date has been accepted, Please await confirmation in this regard blah blah..'
I was all WTF. I mean, you're all ready and mentally prepared to leave for Chennai, but then this arrives, and then you say to yourself- Don't get overly excited 'cause nothing is certain in the corporate world, so be ready for everything!
The next day, I payed a visit to a temple, ate breakfast with Family at a nearby restaurent and headed back home. Later in the day, I decided to have a good milkshake at college for one last time befor leaving:)
A while later, I got a call from me friend and he told me that our joining dates have been postponed. Aaaaaaaaaaaahhhh! Bloody hell. Now i was pissed. First they tell me to come to Chennai and then they say Please come on july 22nd.
So when the HR called me, She first asked me whether I was willing to start on july 22nd. The word going around was that Kolkata was the job location for guys who got that date. I said no. Of course, I knew I was missing out on a bucketful of off-campus opportunities, But at this point, I couldn't care less!
She then asked me if I could report to Chennai itself. I told her that I'd already cancelled my tickets:P. Finally she said I could report to Bangalore. I had to await a confirmation mail that night, which didn't arrive till next afternoon!
As soon as i got ze mail, I hopped onto the Shatabdi, sat my ass down comfortable on the chair, and plugged on my headphones.
I've mentioned many times before about how music is my 'holding ground' in sad/frustrating situations. Even though It was Bangalore, only a 3 hr bus drive away from home, I was really dis-heartened. Only then did I realise that Life wouldn't be the same again. Friends I once knew would scatter all over the planet. They'd all make money, 'garner' reaponisibilities, and soon would just be part of an occasional phone call or an e-mail. C'est la vie, I guess!

P.S- More later on my first week at work and how hard Life is.

Leaving.

The day of reckoning has finally arrived. I'll be leaving tomorrow night for my first job. My Dad once told me that there really isn't quite something as your first job. I don't know whether to feel happy or sad. I've never ever lived outside of 'home', so I've never ever known what 'home sweet home' means and represents. 
The last few days were a lot of fun. With the World Cup starting off with a bang, as well as me hanging out a lot with some of me close friends. I used to have some kind of a 'countdown', always telling myself that there are a few days left before I finally accept the fact that I'm leaving and it isn't all just a dream.
Like I said in my previous post, Memories are a bitch! They tend to bite you hard in the arse every time you try to relive them. That's the one thing I hate about life. Although we keep bitching about how mundane it is, It is much better when there aren't many 'phases', or 'change' 
I'm not saying it's not possible to deal with changes. It's just that sometimes, 'Change' comes too fast or in large amounts.
It's not easy to convince yourself that you'd still be able to meet your friends occasionally. Even though you may, you know deep inside that it's not part of the Life you've always known. And that my friend, is a bitch!


But there are two faces to a coin, as always, so I'd like to think of this 'stint' as a positive one, one that will shape my character and career. Plus I'll be making some money, and I haven't done that before. I'm sure it'll come to some good. 
So to all- I sign off now, I'll surely post once I'm there. I'm really looking forward to a cold mug of beer sometime. Beer is Beer, atleast!:P

The end of an era!

It's been quite a journey. But now, it all comes to an end. Looking back on all the events and memories, I'm pretty sure I wouldn't change a thing. 
From those nervous first steps into college to these last few days running around with nervous energy to get our project reports done. 


It's hard to believe four years have whizzed past so soon. It hasn't been that fruitful a time. To put things in a nutshell, I would simply say that I've matured as a person. I know how crazy and cliched this sounds, but I'd like to think it's true. I wouldn't want to convince myself that engineering was an absolute waste.
It wasn't. 


I've learnt how things are different at the surface than they actually are. How impractical the VTU system actually is, among other things.
There were times when I laughed so hard, and for so long that my tummy hurt. There were other times when I'd pull at my hair and scream! An outcry against things that I'd not quite understand or comprehend. There were iffy moments too. Sometimes, I'd ask myself questions that I'd never find answers to. Sometimes, the answers were right there in front of me...


-I remember my first day at college. We had class at 8.30 on 18th sep 2006. It was Maths class. We were asked to introduce ourselves, as well as mention our Maths marks in P.U. We also had one chap, V.M.R handle classes in Civil Engineering. I remember how we used to maintain notes, attend all classes, be 'ideal students' and all that jazz.
-I remember the tick tick tick tick incident very clearly. We had it nicely:)
-I remember the transition into 2nd sem. I started my T.T craze phase, started bunking classes regularly, started The-I-don't-give-a-rat's-ass-attitude which worked well for me. 
I'd meet my p.u friends over the weekend, and we'd go to this little joint called K.B.C. There, Nickil and myself would always order the chicken noodles:). This trend continued for a year or so, but we soon stopped visiting that place. Sometimes, we'd meet up in k-man's place and chat late into the night. Soon we coined 'D.G' and 'D.C' and S.F. And also that lil joke on the missed call from heaven!.Thinking about it makes me laugh hard every single time. For our 2nd sem Basic Electronics paper, Nickil and myself had some Red Label before leaving for the exam. Both of us nailed the paper:P


There was 17th March 2007. All of us sat on the 6.45 train with a spring in our steps. There was excitement. It was the first time ever.
30 and myself came out early, we missed the last few tracks. I'm sure He too regrets it even to this day. But we did see Nicko and he did wave at us! We hopped onto the bus back home at 2 in the morning. We even walked back to k-man's place from the bus stand. We coined 'Ostrich' then. He sure as hell was walking like one:P. That lad was still pissed with me about the previous night's events. I never did believe him when he told me that India indeed lost to Bangladesh at the W.C. I was all WTF! I remember nickil and his I saw Bruce, I saw Bruce rant. Will you shut up already!:P 
That was also the time when I had joined karate classes. K-man and myself weren't that interested, so we'd try our best to not attend. It was also the time when A few of us showed a keen interest in "girls", put our hand into the fire when we shouldn't have, only to learn things the hard way! 


-I remember how 30 took us to Lalith Mahal, and we even shot some pool on the Maharaja's table. Sweet! 
-I remember how Nickil and myself would pay 30 a visit in the evenings, and then we'd proceed to a spot near the helipad, where we'd listen to good music, look at the patterns in the sky, and write poetry:P


-I remember my 3rd sem Logic Design paper, I had to give it on Jan 1st 2008. It was a hard time for me, Reading 3 units the previous night. Toiling hard. Mr Pitil had dropped by some time that week. We spoke for an hour or two about how Better I should have 'handled' the situation. 
I learnt how useless my E&C course was. I was not interested to say the least.
There was the LIC incident in 4th sem. I gave 2 blank books for the first 2 internals and somehow managed a 13 in the 3rd. I never thought once that anything less than 37 in the external would mean 'Fail':). 
-I remember how I'd always be kicked out of lab by none other than M.G.V every single week. It had gotten so bad that there was a point in time I'd actually walk out as soon as she called out my name:P
-I remember that one time after M-3 or M-4, Nickil and myself went to K-man's place, the guy thought he was going to fail!!! He was almost in tears, and apparently, he wanted to walk out of the exam hall in 40 minutes. That was a priceless moment, the expression on his face!!
-I remember 16th Feb,2008. One of the best days of my life. I've never ever laughed so much. Thank you maadi for the entertainment:)
- I remember hodiri saar, hodiri:P It was real fun.
-I remember all those night out sessions in PJ's place. We'd all be flat by 2 odd but PJ would read into the morning at his own pace, but surprisingly, He'd only be 3 pages ahead. :P
-I also remember how 'ostrich' mentioned to me one day that he'd slept straight from 7 p.m to 7 a.m. I still wonder how.
-I remember the mentality of fellow E&C-ians. There was 31st December 2008. The D-Day. We were to write our CMOS-VLSI paper. All of us were nervous, Haven prepared only for 60 marks. But, as always, we managed 70 plus:). That day was a real take-a-shit-in-your-pants kind of day.
-I remember the day I got placed. That night was great fun. We toasted to life and it's complications!


-I remember the night before our last ever theory paper. There was a cloud of anticipation surrounding me. It was the toughest paper I've ever studied for. One cannot put into words how most of us would've felt when the bell rung at 5 sharp. We were now engineers!


I did get my IBM joining date as 17th june, in Chennai. I tried my best to convince them to postpone it, using excuses such as- 'our project demo finishes on 15th june, so we need time to find accommodation and make travel arrangements', but to no avail. I guess all this was 'cause I wasn't ready to let go of this life. One that I'm familiar with and can relate to.
The reason I remember so many beautiful things from the past four years are the wonderful friends who have contributed to make them memorable.


So A Big Thank you to all! Frost once wrote- 'Two roads diverged in a yellow wood'. I hope we all take the same road:P

Do you know?

Do you know that feeling,

Rain drops falling all around

Let it start the healing,

While we take in the sound

Do you know that feeling?

When everything around is appealing.

Over a cup of tea!

It's been an hour since I got back home. Here I am, sitting in front of the computer and blasting away. A cup of tea in one hand, the other on the keyboard. My eyes are stretched, mostly because it isn't easy writing a 3 hour paper. But yet, I sporadically glance at the t.v and catch up on some good tennis. Federer was in action a while back and was leading 2 sets to nil, but soon, Rain battered the court and the covers were pulled over. There was a clear demarcation between the grey and blue areas of the sky. What's the use seeing something beautiful on t.v, i wonder, when we aren't actually there to see it in person and 'map' some glorious images in our mind. There is something about the orange of the clay that fascinates me. It gives Tennis, passion and competitiveness a whole new meaning. 

Last night, When I was actually supposed to study for today, I decided to catch Rafa Nadal in action. There's something about the way he plays that reflects on my mood swings. When he loses, that's a bad day for me!

When he wins and bites into those trophies, My day is made. I feel happy, fresh and steadfast. 

'Brighter than a thousand suns' is blasting full on. It is such a relevant song about war and it's complications. I especially like the lines

                                 Whatever would Robert have said to his God

                                                     About he made war with the Sun
                                                    E equals MC squared, you can't relate
                                                      How we made God with our hands.

 The song enters its riff sequence, and I finish my tea. Over the guitar solos and clatter of tennis balls being struck, I clearly catch the use of obsene kannada phrases out on the street. Out there in the park outside my window, The kids are endlessly playing cricket. They obviously play with money at stake. Beside the park, A couple of senior citizens are taking a walk, mindless of the profane language usage. On the top of my CPU, the ADSL modem is perpetually blinking. I am now reminded that I only have only three exams to ago, and then I'm an engineer! It's so hard to picture. A life you've known, one you've gotten used too, is going to end for real.

The other day, One of my classmates sent this message to a friend who'd just gotten an admit in UNSW, Sydney.

It went- 

'' Congrats man... I wish you have a wonderful time in australia... all the best for your future...we'll miss you... can't imagine a life without college and friends... can't believe it's almost over... we are getting a glimpse of the light house but the problem is that i am beginning to miss the sea..." A very emotional message at that. That very day, I tried telling myself that this chapter of life has to end somewhere, and we're soon to open the next chapter in Life. I just wish that the next two months would be the most memorable months for a long time. But the problem with good memories are that they're surely going to stay in our head, and we reminisce about them in the near future, A void is not going to be filled.

My mind now wanders for a while as 'Us and Them' starts playing.

Soon, I am reminded about the simplicity of Pink Floyd's music. I lay my cup on the table, switch off the t.v, increase the volume on the speakers, and soon, I'm in another World. Music is the simplest emotion!

Day 2

Blogger is really unkind when it comes to uploading photos. There was this one instance when I put around 10 of em up before filling the post with 'text', but the damn thing just would not save. The same thing happened when I was writing a post about a previous trip to Kerala. I'd written about an eventful day with pictorial representation, but, I had to delete a picture 'cause It hadn't been loaded right. Unfortunately, the whole post got deleted and the draft was auto-saved. So I left it at that with some @@##$#TGE%##$$$ amidst other curses. Will someone please buy me a customised wordpress account?:P
Anyway, back to-


Day 2: Sunday, 25-04-10


The next morning, we were up very early, around six. The weather was pleasant, so we all decided to take a little walk down a nearby 'Rock Garden' or whatever the hell those things are called. I'm not quite a morning person, so my mood was pretty passive.

         It was nice to see a Map of India with P.O.K and Arunachal Pradesh too:P

  

The park itself is mighty huge. There are multiple sections that we couldn't cover due to time constraints. After nearly 3-4 km's, or about 1 and a half hours of walking, we decided that we'd leave.
We were supposed to meet the Assistant Engineer of the Dam at 9. The chap said that he'd go for a swim, have a quick breakfast and meet us at the I.B. 


Almatti Dam is at the edge of Bijapur and Bagalkot districts. It has a catchment area of 36,000 sq km, is about 1.5km in length and 50 m high. In other words, It is HUGE. The construction of the dam took about 3 years and 500 odd crores later, voila! When we looked into the reservoir, we could see blue water for miles and miles together. 
The A.E engineer met us near the top of the dam. Photography was prohibited, so we decided to adhere to that rule:)
He turned out to be quite a jovial and well learned fellow, and tried pretty hard to explain to us E&C engineers, the mechanics of a Dam. We saw how the crest gates could be manually or automatically controlled using PLC's.
We also visited the power generation unit at the toe of the dam and saw for ourselves a simulation of the Kaplan turbine action, among other things:).
It was a special visit, mostly because this is a restricted area.
It was the wrong time to visit. The fury of monsoon would have probably driven  the Dam into full-on action.

A swim in the dam backwaters:P

Later in the afternoon, the guys decided to take a swim in the backwaters. Time flew by, without much notice, so our plans for the afternoon were thrown off balance and offset. We hadn't had our breakfast, so it was a direct lunch in a nearby Kamat.
We then quickly drove to the ruins of Aihole, where we meandered about with blank looks on our faces. It was nearly 16:00 hours, and we heard that the Badami caves close for visitors at 6 p.m. It was clearly a mistake to leave such an amazing excavation without any appreciation for the architecture there, albeit we hoped that we could do Badami some justice.




Badami:
Badami was th capital of the Chalukyas through 600-800 A.D. It has a mighty rich history. A quick visit to wikipedia would be helpful.
There are 4 caves, the first is dedicated to Lord Shiva, the 2nd to Vishnu, the 3rd to Maha-Vishnu, and the 4th to Jain Gurus.
We hired a local guide for rs 200/-, and boy did that help! He spoke in rich kannada, with traces of English whenever i drew a blank look. 


                                         
              Notice how Lord Shiva is 'ciphered' to be displaying 81 Bharatnatyam postures, with nine combinations on the right for each combination on the left. I was seriously all WTF on observing this. (Which I wouldn't have if it weren't for the guide)

The chalukyas here have asked us a question in the first sculpture snippet, having carving out the answers in the next two.

This sure does look like the Durbar back in the days. In fact, at one point, I imagined myself back in time, and there was something about this that can't be put in words or explained.

We were already late, It was 6.30 odd, so the cop there was on duty for obvious reasons:P
Throughout the course of the guide's incessant but useful blabber, One thing we could all notice was the stench of alcohol emancipating from his mouth. We all joked about how he wouldn't be able to tell us so much about Badami if it weren't for alcohol:)
My advice to all willing to visit this place- Spend an entire day there, Arrive early and take in as much as possible! 


On our way back to Ramdurg, we spoke of science, religion, the church, Maths and Life in those days. We appreciated the fact that the Chalukyas did everything in the name of God. They probably even thought that Science and Reason were God's way of saying they were in the right direction.:-B


We reached the I.B around 8, changed, and then had some more of that amazing $&$^^%^WTF%R$% doodhcold!. Dinner was a mundane activity, as we were all tired. Later that night, The other guys were busy watching Pollard bash C.S.K, although later, he did get out and Mumbai eventually lost. So Amen to that. It was good night for me. The A.C was in full zoom, I pulled a rug over myself and drifted into blissful oblivion:)


P.S- I'll probably write about Goa in the next post. As you may have noticed, It's 1.30 a.m, my hands are aching, my head's not working, and moreover, FEDex is in action at Madrid:D. That backhand is working again!

Day 0 and 1

Day 0:  Friday,23-04-10

It had been a while since I'd been on a trip of sorts; The last one being Kerala back in January. Only one branch mate was on the planning committee this time,but with such numbers, odds were it'd never materialise. But in the 3rd week of April, We found a window of opportunity, in the form of our annual cultural fest JAYCIANA. So we cashed in on it with no qualms whatsoever, And I figured the only thing I missed was Parikrama's inaugural performance in Mysore, but that was marred by rains as I later learnt:)

So Just a day before our planned departure, we booked our railway tickets for a  sleeper journey on the Swarna Jyanti express from MYS-BLG (belgaum). Train was to depart at 8, so I figured I can easily start packing by 6 odd. I am quite clumsy when it comes to packing and I find it hard to keep track of stuff that has already gone into the bag. So, as always, I took my Mom's help and she helped me stuff all the essentials into a single unit.

Later in the evening, I went to the General store to buy some Gum, Polo, 'Mysore Sandal Soap' TM  and the essential Hand Sanitizer that comes in handy on Indian Railways:)

The Train was scheduled to depart at 8.10, so I took a drop around 7.45 from my uncle. Two others arrived just on time, I guess they assumed I.S.T principle applied here too. 

We had not planned what we'd see in the coming days. We just had an overview of things and we had to figure out the best option with available time and money. So with the usual chit-chat and banter exchange, time flew by:).

Soon, our neighbours started to switch their lights out so we followed suit.

I chose the middle berth, kept tossing and rolling for a while but sleep didn't come easy to me like it usually does. I used my travel bag as a temporary pillow; it was at an awkward height. This was the only place I thought was safe for my bag, as I'd kept my cell and cash in there. So I decided that Sleep was to be sacrificed:)

Day 1: Saturday, 24-04-10

I'm no insomniac so sleep did come around 3.30 and I woke up around 6.30, had some 'chai' which was extremely sweet.. We were passing through the Khanapura Forest Range just before Londa, the air felt fresh and the sights were lush green. It was around 8.30 when we reached Belgaum.

ShravanIAS's Uncle Pradeep was to meet us at the station, which was surprisingly neat and well kept. 

From there, we proceeded to the Inspection Bungalow that Uncle had arranged for us, had a quick bath, and then hopped onto a big-ass Bajaj Trax and proceeded to Pradeep Uncle's place. There, we met his father who is all of 99 years old, but still had a step about him. After a quick visit, we went to a fine little place called Ajanta's cafe. We had Puri kurma for breakfast, It was simply A-M-A-Z-I-N-G, so much so that we ordered two plates. Each.

                           

                                                            Swell:P

  

After a heavy breakfast, we took a walk around the central square of Belgaum. The roads here are very narrow, almost non-existent, but are bustling with activity.

We took a stroll for a couple of hours, taking in the sights and sounds, savouring some Guava, Mango, and bearing with the heat:)
Soon, we were back on the trax and headed to a little town called Ramdurg, on the eastern edge of Belgaum District. It is believed that lord rama stayed in this place during his vanvasa hence the name. It was only a 2 hour drive. This region is very arid, comprising mainly wastelands and the occasional sugarcane plantations that apparently drained the water table.

On the way, we saw this very huge tree to the side of the road that is said to have medicinal value. Apparently, food placed beneath this tree would not go bad for days:)

                                              
                                                     Corn, anyone?

We reached Ramdurg around 2.30. Here we met up with Pradeep Uncle's brother, who is the M.L.A of Ramdurg. He had a delicious Jowar Roti lunch arranged for us. It was bliss.
Easily the best South Indian meal I've ever had. Everyone at that table from Mysore would probably re-iterate the same:p

This is called Killa Toregal, That's all i know, google didn't help:p

After lunch, we proceeded to have a view of the ancestral home under construction. 

                                             Everyone has a cellular phone:P

We then pondered for a while if we could visit Badami, Aihole 'cause it was in our itinerary, but then decided against it and pushed that plan to the next day. Later that evening, we walked to a Sugarcane plantation and had a look at how things worked in such an arid region, where borewells and pumps are farcical ideas considering the power crisis looming large.

The Sugarcane stalks were stacked up really high, and were swaying gallantly in the wind.

                                      This poor chap was telling us about all his problems in a dialect we couldn't quite catch. The farmers here were very courteous, they greeted us with a 'namaskara' almost every time. They were camera-friendly too:)

                              Perhaps we were interrupting their peaceful sojourn:P
                                               

After our little excursion, we sat by the side of a well and ate Mirchi bajjis with  onions, It was blissful:) We were actually pretty full with a heavy lunch still ballooning in our bellies, but this was one of those days where everything tasted so beautiful that we had to make room for more. 
We did also have some wonderful mandakki, and to top it all, some elneeru which was very warm yet had a cooling effect:)


                             

After all this, we did return to Ramdurg to have a drink called Doodhcold, which is a I-cannot-put-to-words-wtf-is-this drink that i will talk about in detail later.
Around 7.30, we finally left Ramdurg to Almatti, which was to be our camp for the night. For dinner, I could only manage a packet of chips. We checked into the IB there, and sleep soon beckoned. :)